—James RhodesI did some time in Southeast Asia. That's where I met Iron Man. I saved his butt, then he saved mine.
Appearing in "Something to Believe In"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Deathlok
- Cable
- Rae LaCoste
- Worldwatch
- Vincent Cetewayo (First appearance)
- Dr. Jeffries (First appearance)
- Rebecca Bergier (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Eda Arul (First appearance)
- Advisor ⏵ (First appearance)
- Imayan Armed Forces (Earth-616) (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- S.H.I.E.L.D.
- ⏴ Captain America ⏵ (Cameo)
- Letumba (Corpse, skeleton or other remains) (former President of Imaya, only his Head)
- Iron Man (Only in flashback)
- Atom Smasher (Anti-Nuclear Activist) (Only in flashback)
- Living Laser (Only in flashback)
- Firepower (Government Agent) (Only in flashback)
- War Machine (James Rhodes) (Dream)
- Absorbing Man (Dream)
- Demogoblin (Dream)
- Doppelganger (Dream)
- Dr. Doom (Dream)
- Dr. Octopus (Dream)
- Electro (Dream)
- Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) (Dream)
- Juggernaut (Dream)
- Kingpin (Dream)
- Leader (Dream)
- Magneto (Dream)
- Molecule Man (Dream)
- Mysterio (Dream)
- Red Skull (Dream)
- Rhino (Dream)
- Sabretooth (Dream)
- Toad (Dream)
- Ultron (Dream)
- Vulture (Dream)
- Punisher (Mentioned)
- X-Force (Mentioned) (as Cable's "junior mutant patrol")
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth-616 (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- California
- Pennsylvania (Only in flashback)
- Philadelphia (Only in flashback)
- Imaya (First appearance)
- Imaya City (First appearance)
- Executive Palace (First appearance)
- Primary Military Airfield (First appearance)
- Imaya City (First appearance)
- Switzerland
- Southeast Asia (Only in flashback) (originally Vietnam)
- South Ania (Mentioned)
- Ethiopia (Mentioned)
- Belfast (Mentioned)
- United Nations Security Council Chamber (Mentioned)
- Germany (Appears on screen)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (Appears on screen) (as Bosnia-Hercegovina)
- Sarajevo (Appears on screen)
- Persian Gulf (Appears on screen)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- Earth-TRN1107 (Dream)
- United States of America (Dream)
Items:
Vehicles:
- Dragonfly (Mentioned)
- Imaya fighter planes
Synopsis for "Something to Believe In"
Living in L.A., Jim Rhodes is at a crossroads in his life after falling out with Stark; he has no shortage of job offers but wants to do something worthwhile. His girlfriend Rae LaCoste invites him to dinner with activist Vincent Cetewayo and others (Rebecca Bergier and Ranald Jeffries). Cetewayo explains that he is starting an NGO, Worldwatch, and they want to hire him, but Rhodes is reluctant. Shortly after, Cetewayo is imprisoned in the African dictatorship Imaya; the insane president there, Eda Arul, has a score to settle with him. SHIELD refuses to make a move because of the political implications, so Rhodes will try to rescue Cetewayo as War Machine, invading Imaya if necessary. This attracts the attention of Cable, who also prefers to avoid political changes in Imaya at that time because it will affect the entire region. War Machine attacks Imaya and defeats the air force, much to Arul's dismay, though his mysterious Advisor says he will take care of the matter. War Machine then confronts Cable at Imaya; later joined in the fight by the cyborg Deathlok, who wants to rescue Cetewayo.
Notes
- Issue shipped with both a direct market foil-enhanced cover and a standard news stand edition.
- An Ashcan edition, previewing the series, was released at the time of publication.