The character who would become Rescue, Virginia “Pepper” Potts, was first introduced in Tales of Suspense #45 in September 1963. Created by writer stan_lee and artist Don Heck, with input from writer Robert Bernstein, Pepper was initially a member of Tony Stark's secretarial pool. She was characterized by her sharp wit, efficiency, and an unrequited crush on her boss, forming a love triangle with Stark and his chauffeur, Harold “Happy” Hogan. For decades, she remained a cornerstone of Iron Man's supporting cast, evolving from secretary to trusted confidant and business administrator. The transformation into the superhero Rescue occurred much later, during a seminal run on Iron Man's solo title. Writer Matt Fraction and artist Salvador Larroca orchestrated her heroic evolution in The Invincible Iron Man #10, published in April 2009. This development was not a sudden gimmick but the logical conclusion of a long-running subplot where Pepper's proximity to Stark's dangerous life put her directly in harm's way. The creation of Rescue provided a powerful new agency for the character, elevating her from a supporting role to a hero in her own right, with a unique philosophy and power set that distinguished her from Iron Man.
The catalyst and narrative for Pepper Potts donning the Rescue armor differ significantly between the prime comic continuity and the cinematic universe, reflecting the distinct needs and themes of each medium.
Pepper Potts's origin as Rescue is born from trauma, necessity, and a profound act of love from Tony Stark during one of the lowest points in his life. The story unfolds during the “World's Most Wanted” story arc, which directly followed the events of secret_invasion. Norman Osborn, now in charge of national security as the head of H.A.M.M.E.R., declared Tony Stark a global fugitive. To protect the identities of registered heroes and other sensitive data, Tony systematically erased the Superhuman Registration Act database from his own mind, effectively leaving himself brain-damaged and on the run. During this period, Pepper Potts was acting as the CEO of Stark Industries. Osborn, in his efforts to hunt Stark, dispatched the assassin Ezekiel Stane to attack Pepper. The assault was brutal, culminating in Stane planting a bomb in her office building. The explosion critically injured Pepper, embedding shrapnel near her heart—a chilling echo of Tony Stark's own origin story. To save her life, Tony installed a powerful electromagnetic generator in her chest, similar to his own original Repulsor Technology (RT) chest piece. This device, powered by its own arc reactor, not only kept the shrapnel from her heart but also granted her enhanced senses and the ability to interface with Stark's technology. Haunted by the fact that his life had once again brought immense suffering to someone he cared for, Tony revealed a secret project he had built for her: the Iron Man Armor Model 1616, which he had nicknamed “Rescue.” This armor was fundamentally different from any suit Tony had built for himself. It was designed without any built-in offensive weaponry. Its purpose, as its name implied, was purely for search, rescue, and defense. It possessed immense strength and incredibly powerful force fields, allowing Pepper to protect civilians and contain catastrophic events. The suit was also equipped with its own dedicated AI, a restored version of J.A.R.V.I.S., to guide her. Pepper's first act as Rescue was not to fight a villain, but to save victims from a collapsing building, immediately establishing her distinct heroic identity. Her origin was not about vengeance or power, but about survival and the drive to protect others from the fallout of the super-powered world.
In the MCU, Pepper Potts's journey to becoming Rescue is a more gradual, thematic evolution spanning multiple films. Her path begins not with a sudden catastrophic injury, but with her steady growth from Tony Stark's fiercely competent personal assistant (Iron Man) to the shrewd and capable CEO of Stark Industries (Iron Man 2). A critical turning point occurs in Iron Man 3. Here, Pepper is directly targeted by Aldrich Killian, who subjects her to the Extremis virus. While this was intended as a threat, it temporarily imbued her with superhuman abilities, including enhanced strength, reflexes, and thermal generation. In the film's climax, it is Pepper, empowered by Extremis, who ultimately kills Killian and saves Tony. Though Tony later develops a procedure to stabilize and remove the volatile Extremis effects, this experience irrevocably changes her, proving she is far more than a damsel in distress and is fully capable of fighting her own battles. Her final transformation into Rescue occurs off-screen between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. During the five-year “Blip,” Tony Stark retires from his Iron Man role to live a quiet life with Pepper and their daughter, Morgan. In this time, he constructs a final suit of armor for her: the Rescue Armor Mark XLIX. He presents it to her as a gift, a symbol of their complete partnership. Unlike its comic book counterpart, the MCU's Rescue armor is a fully-equipped combat suit, featuring nanotechnology, repulsors, and a back-mounted drone-and-cannon system. Pepper finally dons the armor during the climactic Battle of Earth, arriving alongside the other re-emerged heroes. She fights side-by-side with Tony, their “back-to-back” moment fulfilling a long-held fan desire and signifying the completion of her character arc. Her MCU origin as Rescue is not about recovering from an injury, but about stepping into a role she has long earned, fighting to protect the family she and Tony have built. It serves as a powerful testament to their shared journey and her ascension to a hero on equal footing.
The Rescue armor, in both its primary incarnations, is a testament to Tony Stark's genius, but it is tailored specifically for Pepper Potts's unique needs, personality, and mission philosophy. The technical specifications and operational focus vary dramatically between the comic and film versions.
The original comic book Rescue armor, Model 1616, was a masterpiece of defensive and support-oriented technology. Its design philosophy was a direct reaction to the destructive nature of most powered armors.
The Rescue Armor Mark XLIX seen in Avengers: Endgame is a cutting-edge piece of military hardware, reflecting the all-out-war scenario it was designed for. It shares a technological lineage with Tony's own Mark LXXXV Bleeding Edge armor.
To understand Rescue, one must understand the woman inside the armor. Pepper Potts is not a soldier, scientist, or super-spy. Her journey is one of an ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances, whose greatest strengths have always been her intellect, resilience, and unwavering moral compass.
Long before she donned any armor, Pepper's primary “superpower” was her brilliant organizational and business mind. Starting as Tony Stark's executive assistant, she was the sole person capable of managing his chaotic life and the day-to-day operations of a multi-billion dollar tech company. Her promotion to CEO of Stark Industries was not a gift; it was earned through years of unmatched competence. After Tony Stark was forced to dissolve Stark Industries, she co-founded Stark Resilient (later renamed Potts Industries) with him. This new company moved away from weapons manufacturing entirely, focusing on developing clean, world-changing repulsor technology. As CEO, Pepper was a formidable force in the corporate world, using her strategic thinking to outmaneuver rivals like Justine and Sasha Hammer. Her leadership skills directly translate to her role as Rescue, where she often acts as a field coordinator, prioritizing objectives and managing crises with a CEO's efficiency.
Pepper is often described as the anchor to Tony Stark's storm. She is pragmatic, level-headed, and possesses a profound sense of responsibility. While Tony operates on grand, often impulsive, world-saving ideas, Pepper focuses on the details and the human cost. She consistently served as his conscience, questioning the ethics of his work and pushing him to be a better man. Her initial reluctance to become a hero stems from this pragmatism. She sees the danger and chaos up close and does not romanticize it. However, her core empathy and protective instincts ultimately drive her to accept the Rescue identity. She fights not for glory or thrill, but because she cannot stand by and watch people suffer when she has the power to help. This grounds her heroism in a deeply relatable humanism.
Beyond the armor, Pepper has occasionally possessed superhuman abilities.
Pepper does not have a traditional arch-nemesis. Instead, her antagonists are typically those who threaten her company, her loved ones, or her values.
This is the quintessential Rescue story, detailing her origin. With Tony Stark on the run and mentally degrading himself to protect the world's secrets from Norman Osborn, Pepper is left to manage his collapsing empire. The brutal attack by Ezekiel Stane and her subsequent life-saving implant serve as her crucible. When Tony bestows the Rescue armor upon her, it's a desperate, poignant act. Her immediate, successful use of the suit to save civilians from a disaster, all while grappling with her new existence, perfectly encapsulates the character's mission. The arc establishes her as a hero defined by compassion in a world saturated with violence.
Following the defeat of Norman Osborn, Tony and Pepper launch a new company, Stark Resilient, dedicated to providing the world with clean, free energy based on arc reactor technology. This era defines Pepper's dual role as a high-powered CEO and a fledgling superhero. She battles corporate espionage and sabotage from the Hammer family, using the boardroom and the Rescue armor as her weapons. It highlights her intelligence as her greatest asset, showing her out-strategizing her rivals while using the Rescue armor to physically protect her company's vision for a better future.
During the “Fear Itself” event, Paris is attacked by the Asgardian-empowered Grey Gargoyle, who begins turning the city's population to stone. Rescue teams up with the Detroit Steel corps to fight him. During the battle, she pushes her armor and herself to the absolute limit, but the psychic feedback from the mass death and destruction leaves her with severe PTSD. The traumatic experience leads her to a difficult decision: she has the RT node removed from her chest and retires the Rescue identity, demonstrating the immense psychological toll of superheroism on a normal person. This storyline adds a crucial layer of vulnerability and realism to her character.
Years later, during the machine uprising led by Tony Stark's rogue AI and his brother Arno Stark, the world is in chaos. Recognizing the immense threat, Pepper Potts decides she can no longer remain on the sidelines. She unveils a brand new, updated and streamlined Rescue armor to re-enter the fray. Her return is a pivotal moment, showing that despite her past trauma, her inherent sense of responsibility compels her to act. She fights to protect humanity from the very technology her life has been built around, proving that the identity of Rescue is a part of her she can never fully abandon.