Dr. Toni Ho is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Toni Ho
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceNew Avengers vol. 4 #1 (Dec. 2015)
U.S.Avengers #1 (March 2017; as Iron Patriot)
Created byAl Ewing
Gerardo Sandoval
In-story information
Team affiliationsU.S.Avengers
A.I.M.
R.E.S.C.U.E.
Daughters of Liberty
Notable aliasesIron Patriot
Hekate-4
Abilities

Publication history

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Toni Ho first appeared in New Avengers vol. 4 #1 (2015) and was created by writer Al Ewing and artist Gerardo Sandoval.

Fictional character biography

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Toni Ho is the daughter of Ho Yinsen, an engineer with three doctoral degrees.[1]

Toni becomes a member of the Avengers Idea Mechanics after she is bought out by Roberto da Costa. She serves as part of a support team for the New Avengers.[2] Toni also studies Aikku Jokinen, the sentient Pod suit's wearer. She took an interest in Aikku because of the Pod suit and also because she sympathizes with Aikku's personal reasons for not wanting to take Pod off. Toni falls in love with Aikku, who reciprocates her feelings. Consequently, when the two are attacked by the Maker, Toni defends Aikku and Pod—and when Pod ejects Aikku, Toni helps Aikku with the new under-suit, Enigma.[3]

Toni is a member of the U.S. Avengers, as the Iron Patriot.[4] In the group's first mission, the team had encountered the Secret Empire in a floating volcanic island base. Later, when the Golden Skull arrives in the present timeline to steal all the world's wealth, the group is approached by Danielle Cage (as a future equivalent of Captain America). In Miami, Florida, the team crashes a charity gala, only to discover that the wealthy CEOs had been kidnapped and replaced by robots. During the ensuing battle, the team manages to defeat the Golden Skull (equipped with an armored suit) and Captain America, then to go back into the future timeline, taking the Golden Skull with them as a prisoner.[5]

During the "Opening Salvo" part of the Secret Empire storyline, Aikku starts to worry that Toni has been spending too much time working on her upgraded Iron Patriot armor.[6] The team arrives in Washington D.C. to confront Hydra. During this confrontation, Robert Maverick attacks the group as a result of nanites that had previously been injected into him by Hydra's double-agent, Kyle. In an attempt to save the group, Toni uses a teleportation device to transport her teammates Enigma and Squirrel Girl to Paris. Toni and the Red Hulk are then captured and put in a prison, where they see Roberto, almost dead, in one of the prison cells. Hydra soldiers arrive at their cell while Toni is adjusting to prison life; she manages to save Roberto from them just in time. Toni then helps Roberto defeat the prison guards and free the Red Hulk from the control of the nanites, enabling the three of them to take control of the prison. After Toni and Squirrel Girl help the Champions of Europe to defeat Hydra soldiers in Paris, she contacts Enigma and makes plans to have the two of them return to the United States. She also tells Enigma that she is planning to quit the Iron Patriot mantle so that their relationship can continue. During all this, Toni let go of the anger she had felt toward her father's sacrifice. Afterwards, Toni deactivates the Red Hulk's nanites, enabling Maverick to return to normal. She is later approached by A.I.M. agents who want her to be the organization's new leader now that Roberto has quit.[7]

While traveling through space, Smasher and the U.S.Avengers are attacked by space pirates known as Warpjackers. After a brief fight, the pirates tell them that Glenbrook is actually the planet Kral X and that its ruler, Ritchie Redwood, is ruthless. Upon arriving on Kral X, the heroes manage to help Cannonball and the planet's rebels overthrow Ritchie. After restoring order to the planet, the heroes head home.[8]

After Roberto leaves the American Intelligence Mechanics, Toni succeeds, and allows the rogue A.I.M. cells to regain the terrorist acronym, since Toni has now had her organization rebranded as R.E.S.C.U.E.[9]

Toni also uses her computer expertise to help Ironheart rescue Tony Stark,[10] and appears as a member of the Daughters of Liberty while using the alias of Hekate-4 to help Steve Rogers.[11]

Other versions

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  • An alternate version of the character, Antonia Yinsen, appears in the 2015 Secret Wars crossover event as someone in power in her father's place in Yinsen City.[12]
  • An alternate version of the character is shown having had a brief relationship with Rikki Barnes who had been reincarnated into her reality until they were both murdered by the Maker.[13]

In other media

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Television

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Iron Patriot appears in the Avengers Assemble episode "Into the Future", voiced by Laura Bailey. This version is a resistance fighter from a future ruled by Kang the Conqueror.[14]

References

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  1. ^ New Avengers vol. 4 #1. Marvel Comics.
  2. ^ New Avengers vol. 4 #9. Marvel Comics.
  3. ^ New Avengers vol. 4 #13-15. Marvel Comics.
  4. ^ Betancourt, David (1 July 2016). "Marvel is creating an America-themed Avengers — led by a British writer and a Brazilian mutant". Washingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  5. ^ U.S.Avengers #1-3. Marvel Comics.
  6. ^ U.S.Avengers #5. Marvel Comics.
  7. ^ U.S.Avengers #6-10. Marvel Comics.
  8. ^ U.S.Avengers #11-12. Marvel Comics.
  9. ^ The Avengers #690. Marvel Comics.
  10. ^ Invincible Iron Man #597-600
  11. ^ Captain America vol. 9 #9-23. Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders #1-2. Marvel Comics
  13. ^ Future Foundation #3. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ "Into the Future". Avengers Assemble. Season 3. Episode 13. August 22, 2016. Disney XD.
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