Imaya, officially the Republic of Imaya, is a nation in West Africa ^{[1] [7]} (although some people have mistakenly believed it to be in North Africa),^[2][8] located between Niger, to the north of Imaya, and Nigeria, to its south.^[1] With its capital in Imaya City^[6] (where is the seat of government in the Executive Palace) and defended by the Imayan Armed Forces^[6] (including infantry and air force,^[1] the former famous for its adherence to the rules^[2] and the latter for its motivation to defend the country),^[6] Imaya has a population of 1,900,000 inhabitants. Imaya's economy, supported by the CFA franc (shared with other African countries bordering each other, including Niger), is based on resources including agriculture, cement, coal, food products, iron ore, natural gas, steel, textiles, tin petroleum, and uranium. However, the country has struggled to control crimes related to forced slave labor activities and drug trafficking,^[1] as well as rebel activity against the government^[1][9][3] during at least some terms.^[3] The most commonly spoken languages ​​are French, English, and Hausa.

Throughout history, Imaya has struggled with cross-border conflicts entering Imaya territory due to its location clogged between two other countries. Although Imaya has become a member of the African Union, Interpol, the United Nations (UN), UNESCO, the World Health Organization, and the World Trade Organization, and has cooperated with international law agency S.H.I.E.L.D.'s forces, the country has had multiple difficulties due to brutal political transitions.^[1] Nearly twenty years ago,^[10] Imayan President Letumba recruited^[10][6] the mysterious Advisor,^[10][1] who foments political discord^[11][1] and has claimed to be a demon or linked to them,^[11] as his chancellor.^[10][6] The Advisor betrayed Letumba to Eda Arul,^[10][1][6] a sadistic,^[2] deranged prison guard^{[10][1][2][6]} who was watching over Imayan^[6][5][1] political activist Vincent Cetewayo.^[6][5][1] Arul murdered Letumba,^[10] beheading him^[1] (and keeping his head as a gruesome trophy, along with other political enemies', in the Executive Palace)^[6] and succeeded Letumba in the presidency^[10][6] which soon became a de facto military^[3] dictatorship.^[3][12][5] Arul, who demanded to be called General Arul^[1][6][3] and to be addressed as Excellency,^[6][2] had received support from the Advisor during his rise,^[1][7] so he recruited the Advisor as his chancellor.^[1] The Advisor would later claim that his secretive masters intended to lift Arul to their own ends where life and liberty were minimized; but the Advisor understood that Arul was irresponsible and dangerous, and that his rule was destined to eventually end. In any case, the Advisor hoped to take advantage of this situation to further his masters' plans as much as possible.^[3][5] Meanwhile, Cetewayo managed to escape the country^[10] to begin an international career as an unwavering champion for the oppressed, shedding light on the abuses perpetrated on the innocent^{[6][5][10][1]} and obtaining international prestige in the process.^[6][1] Although Arul wanted to kill Cetewayo, the Advisor convinced him to wait for a better time instead of doing it with Cetewayo in another country and provoking a war they couldn't win;^[6] but really, the Advisor didn't want to turn Cetewayo into a martyr because that would polarize public opinion against what he intended.^[3]

Arul controlled the army so that it could control the population of Imaya, even going so far as to organize public speeches in which the military "escorted" the population and forced them to applaud.^[6] The army sometimes attacked population centers in Imaya, killing innocent civilians, for whatever reasons Arul decided;^[2][9] this made the Imayans, who often lived in squalor with barely any clothes, dissatisfied with the army and they would even greet military convoys by throwing stones at them.^[2] The military, including the Militia, was well trained and motivated,^[6] and had access to advanced weaponry,^[6][9] and many of them believed in the cause of defending their country.^[6][9] Even so, however, Arul was prone to bouts of paranoia even against them, and on occasion the Advisor would stop Arul from taking steps he himself would later regret;^[6][9] the Advisor was one of the few voices Arul listened to, especially because he presented ideas in a way that allowed Arul to take credit and respect.^[2] Years later,^[6] in the US,^[5] Cetewayo founded NGO Worldwatch, a human rights organization^[6] to coordinate efforts of relief agencies and exert political and diplomatic pressure on situations requiring so,^[5][6] and soon after^[1] published a book of memoirs, "A Destiny To Create", outlining his hopes of global peace while also highlighting the problematic situation in Imaya,^[1][6] openly denouncing Arul.^[10][1] While Cetewayo tried in vain to hire James Rhodes (secretly the superhero War Machine) to head Worldwatch,^[6][5][12] Arul was unhappy with Cetewayo's critical portrayal of him^[1][6] and his government,^[6] and in retaliation, publicly vowed to punish Cetwayo with execution.^[6][10] Arul had the Advisor^[7][10][6] kidnap Cetewayo^{[10][1][6][12]} while the latter was in mid-flight over Africa^[1][6] on a charter flight after a diplomatic mission for the UN Security Council in the Middle East,^[6] to make him land in Imaya, where he would be arrested^[1][6] and tried as a subversive for alleged crimes against the people of Imaya;^[6][5] the captain and the flight hostess of the plane were in cahoots with Arul, and she even held Cetewayo at gunpoint and accused him of being a traitor - although officially the landing was due to "mechanical difficulties".^[6] Cetewayo was held in a cell in the basement of the Executive Palace.^[2] The Advisor predicted correctly that this situation would trigger major events that were likely to end Arul's regime violently, but the Advisor did not expect Arul to remain in power much longer, and preferred a violent transition for his own purposes.^[9] He also hoped this would give him the opportunity to kill Cetewayo in a way that would minimize the impact of his death.^[3] At some point, which was here at the latest and in reaction to this measure, Imayan rebel groups opposed to Arul and with military equipment under Cimbuka's command organized open military actions and set up camp, preparing for an armed attack.^[9][10][1]

The arrest indeed created an international incident^[1][6] in which the United Nations immediately condemned what had happened^[1] but neither they nor the international community took immediate action,^[1][5] which put Cetewayo in grave danger. Two days after the arrest, the U.S. State Department refused to make any public statements, but the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. were blocked from interfering directly in the affairs of a sovereign country.^[6] Ashamed of how he had treated Cetewayo shortly before^[2] by rejecting his job offer, Rhodes decided to travel to Imaya as War Machine to attempt to rescue Cetewayo personally. Two other superpowered vigilantes had the same idea: Deathlok,^{[6][1][5][10]} a pacifist in the body of a military cyborg who admired Cetewayo^[9] and was able to discreetly enter the country in his Dragonfly flying vehicle,^[6] and Cable,^{[6][1][5][10]} a time traveler who foresaw that, without his intervention, this situation could negatively affect the stability of the entire African region.^[6][2] Cable feared that the situation would escalate, especially with a foreign presence that would be perceived as Western cultural imperialism across Africa and the Middle East, which would unify the region to support Arul and perpetuate the brutal dictatorship for another half century. If the United Nations reached a consensus on its own, resolutions against Imaya could force changes in the following years.^[6]

War Machine invaded Imaya^[10][6] and was immediately intercepted by at least ten fighter jets with heat-seeking missiles. He ordered them to retreat, and as they opened fire on the invader, War Machine destroyed one of the fighters, hoping in vain to intimidate the others. While War Machine was dogfighting and downing the planes over the Primary Military Airfield, Arul and the Advisor were informed and put their forces on alert. Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., was also informed when War Machine landed about three kilometers from the crater;^[6], but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s orders were to defend Arul's presidency^[1] and Arul personally,^[3] so Fury dispatched a team led by S.H.I.E.L.D. Major Bathsheva Joseph to preserve peace as much as possible.^[9][5] Meanwhile, War Machine was trying to recover from the damage sustained in the battle and was intercepted by Cable. Cable attempted to convince War Machine to leave the country, hoping that the UN would reach a consensus and that by then it wouldn't be too late to free Cetewayo. Fearing for Cetewayo's life, War Machine refused, and then Deathlok arrived in the area, confronting the two adventurers and claiming that^[6] he had come to free Cetewayo, just like War Machine; Cable, on the other hand, wanted to avoid an open conflict that would affect several countries.^[6][2] The situation escalated into a three-way fight, which became a four-way fight when the Imayan Militia arrived. Seeing war was inevitable, Cable teleported away, and Deathlok and War Machine allied with each other, trying to escape toward Deathlok's Dragonfly plane. Once they arrived, Deathlok remotely piloted the plane away to outside the country, leading the soldiers on a wild goose chase, while Deathlok and War Machine hijacked a jeep in the rear guard of the military's formation back to the capital city. Deathlok, who could not pass for an Imayan, hid in the vehicle, while War Machine knocked down the jeep driver and replaced his armor with the driver's uniform. Deathlok and War Machine expected that this would allow them to reach Imaya City undetected by going with the military caravan. En route, the caravan went through a heavily damaged town where the citizen gret the Militia by throwing stones at them; War Machine speculated that the soldiers may have stopped there for "rest and relaxation," causing all that damage.^[2]

At the Executive Palace, Arul tortured Cetewayo, and the Advisor attempted to intimidate him with a display of superhuman abilities.^[2] However, shortly afterward, Cable entered Cetewayo's cell to teleport him safely away,^[2][10][1] in the process knocking out the guard Arul had assigned. Cable explained to Cetewayo that his mission to prevent a conflict had failed, but there was no reason for a good man like Cetewayo to die. Cetewayo asked Cable to leave him with the rebel forces to join them against Arul, deciding he should have done the same thing years ago,^[9] so Cable took Cetewayo to Cimbuka's camp.^[9]

War Machine and Deathlok failed to reach the palace in their convoy because a soldier noticed Rhodes's beard wasn't regulation cut, forcing them to flee; their plan changed to enter the palace with violence. The Advisor recommended that Arul retreat to a safe place while the Advisor dealt with the intruders. The Advisor greeted Deathlok and War Machine, and offered to take them to Cetewayo's cell, which he knew was empty. Without attempting to lock them up, the Advisor vanished, and the two American vigilantes were intercepted^[2] in the hallway by the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. Major Joseph attempted to arrest them^[2][5], but instead of handing them over to Arul, she wanted to take them back to the United States (over Arul's protests that all criminals in his country should be punished). Deathlok and War Machine pretended to cooperate, but communicated secretly and escaped using War Machine's flight capabilities. Joseph and his agents attempted to stop them in flying Skyfighters, but Deathlok disrupted the onboard technology to force them to land. Arul was enraged at having lost both the prisoner he had hoped to kill and the intruders; and even the Advisor was missing; so Arul ordered his forces to scour the country, destroy everything necessary, and capture his enemies.^[9]

The Advisor had already given up on Arul^[3], so, posing as Cetewayo,^[9][10] he sent Deathlok a communication telling them "he" (Cetewayo) was safe with allies and giving them the coordinates of the rebel base so they could join him.^[9][10] Cimbuka, who had heard military broadcasts about Deathlok and War Machine, welcomed them with open arms because they all shared a common enemy in Arul. War Machine introduced himself to Cetewayo as an agent sent by Rhodes, and Deathlok revealed his identity; he had met Cetewayo years before.^[9] Cetewayo openly advocated for armed rebellion, something Deathlok rejected^[9][11] even though War Machine supported him.^[9] Cetewayo convinced Deathlok to transport wounded rebels^[9][10][1] to medical facilities abroad with the Dragonfly, which he immediately did. However, Arul's armed forces found the camp soon after, even before War Machine could clarify with Cetewayo the details of the message Cetewayo had not sent. Arul's forces had expected a swift and complete victory within a quarter of an hour,^[9] but War Machine's unexpected presence put them on the back foot,^[9][3][10] and Cimbuka harangued his troops to press their advantage. Taking advantage of the confusion, the Advisor appeared on the battlefield and took Cetewayo away at gunpoint, their absence still undetected, especially since^[9][1] War Machine and Cimbuka decided to seize the initiative to directly attack Arul's Palace.^[9][3] International observers and even citizens found themselves shocked at the unprecedented instance of a foreign superhuman, with undeclared interests, openly interfering in another country's political activities, and Worldwatch personnel realized that the public blamed or would blame Cetewayo for the Imayan Civil War. War Machine only declared to the press helicopters that he was going after Arul. He took refuge in a private command post in a bunker in the capital, protected by the S.H.I.E.L.D. team led by a reluctant Major Joseph, who could not sympathize with deranged dictator Arul.^[3] Fury and Rhodes' estranged friend Anthony Stark were shocked by the news,^[3][13] but Stark told Fury that, with their then-strained relationship, Rhodes wouldn't listen to Stark.^[13]

Cimbuka's forces besieged the bunker, eliminating the guards; Cimbuka personally killed a guard who refused to open the door, and then War Machine blew it open. By this point, the army was in full rout, and thousands of Imayans were occupying the streets demanding free elections and Arul's head (metaphorically or literally), while War Machine and Cimbuka stormed the bunker. War Machine grabbed Arul, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Lydon pulled his gun on War Machine, and then Joseph pointed it at Lydon and ordered him to stand down.^[3] War Machine gave way to Cimbuka, who^[3][7] claimed the title of president from Arul.^[3][5][7][1] Major Joseph refused to interfere,^[3][1] thou she resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D.,^[3] but Arul then drew a gun on her, and was immediately shot dead by War Machine to save Joseph.^[3][1] It was the first time War Machine (Rhodes) had ever killed someone in his life (even considering his veteran status with the Marines). Cimbuka stated that it was an unlawful execution within his administration, but he was willing to let it go if it was the only one; War Machine excused himself by saying he had no choice, and Cimbuka declared War Machine a friend of Imaya.^[3] Cimbuka also swore to clear the country's reputation and improve the living conditions of its people.^[1]

Meanwhile, near the abandoned rebel camp,^[3] the Advisor explained to his prisoner Cetewayo how he had exacerbated the conflict so that Cetewayo's pacifist achievements would be overlooked in the larger picture.^[3][10] This allowed him to assassinate Cetewayo without making him a martyr,^[3] but at the same time preventing Cetewayo from further damaging his campaign of evil.^[3][1] Although Cetewayo was willing to beg for his life,^[3] the Advisor killed him in cold blood.^{[3][10][5][12]} War Machine, who only had noticed Cetewayo's absence after Arul's death, flew to look for him, and found him dead before the Advisor; the Advisor didn't even try to hide.^[3] War Machine tried to kill the Advisor, but the Advisor teleported away.^[3][10] Major Joseph followed War Machine, finding him standing before Cetewayo's body.^[3] At that moment, War Machine decided to accept the offer to lead Worldwatch in honor of Cetewayo's death,^[3][5][1] and hired Joseph because she had just lost her job.^[3][5]

War Machine's actions in attacking Imaya and killing the dictator had received widespread publicity, being shown live on television and generating controversy.^[3] War Machine's identity as James Rhodes, director of Worldwatch, was secret, but Cetewayo's connection to Worldwatch and War Machine's presence in subsequent activities tarnished the NGO's reputation.^[4] In an operation in which War Machine attacked a highly polluting factory in Santo Rico, the factory was defended by the superhero Night Thrasher, who distrusted War Machine after what the latter had done at Imaya.^[14]

After what happened at Imaya, companies involved in illegal activities and concerned about Worldwatch, finding out about it, hired an assassin, Deathtoll, to try and kill War Machine, believing that as a superhero, he was interfering where he shouldn't.^[4][5] The UN General Assembly summoned War Machine to explain what had happened, raising charges they would not have legally sustained; but during his presentation, War Machine pointed out that the Cimbuka administration had recalled their UN delegate in protest of the UN vote against War Machine, and that the United Nations was responsible for ignoring Arul's brutal rule, which had cost the lives of many Imayans, including Cetewayo. The speech was cut short when Deathtoll attempted to kill him then and there (and War Machine believed he had killed Deathtoll in self-defense);^[4] but admittedly War Machine was not at ease after what happened to Arul at Imaya. He confided his moral doubts to Joseph, and she recommended he seek advice from another superhero.^[15] War Machine consulted Hawkeye, who argued that people like Arul didn't even have qualms about killing, making Rhodes morally superior to them.^[16]

A year later, after a time travel incident, Joseph was affected and traveled to various points in her life. In one of her final moments, Joseph relived her first encounter with War Machine on Imaya.^[8]

During Dark Reign, Norman Osborn's personal files contained information about the Advisor and how he had supported Arul's regime on Imaya and contributed to the attempt to execute Cetewayo, apparently unaware of the details.^[7]