ANDROID X-4

Real Name: Android X-4

Identity/Class: Artificial life-form, non-sentient

Occupation: Servant of Tony Stark and SHIELD

Affiliations: Dr. Ralph Ryder, Tony Stark

Enemies: Captain America

Known Relatives: Tony Stark (creator)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, New York

First Appearance: Captain America I#127 (July, 1970)

Powers/Abilities: Android X-4 was powered by radiation, and could operate a full 24 hours before needing to be recharged. Its skin was steel-hard, and it possessed superhuman reflexes and strength (approximately Class 10). Although it was designed to respond to remote controls, its systems could be easily taken over by another.

History: (Captain America I#127) - Faced with the possibility of a traitor in their midst leaking information to A.I.M., S.H.I.E.L.D. embarked upon a complicated plot to expose the traitor. Nick Fury seemed to accuse Captain America, as he had no actual security clearance. Fury had Tony Stark design the robotic Android X-4 on the pretense of testing Captain America to see if he was who he said he was.

Captain America was led to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York base, and made to fight Android X-4 in their testing room, while steel partitions rose from the floor. Captain America proved himself sufficiently against the partitions, and Fury attempted to shut down the android, but it continued to attack Captain America! Sharon Carter took off with a geiger counter, which led her right to Dr. Ryder, the true traitor.

With Ryder defeated, the android was deactivated, and Fury admitted that they had suspected Ryder alll along, but needed Captain America to serve as their decoy.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Gene Colan and Wally Wood.

Is it just me, or does Fury's search for the traitor make no sense? He suspects Dr. Ryder, so he gets Tony Stark to make a robot, in the hopes that Ryder will sabotage it. Uh, right. What exactly is Ryder's motivation in sabotaging the android?

Dr. Ryder's first name was revealed in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition#3 (A.I.M. entry)

Profile by Prime Eternal