SIMON RYKER

Real Name: Simon Ryker

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Earth-7484 / Earth-Deathlok) human mutate/cyborg

Occupation: Would-be World Conqueror

Group Membership: Project: Alpha-Mech

Affiliations: Nina Ferry (former assistant and later pawn); Julian Biggs, Omni-Computer, War-Wolf (agents); the US Army;
    Dr. Wilcox/Luther Manning clone (former pawn),
    formerly Luther Manning and Mike Travers (military subordinates), Harlan Ryker

Enemies: Deathlok the Demolisher, Godwulf

Known Relatives: Harlan Ryker (Hellinger, brother)

Aliases: Savior Machine, Saviour Machine;
    Mister Ego (nickname from Luther Manning)

Base of Operations: New York City, America, Earth-7484;
    formerly a base within the Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island

First Appearance: Astonishing Tales#25 (August, 1974)

Abilities: Ryker had access to the Omni-Computer, enabling him to view events occurring over an undisclosed area, but at least as far as New York City. He commanded Project: Alpha-Mech and the involved soldiers, giving him both armed combatants and cyborg technicians at his bidding.

    As the Savior Machine, Ryker was linked to the Omni-Computer , which gave him control of all computer systems throughout New York City, and possibly beyond. The extent of his abilities enabled him to manipulate the world of Cyber-Space, or at least to control others' perceptions of it.

    Portions of Ryker's body were replaced by cybernetic parts, including his legs, spine, and parts of his brain. The computers linked to his brain allowed him to link to other computer systems. He did not demonstrate any superhuman physical abilities.

History: Simon Ryker is part of an alternate reality in which Roxxon's N^th Command banished all of the super-heroes to extradimensional realms where most, if not all, were instantly killed. Roxxon then staged a coup on the USA, which resulted in mass chaos and no clear victor. A number of separate factions struggled for control, including the CIA, the military, and other splinter groups.

BTS - Simon Ryker served in the army's boot camp alongside Luther Manning.

(Astonishing Tales#28 (fb)) - As a captain in the army, Ryker supervised the war games of Luther Manning and Mike Travers.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#3) - Simon received severe damage to his legs and spine after an altercation with their world's Dr. Doom. His brother, Harlan, secretly gave him cybernetic replacements. Together, Harlan and Simon spear-headed Project: Alpha-Mech, designed to build armies of cyborg super soldiers. Simon wished to use the cyborgs to take control of the USA (and then the world).

    When Luther Manning was killed by a bomb, Simon selected him to become the cyborg warrior Deathlok the Demolisher. Harlan designed this procedure, but he had developed a different plan for Project: Alpha-Mech, and so had parted ways with Simon, taking the future of the Project with him.

(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb) - BTS) - Under Ryker's instruction the four surgeons working on Manning isolated and kept alive a portion of his eyes.

(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb)) - After Ryker confirmed the doctors had preserved a portion of Ryker's brain, the lead doctor voiced his opposition to the procedure. Ryker explained that Manning had been the most brilliant military strategist alive and that he wanted that knowledge preserved. When the doctor argued the procedure to have been ghastly, Ryker advised him of the necessity of Project: Alpha-Mech to the current war, and further warned the doctor if he had further complaints he could bring them up at his court-martial.

(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb)) - Simon watched over the construction of the Deathlok cyborg, although Wilkins remarked how the operation would progress better without Ryker watching over them.

(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb)) - Along with his companion, Nina Ferry, Simon supervised demonstrations of Deathlok's abilities and received a narrative report for one of the doctors.

(Astonishing Tales#26 (fb) - BTS) - Deathlok demonstrated tendencies toward rebellion against his built-in computer; in his last two missions, he four times disregarded programmed orders, once defied a direct order, and twice acted counter to programming.

(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb) / Astonishing Tales#26 (fb)) - Following Deathlok's demonstrating tendencies toward rebellion against his built-in computer, defying or even acting counter to programming, Ryker had Deathlok brought in for examination and questioning. After receiving injectable sedation under Peters' direction, Deathlok was placed in a power siphon.

(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb)) - Although Peters assured Ryker that Deathlok was heavily sedated and would be helpless, they were both very surprised to hear Manning's voice, revealing that his personality had reasserted itself and taken control of Deathlok's form. Deathlok then reversed the flow of the power siphon, enabling him to break free from the restraints.

(Astonishing Tales#26 (fb)) - A fearful Ryker told Deathlok to stay back, but Deathlok smashed his head into a wall as payback for turning him into a machine.

(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb)) - Deathlok then stole an army helicopter, and escaped.

(Astonishing Tales#26 (fb)) - Firing on the escaping helicopter, Ryker vowed vengeance on both Ryker and Deathlok.

(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb) - BTS) - Hoping to make enough money to re-transplant his brain into a human body, Deathlok hired himself out as a mercenary/assassin

(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb) - BTS) - Simon Ryker employed racketeer Julian Biggs, instructing him to hire Deathlok to kill two men, Curtis Giles and another unidentifed, whom Ryker believed to be out to stop Project: Alpha Mech.

(Astonishing Tales#25 (fb) - BTS) - Deathlok took the job working for Julian Biggs, assassinated the targets and then returned to Biggs for his payment. When Biggs refused to pay, Deathlok attacked him, shattering his body and revealing him as a cyborg or robot.

(Astonishing Tales#25) - Transmitting through Biggs' form, Simon Ryker then taunted Deathlok, telling him the men he killed were out to stop Project: Alpha-Mech. Ryker told Deathlok he would never allow him to have a brain transplant.

    Seeing an open panel on the back of his head, Nina discovered that Ryker was a cyborg.

(Astonishing Tales#XXX) - To keep Nina quiet, Ryker drugged her into a stupor.

(Astonishing Tales#26 (fb) - BTS) - Relocating to his facility within the base of the Statue of Liberty where his scientists completed work on the War-Wolf, Ryker had some agents abduct Mike Travers. Assaulted by Deathlok, Ryker's agents told him Travers was being held in the Statue of Liberty.

(Astonishing Tales#26) - As Deathlok approached, Ryker urged his assistant to complete the War-Wolf. After Deathlok arrived, Ryker introduced the War-Wolf, claiming it to be a transformed Travers.

(Astonishing Tales#27) - Ryker set the War-Wolf on Deathlok, who found himself unable to fight back against what he believed was his best friend. As a result, Deathlok was pummeled, and War-Wolf yanked Deathlok's vital life-line from his body. When Deathlok's defeat seemed imminent, Ryker revealed that War-Wolf was not actually Travers, and also lied again, telling Deathlok that Travers had died in the process of trying to turn him into a cyborg. Angered by this insult, Deathlok rallied and destroyed the War-Wolf, though they both fell from the statue in the process.
    Though weakened by the energy leeched from his lifeline, Deathlok was pleased to learn that the third voice in his head, the stream-of-consciousness one, had been removed in the process; his computer system revealed that voice to have been an implant used by Ryker to trace him, and the computer then neutralized it. Deathlok then returned to his former house to tell his wife, Janice, that he was still alive, but he fled after realizing that she didn't believe him and thought he was only a monster. Devastated, Deathlok left Janice (along with the son he had never seen) and tried to kill himself with his laser gun, but crushed the gun after finding that his computer prevented him from killing himself.

(Astonishing Tales#26, 27) - Deathlok attempted to track down his old friend Mike Travers, which brought him back to Ryker. Ryker sent the Warwolf after Deathlok, duping him into believing that it was a transformed Travers, so he would not fight against it fully. However, after Deathlok was badly injured, Ryker thought victory to be guaranteed, and so revealed that Warwolf was not Travers. Deathlok then rallied and destroyed the Warwolf, although the fight carried him away from Ryker. Simon then initiated the process of having Nina plugged into the Omni-Computer, which left her in a semi-catatonic state, responsive to his directions.

(Astonishing Tales#26 + 27 - BTS / Marvel Spotlight I#33 (fb) - BTS) - Hellinger plotted the downfall of Simon Ryker; he arranged for the mind-lock of Nina Ferry with the Omni-Computer, which provided Hellinger with vital information to use against him.

(Astonishing Tales#28, 30) - Ryker had Deathlok's computer jam his laser pistol so that he couldn't commit suicide after his appearance terrified his former wife. He used Nina's mind--now linked to the Omni-Computer, alloweing a synergy between computer programming and the human mind--to send a tank (his Supreme Death-Machine) which pinned down Deathlok. Proud of himself, Ryker had the psychic extraction decreased on Nina so he could taunt her with what she was being forced to do. However, Deathlok ultimately managed to destroy the Death-Machine.
Ryker revealed his plans of becoming the Saviour Machine, and underwent the next surgical procedure.

(Astonishing Tales#31-BTS) - Ryker's surgery continued as Deathlok attempted to track down the last surviving surgeon who had turned him into a cyborg.

(Astonishing Tales#32) - Ryker continued to monitor Deathlok's efforts and prepared fort he final surgical procedure.

(Astonishing Tales#33) - Ryker's mind was linked to the Omni-Computer, becoming the Savior Machine.

(Astonishing Tales#34, 35) - Wilcox, the last doctor who had built Deathlok, his mind in the CIA's Luther Manning clone, sent Deathlok's mind into the Omni-Computer to confront Ryker. Now the Savior Machine, Ryker controlled Cyber-Space. He showed Deathlok his plans for the world and attempted to convince him to join his mission. Deathlok refused and attacked Ryker. Their opposing ionic charges generated greater amounts of destructive force, but Deathlok maintained his grip on Ryker, willling to sacrifice his own life to stop the madman. Wilcox, however, managed to pull both of the back into the real world. However, Ryker was unhinged by the various transfers and believed himself to be Deathlok. When he saw the real Deathlok, he collapsed to the ground.

(Marvel Spotlight I#33) - The mad and seemingly harmless Simon Ryker was held within a padded cell.

Comments: Created by Rich Buckler and Doug Moench.

    In Earth-616, Simon Ryker struggled against Dr. Doom and the Sub-Mariner, in Super-Villain Team-Up#4 and Marvel Spotlight I#27. Presumably, some similar events took place on Earth-Deathlok, resulting in Ryker's injuries and transformation into a cyborg. These events will be detailed in the profile for Simon Ryker of Earth-616.

    Deathlok's timeline diverged from Earth-616 in Captain America I#289, in which Captain America, armed with the knowledge of the future, led the disruption of Nth Command's power and prevented the mass banishments. The dates given in the Deathlok stories are most likely topical, unless in that world the "modern era" of the MU took place at a fixed time period, which would mean that now over 20 years have occurred since the defeat of Hellinger. This is entirely possible.

    Much of Ryker's above back history is a composite of information from Deathlok's Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (OHotMU) entries, flashbacks from Captain America I#288, and information interpolated from his accomplishments and situations seen in the Astonishing Tales and Captain America issues. It is difficult to place the events chronologically, and so I did not make a huge effort to do so.

    The third voice that showed up early on in the Deathlok saga (Astonishing Tales#25), rambling semi-incoherent data, was later revealed to be a bug implanted by Simon Ryker. I think the real deal was that it was exhausting for the writers to do the main character with three dialogues, so they opted to bag the cuckoo-crazy one.

    Astonishing Tales#29 did not feature Deathlok or his saga, but instead reprinted Marvel Super-Heroes II#18 (Guardians of the Galaxy). Dreaded Deadline Doom, I guess.

    I believe Simon Ryker (the Savior Machine) was named after David Bowie's song "Savior Machine" off The Man Who Sold the World album. It's a tune about a computer that created a utopian society and later decided humanity had to be destroyed, or at least stop bugging it to solve the world's problems.
-future

Profile by Snood

Profile edited/updated by Kyle Sims 

CLARIFICATIONS:
Simon Ryker, the Savior Machine, should be distinguished from:

• Simon Ryker of Earth-616, his counterpart in the mainstream timeline, @ Super-Villain Team-Up#4
• Harlan Ryker of Earth-Deathlok, Hellinger, his brother, @ Astonishing Tales#25
• Harlan Ryker, of Cybertek, who designed the Earth-616 Deathlok form used by Kelly and Collins, @ Deathlok I#1
• General Ryker, who led a hunt for the Hulk, @ Incredible Hulk III#14
• Lucy Ryker, wife of the general, mutated by gamma radiation into hideous form, @ Incredible Hulk III#18, 20
• Ryker's Island, a prison in Manhattan, based on the real world version, @ ???
• Sally Riker, a hostage negotiator who got caught up in a plot against the Hulk, @ Incredible Hulk III#40
• Alexander Ryking, of Almagordo, a contemporary of Brian Xavier and Kurt Marko, @ X-Men II#12
• Carter Ryking, aka Hazard, son of Alexander, @ X-Men II#12

Deathlok the Demolisher

images: (without ads)

Other appearances:
Astonishing Tales#26-27 (October-December, 1974) - Rich Buckler & Doug Moench (writers), Rich Buckler (pencils), Pablo Marcos (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Astonishing Tales#28 (February, 1975) - Rich Buckler (writer/artist), Roy Thomas (editor)
Astonishing Tales#30 (June, 1975) - Rich Buckler & Doug Moench (writers), Rich Buckler, Keith Pollard & Arvell Jones (pencils), Al McWilliams (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Astonishing Tales#31 (August, 1975) - Doug Moench (writer), Rich Buckler & Keith Pollard (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Astonishing Tales#32 (November, 1975) - Rich Buckler & Bill Mantlo (writers), Rich Buckler, Keith Pollard & Bob McLeod (artists), Len Wein (editor)
Astonishing Tales#33-35 (January-May, 1976) - Rich Buckler & Bill Mantlo (writers), Rich Buckler (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Marvel Spotlight I#33 (April, 1977) - David Anthony Kraft (writer), Rich Buckler, Mike Nassar & Arvell Jones (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)

First Posted: 08/29/2002
Last updated: 05/04/2019

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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