Stanley Cross (Cybertek; Deathlok/Michael Collins foe)

cross-stanley-cybertek-dlok1-chairob STANLEY CROSS

Real Name: Stanley Cross

Identity/Class: Human (physically-impaired and possibly cybernetically-enhanced) advanced technology-user

Occupation: Cybernetic technologist

Group Membership: Formerly Cybertek Systems Inc., the applied cybernetic division of Roxxon Energy Corporation;

Affiliations: David Borrosu (see comments), Billy Hansen, Dr. Amanda Hu (see comments), Ben Jacobs, Joseph Fox (see comments), Dr. Miles Kimble (see comments, Mainframe (Ian Wajler), Harlan Ryker
formerly Deathlok (Michael Collins) in that he was involved with that Deathlok's creation; Jim Dworman,

Enemies: Deathlok (Michael Collins), Jim Dworman, Siege (John Kelly);
presumably Coldblood (Eric Savin)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly Cyberbase, Paris, France;
    formerly Cybertek division headquarters, Paterson, New Jersey;
    formerly a base in Estrella, South America

cross-stanley-cybertek-dlokii18-face

First Appearance: Deathlok I#1 (July, 1990)

Powers/Abilities: A cybernetic designer, Stanley designed the cybernetic interface between Cybertek's Deathlok and the human brain installed within.

Paraplegic (see comments), Stanley used a floating chair, which presumably utilized some sort of hovering and propulsion system, perhaps anti-gravity, magnetic levitation (which would apparently require a series of tracks under the ground over which he traveled), etc. The chair likely had a number of additional features, offensive, defensive and recreational (see comments)

He apparently had facially-activated controls for his chair early-on, and perhaps even his own cybernetic implants latterly. He also controlled it with his hands.

Height: Unrevealed (he was not shown standing up and presumably could not stand; he did not look particularly short nor tall, so presumably somewhere between 5'8" and 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 140-160 lbs. (he likely would have had significant muscle atrophy in his lower body, and he did not appear to have significant body fat accumulation)
Eyes: Unrevealed (typically wearing tinted glasses)
Hair: Brown

History:
See comments

(Deathlok I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Employed at Cybertek Systems Inc., the applied cybernetics division of Roxxon Oil, Stanley Cross was one of a group -- including Billy Hansen, Dr. Hu and Ben Jacobs -- serving under Harlan Ryker to develop a new Deathlok cyborg (based on technology derived from Earth-7484's Deathlok while he was in possession of Roxxon Oil Company). Stanley designed the cybernetic interface between the human brain -- which was desired for its ability to function as a source of major data storage -- and the Deathlok computer cross-stanley-cybertek-mcp62-chairfront

Cybertek's Michael Collins headed the department that designed much of Deathlok's software, although he believed they were working on software for high-tech prosthetic limbs.

(Deathlok I#1 (fb) - BTS / Deathlok I#2 (fb) - BTS) - Roxxon was employed by the government of the South American nation of Estrella to stop rebel/guerrillas who opposed their clearly of lands in the rain forest for the construction of a dam to divert waters that would drain into the Amazon river, which watered the rain forest. Roxxon had its subdivision Cybertek promise to send its Deathlok creation to crush the local resistance and force the natives off of their land.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#62/4) - At Cybertek weapons development testing facility number four, Stanley Cross was present as Harlan Ryker demonstrated Deathlok (who possessed the brain of Colonel John Kelly) for Roxxon's Clayton Burr. The computer destroyed its human brain when he resisted its commands. After Dr. Hu confirmed what had happened, Cross proclaimed that to have been uncool and recommended they abort the mission and call Deathlok in. Ryker initially refused, instructing all involved to let him go. However, after Deathlok moved from test ammunition to live ammo,Ryker ordered Deathlok to abort the mission. Considering this to be a programming error, Deathlok denied this order, blocked further transmissions from that source and slew the rest of the opposing soldiers.

Ryker subsequently advised Cross and the rest of his people that he wanted to know what had gone wrong and that he wanted to have Deathlok ready for a brain transplant immediately. When Dr. Hu asked where they would find a volunteer in less than a week, Ryker replied, "Who said 'volunteer.?"

cross-stanley-cybertek-dlok1-chairprof (Deathlok I#1) - Stanley was present as Dr. Hu removed Kelly's dead brain and instructed her staff to throw it away. Cross instructed the others not to mess up his cybernetic interface, but Jacobs mockingly reminded him that without a brain, they had a two billion dollar mannequin.

(Deathlok I#1) - Later in the morning after having been chastised by Roxxon executive Clayton Burr and warned to be certain Deathlok would perform as promised and on time, Harlan Ryker met in the cybernetics lab with Cross, Hansen, Hu and Jacobs, instructing them they they would locate and neutralize the fault in the Deathlok cyborg and have its brain ready for a transplant the next day.

    Stanley commented that he still could not believe that they had found someone stupid enough to volunteer the first time, but Ryker told him that he did not think it would be a problem if one asked in the proper manner. Ryker further advised the group that if the work was not completed, he may be forced to ask one of them (meaning he would choose one of their brains).

(Deathlok I#1 - BTS) - When Hansen demanded extensive revisions in the operating system, Michael Collins hacked into Ryker's files and learned the truth about the Deathlok cyborg that had been created using his software.

    When Collins confronted Ryker with what he had learned, Ryker invited him up to his office to show him what he had found, at which point Ryker shot Collins with a fast-acting tranquilizer, and then he called his assistant Laurie and told her to get Drs. Hu and Kimble to the laboratory, to get a med team team immediately.

(Deathlok I#2 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Hu recommended against using Collins' brain due to Collins' fiercely moral nature.

(Deathlok II#18 (fb)) - Cross was instructed to lobotomize Collins' brain (severing connections to the prefrontal cortex, the foremost portions of the cerebrum) prior to implantation so it could be used for wetware storage only and to prevent Collins from influencing Deathlok's actions. However, for reason not explained, Cross apparently did not lobotomize the brain.

(Deathlok I#1 (fb) - BTS / Deathlok II#20 (fb) - BTS) - Drs. Hu & Kimble transplanted Collins' brain was transplanted into the Deathlok cyborg.

(Deathlok I#1) - From a military bunker in Estrella and alongside Clayton Burr, Ryker, and Jacobs, Cross was present when Collins consciousness awakened and -- after it had already slain the rest of the guerrillas -- stopped Deathlok from killing a young girl. Jacobs and Cross appreciated that they were having a similar problem in controlling Deathlok.

(Deathlok I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Its mission completed, Deathlok returned to basecamp for debriefing and repairs, after which Ryker, Deathlok, Cross and Jacobs returned to Cybertek's main lab in Paterson, New Jersey.

(Deathlok I#1) - Days later, Ryker questioned Cross, Hansen, Hu and Jacobs about the countermanding order, wondering if the computer was reprogramming itself, but Cross insisted that was not the case and told him that computers only do what people tell them to do. When Hansen speculated that it might be the brain overriding the computer, similar to what had initially happened with Kelly, Stanley replied that if Collins' mind was causing the problem, the new operating system would prevent the computer from "torchin' the brain" in self-defense.

    At Ryker's query of how they could prevent the brain from controlling Deathlok, Hansen suggested they might be able to bitmap Collins' memory and then dump it from the brain. However, as Hansen attempted to do that, Collins gained complete control over Deathlok's computer, which he had block any further outside manipulation.

    When Deathlok broke free, Ryker authorized Ben Jacobs to stop Deathlok and then had a pulsed magnetic force field to contain Deathlok. Cross gave Hu a concerned look when Ryker noted that he was beginning to enjoy this conflict as Deathlok's laser pistol ricocheted off of the field. After Deathlok went through a wall to evade the force field and they lost his signal, Stanley and Dr. Hu accompanied Ryker in pursuing Deathlok.

(Deathlok I#1 - BTS) - Deathlok incapacitated Jacobs' All-Terrain Attack Vehicle (ATAV, aka Cybertank).

(Deathlok I#1) - Ryker, Cross and Hu pursued with laser rifles but found Deathlok long gone, having left behind Jacobs with the helmet -- with which they could track Deathlok -- jammed onto his head.

(Deathlok I#2) - At Cybertek, Ryker considered Hansen's (correct) theory that the "robot vigilante" being reported in the media was Deathlok. He instructed Cross to keep an eye on Collins' friend Jim Dworman (who had succeeded Collins as head of Cybertek's computer programming section). cross-stanley-cybertek-dlokii17-chairfront

cross-stanley-cybertek-dlokii17-chairfront

(Deathlok I#2 (fb) - BTS) - Stanley planted a tracking device on Dworman, and Dworman subsequently met with Collins, who revealed what had happened to him and asked Dworman to retrieve a disk on Project: Estrella.

(Deathlok I#2) - Cross subsequently reported to Ryker that the bug he had put on Dworman had led him to locate Deathlok somewhere in Coney Island. Stanley asked if he should haul Dworman in for questioning, but Ryker told him he had a better idea. Ryker, Cross, Hansen Jacobs and Mainframe watched as Dworman broke into secure Cybertek sections to retrieve a file for Deathlok, from which Deathlok learned why Roxxon had sent him to Estrella; from Dworman's transmission, Hansen located Deathlok, and Ryker sent Mainframe to bring him in.

(Deathlok I#2 - BTS) - Despite the use of six armored agents, a trio of Dragonfly attack planes and the SQ 1 Deep Sea Attack Craft, Deathlok evaded capture, and Mainframe was arrested.

(Deathlok I#2 - BTS) - Ryker advised Jacobs that they would prepare a proper welcome for Deathlok when he arrived in Estrella.

(Deathlok II#17 (fb) - BTS) - Stanley Cross, Drs. Hu and Kimble and others, having fled America and working out of Paris, France, developed the Cyberwarriors.

(Deathlok II#17 - BTS) - In an underground surveillance lab in Paris,the Cyberwarriors performed well in testing, demolishing other robots. Noting that they had some "mean mothers" down there and how much they could accomplish once the ropes of bureaucracy were untied, he told Drs. Hu and Kimble to take a bow. Fox (it's unclear...Fox and Borruso are identified...with Fox seeming to be a white guy with dark hair and a mustache) noted that they still could not show their faces in the USA or they would be shot for treason following Ryker's fiasco in Japan.

Cross corrected Fox, noting that they would only be sent to prison, and he further noted that Fox was the only one who wanted to go back to the USA. Stating that America had never given him anything and that the government had shut them down at Cybertek when they "wouldn't play ball," he advised that they take the money and run with it. Cross further declared that the Cyberwarriors could be pre-sold worldwide to the tune of 60 million apiece, plus franchise rights. He noted this to be free enterprise at its best.

(Deathlok II#17) - In the underground lab in Paris, Ryker looked over the Cyberwarriors, noting them to be far superior to his last endeavor. Stanley Cross greeted him, noting that it was great to have the genius behind the Deathlok project on hand to oversee the final phases of his master plan.

(Deathlok II#18) - In one of three secret laboratories scattered throughout the Paris underground, after test multiple tests of the Cyberwarriors met with success, Ryker was very impressed, and he told Jacobs and Cross that as its weapon systems had penetrated four feet of tungsten steel in under .34 seconds, perhaps they should up their rates considering the leasing them.

When Ryker suggested that they might move into the future with bigger and better plans without corporate paper pushers, Cross interjected that they would not have had interference if Ryker had waited for a suitable donor for the Deathlok cyborg. The annoyed Ryker shoved his hand in Cross' face and countered that Collins was not supposed to have been able to control his cyborg and that he was supposed to have been lobotomized and used for wetware storage only, like the brains in the Cyberwarriors; "Now whose fault was that, Stanley?"

(Deathlok II#18 - BTS) - Deathlok, Silver Sable and the Wild Pack (Battlestar, Chen , Crippler, Powell and one other, Quentino?) broke into the facility, Jacobs, Mainframe and the Cyberwarriors battled them.

(Deathlok II#19) - Cross was present alongside Hu, Kimble and presumably Borruso as Ryker discussed how sales to the Genesis Coalition in the Mediterranean were completed, at which point he received a report from Mainframe, telling him that Deathlok -- joined by Silver Sable and her Wild Pack -- had ambushed their base, and that one of the Cyberwarriors had turned against them, causing the loss of several Cyberwarriors. Cross remained silent as Ryker ordered Mainframe to pull out to prevent further loss of their weapon stock and then -- presumably speaking to the people in the room -- noted that it was advantageous that he had ignored their counsel and kept Deathlok's human body close at hand.

(Deathlok II#20) - Cross remained silent as Ryker criticized Jacobs for failing to eliminate Deathlok, was intrigued by Kelly having downloaded his mind into one of the Cyberwarriors and then chastised Kimble for expressing guilt over the means with which they were obtaining brains for the Cyberwarriors.

(Deathlok II#20 - BTS) - Cross may or may not have been present elsewhere in the base, but he was not seen when Deathlok, Siege (the Kelly-controlled Cyberwarrior) and another cyborg Coldblood (hired by Burr to eliminate Deathlok and Ryker) arrived, during which time Ryker set the timer on an explosive on the tank containing Collins and then shot Dr. Hu and used a threat on Dr. Kimble -- the last cybersurgeon who could restore Deathlok to his human form -- to force Deathlok to protect him from Siege.

(Deathlok II#21 - BTS) - Similarly, Cross may or may not have been in the facility when Jacobs teleported away with Ryker, after which Kimble, Coldblood, Deathlok and Siege escaped the explosion that buried "Cyberbase."

Comments: Created by Dwayne McDuffie, Gregory Wright, Jackson Guice and Scott Williams.

    Stanley Cross is recognizable for wearing tinted glass, not being clean-shaven, and sitting in a high-tech chair.
    He can be distinguished from Ian Wajler/Mainframe, who also wears tinted glasses, but is shown standing and, at least initially, had blond hair.
    He can be distinguished from Ben Jacobs, who is also confined to some sort of wheelchair, but has a full beard, obvious use of his arms, and sometimes acts in an exoskeleton.
    He can be distinguished from Drs. Hu, who is an Asian woman and was fully ambulatory. cross-stanley-cybtek-dlokii17-group
    He can be distinguished from Dr. Kimble, who is black/African man with a receding hairline and who was fully ambulatory. Per Gregory Wright, a coloring error in #20 showed Kimble as white/Caucasian.
        In the image below, Kimble was the guy behind and to our right of Cross, saying, "I think Fox, Borruso and yourself deserve some credit"
    He can be distinguished from Fox, who is the white guy with the mustache seen both in profile in the top/main panel and from the front in close-up in the insert panel.
    He can be distinguished from Borrosu, who is also white with short brown hair and who is fully ambulatory.

Stanley was rarely shown fully in any great detail, but he was typically in some sort of floating cyber-chair, usually with some sort of face/mouth control, which would seem to indicate that he was quadriplegic (unable to move his arms or legs). However, his hands were consistently -- with the exceptions of a few images in Deathlok II#17 -- contained within a 360 degree cuff/chamber of his arm rests, perhaps indicating that his hands were actively controlling things, or perhaps they were just used to help secure his arms. I would think that if he could not move his arms, he could not support his torso, and he would have had to have a strap around his chest, which I don't recall seeing.

Ryker notably calls Cross "Mr. Cross, presumably indicating that he is neither a medical doctor nor a Ph.D.; or perhaps he was but was stripped of his title/degree for some reason. Or perhaps, he is a doctor but was just disrespected; I consider that less likely as Drs. Hu and Kimble were consistently called doctor, regardless of Ryker's frustration with them.

Clarifications and additional information courtesy of creator Gregory Wright:

Stanley Cross was INTENDED to be a quadriplegic. However, when we got a new artist, Walter McDaniel, he was unfamiliar with some of the supporting characters and drew them differently...so Cross's hands and arms are seen being utilized. So officially he is a paraplegic, only paralyzed from the waist down. He was injured as a child in a car accident and that led him to work in cybernetics. His chair was intended to do a LOT of things we never showed. It was going to have "hand, and other thing to let him do all kinds of crazy cool thing, like Doc Ock. It also would close up like an eggshell to protect him from harm. We never saw this, but he DID survive the blast in Paris, even if we didn't see him...the artist never drew that part either. He was supposed to be a really ladies man as well, his chair outfitted with music, booze, and other items to keep a lady entertained...we would eventually have given him prothetic limbs, like Jacobs, but we never got that far with the book, and he was really a supporting character we didn't "need"
Dr, Kimble was BLACK. Unfortunately there was a coloring error in #20.
Fox and Borusso were really just two extra scientists I had on hand to make it more realistic that the group could have created all those cyberwarriors. And again the artist didn't really draw the story as written so they had their parts reduced. They would have survived as well. Their full names were Joseph Fox and David Borusso
The cyber-surgeons' full names are Amanda Hu and Miles Kimble

This profile was completed 06/07/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25^th anniversary's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Stanley Cross should be distinguished from:

CROSS ( ) - Arms of Salvation, partner of Fitch, apparently flash frozen by freon. Wore blue body armor to shield self from microwaves, project freon blasts--Marvel Comics Presents I#83/2
CROSS - assassin--Moon Knight VI#8
CROSS, BARNABUS LUCIAN - scientist, ally of Mr. Dice and crew, invented Dehydrolizer and Electro-Rifles, studied sharks, sought to transfer sharks' immunity to cancer to people, captured Tiger Shark, but he was freed and Cross' equipment destroyed with aid of Namor--Marvel Comics Presents I#77/4
CROSS, BEVERLY - former girlfriend of Morris Walters, tried to turn him against Jen --She-Hulk I#15
CROSS, CHAIM - rabbi, father of Skinhead--Web of Spider-Man I#57
CROSS, DARREN AGONISTES - former head of Cross Technological Enterprises, cousin of Crossfire, mutated by nucleorganic pacemaker, kidnapped Erica Sondheim to operate on his heart--Marvel Premiere#47
CROSS, ED - resident of Lagos, father of Rebecca, ex-husband of Katherine, killed by sister-in-law Patricia after Rebecca ran away--Alias#11
CROSS, EDWARD "EDDIE" - see SKINHEAD--Web of Spider-Man I#57
CROSS, EILEEN TOLAN - daughter of Willis Tolan, former lover of Nathaniel Mare @ 1952, married Martin Cross after Nat’s death--Midnight Sons Unlimited#7
CROSS, ELIJAH - X-Cell, former mutant, lost powers on M-Day, briefly re-powered by Quicksilver, but then energies overloaded and he exploded. Transform into ultra-dense but mobile form--X-Factor III#17
CROSS, ERIC - see NIGHTCREEPER--Prowler#1
CROSS, GENEVIVE - Dragon Circle, Welsh woman, former host to the Atlantean Andromeda--Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#3
CROSS, JASON- New York City reporter, mentally controlled by Randall Shire/Semijan--Cable II#80
CROSS, KATHERINE - resident of Lagos, mother of Rebecca, ex-wife of Ed, sister of Patricia--Alias#11
CROSS, LUCAS - vampire, NSA, Order of Tyrana, father of Blade, vamped in Latveria decades ago in order to survive terminal disease in hopes of eventually reuniting with wife, sought prophecy to restore his soul--Blade III#1
CROSS, MARTIN - former New York Police detective @ 1952, allied in plot with Professor Viper, married Eileen Tolan after Nat Mare’s death, his actions were exposed 40 years later by Nat Mare’s zombie--Midnight Sons Unlimited#7
CROSS, REBECCA - resident of Lagos, pretended to be mutant, fled town with boyfriend and thought to be dead, found by Jess Jones--Alias#14
CROSS, TARA - vampirized mother of Blade--Tomb of Dracula I#13
CROSS, General THEODORE- US Army, considered soldiers being hypnotized to be preposterous--Daredevil I#135
CROSS, agent - S.H.I.E.L.D. II, friend of Valentina de Fontaine. female--Marvel Graphic Novel: Wolverine/Fury: Scorpio Connection
CROSS of REDEMPTION - stolen from Miami mobsters by Gambit, returned to the Vatican--Gambit II#1
other "Stanley" or "Cross" characters, groups, items, events, races or places...

images: (without ads)
Deathlok I#1, pg. 3, panel 2 (fullish profile);
pg. 7, panel 4 (fullish oblique);
Marvel Comics Presents I#62/4, pg. 6, panel 2 (frontal, face shadowed);
Deathlok II#17, (Cross with Hu & Kimble, plus whoever);
#18, pg. 14, panel 1 (face, profile)

Appearances:
Deathlok I#1-2 (July-August, 1990) - Dwayne McDuffie & Gregory Wright (writers), Jackson Guice (penciler), Scott Williams (inker), Tom Brevoort (assistant editor), Bob Budiansky (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#62/4: Deathlok (November, 1990) - Dwayne McDuffie & Gregory Wright (writers), Jackson Guice (artist), Kelly Corvese (assistant editor), Terry Kavanaugh (editor)
Deathlok II#17-18 (November-December, 1992) - Gregory Wright (writer), Walter McDaniel (penciler), Jimmy Palmiotti (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Deathlok II#19 (January, 1993) - Gregory Wright (writer), Walter McDaniel (penciler), Kim DeMulder (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Deathlok II#20 (February, 1993) - Tom Raney (writer), Tom Raney & J.J. Birch (pencilers), Mark McKenna, J.J. Birch & Tom Raney (inkers), Mindy Newell (assistant editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Deathlok II#21 (March, 1993) - Gregory Wright (writer), Walter McDaniel (penciler), Greg Adams (inker), Mindy Newell (assistant editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First posted: 09/04/2026
Last updated: 06/08/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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