RED GUARDIAN androidRED GUARDIAN android
Real Name: None;
he was patterned after Alexi Shostakov
Identity/Class: Android (see comments)
Occupation: Agent of Russian agents
Group Membership: Project Red Guardian IV (see comments)
Affiliations: Dr. Yuri Kiev, Katrinka, Zamatev
Enemies: Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Ivan Petrovich
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Alexi;
it is referred to as a Life Model Decoy, a golem, a man-machine, and "chilovyek machina," chilovyek mashina"
Base of Operations: Derenski Clinic, Moscova (Moscow) University, Moscova, Russia
First Appearance: Black Widow: The Coldest War (1990)
Powers/Abilities: The Red Guardian android possessed the appearance, abilities, memories, and personality of the Red Guardian (Alexi Shostakov), although these may have been altered somewhat by Dr. Kiev's programming.
As such, he would have extensive training in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts, as well as being an accomplished pilot.
Unlike Shostakov, the Red Guardian android possessed bionic musculature granting him some degree of superhuman strength (presumably "enhanced human," lifting perhaps between 1000 to 4000 lbs.). Its metallic form had superhuman durability (including immunity to the Black Widow's Widow's Bite electrical blast, although it did seem to further damage the android's form once it was already deactivated/partially destroyed) and did not require oxygen or food, and presumably had resistance to temperature extremes. It presumably did need to be recharged, although the details, such as frequency and power type, are unrevealed.
The android was limited by its need for the Life Model Decoy master matrix chip, and it was vulnerable via the port on the back of his neck, from which the chip/cartridge could easily be ejected (providing one could get close enough to him), disabling it.
It is unrevealed if, like Shostakov, his costume was lined with unidentified materials and a metal disc on his belt that could be thrown at opponents and returned to him via magnetic devices inside the disc and belt.
Height: 6'2"
Weight: Perhaps 220 lbs. (he was meant to be a replica of
Shostakov, but it is unrevealed whether he had the same mass in
addition to the same appearance)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red
History:
(Black
Widow: The Coldest War (fb) - BTS) - Following the apparent death of
the Red Guardian (Alexi Shostakov), Dr. Yuri Kiev spent 10 years
working on an android replica (Kiev preferred the term man-machine") of
Alexi as part of "PROJECT RED GUARDIAN IV" (see comments). Kiev believed the Russians
were superior in terms of bionics, but American "microchip processing
technology" remained superior to the Russians'. As a result, despite
Kiev have programmed the Red Guardian android with Alexi's bio-patterns
and memories, it remained of limited function.
(Black Widow: The Coldest War (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to enhance the android's activity, Kiev's allies Katrinka and Zamatev plotted to manipulate the Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff, Alexi's former wife and apparent widow at the time) into stealing SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division)'s newest Life Model Decoy master matrix chip.
(Black Widow: The Coldest War - BTS) <February 3, just before midnight> - Katrinka and Zamatev met with Natasha, showing her a recent picture of Alexi Shostakov with the Russian premiere allegedly taken a week before in Moscow.
(Black Widow: The Coldest War - BTS) - Katrinka and Zamatev showed Natasha a video of Alexi from within the last 2 months, followed by films allegedly taken by Chinese troops 24 hours after Alexi's apparent demise, showing of the apparent recovery of Alexi's body and his being airlifted to Moscova (Moscow). Continued footage showed Alexi at the Derenski Clinic, receiving its full resources, with Dr. Yuri Kiev spending months rebuilding Alexi's body via countless operations (internal and skeletal reconstruction, costing millions of ruples). Alexi was allegedly restored to his previous physical condition, but he seemed largely amnesiac, with the mental development of a five year old; only his memory of Natasha seemed intact, and he constantly asked for her.
They further
told Natasha that Alexi had remained in the clinic under Dr. Kiev's
care for several years, but that funding was becoming progressively
limited, and that they feared for the project's (and, as a result, her
husband's) termination unless she performed a small service for the
Russian government, stealing a memo about a pending US trade agreement.
Wishing to know the truth, the Widow agreed, but Katrinka and Zamatev
recorded the theft and blackmailed her into stealing
computer control chip (a large cartridge) of the master matrix for SHIELD's latest LMDs; Natasha recorded this meeting but saw the
agreement through.
<February 9, around 7 AM> - Natasha brought the control chip with her to the Derenski Clinic, where "Alexi" greeted her before destroying the detonator on her failsafe device holding the chip and stunning Natasha with a blow from his hand.
Dr. Kiev then inserted the chip into the Red Guardian android, fully
activating it, after which Katrinka ordered it to kill Natasha and
Ivan. They dodged his initial charge, which nearly flipped the
limousine he instead struck, after which "Alexi" taunted Natasha for
being ruled by her heart and mocking a memory of a previous romantic
encounter. After a brief struggle, the android pinned her to the
ground, but Ivan smashed it in the head with a board and knocked it to
the floor. The android grabbed Ivan and began throttling him until
Natasha shocked distracted him with her Widow's bite. Further mocking
memories of her and Alexi's past relationship, he advanced on her,
noting her attack to be harmless to him. In return she turned her blast
on a pair of powerlines, which fell and electrocuted him, temporarly
incapacitating him at 7:14 AM.
Natasha and Ivan fled, but the Red Guardian android caught up to them
in Red Square at 7:31 AM, its speech mechanism somewhat damaged but
otherwise still strong. Natasha sent Ivan to try to reach the British
embassy when she tried to hold "Alexi" off, but her Bite continued to
do nothing, and he repeatedly battered her, taking her strongest
strikes, while accusing her of betraying him. Katrinka used her
credentials to prevent authorities from interfering with the fight, and
"Alexi"pummeled her until she left into an embrace and told him
"Alexi...no more..." As he began to fatally crush her, he told her that
death would bring them together, but she reached around and ejected the
chip cartridge from the back of his neck <at 7:40 AM> as she told
him she could not embrace death, even if she did believe it would bring
them together, which she did not. The android then overloaded and
seemed to partially melt.
Comments: Created by Gerry Conway and George Freeman.
At the time this was written, the main part of the story took place in
1987, while there was an epilogue that took place in 1990, after the
collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the sliding timescale renders
all of that topical, as even if we given the modern era of comics
(starting with Fantastic Four I#1) 15 years, that would mean it started
with 2002 as of 2017...
Anyway, if the main story
took place 8 years ago in the Marvel Universe, the first segment
probably took place only 9 months before the epilogue (in line with
comics coming out in 1987, as opposed to actually 3 years before the
epilogue).
At any rate, events involving the Red Guardian android would all be associated with Russia, not the USSR.
However, it is still relevent that Fury was involved with SHIELD
(Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division)
in the main story, but that the epilogue was taking place after that
incarnation's dissolution.
Though it lacked the name in the title, this book was a Marvel Graphic Novel
Project Red Guardian IV presumably is a reference to the fact that at the time of this story, there had been 3 characters to go by the name Red Guardian (Shostakov, Belinsky, and Petkus); within 1 year of this story, Lebedev was revealed to have pre-dated Shostakov, making the numeric designation no longer accurate, which is why I try to avoid such designations like the plague. Perhaps we could interpret this designation as the 4th such incarnation of a project to design an android, or this was the mark IV attempt...or something.
The flashback reguarding Alexi's survival may or may not have had some reality to it, as the real Alexi later showed up alive.
I don't think the Red Guardian was a true LMD (Life Model Decoy). While that's an appropriate description, LMDs were a specific type of android developed by SHIELD, while the Russians designed their own android. They did use the Life Model Decoy master matrix chip/cartridge to grant if full function.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Red Guardian LMD was a replica of:
Dr. Kiev then inserted the chip into the Red Guardian android, fully activating the android.
<7:40 AM> - The Widow ejected the
chip cartridge from the back of the android's neck. The android then overloaded and
seemed to partially melt.
Natasha then destroyed the chip before electrocuting the android's
remains.
images: (without ads)
Black Widow:
The Coldest War, story pg. 48, panel 3 (android greeting Natasha);
pg. 49, panel 2 (chip/cartridge);
panel 3 (android connected by cables);
pg. 50, panel 1 (energized);
pg. 53, panel 5 (resisting Widow's Bite);
pg. 55, panel 5 (electrocuted, metal exposed);
pg. 58, panel 6 (Widow removing disc/cartridge);
panel 9 (melted form);
pg. 59, panel 8 (melted form)
Appearances:
Black Widow:
The Coldest War (1990) - Gerry Conway (writer), George Freeman
(penciler), Ernie Colon, Mark Farmer, George Freeman, Mike Harris, Val
Mayerik, Joe Rubinstein (inkers), Kelly P. Corverse (assistant editor),
Terry Kavanaugh (editor)
First Posted: 06/04/2017
Last updated: 06/04/2017
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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Life Model Decoy master matrix