Creation and Development
Ameridroid was created by Don Glut, Sal Buscema and Mike Esposito in 1978 and first appeared in Captain America # 217.
Origin and History
World War II
Lyle Dekker was a German scientist and Nazi spy during World War II. He was sent to America in 1944 as a spy to work at Democracy Pictures where they planned to make a film about Captain America to spread Allied propaganda and to glorify the super soldier. He worked as a special effects wizard and was suppose to sabotage the film by any means necessary. He managed to switch live ammunition into an automatic machine gun that was supposed to be filled with blanks. The actor playing Captain America was shot and wounded. The real Captain America took his place and continued to shoot the film. Dekker created a real laser that was supposed to be used in a film shoot but Captain America and Bucky were able to save the actress from the laser and disable it. Dekker grabbed Bucky and escaped inside a truck with Captain America close behind on a motorcycle. Captain America jumped on the speeding vehicle and caused the truck to go off course. The truck plunged into the deep water and Captain America was able to save Bucky before he drowned. Dekker never resurfaced and was presumed dead.
Dekker was saved by some Nazis in a submarine and taken to the Red Skull. The Red Skull did not tolerate failure and tortured Dekker. The Red Skull had Dekker ejected from the torpedo tubes and left for dead. Dekker was saved by some fisherman and he started his life anew. He was able to create his own little army and build a secret laboratory in Newfoundland. He encountered Captain America shortly after Bucky’s death. Captain America tried to escape on a plane filled with some nerve gas that Dekker just created. The plane was shot down and Captain America was exposed to some of the gas. Apparently the nerve gas put him in suspended animation and was able to preserve him when it interacted with his super soldier serum. Dekker had a notion he would see Captain America again and spent the last 30 years on his greatest project, the Ameridroid.
The Ameridroid Lives
Ameridroid was a 20 foot android replica of Captain America. Dekker blamed Captain America for all the suffering he endured during World War II and wanted to exact revenge. He built Ameridroid so he could transfer his mind into a new body without aging. He managed to capture Captain America and strapped him to some type of transfer device connected to Ameridroid. Dekker connected himself to another transfer device and activated a switch. His mind and personality were transferred to Ameridroid while it received Captain America’s super soldier energies and abilities. The mind transfer was successful but Dekker’s physical body died.
As Ameridroid, he attempted to take over a village and start a new order but was confronted by Captain America. Ameridroid was able to defeat Captain America. Ameridroid ranted on about his victory over Captain America and then he began to realize what a freak he was for his size. He was upset because he was so much taller than everyone else and felt that he could not have a normal life in his new body. Captain America recovered from the assault and found that Dekker, in his new body, did not want to fight anymore. Dekker felt defeated by his own insane ambition and wanted to savor the grandeur of this travesty. Captain America granted Ameridroid his wish and let him be a free man.
Celluloid Heroes
Months later, Ameridroid was brainwashed by “the Teacher” and worked for the Nihilist Force on the West Coast. He captured Captain America and had plans to record their own motion picture: “The Pathetic Death of Captain America”. Captain America was telling Ameridroid that the Teacher was toying with his mind and memories. Ameridroid began to remember who he was and blamed the Teacher for making him mad again. The Teacher struck Ameridroid down with an energy blast and revealed himself to be the Red Skull. The Red Skull said that Ameridroid was a machine and could be controlled. He forced Ameridroid to attack Captain America with an electronic device. Captain America told Dekker that his body was synthetic but his soul was still human and that he could break free. Ameridroid was able to break free from the Red Skull’s control but was ultimately caught in an explosion when he attempted to destroy the Red Skull. For years, Ameridroid was presumed dead.
American Dreamers
However, more recently, Ameridroid returned. This time helping Baron Zemo capture Captain America whom he claimed had “stole his dream”. Ameridroid captured Captain America and the two were teleported to a “dreamland” manifested by Jimmy Jupiter. There, Ameridroid found he had reverted back to a young version of himself when he was Lyle Dekker. Joyous at this, Dekker realised he had a chance to live his life again and this time do the right thing. Ironically, after lamenting such, he was shot dead by Bravo purely for his past actions as a Nazi.
Powers and Abilities
Ameridroid is a 20 foot synthetic android with a degree of superhuman strength and durability. He also has the mind of Lyle Dekker and Captain America’s super soldier energies and abilities.