References
Luther Manning was the first character to be published under the name Deathlok (first appearing in 1974). Because he is a character from a future timeline, he is not the first Deathlok in Marvel canon chronology.
For Michael Collins, the first major mainstream timeline Deathlok, see Deathlok (Collins). For John Kelly, the character who originally inhabited Collin’s Deathlok body, see Siege. For the second major main timeline Deathlok, see Henry Hayes. For the Deathlok concept in general, as well as miscellaneous or unclear instances of the character, see Deathlok
Creation
Luther Manning and the Deathlok identity were conceived of by Rich Buckler, who created the character with the help of writer Doug Moench. Deathlok/Luther Manning first appeared in Astonishing Tales #25 – A Cold Knight’s Frenzy!.
Origin
Colonel Luther Manning had seen the battle in Vietnam, El Salvador, Iran and Persian Gulf. Luther was ask to joined the Cybertek program by Cybertek Systems Inc. but refused. In an alternate future timeline, he was injured in battle and became Deathlok.
Earth-7484
An an alternate future timeline where the Nth Command, killed Earth’s heroes, Luther Manning was killed by a mine in an training exercise. His superior officer Simon Ryker transformed him into the cyborg Deathlok as part of a plot against his brother Harlan Ryker.
Deathlok went rogue, and fought against Ryker’s agents like War-Wolf and the Death-Machine. He ultimately defeated Simon, but this allowed Harlan, now a cyborg known as Hellinger, to put his plans for world domination into motion.
The CIA tried to return Luther to his human state by cloning him and transferring his consciousness, but only managed to duplicate it. The result was a fully human clone of Manning, while Manning continued to operate as Deathlok.
Deathlok had a chance encounter with the revolutionary Godwulf, who sent him back in time (to Earth-616) to avoid Hellinger’s attempts to destroy him. There he had encounters with Nick Fury and the Fantastic Four. However he became captured and fell under the command of the Brand Corporation. Godwulf was then unable to locate him in the timeline.
Godwulf sent Luther Manning’s clone to the past to locate Deathlok. With the help of Captain America, the clone found Deathlok and freed him from Brand’s control. The clone was kiled in battle, but Deathlok returned to the future of Earth-7484 with Cap in tow. The two helped Godwulf and his Redeemers defeat Hellinger, and Cap was able to return to his own time and prevent the Nth Command from killing Earth’s heroes.
Earth-616
In the timeline where Captain America prevented the Nth Command from killing Earth’s heroes, Luther Manning wasn’t killed, and refused Cybertek‘s offers to become a part of the Deathlok program. Instead John Kelly was recruited, before being replaced by Michael Collins.
Troubled Dreams
Luther eventually started having dreams of becoming Deathlok. He was eventually confronted by the being know as Timestream who infused him with temporal energy which he later triggered turning him into Deathlok earlier in the timeline then he would’ve become.
Going to the Main Marvel Universe
As a cyborg Luther was incapable of resisting Timestream’s order after he reprogrammed him using a CD of the original memory of his alternative reality counterpart. Timestream then used him to go to the past to kill Captain America but he was opposed by Godwulf (a resident of Earth-7484), the current Deathlok of Earth-616 (Michael Collins) and Siege. It was than revealed that Timestream was going to turn Earth-616 into a replica of his world but failed do to the interaction of these heroes.
However Luther was still under his control and Timestream’s next plan was to use him to kill the current Deathlok, while both of them fought, Luther came out as the victor. Since Collins was a pacifist at heart and could not fight back Luthers warrior skills. Just when Luther was about to kill him he used his link as both cyborg to enter Luther’s mind and make him see that Timestream was using him. Luther now saw this horrible nightmare and blasted himself in the head killing himself. Upon his death the energies that Timestream used to turn him into Deathlok vanished, reverting his body back to human. Justice Peace a member of the Time Variance Authority then showed up and claimed that he would get a proper burial for Luther’s body in the present.
Some time later Deathlok was recruited by X-51 (Machine Man) of Earth-9997 into his group of Heralds. At the end of their mission, this X-51 used a device to create a new body for Manning from his DNA and offered him a chance to regain his human life.
Recently, Deathlok was kept under S.H.I.E.L.D protection until the villain the Owl kidnapped it, and put it up for auction as a weapon. The criminal known as The Hood and his now organized group of villains bought him, and robbed a bank. Deathlok was seemingly destroyed during this event.
Robot Replicas
First Replica
The first replica of the original Deathlok, called an Exact Medical Replica, was created while he was working for the CIA of Earth-7484. The EMR was used to observe Deathlok’s systems while he was on assignment. The unit no long functioned when Deathlok was transported to Earth-616 by Godwulf. When Luther Manning’s human clone saw the unit, he was repulsed by the sight of it and ask the unit be destroyed.
Second Replica
The second replica of Deathlok was a robot that attacked the Thing. Thing destroyed this Deathlok while believing it to be the original, though it was later realized that it was only a robot replica created by the Brand Corporation.