US and his older brother Jefferson are the sons of a pair of truck drivers. US idolized his older brother and thought he let him win all the time to make him feel good. However Jefferson was too humiliated to admit that his little brother was better at everything. Even as a child, US wanted to be a truck driver, but his parents insisted on him getting a good education. When their parents were killed an accident, US and Jefferson were informally adopted by Poppa Wheelie and Wide Load Annie. They were the owners of the truck stop their parents frequented, The Short Stop. Jefferson took a job driving truck co US could go to college. Jefferson hated US, blaming him for making him give up his own dreams. US was the college’s star quarterback and graduated with many degrees, including Electronic Engineering and Computer Programming.
A group of aliens came to Earth seeking to recruit truck drivers to become starship pilots. Led by Al, they wanted to recruit US but got Jefferson instead, since to them all humans look alike. They customized his truck with advanced technology and taught him how to use it. Jefferson worried that the aliens would realize their mistake, so he tried to keep his distance from US. In order to do this he convinced US he was dead and became the Highwayman, naming his truck the Blackrig.
After college US went on a ride with Jefferson when they were ran off the road by the Blackrig, the truck was actually under Jefferson’s control with a dummy in the seat. The truck went over a cliff and US was severely injured in the crash. The dazed US looked up the cliff to see the Highwayman and some demons mocking him. The demons were actually the aliens that were beginning to realize their mistake and were trying to contact US. The aliens took US to a hospital where they replaced his shattered skull with a metal one that could pick up CB transmissions. Jefferson then persuaded the aliens to keep him, and let him prove that he was better than US.
After recovering, US returned to the Short Stop and built his truck, US1.
Months later, believing that Jefferson was Highwayman’s hostage, US went out on the road to find him. The Highwayman in the Blackrig ambushed US. US managed to defeat him, and Highwayman’s truck over a cliff, but it never reached the bottom.
Highwayman then sent Midnight to attack US. She took control of him using her Hypno-Whip. US convinced her to grant him a last request, a stick of gum. He kept the gum in the foil and stuck it in his mouth, letting him escape her control.
Jefferson than posed as an old trucker to spread rumors of Highwayman having a demonic past. US chased after the old man, while being attacked by other trucks, and being bombed by blimps. When he finally caught up to Jefferson he found out that the old man was actually the Highwayman.
Baron Von Blimp then challenged US to a race. The object was to deliver chickens for the Great Chicken Colonel. Despite Blimp’s cheating, US easily won.
US found that he actually came in second in the race to his friend Taryn O’Connel. The Colonel allowed a second race race between him and Taryn. This time US was interrupted by the aliens, having him run through a giant maze. It was a test by Al to confirm that US was the one he was looking for. Al then pretended that his ship had broken down and that he required the chicken parts US was hauling to fix it. Al then flew US allowing him to win the race.
Later, Midnight took control of the people at the Short Stop and challenged US to redeem herself. US defeated her again learning to use his CB skull to remote control his truck. After the fight, US and everyone at the Short Stop believed Taryn was Midnight. US chased her, but was confronted by the real Midnight. US and the people at the Short Stop fought Midnight, Baron Von Blimp, and his neo-nazis. US learned to use his skull to control Midnights whip, and she was unmasked by Taryn, revealing her to be Short Stop waitress Mary McGrill. They were then all confronted by Highwayman revealing that Mary was innocent and under his control.
Jefferson started to explain his actions, but noticed he was followed by the aliens. Seeing this Jefferson went into a blind rage and started strangling US. The aliens subdued Jefferson and brought them both back to the Short Stop. There the aliens explained the mix up to both of them. The aliens then arranged a contest between them.
The aliens altered the Blackrig and US1, and sent them on a race that circled the globe, and went into space. US got the hang of space flight quicker than Jefferson and got the lead. Furious, and refusing to loose again, Jefferson attempted to ram US and kill them both. US dodged, and highwayman crashed on the Moon. After US was declared the winner, the aliens revealed why they wanted truckers. US and most of the crew of the Short Stop were taken to space. There they renamed the Short Stop as the Star Shop.
Sometime after leaving Earth, US married Mary McGrill.
Major Story Arcs
New Avengers
Looking to change his career, U.S. applied to be the nanny of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones’ baby, Danielle, but did not get the job.
Statistics
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Relatives: Mary McGrill (wife), Unnamed Son, Jefferson Hercules Archer (brother), Sidney Archer (father, deceased), Kathleen Archer (mother, deceased)
Citizenship: American
Place of Birth: United States
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Cargo Transporter, Former Trucker, Former Space Pilot
Education: College Graduate (unspecified degrees in computer programming, design, electronics, engineering, and others)