Willy Deere is kind of a mystery. He’s a competent spy as well as a competent robotics inventor. He knows how to sneak about in a foreign land on a mission, and can build impressive suits of combat armor. Why he never appeared in the Codename: Spitfire series until the last issue is kind of confusing, since he seems to know just as much as Jenny Swensen does about M.A.X. technology.
At any rate, his only published appearance saw him building Jenny the Mark 4 M.A.X. armor, as she needed it for a special operation on the island of Puerto Rojo. Of course, after he built the suit, he accompanied her on the mission, as he wanted to get his hands on the research of Saxon St. John, a bizarre and insane cyberneticist that was experimenting on his neighbors there.
At any rate, the two Project: Spitfire operatives made their way to the island, and eventually brought down St. John, as the man was crazy enough to let the two into his palace and fight his creations. The Project agents beat the brainwashed cyborgs, and managed to kill Saxon in the process. Of course, Jenny destroyed his computers in a fit of rage after seeing what the man did.
And after Willy slipped and told her that the government was going to ‘confiscate’ Saxon’s research.
Willy hasn’t seen another comic story since, but as a valued robotics guy, it is assumed that Project: Spitfire maintained his service for future operations. After all, once Jake Travest was captured in the Mark 3 M.A.X. suit in Canada, well, they didn’t have anybody else to make or pilot the armor. Willy would have been a prime candidate for both jobs.
Since, of course, the Project has this unusual habit of putting their lead techs in the direct line of fire constantly…