The American (Super Soldier)

True Identity: Richard Douglas Shaw

Height: 6’ 2”

Weight: 240 lbs.

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Brown

Species: Human

When Project Rebirth was started in Late 1940, the US was sure they where already going to be joining the War in Europe.  A young 20 year old Michigan National Guardsman Sergeant named Richard Shaw was picked for the Project.  Dr. Erskine selected him personally and administered the tests.  When the serum was administered Shaw became everything that Steve Rogers would later become, except there was a mismatch in is genetic makeup that didn’t show up till days later.  Dr. Erskine diagnosed that he would be dead within a few years from muscular degeneration.   The Army set Shaw up with a Medical stipend to live on.  Shaw in the hopes of leaving his brothers and sisters with some cash began investing his money in the stock market.

To get away from the war and the Army Shaw moved into the Colorado Rockies to live in seclusion.  He heard about the emergence of Captain America and then the disappearance of him towards the end of the war.  After the six years that Dr. Erskine had told him Shaw noticed he wasn’t dying but changing.  His body was rebuilt and changed to a perfect specimen of human health.  As the years rolled by Shaw noticed that he never physically aged.  He still looked as he did the day the serum was administered.  He began training his body and mind to maybe one day go back out and take the place of his fellow brother super-soldier.

In 1964 Captain America was found frozen by the Avengers and Shaw decided he was not going to emerge into the world of new found super heroes.  He continued to investing his money in the stock market.  As time passed though he kept himself in top physical shape.  When September 11, 2001 happened Shaw was appalled, but decided the best he could do was donate parts of his mass fortune to the survivors of that tragic event.

In 2002 Captain America was pitted against another of the Operation Rebirth’s super-soldiers named Protocide.  After defeating Protocide, Cap began searching the Rebirth records to see if there were any other failed experiments still in the Governments arsenal.  He came across Shaw’s name and decided to see if he had really passed away or not.  Searching the Social Security Death Index Cap noted that there was not any record of Shaw’s death.  He began hunting for Shaw more adventitiously, searching through a record of Fortune 500 investors Cap found Shaw’s appearance.  When he finally confronted Shaw they became fast friends.  Cap had finally found another man from his time he could really relate too.  Cap convinced him to join up with him and help in the good fight.  Shaw took the name “The American”.  Cap’s gift to him was the Photonic Energy Shield he carried when America disavowed him and he was known as the ex-Patriot.

It quickly became apparent that Captain America and the American where definitively two different people.  Cap didn’t like weapons and the American always carried a custom sidearm and wasn’t afraid to use it.  Cap and the American decided to part ways under good terms, for now.  Shaw is known to follow the letter of the law precisely, and not the theory of the law.