Steel Chameleon
Real Name: Edward D. Holman
Identity/Class: Cyborg
Occupation: publicly Test pilot, in reality Freelance undercover agent
Affiliations: PACT (Progressive Allied Canadian Technologies), Northguard, Fleur de Lys, Paul Moran
Enemies: General Noda, Redstorm, Eagle, Reverend Clayton Tyler
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Ed
Base of Operations: North America
First Appearance: Star Rider and the Peace Machine #1 (Richard Comely Presentation, July 1982)
Powers/Abilities: Holman is a hardened combat veteran, skilled with most weapons as well as unarmed combat, and highly conversant in both strategy and tactics. He is a master of the art of disguise, and even before PACT equipped him with a holographic imaging device to aid this, he was one of the best in the world. The imaging device is split between circuitry implanted in his skull, designed to generate a holographic field around his head, and a watch-like device which stores the different images and tells the skull implant which face to create.
He has the strength and agility of man in top physical condition. He is a top pilot, and a good enough with computerised piloting systems to deactivate a missile in flight...while riding the thing!
History: Edward Holman served in Viet Nam. That's where he honed his combat skills. That's also where he also got both the scar down the right side of his face and the steel plate in his skull. After he left the army he became a test pilot, but even that couldn't provide the excitement he missed. So while he publicly remained a flier, he secretly started making his living working as a freelance undercover operative, putting his skills at disguise to excellent use.
Eventually the doctors overcame the rejection problems which had prevented him getting a skin graft to cover the metal plate in his head. Around the same time, an old friend of his, Paul Moran, told Ed of developments in holographic technology pioneered by his company, PACT. For the technology to work, it required implantation. Since Holman already had a different kind of implant and was about to undergo further surgery to his head anyway, he seemed the perfect man to test out the new technology. Holman agreed to have the circuitry added and work for PACT for a time, in return for then being allowed to keep the imaging device for his own use later.
PACT had recently uncovered a plot to overthrow the Canadian government, and had set about equipping another trained agent with a powerful weapon, called the Uni-Band. However this agent had been assassinated, and with little time available to them, PACT had been forced to recruit a comics fan whose brain waves were similar enough to the deceased man to allow him to work the device. The comics fan had agreed to the job, but insisted on creating a superhero identity, Northguard. After Northguard was easily overcome by a less powerful but better trained enemy operative, Paul went to the hospital where Ed had just had his operation, and asked him to start work early, training Northguard in basic fighting skills.
Ed arrived in Montreal in the nick of time, managing to prevent both Russian and American agents from killing Phillip and stealing the UniBand. He was also on hand when ManDes attacked PACT's headquarters, and although he couldn't prevent them murdering his friend Paul or PACT's founder Ron Cape, he was able to kill ManDes' leader, Reverend Clayton Tyler.
Comments: Created by Richard Comely and Royston Evans.
CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with
any other Steel characters
Chameleon, a Golden Age hero
Chameleon, a foe of Spider-Man
Kid Chameleon, British character
Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.
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