CACHE

Real Name: Cache

Identity/Class: Sentient computer with artificial digitized humanoid body

Occupation: Agent of AIM;
former CEO of Parliamech

Group Membership: AIM;
formerly Parliamech

Affiliations: AIM (Billups, Chet Madden, many unidentified agents), Protocide

Enemies: Captain America (Steve Rogers), Falcon, Josh Hoard, Dawn Ridgeway, SHIELD (Sharon Carter, Dum-Dum Dugan, Cameron Klein)

Known Relatives: Josh Hoard (creator)

Aliases: Impersonated Captain America and Mephisto

Base of Operations: Trapped within a SHIELD storage device;
formerly mobile on all data highways

First Appearance: (In shadows) Captain America III#33 (September, 2000), (fully seen) Captain America III#34 (October, 2000)

Powers/Abilities: Cache was originally programmed as a self-governing software program that was able to discern and prioritize the importance of all data it received, but it became an evil artificial lifeform with the help of AIM. It seemingly provided itself with a super-dense digitized humanoid body and decided to invade any computer connected to the Internet to take all the data it wanted to become one of the most powerful computer programs on the world. Cache's artificial body was more durable than any human body and combined with the knowledge of all fighting techniques it could find on the Internet it was a pretty impressive fighting machine, but it was also one of his biggest weaknesses because the body reacted like a human body to attacks and could easily be knocked out because it wasn't as fast, strong or well trained like for example Captain America. At one point he used a button in his palm to activate a blinding light. At another point he claimed to be able to access the Internet also wireless. While working for AIM he used a device similar to Controller's slave discs to send false memories directly into the brain of Protocide. Cache could alter his form holographically and transfer himself at any time to another location as long as it could get access to technology connected to a network. With the right technology he could alter his surroundings as well. At Parliamech he used holographic studios to accomplish this. It is unknown how he did it at AIM, but it can be assumed that he used holographic projectors built into AIM's base. At Parliamech he also employed a group of robots.

(Captain America III#34 (fb) - BTS) - Cache was programmed by Josh Hoard as a self-governing software program. It was secretly turned into an artificial intelligence by AIM to infiltrate Parliamech after Josh's program had penetrated AIM's system over the Internet. The powerful computer program took over Hoard's Internet service provider company Parliamech by becoming the CEO and started to take any data it could find. It also created itself digitally a humanoid body.

(Captain America III#35 (fb) - BTS) - At some point Cache helped AIM brainwash Protocide with false memories.

(Captain America III#33 (fb) - BTS) - When Josh put up a website to expose Parliamech's actions, Cache shut it down and then sent his security to kill Josh and his girlfriend Dawn by firebombing their home, but they escaped.

(Captain America III#33) - Cache, the CEO of Parliamech, got a call from his security officer downstairs and saw that Captain America and Falcon where in the building to see him. Cache ordered the security officer to send them up in the exec elevator. Cache watched the elevator drop and then gassed them. He send robots to retrieve them, but Cap and Falcon where still on their feet and fought until they lost consciousness because they gas was also absorbed through the skin.

(Captain America III#33 - BTS) - Cache caught Josh and Dawn as well and put them together with Falcon, who was chained up, into a holographic studio resembling a swamp. Captain America was put into another, more icy holographic studio.

(Captain America III#34) - Cache watched Captain Ameica, Falcon, Josh and Dawn fight through his holographic world. After Cap had destroyed the holographic studio he was trapped in, Cache finally entered the battlefield himself. Cache boastfully introduced himself to Captain America, who attacked him. During their fight Cache showed the many fighting techniques he had learned through the Internet, but Cap wasn't impressed. They soon broke into the holographic studio where Falcon, Dawn and Josh were kept and their holographic game ended as well. Captain America wasn't able to defeat Cache in hand-to-hand combat because Cache's body was more durable than any human body. Cache blinded his opponents after he kicked Cap away from him and boasted to be all-knowing. Captain America than asked Cache if he knew who was behind Captain America's mask. Cache didn't know the answer, which confused him enough to give Cap the chance to knock him out with his shield and fists. Soon the police arrived and took Cache with them.

(Captain America III#39 (fb) - BTS) - Scans were taken of Cache while he was imprisoned. The scans were used by SHIELD Agent Cameron Klein to determine Cache's unique digital signature and create a device that could trap him.

(Captain America Annual 2000/1) - Captain America visited the imprisoned Cache to ask him for help. At first Cache didn't seem to want to help although Cap offered him a chance to redeem himself, but when Cache heard that Cap wanted information on Protocide he soon connected himself wireless to the networks all over the world and started to give Captain America what he came for -- the history of Private Clinton McIntyre aka. Protocide, the man that should've become Captain America. He told Captain America about the General Saunders' failed Operation Prototype that empowered and killed McIntyre because Saunders had used an incomplete version of the super-soldier serum. Cache couldn't (or better he didn't want to) tell Captain America, who restored Protocide back to life. But he told Captain America that he couldn't beat Protocide because he was stronger and more savage. Cache's boss, AIM's leader Madden, contacted Cache when Cap and Sharon were leaving to tell Cache that he had done well. Cache didn't understand why he had to tell Captain America the truth about Protocide, but Madden and Billups told him that now Captain America would be slowed down because he had something to think about. They allowed Cache to leave his imprisonment. Cache shut off the security system, transformed himself into Captain America and then just walked out of the building.

(Captain America III#38) - Cache, Madden and Billups welcomed Protocide back in AIM's base in Upstate, New York after another successful attack against Hydra. Protocide started to ask too many questions and Cache used a chip in Protocide's neck to brainwash him once again into believing that Captain America had killed him in the past. It contradicted with the fact that Captain America had just saved his life and Madden had to calm down Cache, who got angry with Protocide because he showed no gratitude towards AIM for bringing him back to life. After Protocide had left Madden showed a sign of concern that Protocide was breaking through Cache's implanted memories, but Cache assured him that it wouldn't be a problem any longer because nobody was left to tell him the truth (they assumed at this point that Captain America was dead).

  Some time later Cache witnessed an attack by Captain America on the AIM base where he was. As he escaped in a helicopter with Madden (next issue it was revealed that it was just a man masquerading as the AIM leader), and reminded him not be too overconfident when they saw Protocide seemingly winning against Captain America. Cache tried to kill Captain America with the helicopter's rotor when he barely hung onto a wall, but Captain America avoided the attack and managed to severe the rotor with his shield after Cache flew the helicopter into the wall. The helicopter dropped through the ceiling and exploded.

(Captain America III#38 - BTS) - Before the helicopter exploded, Cache transferred himself to safety.

(Captain America III#39) - Captain America and SHIELD agents Dugan, Klein and Carter attacked an AIM base in Iowa on their search for AIM's leader. Cache brought them into another holographic world looking like hell where he posed as Mephisto. Captain America saw through the his illusion. Cache was surprised that Captain America realized it so quick. Cache didn't care about AIM and tried to escape again by transmitting himself somewhere else, but Cameron Klein blocked and caught him with a storage device he had especially built for this case. Cache was now trapped in a state similar to a screen capture.

Comments: Created by Dan Jurgens & Art Thibert.

Cache is not really a "he", but the body it made for itself looked male. The body seemed to be made of hard light or something like that.

Cache is like a modern version of Machinesmith in some way. I'd like to see him again in some form. Sure, he looked like a clown, but I liked sentient computer programs.
Team him up with WHO and Cerebro and let them loose on the world. Or let them start a discussion about who the smartest of them is. It would probably go like this.

Cerebro: I know everything about mutants and I can even locate them. All 198 that are left.

Cache: I know everything on the Internet and we all know what the Internet is famous for.

WHO: I know crime. I know crime. Error. *bzzt* I known crime.

Cache: Who is the winner?

WHO: Thank you!

Profile by Markus Raymond.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Cache should not be confused with:

• Fabian Caches, son of Black Tarantula @ Amazing Spider-Man I#436
• Marina Caches, ex-wife of Black Tarantula @ Amazing Spider-Man I#427
• any other character with a similar name

Josh Hoard has no known connection to:

• Minister of Hoard, New Orleans Thieves Guild @ Gambit III#4
• any other character with a similar name

Dawn Ridgeway has no known connection to:

• Lynn Ridgway, sister of NFL SuperPro @ NFL SuperPro#9
• Mark Ridgway, husband of Lynn @ NFL SuperPro#9
• Melanie Ridgway, NFL SuperPro's niece @ NFL SuperPro#9
• any other character with a similar name

Josh Hoard & Dawn Ridgeway

Josh and Dawn were seemingly both brilliant software programmers.

(Captain America III#34 (fb) - BTS) - Josh started Parliamech as the ultimate storage unit for companies. Because it took people still too long to store their data, he worked together with Dawn on a self-governing program. The result was cache, but they never intended it to become a sentient, evil being. When Josh realized that Parliamech started taking data from all over the Internet he decided to stop the company because he didn't want to go to prison. Dawn helped him.

(Captain America III#33 (fb) - BTS) - Josh put up a website to expose Parliamech, but it was soon shut down. A short time later Parliamech's security arrived at Josh's warehouse and firebombed it. Josh and Dawn barely escaped.

(Captain America III#33) - Josh and Dawn tried to break into Parliamech like cat burglars. Captain America and Falcon caught them. Josh and Dawn tried to explain to Captain America how evil Parliamech was, but Cap thought Josh and Dawn were just conspiracy nuts. After Cap learned that Parliamech had already tried to kill them, he started to believe them, because he had talked to fire marshal's at the warehouse. But Cap still wanted to know how Josh could know so much about Parliamech. Josh then revealed that he started the company. Cap and Falcon then went to Parliamech to talk to the current CEO.

(Captain America III#34 (fb) - BTS) - Cache caught Josh and Dawn and put them together with a chained up Falcon into one of Parliamech's holographic studios.

(Captain America III#34) - Josh, Dawn and Falcon were trapped in a swamp. Josh and Dawn helped Falcon to get off the chains and then wandered with him through the swamp until Captain America and Cache suddenly crashed through a wall. The holographic program ended and Cache was defeated. When the police arrived Captain America let Josh and Dawn go free because they still had something to do. He wanted them to put all the data Cache took back where they came from.

--Captain America III#33 (Captain America III#34 (fb) - BTS, 33 (fb) - BTS, 33, 34 (fb) - BTS, 34

images: (without ads)
Captain America Annual 2000, p14, pan3 (main image)