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| Ralph Roberts was an alumnus of Metro College, where he set the school record for both pole-vaulting and touchdown passes in football. After graduating, he worked at Stark Industries for a short time, where he experimented with cobalt, among other things. |
| Roberts was interested in the Iron Man armour, but Stark refused to divulge the secrets of the armour. He decided to branch out on his own, and he formed Roberts Research Lab. His top priority project was the development of a suit of armour, patterned after Iron Man's, but made of a cobalt alloy. Once successful, he planned to turn the blueprints over the US government. |
| Ralph visited his younger brother, Ted, who was also a student at Metro College. Once together, their rivalry led them into a pole-vaulting competition, during which Ralph's pole broker, and he smacked his head against the upright. After recovering, he took his brother, Ted's would-be girlfriend, Jean Grey, and Scott Summers on a tour of his lab. |
| Ralph took his brother aside and showed him his armour. He put the armour on and began demonstrating its powers, smashing the roof of his building in the process. When Ted questioned his behaviour, Ralph became violent. After punching Ted out, he then found the moulds for the armour and destroyed them, so that no one else could match his power. |
