Little is known about the background of Antonio Rodriguez other than that he has a criminal record and wife named Maria. His wife critically stricken with an undiagnosed disease, Rodriguez took her to every doctor who would see her but none were able to determine the nature of her illness, let alone help her. In desperation, he sought Dr. Karl Malus, a criminal scientist who specializes in the generation and bestowal of superhuman powers, whom he had heard about while in prison. Malus agreed to try to cure her in exchange for the man agreeing to become his test subject and employee for an indefinite period of time.


Malus had long been interested in acquiring a superhuman henchman, particularly after his experiments on the Fly, the Hornet, the Werewolf, and Goliath failed to provide him one. Malus subjected the man to an experimental process that combined genetic material from an armadillo with the man's genes. The Process caused the man's strength to increase drastically, his skin to transform into a tough, organic armored plate, and his hands to grow thick tough claws. Malus dubbed him the Armadillo and assigned him to break into the West Coast Avengers Compound to steal the comatose body of Goliath who was being held there. The Armadillo complied and soon found himself in combat with visiting Captain America. Although physically superior to him, the Armadillo was defeated by the Captain's superior combat skills. Taking compassion on the Armadillo's plight because of his wife's condition, Captain America refused to turn the Armadillo over to the authorities. After Malus cured Maria, Armadillo joined the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation.
Armadillo escaped from the raft after Electro's break out. Recaptured by the New Warriors he was later placed in the fifty states Initiative as part of the Texas Rangers. Later attending Stilt-Man’s wake, it is unlikely that Antonio was hurt by the attack carried out by the Punisher due to his thick hide and altered genetics.


The Armadillo possesses superhuman strength, a high degree of resistance to bodily harm, and sharp claws on his hands and feet. The armor plating and tough hide covering his entire body enabling him to withstand the force of ballistic weaponry up to light anti-tank weapons without penetration. His skin can withstand brief exposure to flame, ice, and acid without damage. His bones and muscles have been augmented to such a degree that he can withstand the impact of being hit by a truck carrying ten tons of cargo traveling at 60 miles per hour without serious injury. The Armadillo possesses superhuman endurance as well, enabling him to exert himself at peek capacity for over an hour before fatigue begins to impair his performance. Despite his mass, he can move as quickly as a normal sized athletically inclined man. The Armadillo's claws are strong enough to rend gouges in cinderblock and medium-density steel with minimal wear on the nails, Coupled with his great strength, he can break through a standard 4 inch steel-reinforced cinderblock wall in a matter of seconds, or dig a hole in the earth deep enough to fit his entire body in less than a minute.

SCULPTED BY TOYMAN ARTIST VIC AND TESS SARATE AND PAINTED BY LYNDON NUYLES ALOJADO!!!