Howard Stark worked with Shield on a short-lived project to create robotic soldiers in the hopes of replacing the effective strength of Captain America, but the project was publicly shelved after his death.
After being nearly killed in his own house by Obadiah, Tony Stark made use of the research, and updated it, to create a robotic body for JARVIS to upload to in times of crisis to physically help him. After a few updates the robot became shockingly lifelike, and Tony started manufacturing them for hospital use under the more friendly name 'persocom'.
Secretly, HYDRA had never shelved Howard's robotic research, it was instead melded with The Winter Soldier project. The rise of persocom use and popularity rapidly makes it easier for him to blend in.
After Steve recognizes him as Bucky they believe he is a persocom based on Bucky, until the computerizes Zola tells them he actually is Bucky, his computer enhanced brain the only part of his original body left - kept because they couldn't be sure all the little human things that made him the perfect Soldier would translate in a direct download to a computerized format as Zola's was imperfect and it wasn't attempted again.
Re: Crackiest crossovers that you really want to see (in fic or otherwise)
Howard Stark worked with Shield on a short-lived project to create robotic soldiers in the hopes of replacing the effective strength of Captain America, but the project was publicly shelved after his death.
After being nearly killed in his own house by Obadiah, Tony Stark made use of the research, and updated it, to create a robotic body for JARVIS to upload to in times of crisis to physically help him. After a few updates the robot became shockingly lifelike, and Tony started manufacturing them for hospital use under the more friendly name 'persocom'.
Secretly, HYDRA had never shelved Howard's robotic research, it was instead melded with The Winter Soldier project. The rise of persocom use and popularity rapidly makes it easier for him to blend in.
After Steve recognizes him as Bucky they believe he is a persocom based on Bucky, until the computerizes Zola tells them he actually is Bucky, his computer enhanced brain the only part of his original body left - kept because they couldn't be sure all the little human things that made him the perfect Soldier would translate in a direct download to a computerized format as Zola's was imperfect and it wasn't attempted again.