History: Professor Archibald Masters was a physics professor at a university in the Eastern United States. He was experimenting on a cyclotron, to which he accidentally came in contact with. Instead of killing Masters, the accident blasted him with radiation and endowed him with various superhuman abilities. Masters used these new abilities to help out the war effort in the 1940s. During this time, Masters gained a young partner by the name of Mickey Martin. His unsuspecting secretary, Jane Peters, also found her way into many of American Crusader's exploits. During WWII, American Crusader joined other science heroes in the formation of S.M.A.S.H.

In 1969, along with other members of S.M.A.S.H., American Crusader found himself trapped above the Earth in suspended animation by an alien menace. Thirty years later Tom Strange with the help of his counterpart, Tom Strong, freed American Crusader and the other science heroes. With their combine might they defeat the alien menace. Like the others, Masters found himself disconnected from the current time period and had difficulty adjusting. S.M.A.S.H. soon disbanded afterwards and Masters began drinking heavily.

Three years later a new threat arose and the government called in former members of S.M.A.S.H. for help. Masters was one of them that answered the call. While heading to the nexus of an energy field that made all technology useless, Masters was one of the heroes that lost their powers. He fell to the ground and was badly hurt. Determining the field affected science based heroes; an unconscious Masters was one of the team members left behind while others continued on. The threat was discovered to be the one-time hero Mystico. The combine might of the science heroes forced Mystico to end his god-like plans. With the crisis averted Archie Masters is now dealing with his alcoholism. S.M.A.S.H. has reformed and Masters again serves the team as the American Crusader.

Powers: Due to the contact with the cyclotron, American Crusader has super-strength, super-speed, invulnerability that can withstand a bomb blast and the ability to fly. American Crusader also has the ability to create powerful electromagnetic burst.