TESS-One (Total Elimination of Super Soldiers)was created near the end of World War II in response to a paranoid fear that heroes such as Captain America and the Invaders might turn on the government and try to take over the country. The project was handed to a Professor Schumann who even after the project was abandoned continued to work on TESS-One somewhere in the Midwest.

Year's later Richard Rennsalaers son had become mentally unbalanced due to his fear of nuclear annihilation. In hopes of returning his son's sanity Richard used his connection to S.H.I.E.L.D. and his mutant ability over machines to try and end the nuclear arms race. Having donned the codename Overrider he found out about the TESS project and stole the robot in hopes that it would help him achieve his goal. However Captain America and Wolverine ran into Overrider and TESS-One. Determined not to be stopped Overrider sent TESS to attack Wolverine and Captain America while he tried to launch all of America's nuclear missiles into the ocean. TESS-One was overcome by the two heroes and Overrider was taken into custody. Months later the Super-Adaptoid broke free from the Avengers Mansion and started searching for fellow robots and androids to help him take his revenge on the Avengers. After recruiting Machine Man, Sentry 459, and the Awesome Android he found and reprogrammed TESS-One using the Fixer's abilities and formed Heavy Metal. TESS and the others then journeyed to Hydrobase where they were confronted by Namor, She-Hulk, and Marrina. In the battle that followed TESS-One was pushed into the ocean and sank. Months later during the Acts of Vengeance Doctor Doom acquired TESS-One and outfitted it with the ability to absorb energy and regenerate itself. Doom then sent it after Spider-Man, who at the time was in possession of the Uni-Power. TESS-One eventually caught up with Spider-Man and began to absorb the energy of the Uni-Power, but Spider-Man proved too powerful and destroyed TESS-One.

TESS-One's current whereabouts are unknown.