Dr. Abraham Erskine was the elderly German scientist who created the Super Soldier Serum and subsequently turned Steve Rogers into Captain America.
Dr. Erskine was Bavarian scientist during the rise of Nazi Germany. Nazi officer and head of HYDRA, Johann Schmidt, forced Erskine to give him his prototype of the Super Soldier Serum. Unfortunately Erskine's formula transformed Schmidt into a madman and gave rise to his nickname, the Red Skull. After that Erskine fled to America eventually settling in Queens, New York.
When World War II started, Erskine joined the U.S. government's Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) under Colonel Chester Phillips. Erskine was at the Modern Marvels of Tomorrow Exhibition when Steve Rogers was enlisting for the fifth time. Dr. Erskine later asked Rogers if he wanted to kill Nazis. When Rogers said that he didn't want to kill anyone but simply didn't like bullies, his answer satisfied Erskine enough to approve Rogers' draft card as 1-A. At Camp Lehigh, although Rogers struggled through basic training due to his small size and poor health, his perseverance and ingenuity impressed Erskine, who regarded Rogers as the clear choice. Erskine resisted Chester Phillips' efforts to persuade him to select Gilmore Hodge, who was physically superior, but whom Erskine regarded as a bully. Erskine's confidence in Rogers was cemented when he witnessed Rogers throw himself on what he thought was a live grenade in order to protect his fellow soldiers.
After Rogers was selected, Erskine came to the private quarters to offer him a drink from Ausburg, but didn't give it to him because the experiment was tomorrow so Steve couldn't have any liquids. Erskine told Rogers of his early experiments, Schmidt, and his reason why he chose Steve for the experiment. Erskine told him about Schmidt and explained while someone like Schmidt, who has known power all his life might lose respect for that power, a weak man like Rogers would know the value of strength. Erskine urged Rogers not to forget who he was, not a perfect soldier, but a good man.
When Rogers arrived at the secret lab in Brooklyn, Erskine with help from fellow scientist Howard Stark injected him with penicillin and then with the Super Soldier Serum, lastly bombarding him with Vita-Rays. Erskine nearly stopped the procedure when it appeared Rogers was having difficulty enduring the procedure, but Rogers urged him to continue. Moments later, Rogers emerged from the chamber significantly taller and noticeably more muscular.. Erskine's experiment was successful, but then one of the member of the State Department revealed himself to be HYDRA assassin Heinz Kruger, who set off a bomb to destroy the machinery and then fatally shot Erskine. Erskine's last actions before dying was to point at Rogers' heart, to stay who he is on the inside.
