451 is a Rigellian robot that claims to be responsible for Tony Stark becoming the Earth's most prominent weapons designer. After Tony hired the alien mercenary Death's Head to capture 451, it was revealed that 451 had already paid off Death's Head and he betrayed Tony. Using voice commands to take control of the Iron Man armor, 451 showed Tony a video of his father from before his birth. The video reveals 451's history with Howard Stark.

451 has also claimed that prior to Tony's birth that his parents were informed that he would not survive child birth. Howard scoured the Earth to find help but all attempts came up empty. He was finally advised that a group of aliens in Las Vegas had captured 451 when he recently arrived on Earth. Assembling a team, Howard and company freed 451 from his captors. After being granted his freedom, 451 aided in the childbirth process but also claimed to genetically assist Tony though alien procedures and other processes.

451 claims that all of this was to make Tony the world's greatest weapons inventor and for him to prepare the Earth in the future against potential alien invasions. Whether 451 has been completely honest in his statements so far remains to be seen.