Born in 1895 to a black father and a Jewish mother in Bedford-Stuyvesant in New York, he volunteered for the military in 1913. He wanted the Marines, but settled for the Army. At first he was in the 15th New York Infantry Regiment of the national Guard...which went on to become the 369th Infantry Regiment. the 'Harlem Hellfighters', whom the french called the Men of Bronze and the Germans called the Hellfighters. He served with them throughout the war.

In 1941, at the age of 46, having retired from the military with an honorable discharge (but never promoted beyond sergeant, mainly due to his temper), he volunteered for a top secret super soldier program (that later would produce Major John Courage). Most of the early volunteers were men of color . . . and of those men of color only he survived . . . but he was rejuvenated, and gained strength, stamina, and an insanely fast healing factor. He was then placed in the Marine Corps, officially, but never allowed to advance beyond sergeant . . . a rank he had already held for many years in the Army. He served all over during WW2, and after. He has served in every war and every conflict in nearly every theater, since then, only leaving the military finally in 1994, with the help of Doc Bronze, who realized he was basically not being allowed to retire again.

He's a short, muscular black man , with short miltary cut hair, greying at the temples.

Over and over again, throughout his long career, he has clashed with the feral, murderous Maniac. Their hate for each other is legendary.

In addition to his own enhanced physical abilities and hard won combat skills, he carries the indestructible Bronze Knife made by Doc Bronze, which can cut through nearly anything.

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