Barbarus was once a Swamp Man of the Savage Land. He became one of the Savage Land Mutates created by Magneto, the master of magnetism, and served in that group along with Amphibius, Brainchild, Equilibrius, Gaza, Lupo, Piper, Lorelei, Vertigo, Whiteout, Worm, Lupa, and Leash. Magneto sent them to battle Ka-Zar and the X-Men, but they were defeated and Magneto's machines destroyed, causing the Mutates to revert briefly to their original states; however, the lasting effects of Magneto's technology ensure the Mutates regain their superhuman abilities should they ever lose them. Renaming themselves the Beast Brood, the restored Mutates captured scientists in hopes of forcing them to mutate other Savage Land natives into superhumans, but were defeated by the Avengers and delivered to legal aut