Flint was born to a poor family in a run down part of New York. His father walked out on him when he was young. He turned to crime to support his family which included his mother Hayden and sickly younger sister Penny. He befriended another thug in his neighborhood named Morris Bench and were eventually recruited into a gang. Eventually during an escape from one of the gang's robberies Flint saw that Morris had been left behind and decided to go back to rescue him, both getting caught by Spider-Man and sent to prison. There they were visited by an OsCorp scientist who offered them a chance for freedom from prison, but were to be test subjects in some experiment. Bench was excited by the prospect while Flint was hesitant but eventually agreed so he could leave prison. Thinking it would help