After his failed experiment with the Gamma Corps, soldiers and civilians given superhuman abilities through genetic mutation using DNA from several gamma-irradiated heroes and villains, General John Ryker was thrown in a S.H.I.E.L.D. prison where he was left to rot. When Norman Osborn was in charge of the temporarily defunct S.H.I.E.L.D. organization, he released Ryker because of his successes with transplanting metahuman tissue into normal humans and made Ryker head of his new company, the Origins Corporation; a business of synthesizing superhuman abilities and selling them to the general public.
When the Hulk (Bruce Banner) was off-world, and his cousin the She-Hulk apprehended many of Banner's old sparring partners, their DNA became accessible to Ryker since they were imprisoned in a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility run by Osborn. He used tissue from the Abomination, Zzzax and the Glob (Joseph Timms) to empower three women, placing them on Gamma Corps: Black. The chosen candidates were all soldiers convicted of heinous crimes by military courts and sentenced to death, but Osborn saved them to serve him; even though those who knew them believed their executions were carried out. Gamma Corps: Black was given specific instructions to ambush and detain the A.R.M.O.R. agent Lyra for her DNA, and retrieve her sentient computer, Boudicca, for Osborn. Gamma Corps: Black ambushed Lyra, killing a second armor agent who was with her.
Lyra escaped into the surrounding desert, forcing the trio to split up and search for her. Morass was the first to find her, and was demolished with a threat for the others carved into her body. Aberration and Axon fled to a small town, contacting Ryker to request evacuation transportation, but the General refused, reminding them to eliminate any witnesses of Gamma Corps: Black's existence. Using the townsfolk as bait to lure Lyra out of hiding, Aberration attacked Lyra but a brief battle left Aberration dead. Axon was then outsmarted and defeated, and although Lyra was going to take her into custody alive, Ryker had Axon remotely terminated for failing her mission.
