Ray worked in a factory making parts vital for the war effort, but when he discovered that the FBI suspected saboteurs had infiltrated the plant, he decided to investigate. However, he was shoved off a gantry and fell into a dynamo. He survived because he was thrown free, but the incident left him with the ability to emit a lethal electrical charge, which he could release along conductors or by direct contact. He used his new power to kill the saboteurs (though he was trying to catch them alive). In order to prevent accidentally hurting anyone else, he wore rubber gloves.