Little is known of Leland's past before encountering the X-Men, however he did encounter former teammate, Emma Frost before she was inducted into the Hellfire Club. At the time, Emma was homeless and using her powers during a Hellfire Club meeting to gain information about stocks, Leland took an interest in her but came on too strongly, which made Emma run away. Shortly after, he accompanied Sean Cassidy and his NYPD partner to an incident behind the club which involved Emma. Emma, having met and repaired the fractured mind of the Dark Beast with her powers, mind-wiped all three men into forgetting the incident and that they had ever met. Later, Leland first encountered the X-Men when the X-Men invaded the New York headquarters of the Hellfire Club. Leland caused Wolverine to become super-