John Arthur Zander is the son of third-generation German immigrants, who are currently residing in Wisconsin. Zander's father is a mutant whose skin is impervious to pain, which, unlike his son's mutation, was not obvious to the conservative community they lived in. At 16, Zander dropped out of high school and headed for New York. Now a smalltime drug dealer in the district of Mutant Town, Zander became entangled in an investigation by Special Agent Lucas Bishop and Detective Ismael Ortega through his connections with suspected mob leaders Daniel "Shaky" Kaufman and "Filthy" Frankie Zapruder.