Shepard first approached Mystique in Cuba and tried to convince her to turn against Charles Xavier, that he and his employer could give her protection. Shepard gave her a necklace to contact him with and vanished. He continuously appeared and reappeared, always knowing where she was, stirring up trouble for Xavier's newest agent. It was later revealed he was helping Shortpack to track down the murderer of Prudence Leighton, an arms dealer called Steinbeck and had insight into all Mystique's missions to some degree.