The story of the Gauntlet began when two aliens of unknown origin, one fully armored, the other multi-limbed, engaged in a struggle to the death above Earth. Both extraterrestrials expired upon entering the atmosphere, and their weapons scattered across the planet's surface. The US government tracked the crash site of two of the armored alien's weapons to the Middle-East, where Sergeant Joseph Green was dispatched to secure the area. Upon arrival, Green's unit came under attack by HYDRA troopers, forcing him to use the right gauntlet of the alien's armor in order to defeat them. After securing victory, Joseph found himself unable to remove the gauntlet, and was seen walking away from the area, carrying the alien's sword with him. How the alien's other gauntlet was acquired by Southpaw has not yet been revealed, nor has how the alien's leg armor came to become part of the costume of Grasshopper. However, the opposing alien's weapon later found its way into Armory's possession.