Born into a poor family, Rex was taken in by the government and his parents were essentially being paid for him. Rex was put under extreme physical training and was experimented upon, gaining the power to heat up non-organic material enough for it to explode. He also developed mild invulnerability and low-level super strength. Eventually, Rex escaped and sought out his family, only to learn that after being paid, they had moved on with their lives and had two more children.