When Iron Lad began his search for the next generation of Avengers, he came to the Bradley household in search of Isaiah's son, Josiah. However, Josiah had been missing for several months, and Iron Lad met Eli instead. Eli claimed to have gained superpowers through an emergency blood transfusion from his grandfather, but this was untrue. He later gained his powers artificially with Mutant Growth Hormone (MGH), an illegal street drug that causes brief periods of superhuman abilities. MGH has been demonstrated to promote irascibility in individuals. Writer Allan Heinberg has stated that Bradley's drug usage is based on his own history, stating