When his project on diffusing hurricanes was cancelled, meteorologist Albert Potter piloted an experimental weather control craft into the heart of Hurricane Linda in a desperate bid to prove his theories. His vehicle could partially control the storm, but Potter had drawn the attention of Otherworld’s Nethergods, who sought a pawn to destroy their enemy Merlyn’s champion, Captain Britain; Potter’s craft was struck repeatedly by lightning and exploded. Bathed in strange energies, Potter was transformed. Rescued by a passing ship, he returned to Britain convinced his vehicle had been sabotaged. Abandoning his former life, he spent months in hiding designing a control harness to focus his powers, then attacked London’s Thames University as Hurricane, wishing to test his new abilities against Captain Britain. Potter easily overpowered the novice hero, but Captain Britain subsequently tore off Hurricane’s backpack in a later bout; without its cooling system, the villain violently overheated and was taken into custody.

Sent to Darkmoor prison, Potter underwent genetic experiments run by Dr. Samuel Merrick of STORM (Special Taskforce Omega Response Mandate) in return for a lessened sentence. His DNA was mixed with a soldier ant’s, giving him additional powers, but also leaving him nearly dead. The criminal conspiracy Mys-Tech revived him to steal a Gene Scanner from STORM, bringing him into conflict with Q7 Strikeforce, agents of Mys-Tech rival Takashei Otomo, and STORM’s Gene Dogs; it took the combined might of both teams to overpower him. Hurricane was frozen while Merrick worked on curing the damage he’d caused.

Merrick apparently succeeded, and Potter was released, a reformed character. He reconciled with his estranged wife and children, relocating to New York. Unable to find work, and wanting to get Christmas presents for his children, he broke into a toy store, only to be caught by the Fantastic Four. Realizing Potter’s motives, the group decided to give him a second chance on condition that he stay on the straight and narrow; rather than handing him to the authorities, the Four instead celebrated Christmas with the Potter family.