Using gamma experimentation, General John Ryker was responsible for the deaths of several military personnel until achieving success with Private Benjamin Tibbets, transforming Tibbets into Flux. Ryker then lied that a traitorous Hulk (Bruce Banner), allied with terrorist organizations against the United States, was responsible for the mutation Tibbets believed made him a freak. Ryker tasked Tibbets with capturing Hulk disguised as a mission sanctioned by the president. Always looking to please his superiors, Tibbets tracked Hulk into swampland and stood toe-to-toe with him before changing into Flux. Hulk was momentarily surprised but defeated Tibbets, exposing Ryker's manipulations. Tibbets knew Ryker's story was false, but he didn't want to believe his country would be responsible for his mutation and the deaths of his friends.
Tibbets was placed in the care of Doc Samson and Angela Lipscombe to diagnose his mental condition, and Samson determined Tibbets had an unresolved Oedipal Complex with the desire to please – not pleasure – his mother. Samson further theorized Tibbets felt more comfortable around men rather than women because of the lack of a mother/child bond. Even though some progress was made, Ryker soon resurfaced with General Thaddeus Ross and placed them all into military custody, including the Hulk.
Ryker subjected Hulk to mental tortures to determine how to control him; however, Hulk resisted. Ryker then used Samson's notes to brainwash Tibbets into thinking the Hulk was going to hurt his mother; Tibbets transformed into Flux and became Ryker's puppet once more. Flux's protective nature for his mother bolstered his strength to nearly defeat Hulk, but Tibbets eventually broke down in the heat of battle, crying for his mother. Later, when Hulk declared war on the Earth, Ryker assembled a team of gamma-spawned creations called the Gamma Corps to break into a government installation where Tibbets was being held. Tibbets was a loose end Ryker wanted cleaned up and group leader, Grey, broke Tibbets out of his cell and crushed his head before he could transform into Flux.
