Alastair Derring was a millionaire playboy who, after many years of living in idle luxury, had grown bored. In an attempt to make his life more exciting, he sought out training in many forms of melee combat. He particularly enjoyed fencing, and practiced it whenever he had the chance.
One day, as he was practicing alone in an open field, a storm began brewing. But Alastair did not seek shelter, seeing this as an opportunity to practice his swordplay in difficult conditions. Suddenly, as he was holding his foil aloft, a bolt of lightning struck it, electrocuting Alastair!
Surprisingly, this did not kill or even injure him. As it turns out, Alastair was actually a mutant whose powers had remained latent for his entire life. Being struck by lightning had somehow activated his powers; perhaps it was his body's response to a life-or-death situation. In any case, Alastair soon found that he had become stronger, his reflexes had improved, and he could move incredibly fast.
It was then that Alastair decided to become a superhero, so that he could test his abilities against worthy opponents. Using his wealth and connections, he had two pieces of high-tech equipment custom-made: A portable platform he could use for flying, and a rapier that could channel his super-speed into a blinding flurry of attacks.
With these tools in hand, Alastair donned an extravagant costume and joined a new group of superheroes called the Golden Heroes. Thus began the thrilling adventures of Lightning Blade!
