Virgil Masterton was just twelve years old when his family were killed in a fatal car crash in which he was the sole survivor. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, Virgil longed to escape from the trappings of poverty and abandonment and be free. Retreating into the criminal element of Westside, he became a talented street racer, expressing himself through his daring actions and breakneck speeds. When an act of sabotage caused him to crash his car into a tank of highly-experimental hyper-accelerated chemicals, however, Virgil was bestowed with the power to move faster than he could have ever imagined. Using his powers to try and make amends for a life of selfishness and evasion, he became the unstoppable Mach V -- the incredible Hypersonic Man!

With a history running away from his problems, a caustic personality and an inherently self-centred outlook on life, Mach V is unused to risking his own hide for the sake of others. Though he would like nothing more than to use his powers for instant gratification and, more often than not, indulges himself, he truly wishes to be a better person and, while he may not always show it through his hotheadedness and showboating, each step he takes brings him closer to realising his full potential as a hero and a human being.