Victor Hammond was the black sheep of his affluent family of scientists, forever trapped in the shadow of his elder brother's genius and success. When his parents died in a hit-and-run accident, he grew estranged from his brother and ran away from home, making a living as a pickpocket on the street. When his brother came looking for him in a desperate attempt to bring him home, he was mortally wounded by a paranoid drug dealer. As he died in a remorseful Victor's arms, he made the boy promise to bring his years of research into speed to fruition in the way he had originally planned to: by becoming a hero and using it to better the world around him. Burdened with guilt for his role in his brothers death, Victor honoured his memory by bonding with his prototype Mach V -- a suit made of concentrated superkinetic particles which would allow him to manipulate his molecules at hypersonic speeds. Able to call on his suit by saying '1701.45', Victor became Mach V -- the reluctant protector of the streets of Westside and the Hypersonic Man!

With a history running away from his problems, Mach V is unused to risking his own safety for others. Though he would like nothing more than to hang up his costume for good, he pushes himself through adversity for the sake of his brother's dying wish and, while he may not always show it through his dismissive and oftentimes apathetic approach to his new life, each step he takes in his quest to enforce justice on the beleaguered streets brings him closer to realising his full potential as a hero and a human being. As his flippancy and sardonicism give way to a genuine desire to do good, Mach V must look past his late brother's request and ask himself what it is he truly wants to be.