Born to working class parents in Oakland California in the late 1940s, Mark Mulvaney had a social awakening at 18, after graduating Oakland Senior High School, and moving onto Laney College. He tuned in, turned on, grew out, and eventually dropped out. A distance began to grow between Mark and his conservative Baptist parents, and by the time he joined up with the newly founded Black Panther Party in 1966, he had all but been disowned. He got by with a little help from a charismatic friend named Fred Hampton.

After Hampton was assassinated in 1969 in Chicago Markus converted to the Nation Of Islam (much to the chagrin of his parents), eventually drifting away from the Panthers to work as security with the Nation of Islam full time. After seeing one too many backroom deals get made, and taking a bullet to the shoulder for a cheap hustler selling political access, Markus became disillusioned with Elijah Muhammad, and most of his movement. Starting to think he was being followed, he blamed the  CIA, the FBI, his former comrades, eventually withdrawing into himself, his disillusionment, and paranoia. Falling deeply into a self medicating relationship with heroin, Markus lost his friends, his home, and his reputation.

Rock bottom turned out to be being stabbed during a drug buy in Lake Merrit Park. Salvation followed soon after, red and surprisingly cool. Markus awakened reborn, sired and saved by his friend and mentor; Fred Hampton.