Early life
Jack Beckley chose to serve as a pilot with the United States Air Force in the South Pacific. Unknown to him, he left his fiancée carrying his child; to avoid a scandal, the girl's family moved her to Florida and had her son, John, put up for adoption. When Jack returned, she kept John's birth a secret and the pair married, having son Stephen and daughter Rosemary. When John grew up and founded the intelligence organisation called the Bridge, he tracked his real parents down only for Jack to treat him coldly. In revenge John sabotaged their plane, killing both of them.[6]
Stephen Beckley became an astronomer and astrophysicist, earning a doctorate. He married former astronaut Ann Beckley, and the couple had a son called Benny. Together they also ran the Edmund Project, which investigated astronomical incidents. On a mission, Stephen piloted a craft through a tail of Halley's Comet and appeared to be killed. Instead, he met an alien called Max, a being from Colony Fortisque. Max claimed his race is responsible for starting evolution on Earth and other planets in the Milky Way Galaxy, and reconstituted Beckley in a body with superhuman powers. He returned to Earth and told his friend David Hilbert, only to find out he represented the sinister Bridge. Stephen was captured and underwent various tests.[7] He was able to escape after discovering the true extent of his powers and took on the identity of Comet Man, but when Stephen returned home he found his wife and son had been kidnapped by the Bridge.[8] His rescue attempt was nearly derailed through a coincidental run-in with the Hulk and a Mandroid.[9] This attracted attention from old acquaintance Reed Richards, who invited Comet Man to Four Freedoms Plaza and helped him hone his powers. However, when Comet Man tried to teleport to Ann he arrived in her coffin, his wife having been killed in an unsuccessful escape attempt.[10] Through the Fantastic Four he was linked up with Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D., who told him more of the Bridge and revealed they were being run by John, styling himself as the Superior. Comet Man was able to rescue his badly-injured son from the Bridge, giving Benny a duplicated version of his powers as a result.[6] Through Hilbert, he discovered that the Superior's plan was to capture Max but the Bridge's agents turn out to be no match for the alien, who also teleports himself and Comet Man away from his ship before John can trigger a nuclear device. Angered, the powerful alien briefly considered destroying Earth in revenge, but Comet Man was able to persuade him not to, and accompanied Max to the Colony Fortisque.[11]
The pair met the Fantastic Four again while Comet Man was training on Arcturus IV, helping them defeat the alien Nuwali.[12] Comet Man returned to Earth after the Fortisque society grew wary of his human values affecting them. On returning he found out that his sister Rosemary was looking after the comatose Benny. However, he did not realise that Rosemary's husband John Gallagher was the Superior. He was able to communicate with Benny, who was able to point out John's true identity to Comet Man. Benny then used his powers to make John kill himself.[13]
Sometime later Comet Man returned to space with Max, but would once again visited Earth when Benny began using his powers, drawing the attention of the superhero Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell). After a confrontation, Captain Marvel agreed to let Comet Man take his son into space to learn more control over his powers.[14]
Later, Stephen tried to help some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents trying to take down the Superhuman Registration Act violator Cybermancer during the Civil War, but was defeated.[15] Stephen was considered a "potential recruit" for the Initiative program.[16]
