Adrian Toomes used to run his own salvaging company. After the battle between the Avengers and the Chitauri in New York City, his company was tasked by the city council to salvage the remains of the Chitauri ships and technology scattered around the city. However, before Toomes and his crew could finish the job, he lost the contract to Tony Stark, who co-created the Department of Damage Control in a joint effort with the federal government. Faced with potential bankruptcy since he had already purchased extra trucks and hired extra employers for the task, Toomes decided to keep the Chitauri tech he had already salvaged for himself instead of turning it over to Department of Damage Control.