Z'Reg, a Skrull operative who had been scarred by fellow trainee , was sent to spy on the  after his training was complete. However, he arrived on Earth shortly after the Avengers had already disbanded. His mission irrelevant, he began to admire the planet's customs; in particular the noble pursuits of the superhero community. Realizing how wrong the Skrulls were about humanity and its heroes, under the civilian identity of Aubrey Thompson, Z'Reg decided to become a superhero himself. He called himself the Crusader, a name he chose specifically because it gave no clue as to his abilities.