Flint Marko, aka The Sandman, had been a constant adversary of Marvel Comic’s Spider-Man since his introduction in Amazing Spider-Man #4 from 1963. Marko, who was born William Baker, turned to a life of crime after being expelled from school for accepting a bribe. Working as a mob enforcer, he eventually ended up imprisoned at Rikers Island penitentiary.

After escaping from Rikers, Marko came into contact with sand that had been irradiated by an experimental reactor and soon discovered that his body had bonded with the sand, allowing his the ability to convert his entire body into sand and control the sand with little effort. Taking the name Sandman, Marko continued his life of crime, clashing with the likes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk.

Although Marko’s life as a Supervillain has pitted him against some of the Marvel Universe’s most powerful Heroes, The Sandman has a surprisingly strong moral core. Much of the crimes committed by Marko were to support his mother, who was left alone to raise him after his father left them during Marko's childhood. His use of an alias was to protect his mother and keep her from finding out what he had resorted to in order to support her.

Over the years, Marko has reformed a few times, becoming a member of the Avengers and of the Wild Pack, and although he has returned to a life of crime, rarely will he resort to the extremes that his Supervillain counterparts are willing to.