Little is known of Harry Leland's past before encountering the X-Men, although he did encounter former teammate,
Emma Frost, before she was inducted into the Hellfire Club. At the time, Emma was homeless and using her powers during a Hellfire Club meeting to gain information about stocks. Leland takes an interest in her but comes on too strongly, and Emma runs away. Shortly after, he accompanies
Sean Cassidy and his
NYPD partner to an incident behind the club which involves Emma. Emma uses her telepathy to erase the memories of all three men. Leland encounters the X-Men when they invade the New York headquarters of the Hellfire Club. Leland causes
Wolverine to become increasingly heavy until he falls through the floor into a sub-basement. In the rematch, Wolverine attacks Leland from above. Leland panics and uses his mass-increasing powers, resulting in Wolverine crashing through the floor again, this time with Leland beneath him. Leland is hospitalized as a result. When the Hellfire Club again captures the X-Men weeks later, Leland takes revenge by using his power on Wolverine until his heart gives out, though his rival's death proves to be a temporary state induced by
Amanda Sefton. Alongside the Hellfire Club, Leland battles the X-Men in New York's
Central Park. When
Nimrod attacks the assembled mutants, the X-Men and the Club join forces to battle Nimrod. Leland increases Nimrod's mass to make it more vulnerable to attack. Overweight and in poor health, the effort causes Leland to have a heart attack. At
Storm's urging, Leland increases the mass of Sebastian Shaw (who had been sent hurtling towards outer space), causing Shaw to crash into Nimrod. Leland succumbs to his heart condition and dies.
X-Humed The supervillain
Black Talon revives Leland's body as a zombie and sets him and other resurrected mutants (
Changeling,
Living Diamond, and
Scaleface) against
She-Hulk. She defeats them and Leland is reburied, with precautions taken to prevent him from being resurrected again.
Necrosha Despite the precautions made to prevent Leland's resurrection,
Selene revives him using the
Transmode Virus during the "
Necrosha" storyline. Leland and
Shinobi Shaw are sent to kill Sebastian Shaw,
Donald Pierce, Emma Frost,
Magma, and the X-Men.
Reign of X During the
Krakoan Age, Leland is resurrected to serve as
Krakoa's ambassador to the
United Nations. It is also revealed that he is Shinobi Shaw's biological father. ==Powers and abilities==