Picture of The Griffin (Johnny Horton)

John "Johnny" Horton was born in Tacoma, Washington. He later became a punk in the New Orleans gangs trying to make a name for himself until a Chicago man used him for some local muscle. Impressing his employer, Horton wanted to be more than a cheap hood resulting in the Chicago man bringing him to the Secret Empire to be made into a supervillain. Horton didn't know what the Secret Empire did. An unnamed scientist/surgeon that worked there followed the Empire's orders by surgically adding physical characteristics similar to that of the mythological Manticore including wings, a mane, lion-like paws and a tail to his body, as well giving him an experimental mutagenic serum. The Empire's #1, #3, and #6 were present at this surgery. When Horton recovered, his face had become white and he was now a freak. Thus, he became the professional criminal known as the Griffin.