His true name lost to the mist of time, Max Mercury was once a fort messenger during the 1830's, a young man who befriended a local Indian tribe. Unable to prevent their massacre, his only chance to stop a further ambush came in accepting the magic of the tribe's dying shaman, who instilled in him a connection to a greater power from beyond lightspeed--a command of uncanny velocity that transformed him into Ahwehota, or "Windrunner", protector of the Indians. Eventually, Windrunner felt "called" by this higher power and ran to pursue it, but in fear drew back before he was likewise drifted through many eras under many different names; he currently goes by the alter ego "Max mercury". Regarded by his peers as the zen master of speed, Max is by nature a gifted teacher of the discipline. He lives in Manchester with his daughter, Helen, and Bart Allen a.k.a Impulse.