Not much is known about the man named M. Bison save that he once controlled an awesome force known as "Psycho Power." The self-styled megalomaniac fashioned an empire called Shadowloo, and ruled much of Asia's underworld.

It was said that Bison received his powers nearly twenty years ago, when he and his troops stumbled upon a mystical temple deep within the Cambodian jungle. Supposedly, within the temple, he found and made a deal with dark forces, whom granted Bison the use of what they had called "Psycho Powers" before vanishing. However, with that power came a warning that those powers would make him mad. They also warned him against misuse and abuse of those powers.

Bison did not heed the warning however, as those very same powers began warping his mind, hence their nickname of "psycho power." He amassed a vast criminal empire and began overrunning many smaller Asian countries. He then sought out to create an elite force of soldiers, and began searching for the best fighters in the world.

Bison entered the first Alpha tournament after hearing of the mighty Sagat's defeat at the hands of Ryu, the vagabond warrior. Amazed and curious, Bison entered the tournament in search of this fighter. He sought to find and capture Ryu, and turn him over to the side of the Shadowloo. To do so, he first captured Ryu's best friend Ken, and brainwashed him with his powers. He then used Ken as a pawn against Ryu. But Ryu was able to get through to Ken, and the two combined forces to defeat the mad dictator. He was then confronted by Chun Li and Charlie separately, whom he proceeded to beat up, and escaped.

Bison entered the second Alpha tournament to again seek out and capture Ryu. What he found, though, was a few of the Street Fighters banned together to bring him down. Charlie confronted him, but was killed, as a Shadowloo soldier shot him in the back. But the warning given Bison by the ancient had finally come back to haunt him, as one of the participants in the previous Alpha tournament, Rose, had come for him due to his misuse of the powers granted him. Rose teamed up with Chun Li, and together, they sealed off Bison's Psycho Powers. However, Bison escaped yet again, to plot and plan his revenge.

A considerably less-powerful Bison hosted the third Street Fighter tournament as a bid for power. He carefully planned every aspect of this tournament. He had heard rumors of a mysterious fighter with perhaps even more powerful than Ryu. He sought to capture both him and Ryu this time around, and thus bolster his already considerable criminal empire's stranglehold on the Eastern continent, and then take aim at global domination. He had already purchased land for a huge fortress on the Mexican border. He found however, that many players were there for revenge. Guile for the murder of Charlie, Chun Li for her father's. T. Hawk for the taking of his people's lands, and Cammy, his former love, sent by MI-6 to bring him down.

Bison was confronted by an amnesiac Cammy, whom demanded the truth about her past. Bison proceeded to tell her about their history together, how she was once a Shadowloo soldier and his former love. Outraged, she attacked him, but Vega intervened and nearly killed her. She escaped with Chun Li's help.

Bison later found that Balrog had been defeated by Ryu, and had sent out Sagat to retrieve Ryu's friend Ken. Sagat fought Ken, but was defeated. However, Bison then showed himself and quickly dispatched a weak and injured Ken. He once again used him against Ryu, and squared the two off. Ryu was able to get through to Ken, but Ken, unable to fight, merely watched as Ryu brought down the dictator in a violent conflict with his ShoRyuKen. Later it was said, as Bison awoke, the mysterious fighter whom Bison was searching for revealed himself as Akuma, and proceeded to kill M. Bison. Yet, his body was never recovered.