With so many costume crime fighters out there, you would think a costume seller would be making big bucks. Introduced in Daredevil #18 (1966) by Stan Lee and John Romita, Melvin was the owner of a costume store that became jealous of all the costumed heroes and villains. He designed a costume and went to battle Daredevil, believing it to be Foggy Nelson who was bragging to Karen Page that he was the Man without Fear. He was defeated by the real Daredevil and would later partner up with the Masked Marauder. They would later try to gain leadership into the Maggia by attacking DD with an android and later some men. They rejected Masked Marauder but liked Gladiator’s style so allowed him to join.

He would later join Electro’s Emissaries of Evil and would fight DD once again but was defeated. After aiding Madame Masque in a raid against Stark Industries, where he fought Iron Man, he was sent to prison. While in prison, he pleaded insanity, claiming that he had a second personality when he wore the suit. He hired Matt and Foggy, but once he wore the costume he revealed the truth and tried to escape. He was defeated by DD once more. He would try to highjack a plane that was carrying Matt and Black Widow before teaming up with Death-Stalker to kidnap a man named Rory Richard, and fought with DD and Man-Thing. He would later hunt down the Eel, who had stolen something from him but was defeated by Ghost Rider (Blaze). He would later team up with Beetle (Jenkins) to hijack a train before he was controlled by Purple Man to attack DD.

After this defeat, Potter decided to reform and get therapy with Betsy Beatty. He began serving as Matt’s bodyguard but when a lady killer was stalking the streets, Potter was blamed. DD tracked the man down who turned out to be a look alike of Potter, clearing Potter’s name. He would later help DD and Elektra battle the Hand before retiring for a while. This changed when some criminals burst into his store looking for a safe haven from the police. They asked for help but he refused and tried to phone the police only to be shot. He rushed and put on his costume in self defense. Spider-man happened upon the scene and believed that he was the aggressor and attacked him. However, the blood loss and the hits form Spidey, cause him to believe he was a Roman Gladiator and began a rampage. He eventually snapped out of it and thanked Spider-man from preventing him from hurting others.

He was later forced to make a DD costume by the Kingpin but donned the Gladiator costume to stop a boy from going into a life of crime. He later married Beatty but they divorce soon after and he married Li Lang, who he had a daughter with Melanie. He was later forced to work for Alexander Bont who lied to him and told him he had a four year old daughter he never met. He was forced to kidnapped Matt who Bont was going to kill Matt but he died of a heart-attack and Potter was sent to prison by White Tiger (Del Toro). He was later accused of killing two inmates but Matt visited him, believing he was innocent. After a series of events, he escaped prison and went on a rampage, killing civilians and killing his wife and child. DD stopped him as Potter snapped out of this rage. It later turned out it was Mister Fear forcing Potter to go insane. When he learnt what he had done, Potter tried to commit suicide before going insane and seeking revenge for the death of his family. He went on a rampage and tried to kill DD but was blinded by glass. He was latter seen in the Stillman Psychiatric Hospital.