Known Background: Michael grew up a first generation American, his father having come over from Britain in his twenties. Despite growing up on two different continents, Michael became close friends and pen pals with his cousin in England. The two boys shared a passion for history and classic literature, especially the heroes of yore like King Arthur, Robin Hood and the Musketeers. Their friendship continued into adulthood with the two men being closer than brothers and with more in common than they could ever know.

In college, Michael met the second most influential person in his life: Tom Wilson. The two men were assigned as roommates during freshman year and they managed to hit it off, becoming close friends. Even after graduation, Michael kept in touch with Tom and knew him well enough to recognize his handiwork when Emerald Knight came on the scene. By that time Simms was working as a high school history teacher and coach in Denver. When gang activity started to rise in the area, he called Tom to get advice, but told the hero he wanted to handle it himself. In response, Emerald Knight sent one of his prototype harnesses to use as protection. Michael's efforts were so successful in curbing the rise that he decided to join the Crusaders when they regrouped. He soon found, however, that being a superhero was harder than they made it look on TV and retired from the business.

After retiring from the hero biz, Michael learned that his cousin Richard had been killed while protecting the streets of England as the Crusader (the irony was not lost on him). He briefly considered coming out of retirement to investigate the murder, but soon learned that the killer had been caught and dealt with. He mourns the loss of his friend, but also knows that he made the right choice in quitting. Very recently, a man approached him about continuing his legacy and becoming the new Huntsman. After spending time with him, Michael gave his blessing and harness.

Personality: Michael is a giving individual who believes that everyone should be treated equally. He has no tolerance for bullying, racism or any form of discrimination. As such, he tends to become defensive and protective if he witnesses such a situation going down. He sees villainy as a form of terrorism, and terrorism as a form of bullying; it triggers his sense of chivalry and virtue. While he has a strong desire to uphold the heroic ideal, he has also learned his limitations and knows that there are others out there that are far better at being "a hero" than he is.