James is the Uncle of Ben Jackson and a mentor to him after he decides to become a hero. He is a scientist and the CEO of Elysia Labs, a corporation founded in New York City. James is very old fashioned, affectionally referring to his nephew as "Stranger" due to his limited visits over the years. While helping Ben train to become a hero, he is working behind the scenes running a criminal group known as Nebula who are working to rob his own company. After Ben bonds with the Quantum Gem (the stone that gives him his powers) he uses an artificial replica to become the supervillain Ego. He is the main villain of the first novel, but returns in the fifth book as a hero known as The Silver Knight, a title he held years ago when he was once a hero.