Richie Deacon, known as the Human Fly, faced a troubled past marked by imprisonment and supposed reform under the watchful eye of their parole officer. However, they resorted to kidnapping an elderly man and an heiress, leading to a confrontation with Spider-Man and a police shooting that left them wounded. Seeking refuge in the laboratory of Harlan Stillwell, Deacon coerced the scientist into saving their life and granting them superpowers, merging their genetic code with that of a housefly. Renamed the Fly, Deacon repaid the favor by murdering Stillwell and embarked on a criminal path, using their newfound abilities to pursue a life of villainy. Richie possesses a voice that dances on the edge of weird and nerdy, yet exudes a great amount of misplaced confidence. Their speech is eccentric, rapid-fire, and buzzing, much like the energy of their insect namesake.