Hapax "The Elder" Gonzales is the one who taught The Annihilator to use his powers .Like The Annihilator, he too is a mutant human. Possessing similar powers, he took young Neil Gaunhausen under his wing and taught the boy how to use his powers, hoping he would be a great superhero, but his student ended up using his powers for evil becoming the Annihilator, one of the most feared supervillains ever to exist. Feeling guilt for his actions, he quit being a superhero and went into self imposed exile on Caldera, leaving behind his son, Nelson/Optimo.