Mark was the leader of a house full of runaways who discovered that he had a hypnotic power over people. This however came at price. Mark had begun practicing witchcraft and the Black Arts at a young age claiming to have been reading books about the subject since he was in preschool.

Reneé

Mark's tests Reneé

Reneé was a young runaway who was searching for a place to stay when she found out about Mark's house. When her friend introduced her to him he was in the mall using his powers to get money with his gang, who called him The Gate-Keeper, and was looking for a new member. Since her friend Ricky had recently left she thought a spot might be open. When Reneé asked to join them he put her through an initiation. He placed a cigarette between their arms and told her if she flinched before it burnt out she would not be accepted. Reneé accepted but she moved before it burnt out and she was forced to leave as Mark taunted her for her "weakness." Once home Mark performed a satanic ritual.

Later Mark left to a club which he used his powers to get into, once inside however he is assaulted. Instead of fighting him however Mark uses his powers to force the man into thinking there were worms coming out from his mouth and forced into a state of shock as he begged for help. As Mark walked around the club he finds Reneé attempting to get drugs and tells her that he now believes her strong enough to join and invites her to the house.

Once there he gives Reneé a drug called Laudanum. Soon however the drug makes her want to puke and she runs into the next room where she finds Ricky's body sealed in a bag, then Mark captures Reneé. Soon Mark is performing yet another ritual to "attract somethone". Then Spawn appears and attacks Mark throwing him into the room where Reneé is in. When Spawn tries to free her Mark binds him when he ignites a special pentagram sealing him with the elements, blood and Black Cat Bone. There he offers Spawn a deal. He claimed that during his studies he found a ritual that would allow him to switch places with a Hellspawn, "Cross-Substantiation". The ritual however requires a human sacrifice.... Unfortuantely for her, that is what Reneé was for.

A Deal, A Tower, & A Death

As Mark tells him of the plan Spawn thinks of the possibility of becoming human again and growing old with his wife Wanda Fitzgerald, Spawn snaps out of the thought and asks Mark not to do it. When Mark refuses Spawn uses his powers to send he and Mark to his own Hell. As they walk through Mark's Hell Spawn tells him about each persons own hell and they see the terrors of his Hell. Mark however actually enjoys it and then tells Spawn that he has a cancerous tumor and that he is going to die and that no matter what he does he's going to Hell either way. When Mark tells him this Spawn directs to a tower. As they head to the tower Mark sees people in cages including Reneé, Spawn points out that they're his sins then lets out Reneé and tells her to leave and never return.

Mark's own "Test"

As they reach the tower they are stopped by a real gatekeeper who asks to see the stamp. Without hesitation mark shows the demon his pentagram tattoo and enters the tower. Spawn taunts Mark with an initiation like the one Mark gave Reneé telling him to climb the steps of the tower and get to the top without screaming or the darkness would consume him. As Mark climbs the steps he starts to burn from his feet up and the flames crawl higher the farther he goes. On his way up demons taunt him telling him to go back and then Mark is completely engulfed by the flames when suddenly he reaches the top and Spawn tells him the fire cured him and instructs him to look at the view and Mark sees the true face of Hell. A black cat appears and offers him crown of thorns, when Spawn asks him to leave ark refuses and then the tower starts to fall apart sending Mark falling to demons below. When Mark awakens his back has been pierced by the pitchfork of a statue and realizes the whole thing was an illusion and that he'd fallen off the top of his house. As he watches Spawn staring down on him the paramedics try to save him but he is reported dead the scene. The paramedics then go to help Reneé and she tells them to take her home as she stares up at spawn who disappears into the night.

Later Spawn goes to Hell to kill Malebolgia Mark confronted Spawn blaming him for his current life but Spawn replied to him...."you did this to yourself."