Wilbur Jonathan Zero was born in New York, USA and had a tough military upbringing. His father wanted him to join the US Army but he refused and enrolled with the US Air Force in 2036. Zero proved a good enough pilot to be trans­ferred to the Solar System Exploration Centre at Glenn Field Space Port, Nevada in 2040 for astronaut training.

The following year he became a Zero X co-pilot and served on the same ship as navigator Matthew Matic for four years prior to being promoted to captain of his own craft in 2045. Two years later he was again promoted, this time to colonel, due to outstanding bravery in action. In 2048 Zero was selected for the recently founded World Space Patrol and transferred to their Space City HQ as chief astronaut with the rank of vice commander.

In 2052 he took over control of the base from General Rossiter (who moved to Washington DC to sit on the World Security Council) and consequently was made a full commander.

Zero married his long-time love Eleanor the same year and in 2053 their son Jonathan was born.

He lost the chance of promotion to general in 2057 when the perfection of the nutomic hyperdrive motor made the Skyball space station obsolete during construction – construction which had been authorised by Zero himself only the year before.

In early 2065 he became the Head of the World Space Patrol (with a seat on the World Security Council) when General Rossiter retired.

Zero's grandfather was Russian and had changed his name from Zheronovitch to Zero when he defected to the West in the 1960's.