The Guardians of Oa had pondered long about how to begin their noble crusade. Looking at the endless wars and criminality of the younger races, the Guardians came to believe that they were incapable of embracing the need for order and order. Using their great intellects, they instead created android soldiers known as the Manhunters. Possessing potent weaponry and adaptive intellects, they sent the Manhunters throughout Known Space to fulfill the Guardian's goals.
Initially, the Manhunters proved efficient in their policing of the younger races. However, when they were faced with the threat of the Empire of Thorns, the limitations of their programming were made evident. After repeated failures to liberate the worlds of the Sector from Imperial control, the Manhunters decided the only way to protect the rest of the Universe was to eradicate it completely.
The murder of trillions of innocent lives horrified the Guardians, who immediately deactivated the Manhunters, recalling them to their bases across Known Space. As the Guardians were sworn to protect all life, even artificially-created life, they refused to destroy the Manhunters outright and left them entombed in their holding vaults.
Yet the Manhunters were more adaptive then even the Guardians were aware. Reactivating secretly, they reorganized themselves under a Manhunter who was reconfigured for leadership. This Grandmaster sent his Manhunters to resume their crusade of order against the Universe until they were opposed by the Guardian's successor army, Green Lantern Corps.
Even in defeat, the Manhunters adapted. Knowing they could not openly oppose the Guardians, they created infiltrator units that would appear biological and could infiltrate planets, calling the regular units only when criminal behavior was detected. On Earth, Hal Jordan would discover the Manhunter threat again, and the Justice League traveled to the Manhunter homeworld of Biot.
Destroying both the Grandmaster and entire Manhunter control apparatus, it was believed that the Manhunters were a threat no more.
Enter Hank Henshaw. Part of a secret government attempt to recreate the accident that created the Fantastic Four, Henshaw and his crew suffered lethal radiation poisoning and died before Superman could rescue him. Believed dead, Henshaw had actually developed telemechanical psychic abilities and "inhabited" the remains of the Shuttle.
Able to jump from machine to machine. He managed to make it to the Fortress of Solitude, where he used advanced Kryptonian technology and Kal-El's genetics to make a cyborg Body for himself. Blaming Superman for allowing him to die, Henshaw attempted to use his new form to ruin the Man of Steel's reputation but was repeatedly defeated. Because of his appearance he became known in the press as the Cyborg Superman, much to his displeasure.
Eventually, Henshaw discovered a Manhunter infiltrator and used his powers to take control of the collective. Now their new Grandmaster he has used Kryptonian technology to upgrade the Manhunters to a more fearful form. Now the aliens have resumed their goals fo conquering the galaxy and eradicating both the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardian masters.
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