(Aztek: The Ultimate Man #1) - After all his training Aztek began his first day of operation in Vanity City Oregon, where Tezcotlipoca was supposed to return. He tested out the Aztek suit, and was exhilarated, but dreaded becoming a normal member of society by following the Q Society's orders to find an identity, steady work, and a place to live. With no past and no money he couldn't find a place to stay, so he decided to go to the bank, they had money and surely they could tell him how to get some. The bank was held up by semi-retired supervillain Piper, who was quickly taken down and brutalized by the vigilante Bloodtype. He was about to gun down the helpless Piper when Aztek changed into his combat gear and asked him to stop. Bloodtype styled himself the protector of Vanity, and didn't want anyone horning in on his action, so he attacked Aztek. Aztek hated the idea of superhero battles causing property damage and injuring civilians, so he short-circuited Bloodtype's weaponry, disabling him. Bloodtype had managed to get a few shots in on Piper, who lay dying. As he passed he told Aztek he was forced to pull the bank job by thugs holding his daughter hostage, he was reformed, and in his civilian identity Curtis Falconer he was supposed to start his new job as doctor at St. Bartholomew's. The damage Bloodtype caused resulted in a huge explosion, resulting in numerous casulties. Aztek returned to his civilian garb, and was taken to St. Bart's with the other casualties. He used his powers to heal one of the wounded, and took the identity of Falconer, St. Bart's new doctor. With his new identity he got an apartment, and because the only "superhero" of Vanity was dead he decided to be a superior protector of Vanity.

(Aztek: The Ultimate Man #2) - "Curtis Falconer" started work at St. Bartholemew's, and nurse Joy Page was immediately attracted to him. She told him they had a date that night, over his objections that he had life-or-death matters to deal with after work. He still had to rescue Piper's daughter Mindy Falconer, but was interrupted by Green Lantern Kyle Rayner. Major Force was causing havoc in Vanity, and the police presumed Aztek was his accomplice. Aztek had no time for a fight based on a misunderstanding, so he stole GL's power ring and asked him to be friends. GL trusted him, and they found that Mindy was not only free, but partnered up with former hired goon Synth, who'd disguised himself as Major Force, and they were meeting with Vanity's crimebosses negotiating a takeover. Aztek defeated Synth, and told Mindy she should be ashamed of herself. Synth tried to shoot Aztek, but the battle had run past midnight, and every other day he became mentally deficient, so he forgot who he was aiming at and killed Mindy. Aztek was disappointed that she died on his watch, but GL told him not to be so hard on himself.

(Aztek: The Ultimate Man #3) - Aztek stopped a mugging, and the muggers said they wouldn't be robbing if they weren't so poor. He gave them all the money he had on him, even though it would mean walking to work for a while. One of the muggers sprayed him with mustard gas before fleeing, and the victim said Aztek's good nature didn't fit in in Vanity. In reality the victim was Fixit, an underworld inventor, who'd orchestrated the scene. The spray on Aztek had barium in it, and would make him trackable for 24 hours. Fixit's client was Death-Doll, the estranged wife of Bloodtype, who blamed Aztek for her husband's death and wanted blood. Curtis was late for his date with Joy, and broke to boot, but she didn't seem to mind. He was amazed by the sights and the sounds of the Texas-style theme restaurant they ate at. He said he was raised by warrior monks, and had never experienced such things. Joy said Curt was lucky she was into weird guys. The date soured when Death-Doll arrived to kill Curt. He changed into Aztek, and flew off with her so she wouldn't harm innocents. She got the advantage in their fight, and was ready to kill him when her hired goons, the same ones that staged the earlier mugging, hit her with a shovel because they decided Aztek was one of the only good people in Vanity, and she was insane. Death-Doll saw the tide was turning against her, so she teleported away from the battle, promising to kill Aztek later. Unfortunately for her, her teleport device was damaged in the fight against Aztek, and she teleported right into Bloodtype's tombstone. Her body fused into the tombstone, and she died.

(Aztek: The Ultimate Man #4, 5) - Aztek spent the day looking for Mrs. Reichle's missing pet lizard before discovering him at the old steel works. There was a heist on the rich side of town, but Aztek felt little kindnesses sometimes meant the most to him. He stopped by Reichle's apartment to find that she'd slit her wrists, despairing that Aztek would never find her pet. He rushed her to St. Bart's, and his boss Julia Frostick confronted him, her benefactor Forbes Cleveden knew Curt Falconer, and she knew he was an imposter. She gave him a day to either resign or explain himself. Two clunky robots burst into the hospital trying to kill Curt in the name of the Lizard King, and he was forced to change into Aztek and take the fight somewhere he could avoid casualties. He defeated them and found they were powered by humans who'd been drained of their life energies. He recognized the tech as that only known to the Q Society, and got a call from Lizard King, who had Joy hostage and demanded they battle. He was a former member of the Q Society who wanted to usurp Aztek's role as their champion. Aztek tracked Lizard King through the phone call, and the villain said he had a deathtrap waiting for him, a room where Joy was, rigged with explosions if Aztek entered with his helmet. Aztek took off his helmet, and blasted the King, who was unaware he could activate his suit manually, and Aztek found he'd been lied to, the "deathtrap" was an empty room. Lizard King told him the Q Society could no longer be trusted, and revealed that they killed Aztek's father, and without any other options raised him to be their champion. King put on Aztek's helmet, and promised to kill him quickly. King never passed the final initiation of the Society, so he couldn't keep the voices of past champions in the helmet silent, and his brain short-circuited. Aztek found the remains of Joy, who'd had all her life and goodness drained away. He swathed what remained of her in a blanket, and arrived at St. Barts, where he collapsed, unable to deal with the trauma.