Murray was the friend and college roomate of Ted Kord a.k.a the Blue Beetle They were both geniuses and in college. Kord went on to work at his father's company KORD Inc. and Murray went to work at STAR labs in Chicago. They would often collaborate when Ted was in Chicago.
 
One such collaboration ended badly in many ways.  Murray needed help from Ted to try and merge a sample of prometheum.  Unknown to both men the prometheum was being followed by Dr. Alchemy who attacked K.O.R.D. Incorporated with the help of the Madmen to steal it.  Dr. Alchemy was able to steal a piece of it and he merged it to his Philosopher's Stone.  He then tried to mege himself to the stone and it worked for a short time but Dr. Alchemy was unable to control his power and went to S.T.AR. labs to cure himself.  In the attempt he transformed presumably killing people into all kinds of things like steel, gold and sulfur.  Blue Beetle stopped him but and Dr. Alchemy turned into a statue of the Philosopher's Stone.  
 
Later a sample of the same prometheum turn Curt Calhoun into a villain Prometheus.  Both incidents happened from one collaboration.