Juan-Carlos Estrada has been trained by his father, Marcus Estrada in lucha libre wrestling in order to prepare him for one important moment. The Estrada family was given the power of El Muerto or "the Dead" in a form of a wrestling mask that grants the wearer enhanced strength and abilities. However for generations a particular ritual takes place involving a man called El Dorado and the Estrada family. El Dorado challenges the next man to wear the El Muerto mask in combat and if proven worthy, the Estrada family continues the inheritance of the mask. Marcus wanted his son to fight El Dorado to prove his worth and courage before passing the mask of El Muerto to him. Juan-Carlos was too scared to fight and El Dorado wanted him to forfeit his life. Marcus wanted to protect his son and charged toward El Dorado. Juan-Carlos saw his father's head ripped off and was given one last chance to live and redeem himself. Out of respect for his father's bravery, Juan-Carlos was given ten years to train and find a masked hero to humiliate and unmasked publicly. If Juan-Carlos was successful in this task then his cowardice is expunged but if he fails then he forfeits his life. 
 

El Muerto got his opportunity after saving the life of Jonah Jameson and his son, John Jameson when they were held captive by some men at their home. El Muerto had been following Jonah Jameson for a few days because he wanted to ask him a favor and sprung into action when he saw them in danger. Jonah Jameson granted his wish and was able to set up a charity wrestling match between El Muerto and Spider Man. El Muerto pulled off some great luchador moves and even put Spider Man in a spinning piledriver but he failed to unmask the wall-crawler. During the match, a stinger from Spider Man's wrist struck El Muerto in the leg and he was injected with a non-lethal toxin that knocked him out. Juan-Carlos would survive but he was bed ridden at the hospital when Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson paid a visit.
 
El Dorado would appear in the hospital to kill Juan-Carlos for failing to unmask Spider Man in his match. Spider Man crashes through the window and engages El Dorado while Jonah Jameson and Robbie Baldwin immediately exit the room. El Dorado believed Juan-Carlos had lured Spider Man to the hospital as an offering so he allowed Juan Carlos to live and keep the inheritance of the El Muerto family mask. El Dorado told Spider Man that he could sense the magic that resided in him before tossing the web-head through the ceiling. El Dorado would find Spider Man in a hospital laboratory but gets attacked from behind by El Muerto. El Dorado shrugged off El Muerto's attack but that distraction allowed Spider Man to finish his chemical mixture. Spider Man threw a vile mixed with nitric acid and concentrated hydrochloric acid that started to melt El Dorado's chest plate. El Dorado's strength and power began to fade and was knocked across the room by Spider Man's uppercut. El Dorado landed inside a supply room but he simply disappeared when Spider Man and El Muerto looked inside.    
 
El Muerto is listed as a Foreign National in the Civil War files and has made his presence known to the parties involved with the Fifty State Initiative. 

Powers & Abilities

Juan-Carlos is granted enhanced strength, endurance, agility and durability when he wears the El Muerto mask. El Muerto is a skilled fighter and luchador wrestler.