Dr. Steven Hamilton credentials include handling the first Apollo moon rocks, but he was kicked out of Metropolis University for inappropriate relations with a student. Since then, he lived reclusively and sold plastic meteor rock chips to tourists.

Lex Luthor became interested in funding his research when he learned about his theory that the meteor rocks found in Smallville might be altering human cellular makeup. Dr. Hamilton believes that the meteor rocks turn people into corrupted versions of themselves and that the whole town has changed.

By irradiating dormant plant cells with meteor fragments, Dr. Hamilton was able to recreate the Nicodemus flower. James Beels, Jonathan Kent, Lana Lang, and Pete Ross were infected by its deadly toxins. James Beels died, but Lex managed to find a cure before anyone else did. He then moved Hamilton and his laboratory to Cadmus Labs, outside of Metropolis, where he could keep a better eye on him while he continued his research into how the meteors might affect humans. Dr. Hamilton led the excavation team at Miller's Field that discovered the key. His preliminary test results showed that the key was made from no alloy known on Earth.

Because of his constant exposure to meteor rock, Dr. Hamilton started having constant seizures. He then found the ship in Pete Ross's tool shed. While searching for the missing component, the octagonal Key that he had found once before, he went back to the shed and kidnapped Pete, threatening to kill him if he didn't reveal who the ship belonged to. Clark Kent managed to get there in time to stop Hamilton, however Hamilton was about to pour liquid kryptonite on Clark, luckily Pete pushed Hamilton out of the way and once Hamilton came in contact with liquid meteor rock, he suffered seizures that were even more powerful, killing him.