Victor Malkov is an army sharpshooter born to Russian immigrant parents in Alaska. He moved his family to New York and was later recruited for special missions overseas before the outset of WWII, after his incredible marksmanship abilities came to the attention of the US military. He resisted due to his family commitments to his wife and daughter but financial hardships and the loss of his young son due to illness prompted him to ultimately sign up for formal training after considerable compensation was offered.