Cringer was found during a nature walk by a young Prince Adam, where he was abandoned and hiding from a group of Sabercats, Adam managed to scare off the predators and took the injured cub home. The other kids often teased the cub for being frightened by everything, thus earning him the name of Cringer.

Years later, Cringer saw Adam transform into He-Man, after an ancient monster was set loose. He-Man noticed Cringer and tried to calm him by explaining that he was still Adam, Just then a bolt of energy flew out of the Sword of Power changing Cringer into Battle Cat for the first time. Although Cringer is terrified of being turned into Battle Cat, and frequently tries to talk his way out of it, he does recognize the important role he plays in the fight against evil.