EXODUS: Page 5 of 5

Publication Date: 9th Jul 2020
Written By: Gremlin.
Image Work: Gremlin.
Biography

BIOGRAPHY - PAGE 5

Unfortunately, Exodus’s pilgrimage didn’t have the effect Xavier had ultimately desired. Whilst he had seemingly given up on his hatred for the X-Men and his career as a mutant terrorist, he still hadn’t let go of his arrogance. Boldly flying up to the X-Men’s front door, he declared that he was no longer their enemy and had come to realize that he needed to bring together all mutants under one faction. The X-Men had recently undergone a schism and, whilst some remained on the island of Utopia, others had relocated back to Westchester. Exodus saw this division as weakness and demanded they join back together again or he would force them to do so. The X-Men not only declined his offer but attacked, though Exodus’ immense array of powers meant they could barely touch him. Rachel Grey managed to keep him busy telepathically long enough for Rogue to steal his teleportation power. Exodus was dismayed to see that his former Acolyte Frenzy had become one of the X-Men and, as the two fought, he tried to mentally change her mind back.

Seeing that Exodus was too strong for the X-Men, Rogue absorbed powers off enough students for to be able to go toe-to-toe with him. Though her plan worked and she eventually got the better of him, Exodus was still too stubborn to stop. Seeing that further battle was pointless, Rogue reluctantly let him inside her mind so he could see what had gone on the past few months. As Exodus looked through her memories, he saw that they were right in leaving Utopia behind and that it had been Cyclops who had triggered the split. Seeing no alternative, Exodus flew off to San Francisco to kill Cyclops and bring the X-Men together again. 

Despite the bad feelings between the factions, Rogue and her team of X-Men chased after Exodus to stop him but again found him too powerful for them to subdue. To Rogue’s surprise, the call for backup she had made to Utopia was answered by a group of students, including the now-teenaged messiah child, named Hope Summers. Exodus was amazed at the power he could feel emanating off Hope and told her he hoped to follow her one day, just as soon as he freed her from Cyclops’ influence. It took two squads of X-Men to finally bring Exodus under enough pressure to allow Rachel in his mind to shut his powers down. Even beaten, Exodus gloated that they had proven his entire point that. Divided, they couldn’t harm him but, by joining together, they were stronger. Exodus was taken back to Utopia, where he was placed in their brig under the watchful eye of the warden Danger. [X-Men Legacy (1st series) #261-263]

Not long after, Utopia was damaged during the X-Men and Avengers conflict. As a result, Danger set all the prisoners free, including Exodus. [Uncanny X-Men (2nd series) #20]

Over the next few months the mutant race faced a number of trials and tribulations such as their repowering by the Phoenix Force and a new disease caused by the Terrigen Mists. It was the disease, called M-Pox, that spurned Exodus into action again to rise up and protect the fragile mutant race. The threat of the Terrigen struck fear into many mutants and some were so desperate to avoid the M-Pox that they chose to go into suspended animation until a cure could be found. A company called Someday Enterprise was set up to facilitate those who wanted to avoid the M-Pox, but Exodus did not trust their motivations. He believed that the mutants who chose Someday's option would eventually be turned against their own and so he decided to liberate them for his own plans.

Taking over one of their bases he woke up the sleepers but then used his telepathy to brainwash them for his own ends. His actions had gained the attention of a group of X-Men led by Exodus's former lord, Magneto. Since they had last met Magneto had been repowered and reclaimed his intimidating reputation with humans and mutants alike. Rather then feel threatened though, Exodus welcomed his former master's input and waited patiently for him to arrive. To show Magneto the potential use of the sleeper agents he sent a group of them to Washington DC to create as much death and carnage as possible. When the two finally met Exodus revealed that he had done it all to help Magneto's cause and relished in the battle when Magneto fought him. The master of magnetism eventually won and he broke the telepathic control Exodus had over the sleeper mutants. Exodus was disappointed by Magneto's choices and rejection of his help. Magneto had other plans though and he put Exodus in suspended animation so he could be used as a tool for later on. [Uncanny X-Men (4th series) #13-16]

Whatever plans Magneto had for Exodus were never realised as his team of X-Men fell apart in the wake of a war with the Inhumans. Exodus was woken from his sleep and he befriended former X-Student Elixir, another powerful mutant who had crossed paths with Magneto. Exodus's link to his former master was still strong enough to detect him when Psylocke stabbed Magneto and left him for dead. Teleporting to Magneto's location, he had Elixir use his healing ability to save his former master's life. Seemingly learning his lesson Exodus half-heartedly asked Magneto to join him, knowing that the offer would be turned down. With that he teleported away with Elixir to parts unknown. [Uncanny X-Men (4th series) #19]

Exodus soon came to Magneto's aid once more, when the master of magnetism was fighting against a group of enemies, led by Bastion, who were unleashing a technology called Mothervine on the world. The Mothervine could turn regular humans into mutants, but Magneto realised that Elixir could under the effect. Exodus teleported the young healer around the world to all the areas affected by Mothervine, putting an end to Bastion's schemes. [X-Men: Blue #28]

When Magneto realised the threats to mutantkind were too numerous to deal with alone, he restarted his Brotherhood and Exodus soon joined him. [X-Men: Blue #33] This version of the Brotherhood would be very short-lived as Magneto would go on to join Xavier on the new mutant haven of Krakoa. Xavier had come to realize that mutants should take a more dominant place on the world stage and he offered refuge to every single mutant on Earth, regardless of their past misdeeds. Exodus was one of the many former enemies of the X-Men to take up residence on Krakoa. Given his Omega level abilities and his status as a former leader of the Acolytes, Exodus was offered a place on the Quiet Council, a group of influential mutants who made all the big decisions about the mutant race's future. Exodus had always viewed the mutant race as superior, and so this new direction that the X-Men were taking them in fit perfectly with him. [House of X #5-6]

With Exodus working alongside many mutants who he once deemed an enemy, time will tell how long he is able to be civil before they see his full wrath once again.