Biography - Page 8
The time came when Charles Xavier and Magneto called in their favor with Mister Sinister. Xavier released Sinister’s memories of their old bargain, and they solicited his inventory of mutant genetic material for its ultimate purpose. For years, Charles Xavier had been using Cerebro to maintain a back-up of all mutant brain wave patterns on Earth, constantly updating with current memories and experiences. Mutant technology was a developing trend of mutants using their powers in cooperation to achieve greater goals, and none were greater than the unity of the Five. This group (including three Omega-class mutants) could pool their talents to grow biological husks of any mutant, with optimal aging and genetic expression beyond what even Sinister’s expertise 
with cloning could produce. Sinister’s database ensured the Five had access to genetic samples for any mutant as a template to start from, and Cerebro allowed them to transplant minds into these genetic husks after death. In this manner, mutantkind became effectively immortal, able to resurrect from any death with only a minimal loss of experience back to the last Cerebro back-up.
With resurrection as a starting point, Xavier and Magneto built a new mutant nation-state on the living island of Krakoa. From Krakoa’s soil they cultivated exotic flowers that made highly sought-after pharmaceuticals, giving their nation critical exports and leverage to buy their way into the United Nations. All mutants were offered citizenship and amnesty on Krakoa, with heroes and villains alike given the opportunity to start over amidst the X-Men’s new country. Sinister’s Chimera-genetic body made him “mutant” enough to pass through Krakoa’s teleport gates and live on its soil, building a new Bar Sinister on the island’s natural splendor. With his genetic records of paramount importance to the new nation, Mister Sinister was offered a position on the Quiet Council, the new ruling body of Krakoa. Of the twelve seats, Mister Sinister occupied the Winter block with Exodus and Mystique, separate from Summer’s block of X-Men, Spring’s representatives from the Hellfire Trading Company and Autumn consisting of Xavier, Magneto and Apocalypse himself. [House of X #5-6]
While he had a seat at the table, Mister Sinister was also expected to abide by certain restrictions. With new bodies and copied minds used for resurrection, it was important for Krakoan society to establish “continuity of identity” for those who returned to life; affirmation that the mutants grown by the Five were literally the same as the deceased. To help sell this world view, clones and doppelgangers were discouraged on Krakoa, limiting Sinister’s traditional playground of experimentation. Looking for a loophole, Sinister began to consider future Chimera mutant experiments, blending genetic codes to create something new instead of copies of something old. [Incoming! #1]
Sinister made the acquaintance of Psylocke, the assassin formerly known as Kwannon who had recently reclaimed her original body from Betsy Braddock. Psylocke was hunting a cybernetic consciousness known as Apoth, who was using a digital drug effect called Overclock to style itself as a new God among humans. Psylocke needed covert assistance behind the backs of the Quiet 
Council for her hunt, which it amused Sinister to provide. Apoth used Overclock to take control of Psylocke’s long lost biological daughter and arrange her death in order to get Psylocke’s attention. Sinister gave Psylocke the power she needed to overcome Apoth, in exchange for custody of the digital entity after it fell. [Fallen Angels (2nd series) #1-6]
Mister Sinister smelled an opportunity when the Quiet Council was assembled to address the growing number of problem mutants in their paradise. Among their concerns were the unchecked 
violence of John Greycrow, Wild Child and a potentially unbalanced Havok, the co-dependent relationship of Nanny and Orphan-Maker, and Empath’s tendency to use his powers against others. Tenets of mutant expression left the council caught between maintaining an orderly society and suppressing the true nature of mutant abilities that naturally tended towards violence and personal misuse. Mister Sinister was inspired to adopt this team of “Hellions” as a special mission force. Their mandate would be engagements with no chance of human casualties but instead directing a cathartic release of destructive mutant abilities for the good of Krakoa.
Krakoa’s Great Captain Cyclops had plenty of reasons not to trust Sinister. He wanted a more benevolent hand steering his brother’s rehabilitation. Using his position of authority, he negotiated 
with the Quiet Council and arranged for Psylocke to be granted the position of field leader and wrangler for the Hellions. Unfortunately, he was unaware that Psylocke was already in Sinister’s debt. Mister Sinister had extracted a digital copy of the consciousness of Psylocke’s daughter from his studies of Apoth. He held her daughter’s potential resurrection over Kwannon’s head to insurance her compliance.
As Mister Sinister’s work was being held under greater scrutiny in this new era, the Hellions’ first mission had to do with Sinister himself. The clone farm under the Nebraska orphanage Sinister once owned was a heresy to Krakoa’s work. Sinister was producing clones of clones (of clones) with his Marauder batches, suffering from genetic degradation affecting their minds and personalities, on top of whatever other deliberate surprises Sinister cooked into his mercenaries to ensure their compliance and loyalty. Having the orphanage and clone farm destroyed was considered a sign of good will by Sinister towards to Quiet Council, and its more “modern” sensibilities with resurrection protocols. Demolition work like this with no human lives on the line was ideal for the Hellions' mission statement. The field team faced complications as Madelyne Pryor had returned and seized control of the Marauders and the clone farm. Still, Greycrow took charge of executing Pryor and the corrupted clones of his former teammates, and Havok destroyed the farm itself. Afterwards, though, Mister Sinister faced the ire of Nanny, who took to heart the deaths of all the mutant children he tossed aside when he was done with them. Perhaps the strangest of the Hellions had fixated on Sinister’s past crimes, and Essex did not like that. [Hellions #1-4]
Millennia ago, Krakoa had once been the one-land, Okkara, until it was severed into Krakoa and Arakko by the demon hordes of Amenth. Apocalypse’s wife Genesis and his First Horsemen exiled themselves and the people of Arakko to Otherworld to stand against the forces of Amenth. Corrupted by eons of war, Arakko now intended to march across Otherworld and seize Krakoa (and Earth) for themselves. Saturnyne, Majestrix of Otherworld, imposed order on the warlike mutants of Arakko by forcing them to submit to a tournament, fighting Swordbearers of Krakoa with Swordbearers of their own for the right of conquest. The Quiet Council was forced to participate in this tournament or face Arakko rule. Furthermore, it was discovered in the opening clash between Krakoa and Arakko that if a mutant died in Otherworld, their backup was corrupted and they could not be resurrected like normal.
Before the tournament began, the Swordbearers of each kingdom were given several days to seek out the specific swords named in Saturnyne’s prophecies which would serve as their keys for entrance in the tournament. At the Quiet Council war meeting, Sinister suggested his Hellions be sent on a secret mission to Arakko and Amenth to steal or destroy the enemies’ swords, and thereby force them to forfeit. The Council accepted Sinister’s scheme, but they also insisted Mister Sinister accompany his cannon fodder (I mean, loyal troops) to ensure the mission’s success. Instead of going himself, Sinister secretly grew a clone copy against Krakoan laws and 
insisted his doppelganger travel with the Hellions. The clone was just as self-serving and cowardly as Sinister himself, and only relented after losing rock, paper, scissors.
Mister Sinister was forced to bargain with Monarch, King Jamie of Avalon, for access to greater Otherworld. Saturnyne had ordered her borders closed prior to the tourney, and Sinister had to bribe Jamie Braddock with his prized cape to let them pass. What followed was a lengthy and harrowing journey the long way around to Arakko. Sinister and the Hellions arrived at Arakko and Amenth days later only to discover the Swordbearers had already left for the tournament. The Hellions were furious about failing their mission and wasting all this time, but Sinister’s true prize all along had been getting a sample of Arakko mutant DNA for his personal study.
The Hellions were met by Tarn the Uncaring, genomic mage of the Great Ring of Arakko and leader of the Locus Vile. When the eager Sinister unleashed genetic sampling drones on his subjects, Tarn took offense and his Locus Vile attacked the Hellions. Wild Child, Nanny and Orphan Maker died in the initial conflict (on Arakko ground, so their backups wouldn’t be compromised), but Sinister insisted Psylocke save his precious samples above all else and get them back to Krakoa. This version of Sinister was caught and vivisected by Tarn’s genetic powers, 
while the Hellions raced back through the gates. As they arrived back in Krakoa, the original Mister Sinister was there to meet them. He made sure Psylocke, Havok, Empath and Greycrow were dead and unable to serve as witnesses, then posed as the “sole survivor” of the attack to leave the Quiet Council none the wiser about his real intentions. [X of Swords crossover]
No one even remotely believed Mister Sinister’s tale of valor and sacrifice in Arakko, and the Hellions were beginning to actively question his authority. Psylocke defended Sinister from the others under the terms of their deal, but even she was reaching the limits of her patience with the geneticist. Because of the unique nature of his mutation, Orphan-Maker needed Nanny’s special armor before he could be revived. Her personal ship and equipment had been confiscated by the anti-mutant group the Right, so Sinister sent the Hellions to fetch it. He lent them the use of his prized scramjet, the Sonic Sinister, but Psylocke deliberately ruined the jet by crashing it into the Right’s complex, a statement to Mister Sinister about the limits of her loyalty. [Hellions #7-8]
Mister Sinister continued to plot behind the backs of the Quiet Council for his own gains. The psychopathic assassin Arcade kidnapped the daughter of the mutant illusionist Mastermind to help him abduct Sinister. Arcade wanted his own clone factory to produce bodies for his Murderworld scenarios and his own twisted amusement. Sinister saw an opportunity and instead recruited Mastermind as his man on the inside. Sinister allowed for his abduction and Mastermind ensured the Hellions would be sent out to rescue him. Although he did suffer at Arcade’s hands, Sinister correctly assumed Psylocke was powerful enough to shake Mastermind’s illusions and lead the 
Hellions in turning the tables on Arcade. As a result, Sinister now had plausible deniability for having built a clone farm off-site from Krakoa, with “back doors” incorporated into it so he could use the system just as easily as Arcade. With a few key illusions to influence the recollections of Arcade and the Hellions, Sinister got everything he wanted. And Psylocke just had to play along and stay quiet. Again. [Hellions #9-11]
Mister Sinister's antics in Otherworld did not escape scrutiny, and he repeatedly stonewalled X-Factor investigators trying to get the full story of the Hellions' demise in Amenth. It seemed to be worth it, as his clone factory in Murderworld was on the verge of coming online. However, the clone of Sinister sent into Amenth was, in fact, NOT killed by Tarn. Instead, he made a deal for his own survival and returned to Krakoa, filled with stories of scars, torture, and revenge. The clone 
attacked Sinister and brought forth the Locus Vile to confront the Hellions. Tarn the Uncaring arrived at his Vile's call, and ripped the secrets from Sinister's mind, exposing his treachery to the Hellions. Faced with the anger of both the Hellions and Tarn and the Locus Vile, Sinister activated all his clone vats at once, releasing a swarm of Essex copies. He then swayed his copy with word of his Chimera research and fled through a Krakoan gateway to Murderworld.
At the clone factory, Essex explained to his doppelganger that Tarn's splicecraft gave him ideas about the future of mutantkind, combining genetic material as well as altering it. A furious Tarn teleported in to follow them, but he was forced to abandon both Sinisters when one of his Locus Vile experienced a dangerous uncontrollable mutation. The Hellions followed through to Murderworld and discovered Sinister had made a Chimera mutant body of himself and Tarn, potentially giving him to power to rend genes at will instead of through his technology. The Hellions were prepared to stop him, but Kwannon held them back by revealing Sinister held her daughter's genetic matrix in the same computers that maintained his Chimera. Most of the 
Hellions backed down, but Empath revealed himself as a double agent working for Emma Frost to keep Essex in line. He psionically triggered Havok's psychotic rage, unleashing a plasma blast that destroyed Murderworld, taking the Chimera research and Psylocke's daughter with it. [Hellions #13-15]
In the aftermath, the second Sinister fled into the night, out of fear of retribution. He needn't have worried. Mister Sinister's deceit was carried out behind the backs of the Quiet Council, but it technically broke no laws of Krakoa. And Essex was still necessary for resurrection, as he often reminded his "comrades". Trust and comradery among the Hellions was shredded, and soon after Orphan-Maker went on a rampage against the anti-mutant agency the Right, only to murder two law enforcement officers when he couldn't stop killing. Mister Sinister escaped all judgment or punishment, but now he sat on the Quiet Council to rule on the fate of Orphan-Maker, and the Hellions who helped him. Essex had no compunctions about calling for the heads of the entire team he put together, but the Council literally muzzled him during the trial and only sent Orphan-Maker to the Pit of Exile, with Nanny volunteering to go with him. Justice was served, technically, but the Hellions were abandoned as a lost cause and members of the Quiet Council quietly met in private to discuss the cancer in Krakoa known as Nathaniel Essex. [Hellions #16-18]