Originally known as the Riders of the Storm, the Dark Riders were servants of Apocalypse initially gathered for his assault on Attilan on the moon. During the X-Cutioner's Song, control of the Riders fell to Stryfe after he proved himself to be more fit than Apocalypse. After Stryfe's death, his heir Tyler claimed command of the Dark Riders in Cable (1st series) #17 as Genesis. The majority of Genesis's team was massacred by Wolverine in Wolverine (2nd series) #100, but the original Dark Riders were briefly seen again in the presence of Stryfe during the Cable / X-Man crossover, Blood Brothers.
Identified as rogue Inhumans in their first story arc, the original Dark Riders have been treated as mutants ever since, particularly with Psynapse's contraction of the Legacy Virus.