Merge:Exodus

Exodus (Bennet du Paris) is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Quesada, he first appeared in X-Factor #92 (July 1993).

A mutant, Exodus has shown great telekinetic power. He was one of the first mutants, born in 12th century France, but for a single act of defiance, the super-mutant Apocalypse placed him in suspended animation.

Magneto freed him eight centuries later and made him lieutenant of his Acolytes. However, Exodus had a fanatical style of command, and the two drifted out of touch.

History
Born in the 12th century, Bennet du Paris had always felt different, as if he had a deep hidden power. As an adult he was a crusader and became best friends with Eobar Garrington, the Black Knight of that era. The two had set out on a quest to find the Tower of Power, the domain of the mythic "Eternal Pharaoh" in Akkaba when Dane Whitman (the 20th century Black Knight) and Sersi had been transported back to the 12th century, Whitman transported into Eobar's body. Eobar retained control, but felt something was wrong. When he came into contact with Sersi he abandoned the quest, angering Paris. Paris left to find the tower alone. Traveling for hours through violent sandstorms, when he finally collapsed a voice spoke to him, asking him if he was willing to risk everything to become one of the strong. Paris was then tested, and his mutant powers manifested for the first time. Proving himself strong, he disappeared from the spot. Meanwhile Sersi had awakened Dane's mind and he now had control of his body as Eobar passed on. While searching for Paris, the two were captured by Apocalypse. When they awoke they found Bennet du Paris had been transformed into Exodus, recognizing him as the same Exodus from the 20th century. Apocalypse commanded Exodus to destroy the Black Knight. When Dane refused to kill Exodus Sersi intervened, though her attack proved useless. Apocalypse again commanded Exodus to kill Sersi and Dane, though this time Exodus refused. He turned on Apocalypse calling him a "false god". However, Exodus was no match for him. Apocalypse stripped Exodus of his power and sealed him away in a crypt in the Swiss Alps. Six months later Dane had found the crypt in which Exodus was trapped and in a coma like state. He found there was a curse preventing Exodus from leaving, yet others were allowed to come and go as they pleased. Dane left guards who had sworn to look after the crypt for generations to come, and he and Sersi returned to their time.

Sometime later, in the 20th century, Magneto found and freed Exodus, taking him back to Avalon. Exodus become Magneto's right hand man, replacing Fabian Cortez who had betrayed Magneto. Exodus appeared before the government sanctioned team X-Factor (his first actual appearance). It seemed as though Exodus wanted to tell them something, but he refrained and left. Exodus then appeared before the mutant team X-Force to retrieve Cannonball and Sunspot and take them back to Avalon. They weren't going to come quietly, but the team proved no match for Exodus. Exodus was followed back, and X-Force invaded Avalon to rescue their teammates. X-Force fled the station, but not before Cable was mortally wounded by Magneto. When Charles Xavier wiped Magneto's mind clean in an attack by the X-Men on Avalon, Exodus assumed leadership of the Acolytes. Exodus would converse with the mindless Magneto, believing he could hear Magneto's voice.

Soon after, Fabian Cortez had resurfaced in Genosha, where he had taken Magneto's granddaughter Luna prisoner. The tension between the mutants and humans had erupted and Genosha was in a state of war. When Luna's mother, Crystal realized Luna had been taken, she and the Avengers left for Genosha. Meanwhile Quicksilver and the X-Men had also gone to Genosha to save Luna. Exodus arrived in Genosha to save the mutate people and destroy the humans. He quickly came to blows with the Avengers, defeating both War Machine and Sersi before leaving. Exodus then found Fabian Cortez in the sewers of Genosha, using the baby Luna as a human shield. Cortez tried his best to escape, telling Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Crystal and Jean Grey they must kill Exodus if Luna is to survive. They were no match for Exodus, and he took control of Cortez making him hand over Luna, then seemingly killed him. Exodus then appeared to the mutates of Genosha, telling them to kill all humans or the entire island will be crushed under his force field. The Avengers and X-Men teamed up and took the fight to Exodus, but it was proving futile. It wasn't until Professor Xavier unleashed a powerful psionic attack on Exodus, that Black Knight was able to sneak up on Exodus cutting through him with his energy blade. Exodus, weakened and defeated, left for Avalon, but not before unleashing a powerful attack on Quicksilver, almost killing him. We also learn here that Black Knight remembers Exodus, but can figure out how. It turns out that Black Knight has not gone back in time yet to meet him.

The Acolytes discovered a cocoon of ice with a living being inside floating near the space-station Avalon. Despite some Acolyte's objections, Exodus ordered the cocoon to be brought on board, believing it to be a sign of things to come. This, along with his insistence that he hears Magneto's voice and refusal to show Magneto's body, was making some Acolyte's doubt his sanity more and more. During the night, the being inhabiting the cocoon awoke, absorbing several Acolytes and killing them in the process. The being turned out to be Holocaust, one of the survivors of the altered reality the Age of Apocalypse. Holocaust confused Exodus with his AoA counterpart, not knowing that that reality was gone. Holocaust knew that he was among enemies when he heard of Magneto's presence. Exodus and Holocaust battled without regard for anything around them, destroying Avalon in the process and fighting through the ship's re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

Severely weakened from his battle with Holocaust, Exodus made his way back to the crypt in the Swiss Alps where Apocalypse had originally locked him away. There Exodus hoped to rest and regain his powers, but discovered that his powers had somehow changed. Exodus became a kind of psychic vampire, needing to absorb the psionic energy of others; when he sensed the energies of Cable and X-Man nearby, he was delighted at the sheer wealth of power they possessed. Exodus battled X-Man, becoming more powerful every time X-Man used his power. It looked as though Exodus would be victorious until X-Man discovered Exodus' link to Apocalypse. Enraged, X-Man let loose the full extent of his power, which proved to be too much for Exodus, and sealed him in a rapidly closing crevasse.

Exodus survived, his powers reverted to normal, and he returned to leading the Acolytes. Seeing the High Evolutionary's experiments as crimes against nature, Exodus sent an army of Mutates and a team of Acolytes, in an attack against the Evolutionary's base, Wundagore mountain. Despite opposition from Quicksilver and the Knights of Wundagore, Exodus successfully gained control of the citadel, while the High Evolutionary escaped. Exodus considered it his "holy mission" to rid the world of impure and artificial mutants such as High Evolutionary and his creations, the beings known as Inhumans and those infected with the Legacy Virus. He sent a team consisting of Pyro, Avalanche, Omega Red and Feral among others to find the High Evolutionary promising the infected members a cure to the legacy virus, though never intending to cure them. He also sent Fabian Cortez on a mission to destroy the Terrigen Mists in the Inhuman city of Attilan; however in the end, Cortez failed.

The High Evolutionary decided it was time to regain control of Mount Wundagore, and set off with a team towards the citadel. There he was betrayed by Man-Beast who stole the scepter housing Isotope E, greatly empowering him. Exodus and his Acolyte's appeared and Exodus demanded the isotope be handed over. Man-Beast refused to comply. After a horrific battle between Exodus and Man-Beast, the two came to the conclusion that they had much in common and decided to share the isotope and together took Quicksilver, the Knights of Wundagore, and the Heroes For Hire prisoner. Quicksilver eventually escaped, gained control of Isotope E himself, turned the isotope on himself, and became more powerful than he had ever been before. Exodus apparently proved no match for the super-charged Quicksilver and was soundly defeated. Just as Pietro began to celebrate however, the High Evolutionary, now 20 feet tall and thoroughly insane, smashed through the wall behind them. The Acolytes refused to help in the battle against High Evolutionary, prompting Exodus to call them cowards; the mutant announced that the High Evolutionary was an abomination and that Exodus would defeat him by any means necessary. Thena and Exodus' subsequent proved ineffective, until Man-Beast appeared and suggested that the three of them unite their psionic power. This tactic worked and the High Evolutionary began to shrink back down as a result of their combined assault, however Quicksilver intervened and convinced them to stop before they could kill the High Evolutionary. In the aftermath of the battle (with the High Evolutionary de-powered, Quicksilver reverted back to normal, and Thena incapacitated) Exodus attempted once more to destroy the High Evolutionary, but was once more halted in his attempt--this time by the voice of the Black Knight. The Knight allowed Exodus into his mind where the mutant discovered that this Black Knight was his friend from centuries ago. The two then engaged in combat where the Black Knight defeated Exodus, and once again sealed him in the crypt Apocalypse had created.

Later on, Exodus escaped from his prison yet again, this time emerging as a changed man. Disguising himself as Magneto, Exodus used his psionic power (boosted by technological means) to bring peace to the island nation of Genosha, forcing humans and mutants to coexist. When he was eventually unmasked by the X-Men, Exodus proclaimed himself a penitent trying desperately to atone for his bigoted past. Without his control however, Genosha descended into civil war once more, leaving Exodus emotionally devastated.

This experience apparently led him to renew his conviction that mutants were superior and that they were intended to inherit the earth. Having formed a new Brotherhood (consisting of Avalanch, Nocturne, Sabretooth, Mammomax and Black Tom), Exodus led an attack on a group of humans but was thwarted by the X-Men. After escaping, this new Brotherhood decided to attack the X-Men in their home. The attack proved a complete disaster, and resulted in most of the Brotherhood, Exodus included, being sucked into the mutant Xorn's head. Exodus has not been seen since, though it is possible that he has returned, as other characters who suffered the same fate have.

Exodus was one of the few mutants who retained his powers after the events of the House of M storyline, being listed as a severe danger in the 198 files.

Age of Apocalypse
In the Age of Apocalypse, Exodus was removed from his stasis by Apocalypse and was tortured by The Madri. Exodus was rescued by Magneto and became a member of the X-Men. Like his Earth-616 counterpart, this Exodus was one of Magneto's most powerful followers, though lacking the cruelty of his mainstream counterpart (something that may have been linked to his romantic involvement with the AoA version of Dazzler). Exodus was not aware of all his powers as Magneto never told him, afraid that his full power might corrupt him. Necessity forced Magneto to tell Exodus about his powers of teleportation.

Powers
Exodus possesses near invulnerablity, superhuman strength, rapid flight, and vast psionic powers. His psionic powers include powerful telekinesis, teleportation, incredible telepathic powers and the ability to project damaging psionic blasts. He was once able to reverse the memory wipe Professor Xavier performed on Magneto.

Exodus has stated that he can bring the dead back to life. He appears to have done so on several occassions bringing back Acolytes who had been killed.

Exodus has lifted over 10 tons telekinetically, but his maximum strength is unknown because he can use his telekinesis to boost his strength to even greater limits.

He also acts as a psionic vampire, absorbing and stealing psionic energy from those around him and using it to his own advantage. There is some evidence that the source of his power is influenced by his followers; for example, in the presence of the loyal Acolytes his powers are greatly amplified.

This is not to say that without his followers Exodus is weak. On the contrary, he has shown himself capable of simultaneously:
 * 1) Amplifying Genoshan mutates' hatred of humans;
 * 2) Crushing Genosha via a massive force field;
 * 3) Immobilising Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, Crystal and Jean Grey in another force field;
 * 4) Protecting himself from attacks; and,
 * 5) Dealing out massive amounts of damage to both the X-Men and the Avengers.

Appearances in other media
Exodus appeared as a boss in the games X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse and X-Men 2: Clone Wars. He also made a cameo appearance in X-Men: Children of the Atom.