History Characters / XMenAcolytes

[[Characters/XMenRoguesGalleryAToI Rogues Gallery A To I]] | [[Characters/XMenRoguesGalleryJToR Rogues Gallery J To R]] | [[Characters/XMenRoguesGallerySToZ Rogues Gallery S to Z]] | [[Characters/XMenVillainousOrganizations Villainous Organizations]] | '''Acolytes''' | [[Characters/XMenArakko Arakko]] | [[Characters/XMenBrotherhoodOfMutants Brotherhood of Mutants]] | [[Characters/XMenClanAkkaba Clan Akkaba]] | [[Characters/XMenExternals Externals]] | [[Characters/XMenHellfireClub Hellfire Club]] | [[Characters/XMenHellions The Hellions]] | [[Characters/XMenMarauders Marauders]] | [[Characters/XMenMojoverse Mojoverse]] | [[Characters/XMenMorlocks Morlocks]] | [[Characters/XMenMutantLiberationFront MLF]] | [[Characters/XMenOrchis Orchis]] | [[Characters/XMenSentinels Sentinels]]\\

* WeHardlyKnewYe: Only appeared in the first three issues of ''[[ComicBook/AdjectivelessXMen X-Men]]'' before being KilledOffForReal.

* ButNotTooBlack: He was much more dark-skinned in his first appearance than in later ones.

* LifeDrinker: His mutant ability is this combined with WhipItGood, as he can only channel his powers through his whips. Think Omega Red. He can also use it for LiquidAssets, simulating an ersatz HealingFactor.

* WhipItGood: He must use his psionic energy whips to channel his LifeDrinker powers.

Characters/ChildrenOfTheAtom | [[Characters/ExcaliburMarvelComics Excalibur]] | Characters/GenerationHope | Characters/GenerationX | Characters/NewMutants | Characters/NewXMenAcademyX | Characters/{{SWORD}} | Characters/XClub | Characters/XCorp | Characters/XFactor | Characters/XForce | Characters/XStatix | Characters/XTerminators\\

Uniscione appears in the ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' two-part episode "Sanctuary" and in all three books of the ''Literature/XMenMutantEmpireTrilogy''.

* NonindicativeName: "Gargouille" would certainly seem indicative of her gargoyle-like mutation, but the word actually means "throat" in French.

* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame: Kind of a weird side hobby for him; he's a secret member of the Upstarts, a group of [[SpoiledBrat spoiled]] [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob rich]] mutants that hunt and kill other mutants for points in a meaningless competition.

The first generation of Acolytes were introduced during the debut of the first ''ComicBook/AdjectivelessXMen'' run and right from the start they were modeled as an EvilCounterpart team to the X-Men, being a group of five mutants (well, four mutants and one brainwashed human) rallying around a [[Characters/MarvelComicsMagneto charismatic leader]]. This group did not last very long, however, existing only for a three-issue storyline meant to kill off X-Men villain emeritus Magneto and establish team leader Fabian Cortez as [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains one of the big new up-and-coming threats]].

* AntiHumanAlliance: Ironic as they are humans themselves (albeit human mutants), but they are allied under a belief that normal humans are a problem. How exactly that problem is addressed varies: in one ''ComicBook/WhatIf'' tale the Acolytes divided into two factions, an isolationist sect led by Exodus that advocated separatism and a genocide sect led by Fabian Cortez that advocated KillEmAll.

* UndyingLoyalty: To Exodus, as she was not only one of the Acolytes to rally to him after Avalon fell on his watch but chose to follow him again even after he menaced her with a Xenomorph knockoff and otherwise [[OutOfCharacter treated her like a dick]] during the 1996 ''Magneto'' mini (of course, she might have simply [[DorkAge tried to forget that as hard as the fans did]]).

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: In ''ComicBook/XMen92'' he tries to get the Gamesmaster to bend the rules for him, arguing that as the (former) right hand of Magneto that the rules shouldn't apply to him.

* SmugSuper: Not so much originally, but in ''X-Men '92'' he is ''very much'' one of these, as evidenced by the following rant he gives to the Gamesmaster:

* HumiliationConga: Issue 5 of [[ComicBook/{{Sword}} SWORD]] is a big one for Fabian. First, his rebirth isn't celebrated by anyone (apparently everyone was too partied out after resurrecting Sunfire). Then he has to attend the Quiet Council meeting he asked for completely nude. His points are dismissed, and it turns out Magneto never had any intention of actually going through with them and when he tries to play the "you need me" card, he finds out, ''nope'', they don't. Brand's already found a better replacement for him. Inbetween all this, everyone snarks at him. In all fairness, he really has it coming.

Cortez appears as a {{Boss}} in ''VideoGame/XMen2CloneWars'' and ''X-Men: [=GamesMaster's=] Legacy''. He also has a semi-recurring role in ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'', appearing in the two-part episode "Sanctuary" and later in "The Fifth Horseman".

Frenzy has a semi-recurring role in ''WesternAnimation/XMen'', appearing in the two-part episode "Sanctuary" and later in "One Man's Worth" as a member of the Mutant Resistance. She also appears in all three books of the ''Literature/XMenMutantEmpireTrilogy''.

* FromASingleCell: When he was revived by Selene's transmode virus Delgado gained this ability and had his NighInvulnerability ramped UpToEleven, to the point where he was able to point-blank NoSell getting stabbed in the head and every other attempt made by Deadpool to kill him for 20 minutes straight. The only thing that actually ''could'' kill him was the mutant Loa, who Deadpool promptly weaponized against him.

* DarkerAndEdgier: One of the ''many'' LifeDrinker mutants introduced during TheNineties. ''Necrosha'' took it UpToEleven.

-->"These Acolytes have pledged themselves to my service and my cause. I will not abandon them."
---> --'''Magneto'''

-->"They are the bravest and noblest company I ever fought with. Their very names are a blazon."
---> --'''Exodus'''

The first generation of Acolytes were introduced during the debut of the first ''ComicBook/AdjectivelessXMen'' run and right from the start they were modeled as an EvilCounterpart team to the X-Men, being a group of five mutants (well, four mutants and one brainwashed human) rallying around a [[ComicBook/{{Magneto}} charismatic leader]]. This group did not last very long, however, existing only for a three-issue storyline meant to kill off X-Men villain emeritus Magneto and establish team leader Fabian Cortez as [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains one of the big new up-and-coming threats]].

The fourth and currently final incarnation of the Acolytes debuted in 2008's ''[[ComicBook/XMenMessiahComplex Messiah Complex]]'', and was a team made up of the most memorable characters from the previous three generations along with new arrivals Random and Tempo (a pair of refugees from ''ComicBook/XFactor'' and D-list villain team the Mutant Liberation Front, respectively). After a failed bid to claim the '''actual''' mutant messiah (a baby who would go on to become the new character ComicBook/HopeSummers) and a successful bid at saving the life of ComicBook/ProfessorX, this generation was defeated by the one force more powerful than any mutant power: logic [[note]]Specifically, Xavier arguing to Exodus that the mutant race had grown too small and imperiled for warring factions[[/note]]. Following this revelation, Exodus disbanded the Acolytes. Their legacy of integrating religion, once a subject verboten by UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode, into the X-Men universe as an idea to be examined and deconstructed, lingers to this day though, as do a handful of the Acolytes themselves.

-->''A new generation is being born, and with it must come a new world order.''

See ComicBook/{{Magneto}} for more on him.

--> ''You do [[SayMyName that]] quite well, Pietro... maybe I should hire you to follow me around and shriek my name whenever I enter a room!''

Cortez appears as a {{Boss}} in ''VideoGame/XMen2CloneWars'' and ''X-Men: [=GamesMaster's=] Legacy''. He also has a semi-recurring role in ''WesternAnimation/XMen'', appearing in the two-part episode "Sanctuary" and later in "The Fifth Horseman".

* AdaptationalHeroism: A very, ''very'' teeny little bit in the X-Men animated series. There, he appears to be a [[LaResistance native Genoshan]] who's genuinely in the fight to end mutant enslavement rather than an outsider [[WarForFunAndProfit only in it for his own interests]]. His devotion to Magneto also appears to be genuine at first, his treachery coming only after he realizes Mags isn't as hot on [[FantasticRacism killing humans]] as he'd hoped for. Any sympathy points won by these minor changes are quickly thrown away, though, after the show takes a noticeable deviation from canon by having him climb into bed with ComicBook/{{Apocalypse}}.

--> ''In mercy's name, your people need [[ComicBook/{{Magneto}} you]], now more than ever! Can you abandon them? Can you deny your destiny?''

One of the four {{Mutants}} who formed the very first incarnation of the Acolytes, Anne-Marie was the sister of their leader Fabian Cortez, as well as being a true believer in Magneto and his 'destiny' as the messiah of mutantkind. Swearing herself to his service, Anne-Marie unfortunately did not get to serve him for long, as like all the other first-gen Acolytes she was KilledOffForReal when her brother showed his true colors.\\\

* AllThereInTheManual: Her mutant abilities were never directly shown on-panel, and were only revealed in the Marvel Saga RPG tabletop book.

--> ''Forgive me, [[ComicBook/{{Magneto}} Lord]], for not coming sooner to your assistance.''

His character is used as the model for the generic Acolyte {{Mooks}} in ''VideoGame/XMenMutantApocalypse''. He is also shown as a prominent Acolyte in the ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' two-part episode "Sanctuary".

* ChromeChampion: Not one himself, but could make his teammates this with his transmutation ability.

--> ''Too late, flatscan, for weasely words to save you.''

He makes a cameo appearance in ''VideoGame/XMenChildrenOfTheAtom'' and is shown as a prominent Acolyte in the ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' two-part episode "Sanctuary".

--> ''Stuff permission, Harry. Just fry the swine.''

* FantasticRacist: Possibly one of these, seeing as how she referred to the fugitive {{Mutants}} she was pursuing as "swine".

-> See Characters/MarvelComicsExodus Exodus

--> ''What I'm saying, Magneto, is that if you will have me, I would join you in your chosen plight.''

See ComicBook/{{Colossus}} for more on him.

--> ''Human lovers! If you were true mutants, you would follow the teachings of Magnus!''

Frenzy has a semi-recurring role in ''WesternAnimation/XMen'', appearing in the two-part episode "Sanctuary" and later in "One Man's Worth" as a member of the Mutant Resistance. She also appears in all three books of the ''Literature/XMenMutantEmpireTrilogy''.\\\
See her entry on [[Characters/XMen2010sMembers X-Men 2010s Members]] for more on her.

--> ''I am Scanner, an acolyte of the fallen messiah Magneto. I bring you a message from Exodus, the heir of Magnus.''

--> ''I am Voght -- an ancestor, of sorts, to all who call themselves Xavier's children!''

Voght has a semi-recurring role in ''WesternAnimation/XMen'', appearing in the two-part episodes "Sanctuary" and "The Phalanx Covenant". She is also the POV Acolyte character of the ''Literature/XMenMutantEmpireTrilogy'', and appears in all three books.

* AbortedArc: During the Fall of Avalon, Xavier revealed that Amelia had become a full-time [[IntangibleMan Intangible Woman]], her powers having transformed her into the years to the point that her mist state was now her natural state and her human state the one she had to work to be in. While Voght reluctantly admitted he was right, this was never referenced again.
* AdaptationalJerkass: In the X-Men Animated Series, she broke up with Xavier because she hated being a mutant and wanted to live a quiet and secluded life, while Xavier wanted to found the X-Men to fight and work for mutant civil rights. She eventually showed up years later, having joined up with the Acolytes as a mutant terrorist and blames Xavier for this because his X-Men's exposure of mutants made it impossible for mutants like her to live a quiet life anywhere. Though true to an extent, her own decision to join up with a human-hating genocidal fanatic like Cortez and to serve under Magneto whose own mutant supremacy terrorism fostered more hate towards mutants than anything the X-Men pulled ruins her point. In the end she just comes off as an entitled shrew with an ItsAllAboutMe attitude that makes her shift blame to her old lover for choosing his dream over her.

* CombatMedic: Met Charles Xavier while working as one of these in Tibet, and has usually found work as a nurse during the periods when the Acolytes were disbanded.

* FunPersonified: According to her 2018 Fleer character card, she was "known for her upbeat, fun personality". This doesn't exactly jive with her depiction in the comics, but compared to DarkerAndEdgier Acolytes like Javitz and Senyaka one could well call her upbeat and fun. She's one of the most well-adjusted Acolytes, at any rate.

* IntangibleMan: She can phase through attacks by transforming herself into mist, and at one point was even stated to have become a full-time mist being, though the latter was dropped.

* LethalHarmlessPowers: Oh, turning into mist is no big deal, right? WRONG. Never underestimate the threat of a mutant who can TeleFrag at will.

* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: Amelia was often portrayed as this, being the only Acolyte other than Colossus to acknowledge Magneto to be a man and not a divine mutant messiah. She also tried to limit casualties whenever possible, and was just in general one of the few Acolytes who acted like a human being.

--> ''Blasphemer! In the name of Magneto, I will see you crushed in my psionic exoskeleton before I allow you to speak that name again with such reverence!''

Uniscione appears in the ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' two-part episode "Sanctuary" and in all three books of the ''Literature/XMenMutantEmpireTrilogy''.

--> ''Hah! Nothing we like more than offing a few flatscans, eh brother?!''

--> ''For years I have observed you from afar... the mighty Cyclops and his X-Men, suppressing any mutant who didn't embrace the mainstream!''

--> ''You never would have made a good Acolyte, [[ComicBook/{{Cable}} my friend]].''

--> ''Sorry, not all mutants are drop-dead gorgeous.''

--> ''I can't think about that now. Better to lose myself in the electropathy... become one with the machines.''

--> ''Cortez! I won't stand by and let you take the life of another mutant, the way you turned Magneto from a savior to a martyr!''

* ComplexityAddiction: He's a mutant IntangibleMan but with a twist: he can phase into an object and re-emerge from any point that object occupies. For example, he can phase through one wall of a castle and come out on the other wall, even if it's literal ''miles'' away.

* TeleportersAndTransporters: A minor version, as a side perk of his IntangibleMan ability.

--> ''If you wish me to kill for you, then I will. You need not trick me or convince me. I have killed for Magneto, for Exodus, for Sinister -- I will kill for you.''

Senyaka makes minor appearances in both the '90s ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoon and ''WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009''. He also appears in all three books of the ''Literature/XMenMutantEmpireTrilogy''.

--> ''Hard t'talk behind this muzzle, Havok m'lad, so why don't you cut me loose -- and I'll give ye a mouthful.''

-->''Wundagore is not yours, Evolutionary! We Acolytes have claimed it as a sacred place and Exodus will allow you to defile it no longer!''

-->''Fellow Acolytes, it is good to be reunited! Gather around and I shall be honored to tell you of Lord Magneto's exploits during our long journey here.''

-->''You are among friends here, brother, for we too are seekers of Avalon.''

-->''He ignores me, thinking I am nothing! But I am Decay! My enemies die while I grow strong!''

-->''We are Acolytes, non? Exodus has given us this chance to prove ourselves, oui?''

* HumiliationConga: After the Acolytes disbanded , she was supposedly reduced to a homeless beggar on the streets of New York, according to reader speculation (however, aside from still being a human female, her last appearance barely looked like her).

-->''Dolts! Look at them bang on my forcefield.''

--> ''I can do this all night, you [[ComicBook/{{Colossus}} Russian freak]]!''

-->''Creator/ErrolFlynn never wrote [[SpeechImpediment kktss]] no nightcap. Not even in kktss 'Gentleman Jim'.''

-->''Give me a break, Cortez. This is all kinda new to me.''

-->''Too late for chitchat, kiddo. My bioelectric static pulse is strong enough now to scramble even your energy form!''

-->''Sorry, guys. If it's any consolation, I'm the soft option.''

A kind of SixthRanger to ComicBook/XFactor, Random was a mysterious mutant mercenary (and the walking incarnation of the '90s) who was left rudderless when that team disbanded. After pinballing around for a little while, he was recruited by Exodus into the last generation of Acolytes. He makes minor appearances in the '90s ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoon episodes "Sanctuary" and "Secrets Not Long Buried".

* BecomingTheMask: He was initially ordered to team up with X-Factor by the Dark Beast so he could be TheMole but as time went on he truly began to enjoy their company, particularly that of Havok and Polaris.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Even when playing the merc-for-hire Random was utterly disgusted with the nurse-killing Acolyte Senyaka, and took particular pleasure in cleaning his clock.

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Goes from being a neutral agent to an ally of X-Factor to a traitor working for the Dark Beast to a neutral agent working for the Acolytes, then an Acolyte for real, and finally joins up with the X-Men on Utopia. He doesn't stay with the team, but returns to them when they seemingly unite all of mutantkind in ''House of X''.

See [[Characters/XMenMutantLiberationFront Here]]

A pyrokinetic mutant and member of Magneto's little-remembered second team, the off-brand Brotherhood called Mutant Force. A fairly stock {{Mook}}, he drifted into new employment with the Resistants and the Secret Empire (acquiring a new codename along the way), but never made it past the ranks of CListFodder and was last seen in the '80s fighting the ComicBook/NewWarriors.

An adaptational counterpart of Burner appears in ''WesternAnimation/XMen''. Going only by Byron Calley in this version, he is a founding member of Magneto's Acolytes, as well as an old friend of ComicBook/{{Gambit}}. At first kidnapped by Magneto, he quickly becomes a believer in the Master of Magnetism and puts his skills as a mutant scientist to work for Magneto's cause.
\\\

* MadScientist: Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' -- Calley is a scientist and is working for a supervillain group but he is quite sane. When Cortez orders him to launch Asteroid M's nuclear missiles at Earth he is horrified by the prospect.

--> ''My time has come!''

* VillainousValour: Despite his many parallels to his father, one trait Malcolm does ''not'' share with Fabian is cowardice. Indeed, he is shown in one panel as being ready to throw down with a horde of EliteZombie versions of the Marvel Zombies (who qualify as EliteZombie even by default; the zombies Malcolm was challenging were empowered by having ''devoured ComicBook/{{Galactus}}''). Like him or hate him, a move like that takes balls.

The leader of the first-gen Acolytes and founder of their second incarnation, as well as a secret member of the mutant-hunting group the Upstarts. The very definition of a DeceptiveDisciple, Cortez is a gifted strategist, skilled politician and powerful mutant, boasting SuperEmpowering abilities that are [[LethalHarmlessPowers a lot more dangerous than you'd think]]. He is also an expert ManipulativeBastard, successfully ingratiating himself to Magneto and later Exodus time and time again even after they become fully aware of what an ObviousJudas he is. Totally out for himself and no one else, to the point of going so far as to [[MoralEventHorizon casually condemn his own sister to death]], he finally got what was coming to him in 1999's ''Magneto: Dark Seduction'' miniseries. With death being [[ComicBookDeath what it is]] in the ''X-Men'' universe, however, he eventually found his way back to life, and is currently among the ranks of the Acolytes once more.\\\

* FreudianExcuse: Tries to claim one. Fittingly, like the man himself, it's pretty pathetic. Namely, he and his sister were denied ''some'' of their family's massive fortune when it turned out they were Mutants. He was only given a six figure sum to live on, the poor baby.

* HateSink: A rare case as this trope usually applies to [[FantasticRacism mutant haters such as William Stryker or Donald Pierce]] rather than mutants themselves. But Cortez proved himself to be nothing but a selfish, entitled, narcissistic, asshole who wants to kill for the hell of it. Even after joining Krakoa he still finds ways to stand out when most former villains have embraced their second chance. When he joins S.W.O.R.D., he’s so adamant about changing Krakoa’s “kill no man” rule that he’s willing to force that change through extortion by saying his power is to valuable to S.W.O.R.D. to deny his demand. That’s not even taking account the whole Upstarts and killing his own sister thing. He really sucks.

* HeelFaceDoorSlam: The conclusion of his epic HumiliationConga from ''S.W.O.R.D.'' and ''Way of X''. He has a genuine moment of self-awareness, honesty and remorse after some serious ToughLove from [[AllLovingHero Nightcrawler]] and overcomes his cowardice and [[ItsAllAboutMe selfishness]] to help him prevent [[EarthShatteringKaboom the destruction of Planet Arakko]], [[WhatYouAreInTheDark when he could have easily escaped.]] As a reward Kurt gives him the task of restoring his memories after he's resurrected from his HeroicSacrifice making him a key to Onslaughts defeat and therefore finally achieve his wish of being considered an important part of mutant history. He's then [[AndIMustScream put in a coma]] by an Onslaught possessed Xavier and since no-one saw/remembered his act of heroism, nobody protested when Xavier denied his resurrection.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The Acolytes had at their peak one of the largest rosters of any supervillain team in comics. And while the X-Men had (even then) a larger roster still, the problem was that most of these characters were introduced all at once and never fleshed out, resulting in them decaying into a a glorified bunch of SuperPoweredMooks.

* SuperPoweredMooks: They were originally intended to be something closer to an EvilCounterpart team to the X-Men as a whole, but getting their ranks filled with LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters all at once turned the majority of them into this instead.

* EnemyCivilWar: Responsible more than once for instigating these within the Acolytes. Really, if this guy hadn't joined up they probably would have eventually overwhelmed the X-Men [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters by virtue of sheer numbers]].

* PutOnABus: Hopped on one after the fall of Utopia and wasn't seen for a good few years. TheBusCameBack in ''ComicBook/XMen2019'', where he was given a token cameo as one of the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters that show up to live on the mutant nation of Krakoa.

The fourth and currently final incarnation of the Acolytes debuted in 2008's ''Messiah Complex'', and was a team made up of the most memorable characters from the previous three generations along with new arrivals Random and Tempo (a pair of refugees from ''ComicBook/XFactor'' and D-list villain team the Mutant Liberation Front, respectively). After a failed bid to claim the '''actual''' mutant messiah (a baby who would go on to become the new character ComicBook/HopeSummers) and a successful bid at saving the life of ComicBook/ProfessorX, this generation was defeated by the one force more powerful than any mutant power: logic [[note]]Specifically, Xavier arguing to Exodus that the mutant race had grown too small and imperiled for warring factions[[/note]]. Following this revelation, Exodus disbanded the Acolytes. Their legacy of integrating religion, once a subject verboten by UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode, into the X-Men universe as an idea to be examined and deconstructed, lingers to this day though, as do a handful of the Acolytes themselves.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He hasn't been seen since 2008's ''Messiah Complex'' storyline, in which he played a minor role as a stool pigeon pressured by the X-Men into revealing what he knew about Exodus.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He hasn't been seen since 2008's ''Messiah Complex'' storyline.

* BackFromTheDead: Many of the deceased Acolytes CameBackWrong during the 2008 ''Necrosha'' story. Ironically, none of them have appeared to date in ComicBook/JonathanHickmansXMen, despite mass resurrection of the mutant population being a major plot point of that book. The only two exceptions to this so far have been Fabian Cortez and Amelia Voght.

* RetiredMonster: As of ''ComicBook/JonathanHickmansXMen''. It's unclear if Fabian's genuinely given up on his political aspirations after three deaths and unlikely resurrections, or if he's in a forced retirement due to the Quiet Council locking him out of any position of influence. Since Exodus is on said Council and we all know how Exodus feels about Fabian Cortez, it's in all likelihood the latter case.

* PutOnABus: Hopped on one after the fall of Utopia and wasn't seen for a good few years. TheBusCameBack in ComicBook/JonathanHickmansXMen, where he was given a token cameo as one of the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters that show up to live on the mutant nation of Krakoa.

* {{Foil}}: To her brother. While Fabian is an EvilRedhead DeceptiveDisciple, Anne-Marie is a [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair blue-haired]] [[UndyingLoyalty true believer]].

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Perhaps to contrast with her EvilRedhead brother?
** KaleidoscopeHair: Anne-Marie's hair has actually been ''three'' different colors: originally blue, then sea green for a single panel (seen above), and lastly pink for her DummiedOut cameo appearance in ''VideoGame/XMenChildrenOfTheAtom''.

* SkunkStripe: He has a white stripe on his otherwise brown hair.

* FreudianExcuse: Tries to claim one. Fittingly, like the man himself, it's pretty pathetic. Namely, he and his sister were denied ''some'' of their family's massive fortune when it turned out they were Mutants. He was only give a six figure sum to live on, the poor baby.

* EvilCounterpart: To Cypher, both have [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway unimpressive powers]] and are only really useful when part of a team. but while Cypher is an [[TheEveryman average]], [[NiceGuy humble]] guy who values his friendships, [[{{Determinator}} will always step up if needed]], [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower constantly works to find uses for his power]] and uses his power of communication mainly to [[FriendToAllLivingThings make friends with literally anything that can communicate]]. Cortez is a spoiled entitled rich kid who will betray any team that allows him to be a member to gain more power for himself, copes with his insicurities about his powers with arrogance and bloodlust, uses the ability to make others stronger to manipulate people and use them for his own ends and as a result is HatedByAll.

* LeftHanging: [[spoiler:''Did'' Mr. Sinister resurrect him? Did he just save his life somehow? The actual evidence for Sinister's hand in Cortez's coming BackFromTheDead amounts to no more than a single panel of Sinister's face hanging in the background as Cortez makes a mild BadassBoast about how he's still alive despite how many people want him dead, but nothing is ever definitively stated. For some readers just the appearance of the patron saint of SendInTheClones there was enough evidence that he was Cortez's TheManBehindTheMan, but others looking for more concrete proof still consider the matter unresolved]].

* TheManBehindTheMan: When Cortez came BackFromTheDead about five or six years after being offed by Exodus in ''Blood Ties'', it's with no in-story explanation. Much later, in his final few appearances, it's (sort of) revealed that his resurrection was the work of [[spoiler:Mr. Sinister, who was apparently using him to sow discord in Magneto's ranks]].

* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Of Mr. Sinister]].

--> ''I come not as an enemy, children of the atom, but as an emissary-- a ferryman to a better place!''
\\\
One of the earliest known mutants, Bennet du Paris was born in 12th century France and participated as a soldier in the Crusades. On a quest to find the mythic Tower of Power, he was tested by the ancient mutant Apocalypse who unlocked his astounding mutant powers after finding him worthy but subsequently trapped him in stasis when he refused to slay his friend and fellow crusader Eobar Garrington. Awakened by Magneto in the 20th century, Exodus was anointed as the Master of Magnetism's new right-hand man and charged with the mission of recruiting the best and brightest mutants to Magneto's Acolytes. A true believer in Magneto's philosophies, Exodus wants nothing more than to protect and defend his people, a task that is complicated by his run-ins with the X-Men and his own fluctuating mental stability.\\\
Exodus makes a cameo appearance in ''VideoGame/XMenChildrenOfTheAtom'' and appears as a {{Boss}} in ''VideoGame/XMenMutantApocalypse'', ''VideoGame/XMen2CloneWars'', and ''X-Men: [=GamesMaster's=] Legacy''. He also appears in all three books of the ''Literature/XMenMutantEmpireTrilogy''.\\\
For tropes relating to his protagonist counterpart from the ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse, see [[Characters/AgeOfApocalypse here]].

* AGodIAmNot: In 2007's ''X-Men Annual'' #1 he pointedly tells new recruit Random that for all his power, he is not God, and that he cannot predict what the X-Men will or won't do, only prepare for it.
* AHouseDivided: This is what brings him back in ''X-Men Legacy'' -- upon realizing that the X-Men have split in two, he declares them to be this and decides it's his new mission to reunite them. [[ConflictKiller In a way, he does]].
* ActuallyADoombot: The version of him that is fought as a boss in ''Clone Wars'' is not really him, but rather a Phalanx clone of him.
* AdaptationalWimp: He's usually much less powerful in the games he appears in, with only ''VideoGame/XMenMutantApocalypse'' coming close to portraying him accurately, and even that game featuring him only as a MiniBoss with a fraction of his powers.
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: While it might be an intentional artistic choice, Exodus skin is often illustrated as reddish.
* AmbiguouslyBi: Subtly implied. As a Crusader Knight, Bennet swore a vow of celibacy, but there were some (one-sided) HoYay undertones to his relationship with Magneto, and in the alternate universe ''Age of Apocalypse'' his [[HeelFaceTurn kinder, gentler counterpart]] is in an active relationship with fellow X-Man Dazzler.
* AntiVillain: [[SlidingScaleOfAntiVillains Type III]]. He is inherently noble, and unlike Fabian Cortez, truly believes in making the world a better place for his people. Unfortunately, being from an earlier period in history makes him dangerously prone to BlackAndWhiteInsanity, and [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity he doesn't exactly have the most stable set of powers either]].
* ApologeticAttacker: In ''X-Men: Legacy'', and specifically to his former Acolyte Frenzy.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Half of why he so easily took leadership of the Acolytes from Fabian Cortez. The other half was him having the actual legitimate blessing of Big Mags. Also, he was quite a popular leader and no one actually liked Cortez.
* TheAtoner: He briefly was shown as this in the 1999 mini where he took control of Genosha in an attempt to bring it peace. The spectacular failure that ended up turning into led to a kind of HeelFaceDoorSlam, with Exodus just renewing his earlier HumansAreBastards convictions after the fact.
* BadPowersBadPeople: The probable reason why he was made into a psychic vampire out of nowhere in 1996 -- unlike Fabian Cortez, his powers aren't (or weren't at first) naturally harmful to others, so the writers decided to 'upgrade' them to more strongly stress to readers that he is in fact a villain. That being said, it was a fairly brief stint, and immediately after he'd nearly been killed fighting Holocaust on Avalon, when he was explicitly recorvering. The only time it was really seen was when he jumped Nate Grey (who was leaking psychic energy everywhere). Who sensed that he had been enhanced by Apocalypse. Cue UnstoppableRage and Exodus being overloaded and buried alive in an Alpine Crevasse (though the 'vampirism' thing was cured, so there's that).
* BadassBoast: A frequent giver of these, the best one being to SHIELD Director Maria Hill in a 2007 annual:
-->'''Maria Hill:''' Okay, people. First priority, we contain this. Then we--\\
'''Exodus:''' You could sooner contain the ocean in a cup, Maria Hill. I am Exodus. And I ''refuse'' to be contained.
* BadassCape: Just ''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20140901032741/http://cdn.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_27305/subcat_115248/IMAG0859.JPG look at it]]''.
* BadassInCharge: Of the Acolytes usually, though he also reluctantly led a faction of Marauders during ''Messiah Complex''.
* BadassInDistress: ''VideoGame/XMen2CloneWars'' for the Sega Genesis sees him kidnapped by the Phalanx and replaced with an EvilCounterpart Phalanx clone. He and his fellow Acolytes are rescued in the ending.
* BarrierWarrior: In his early appearances primarily, and most notably during the ''Bloodties'' crossover.
* BiblicalBadGuy: It's right there in his name, and he's also given to grandiloquent, Biblical turns of phrase, such as calling himself 'the resurrection and the life'.
* BlackAndWhiteInsanity: This is the major flaw that makes Exodus a villain: being a literal KnightTemplar from an earlier period in history, he is dangerously prone to this kind of thinking, seeing mutants as good no matter who they are and humans as evil no matter who they are. He seems to have slowly been growing out of this, though, and if his 2014 appearance as an agent of SHIELD (reporting to totally human Maria Hill, even!) is any indication, he may have even [[CharacterizationMarchesOn grown out of it entirely]].
* BraidsOfAction: Introduced with a downplayed version of this hairstyle.
* BreakTheHaughty: Charles Xavier hands him an (admittedly eleventh hour) defeat in ''X-Men Legacy'' that clearly shocks him, so much so that he renounces his title on the spot and practically ''begs'' Xavier to take up leadership of the Acolytes. Even after Chuck doesn't, he still has a newfound respect for the man that has stuck in later appearances.
* ChurchMilitant: Prior to his mutant abilities being awakened, Bennet was a crusader knight in the service of the medieval Catholic church.
* ConvenientComa: The usual [[PutOnABus bus pass]] he gets issued.
* CoolTeacher: When he joins the sovereign nation of Krakoa he takes the role of educating young mutant children on the history of Mutant kind and Krakoa’s culture. The children are very fond of him.
* CruelToBeKind: Twice, and both times involved a scene where he puts someone in a NeckLift.
** Back in the nineties he did this to the junior Acolyte Scanner for daring to take a peek at the mindwiped Magneto who Exodus had sequestered to protect his dignity and privacy.
** Much more recently he did this to Cypher in an attempt to demonstrate to Doug the foolishness of HonorBeforeReason (specifically that he was insisting on fighting in a TrialByCombat despite still being a novice to combat).
* DependingOnTheWriter: Several aspects of Bennet's character vary from writer to writer -- most notably his powers, resulting in plenty of cases of ForgotAboutHisPowers and StrongAsTheyNeedToBe, but also his motives, his morals, even his very sanity. This is a character who has gone from being a NobleDemon and borderline HeroAntagonist to a DrunkOnTheDarkSide megalomaniac interested only in his own ascension and right back again. Most recently as of 2014, Exodus was seen as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, a ''massive'' HeelFaceTurn for a character that just seven years before had forcefully seized a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier for his own ends.
* DieOrFly: This is how Apocalypse awakened his mutant powers -- namely, he chucked a giant boulder at him.
* DivingKick: Not seen so much in the comics, but as a [[MiniBoss mid-boss]] in ''VideoGame/XMenMutantApocalypse'' this is practically his SignatureMove.
* DoesNotLikeMagic: Being a displaced 12th century knight, it's no surprise that he has this attitude. He rebukes the High Evolutionary for his "occult dabblings" and considers the Scarlet Witch mutantkind's #1 enemy after she brings about M-Day, referring to her as 'The Pretender'. [[spoiler: He softens on this after the ''Trial of Magneto'', when Wanda uses her death and resurrection to become 'The Redeemer', creating a mutant afterlife and ultimate Cerebro back-up that also a) neatly bypasses the need for the Crucible, b) allows the resurrection of every mutant that ever slipped through Cerebro's sensors, and tells her story alongside her.]]
* TheDragon: To Magneto, replacing the treacherous Fabian Cortez. He stayed Magneto's Dragon throughout most of the 90s (and earned appearances as a mid-boss in most of the X-Men video games of the day as a result) but parted ways with the master of magnetism offscreen.
** DragonAscendant: Ironically became this despite not wanting it, being forced to assume Magneto's place as leader of the Acolytes after Charles Xavier brainfried Mags in ''ComicBook/FatalAttractionsMarvelComics''.
** DragonTheirFeet: In ''Fatal Attractions'', where the X-Men got around having to fight him and Magneto at once by teleporting him (along with all the other Acolytes) into Avalon's escape pods and jettisoning them (why Exodus didn't simply return with his teleportation is never specified, but can be inferred as a consequence of his being UnskilledButStrong).
* TheDreaded: Fabian Cortez and Astra are both ''terrified'' of this guy. Given that they're both enemies of [[MyMasterRightOrWrong Magneto]], this is perhaps justified.
* DuelingMessiahs: With [[CloningBlues Joseph]] in the 1996 ''Magneto'' miniseries.
* EarlyBirdCameo: His first appearance in ''ComicBook/XFactor'' amounts to this, basically just popping up out of nowhere to play MysteriousWatcher for a few panels before flying away.
* EnemyMine:
** He allies himself and his Acolytes with [[EvilutionaryBiologist Mr. Sinister]] in ''Messiah Complex'', believing Sinister to be mutantkind's best chance for survival.
** Also his 2014 appearance in ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'' (v3), which saw him pulling an enormous HeelFaceTurn by becoming an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the head of their psi division.
* EnigmaticMinion: Early on, before his background was revealed.
* TheExtremistWasRight: YMMV. In ''X-Men: Legacy'' he decided to kill Cyclops after reading Rogue and Wolverine's memories and becoming convinced that Scott was a threat to the mutant race. Shortly after this storyline happened we got the CrisisCrossover of ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'', during which Cyclops went full baddie, killed Professor X and became the new Dark Phoenix. Of course, not only was Cyclops pushed to the edge of sanity by constant attacks from the Avengers and Xavier himself (who should have known from the original Phoenix Saga how ''that'' would go), he only had the Phoenix because of what the Avengers tried to do to the Phoenix, and the end of the event sparked the regeneration of mutantkind. So...
* FacialMarkings: His strange forehead marks. Canonically they're scars from his duel with the [[Characters/Avengers60sMembers Black Knight]], but only a few artists seem to ever get that memo.
* AFatherToHisMen: While [[DependingOnTheWriter ignored by some writers]], Exodus typically is on very good terms with the Acolytes, and he managed to keep the team together for some time after Magneto was given a psychic lobotomy in ''Fatal Attractions''. Notably, he and Colossus were often depicted in supplementary material as BashBrothers, which makes it strange reading some issues where Colossus refers to Exodus in no uncertain terms as a monster.
* FallenAngel: Not literally one, but often referred to in such terms during the [[DorkAge brief period]] where he was severely weakened after his battle with Holocaust and reduced to a "psionic vampire" state. Blindfold also referred to him as a "mad, scary angel" when he showed up at the X-Manson in the ''Lost Tribes'' story.
* TheFettered: Interestingly so. He has the power to chew up a whole team of X-Men and spit them right back out, but being a WellIntentionedExtremist makes him pull his punches when forced to fight his fellow mutants. Best demonstrated in ''X-Men Legacy'', where one memorable fight had several ApologeticAttacker moments on his part and it ''still'' took two whole teams of X-Men to take him down.
* FishOutOfTemporalWater: Of the "Past to Present-Day" variety. Not explored very much as of 2015, but as a 12th century knight in the modern day, Exodus is most certainly one of these.
* TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne: Telepaths tend to sense him instantly whenever he shows up in a story, partly due to his high power level and partly due to the wide-band PsychicStatic he projects wherever he goes. His test of Professor X in ''X-Men: Legacy'' in particular put out enough psychic energy that telepaths literally ''on the other side of the world'' were able to feel it.
* ForgotAboutHisPowers: Suffers this a lot, as frequently writers just haul him out of Comic Book Limbo to be a random villain team leader to throw at the X-Men. Good examples includes the ''Heroes and Villains'' arc that was Chuck Austen's last story for the X-Men and ''Messiah Complex'' which features such lowlights as Nightcrawler neutralizing him by teleporting him away and Emma Frost managing to stalemate him a psychic duel... somehow.
* ForgotICouldFly: ''Messiah Complex'' features not one but ''two'' instances of this on Bennet's part, done to facilitate jobbing to Nightcrawler and Emma Frost respectively.
* ForgottenFriendNewFoe: To the heroic Black Knight, Dane Whitman.
* FrenchJerk: When his [[DependingOnTheWriter more villainous traits]] are being played up.
* TheFundamentalist: Exodus is not stupid, but he has a very basic, very black-and-white view of the world. For most of his history that's translated to mutants=good and humans=bad.
* FutureBadass: In ''ComicBook/XMenBlue'', where he is among the members of a new Brotherhood of Mutants assembled by Magneto in the future to save mutantkind from the Reaver virus (which the Avengers and X-Men both fail to do).
* GenericDoomsdayVillain: He comes ''so'' close to being this, but mercifully falls just a hair short. Wielding one of the longest arsenal of mutant abilities of any X-villain and at truly StoryBreakerPower levels to boot, Exodus is a difficult character to write a story with, since the obvious question of "why doesn't he just curbstomp the X-Men before they can blink" is one not easily answered. What keeps him from falling into this trope fully is that, unlike true Generic Doomsday Villains, he has a fairly fleshed-out personality and his motives are not malevolent, being a WellIntentionedExtremist in the vein of his mentor Magneto.
* GoodThingYouCanHeal: At one point Emma Frost distracted him long enough for Dust to get inside him and shred all his internal organs. He was back on his feet and none the worse for wear a few pages later.
* GracefulLoser: In ''X-Men Legacy'', after being defeated by the combined teams of Wolverine's mutant academy and Utopia's youth squad. It helps that reuniting the two groups was basically his end goal all along.
* HazyFeelTurn: In 2019's ''House of X'', he has [[spoiler:joined the X-Men in Krakoa and sits on their 'Quiet Council' that governs the fledgling mutant nation... though his particular group is comprised of him, Mystique and ''Sinister'', so who knows what will come of ''that''.]].
* HearingVoices: Hinted at a couple of times, with the implication that his unnaturally powerful PsychicPowers are to blame.
* HonorBeforeReason: In ''Messiah Complex'', where he reluctantly teams up with [[StalkerWithATestTube Mister Sinister]], despite knowing full well [[TheStarscream what he is]], because Sinister's scientific brilliance makes him (seemingly) the best hope the mutant race has for a revival after M-Day.
* IAmNotLeftHanded: Despite his periodic [[TheWorfEffect worfings]] it has been stated in-story as recently as 2014 that he has never truly been pushed to his limits. In his most well-known showing, he took on ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, ComicBook/{{Cyclops}}, ComicBook/{{Gambit}}, ComicBook/{{Storm}} and several other Avengers and X-Men, taking everything they had to dish out and giving back more. Even in his second most recent (as of 2017) appearance as a villain it still took two whole teams of X-Men to subdue him -- and he was holding ''back'' in that battle! In his most recent appearance, he effortlessly reduced Mystique to a drooling, gibbering wreck and went toe to toe with Magneto himself.
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: With his ancestral friend Eobar Garrington in the climax of his origin story ''Black Knight: Exodus''.
* ImmuneToMindControl: Being one of the world's most powerful telepaths comes with its perks. When Maria Hill deploys a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. telepaths to subdue him during a 2007 annual, he just shrugs off their combined efforts and smacks them down as an afterthought.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Bennet can be harsh and uncompromising, and is not above manhandling his own teammates at times. But much like his mentor Magneto, his intentions are noble and he wants nothing more than to protect mutantkind.
* KickTheDog: Prone to these every now and then, due to his [[DependingOnTheWriter fluctuating evil quotient]], but the worst one was menacing little Luna Maximoff in ''Blood Ties''.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: To Fabian Cortez in ''Bloodties''.
* KidnappedByTheCall: Apocalypse abducts him after putting him through a life-or-death test and alters him off panel. When he appears again, he's sporting RedEyesTakeWarning and appears to be just a hair away from being BrainwashedAndCrazy.
* KlingonPromotion: Played with -- he executes his predecessor Fabian Cortez, but he's already established himself as Magneto's new Dragon by that time.
* KnightTemplar: An ''actual'' medieval knight, even! (And very possibly an actual Knight Templar, as the historical order was at the peak of its prominence in his day).
* LifeDrinker: He tried this on [[ComicBook/XMan Nate Grey]] back when he was going through his "psionic vampire" phase. [[CurbstompBattle This was a bad idea.]]
* LightIsNotGood: A crusader knight whose only desire is see his people prosper... and one of the X-Men's most dangerous foes.
* LimitedWardrobe: One of the few X-villains who's never been seen in civvies. Being a time-displaced KnightTemplar, one almost wonders what he'd consider to be casual wear.
* MeaningfulName: Apocalypse originally named him Exodus due to intending him to be 'the bridge between the distant past and the inevitable future'.
* MisanthropeSupreme: Magneto indoctrinated the philosophy of HumansAreTheRealMonsters into him. His conviction in it was rock-solid in his first big appearances, but wavering by the time he secretly took control of Genosha. He intended Genosha to he [[TheAtoner his penance]] for his past anti-human actions, but when it all fell down around him, his takeaway from the experience just reinforced this belief. [[IgnoredEpiphany Never mind that the mutants were also killing willy-nilly]].
* MotiveDecay: Despite Professor X convincing him to disband the Acolytes for the good of mutantkind in ''X-Men Legacy'', ''House of X'' saw him randomly reform the group offscreen for reasons even omega level mutants can only speculate to. Not that it mattered, since the group quickly signed up for and was subsumed into the fledgling mutant nation of Krakoa.
* MouthOfSauron: During the period where Magneto was out of commission he was often described as the 'Voice of Magneto'.
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Of Magneto. He even [[InsistentTerminology referred to the man]] as 'Lord Magneto'.
* MysteriousWatcher: In his very first appearance.
* TheNeedsOfTheMany: Related to the second CruelMercy example above, Exodus offers to kill Cypher so that he can take the boy's place in the Contest of Swords, as he is stronger than Doug could ever hope to be and since the island would eventually resurrect him. Not surprisingly, Cypher isn't too keen on this.
* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: His HealingHands power above was actually confirmed as being this by the writers of ''ComicBook/HeroesForHire'', who eventually revealed that Marvel forbade them from creating any new Acolytes for that miniseries. Seeing as how half of the Acolytes were [[WeAreTeamCannonFodder dead by this point]], it kind of put said writers in a bind.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: More of a LesserOfTwoEvils instance, but tearing his own space station base apart trying to defend it from [[OmnicidalManiac Holocaust]]? Nice, Paris. Real nice.
* NighInvulnerability: At one point he tanked Cyclops's optic blasts, Storm's lightning bolts and Siryn's sonic scream -- ''all at once''.
* NoPlaceForMeThere: In ''X-Men: Legacy'' he declares that he will "lead (his people) to the promised land but not enter it with them" after using MindControl to enthrall an entire squad of X-Men into helping him kill Cyclops (the Utopia youth squad shows up and breaks his hold before he can go through with it).
* NobleBigot: He's more or less the SuperSupremacist version of this, as like Magneto and Apocalypse he believes that mutants are the MasterRace compared to humanity, but unlike them he doesn't believe in killing humans wantonly (DependingOnTheWriter; he's gone from being described as "having a fundamental disregard for the lives of ordinary humans" in earlier appearances to [[http://i.imgur.com/tRNPQKG.jpg making it a point to spare a human Sentinel pilot's life while disabling the Sentinel itself]].
* NobleTopEnforcer: He is the biggest gun Magneto's ever had at his disposal and follows an actual knightly code of honor, being an actual knight from hundreds of years ago.
* NotSoAboveItAll: When his plan to unite Genosha is ruined by the X-Men and he witnesses a Romeo and Juliet-inspired doomed couple get killed in front of him. You can just ''see'' the exact moment Bennet hits the DespairEventHorizon as he drops to his hands and knees in the dirt and weeps. Sadly, StatusQuoIsGod turned this into an IgnoredEpiphany.
* NotSoStoic: Most notably in the penultimate issue of ''Quicksilver'', when he learns the present-day Black Knight was actually the same one he fought beside in the 12th century. See StableTimeLoop below.
* OneManArmy: His power is such that he can effortlessly take down entire teams of mutants. At the apex of his power, Exodus was able to handle the Avengers and X-Men simultaneously while ''also'' holding Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Jean Grey and Crystal captive in his force fields (he couldn't keep it up for long though). The only individuals who've ever really matched him are teambusters like Magneto himself, Apocalypse, and [[ComicBook/XMan Nate Grey]] (who would [[ComicBook/UncannyXMen2018 eventually]] NoSell almost all of the X-Men at once while having a philosophical discussion with ComicBook/JeanGrey inside his head).
* OrcusOnHisThrone: After the ''Blood Ties'' crossover, he proceeded to spend the next two years on Avalon doing.. not a whole lot. Even the supplemental merchandise makers caught on to it, with his trading cards describing him as 'brooding on Avalon'. [[EpilepticTrees Possibly]] [[JustifiedTrope justified]] if he was spending all that time trying to heal Magneto.
* OurVampiresAreDifferent: He was briefly reduced to a [[LifeDrinker "psychic vampire"]] after his brutal fight with Holocaust that knocked Avalon out of orbit, winding up in the French Alps. Shortly afterwards, he was woken up by Nate Grey and Cable's fight, attempting to feed on the former. He was having the best of it... until Nate sensed that he'd been empowered by Apocalypse and promptly went completely berserk, overloading him, then dropping him down a crevasse and sealing it behind him.
* OutdatedOutfit: His original costume, which is about as 90s as it gets and hence vanished for a long stretch, during which new outfits were used for him, [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bhexodus.png some better]] [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-x-men_legacy_vol_1_261_textless_3729.jpg than others]]. As of his 2016 appearance in ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'' (v4), he seems to have gone back to his old duds.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: A firm believer in this, exemplified by his cruel treatment of AssholeVictim extraordinaire Fabian Cortez before executing him and blanket nuking of a mob of Genoshans (who were probably mostly slavers, but almost certainly not ''all'' slavers) upon arriving there in ''Blood Ties''.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Here's a hint -- when he describes himself as "Magneto's heir in spirit and '''power'''", he's ''not kidding''.
* PetTheDog: He's very much AFatherToHisMen, in contrast to Cortez's BadBoss tendencies. Healing Professor X in ''X-Men: Legacy'' might also count as this.
* PopularityPower: An in-universe example, owing to his PsychoactivePowers. Like ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' villain Samuel Sullivan, Exodus draws strength from the {{Mutants}} around him, with those mutants that trust and believe in him giving him the strongest power boosts.
* PowerFloats: Clearly a habit he picked up from Magneto.
* PoweredByAForsakenChild: Once when severely weakened he manifested a LifeDrinker ability that was almost certainly a [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique 'gift']] from Apocalypse.
* PowersDoTheFighting: Despite being a crusader knight trained in the use of martial weaponry, it is very rare for Exodus to fight with anything other than his overwhelming mutant powers.
* ProphetEyes: Artwork is inconsistent as to whether he's only got these when using his powers or if they're a permanent fixture.
* PsychoactivePowers: Ostensibly the reason behind his [[StrongAsTheyNeedToBe constantly-fluctuating]] power levels -- like fellow X-villain [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Gladiator]], Exodus's strength is directly tied to his confidence, and it's implied that he draws psionic energy directly from his followers.
* PsychicPowers: A clear case of ComboPlatterPowers, borderlining SuperpowerLottery at times. Like Jean Grey, Bennet is a combo telepath/telekinetic, albeit one who can utilize his powers in several unorthodox ways. His already formidable abilities were further ramped up by Apocalypse, resulting in a mutant that has never been officially classified but is nonetheless extremely powerful.
** AstralProjection: He fights Professor X on the astral plane in ''X-Men Legacy''.
** AwesomenessByAnalysis: He can temporarily gain skills by reading the minds of those who possess them. At one point he captures {{ComicBook/Cable}} and uses his future knowledge to build a perfected version of Xavier's Cerebro machine.
** DeflectorShields: See BarrierWarrior above.
** EyeBeams: Mostly used during the ''Blood Ties'' crossover and his video game appearances. They're yellow, as opposed to Cyclops's red.
** {{Flight}}: Can fly at Mach-2 speeds.
** HealingFactor: Seems to be able to use his MindOverMatter powers to accomplish this. See GoodThingYouCanHeal above.
** HealingHands: He has [[DeathIsNotPermanent resurrected dead Acolytes]] on several occasions (or at least that's the official excuse for D-list Acolytes turning up in background shots after their deaths) and gave Professor X PsychicSurgery after the events of ''Messiah Complex''.
** MassHypnosis: At one point, for a period of months he hypnotized the entire population of Genosha (which was later numbered to be in the ''millions'') into living in peace together. However, even his formidable powers weren't enough to pull this off naturally; he kidnapped X-Men super-inventor Forge and made him build a SuperEmpowering machine to pull it off.
** MindManipulation: Not at first, this being one of the powers he has to grow into (see UnskilledButStrong below), but by ''Messiah Complex'' he's become probably the only telepath on Earth who can rival Professor X. Naturally, he's got all the variations on this -- MindControl, [[MindProbe mind probes]] and so on.
** MindOverMatter: One of the most powerful telekinetics in the Marvel U. His various side abilities all seem to come from this, such as being able to conduct PsychicSurgery and affect a HealingFactor by telekinetically reconstructing flesh atom by atom.
** {{Telepathy}}: In ''Messiah Complex'' he was revealed to be among the top five mutant telepaths, along with Professor X, Jean Grey, Emma Frost and Mr. Sinister (who technically isn't a mutant).
* PsychicStatic: His presence apparently generates constant telepathic 'interference' strong enough to hinder the likes of ComicBook/JeanGrey and ComicBook/EmmaFrost.
* PsychicSurgery: Reconstructed Professor X's brain after a [[BoomHeadshot headshot]] from Bishop turned it to mush at the end of ''Messiah Complex''.
** TeleportSpam: If you want an idea of how frustrating it must be for the X-Men to deal with this guy, try fighting him in ''VideoGame/XMenMutantApocalypse''.
* PurpleIsPowerful: Also something he picked up from his time with Magneto.
* PutOnABus: Many times, as his extremely high power level combined with his lack of a clear role in the overarching narrative translate to writers frequently having little idea of what to do with him. Said bus has taken the shape of a mountain crypt, a fissure in the Earth, the X-brig on Utopia, and even a ''black hole''.
* RandomPowerRanking: As of 2019's ''House of X'', Exodus is a confirmed Omega level mutant.
* RealMenLoveJesus: In ''Black Knight: Exodus'' he was shown to be as devout as you would expect a Crusader knight to be. Whether he still loves Jesus in the present day, has transferred his Jesus love to [[DarkMessiah Magneto]], or loves both equally, is never made clear.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Exodus was born in 12th century France and was at one point a Crusader, making him one of the oldest living mutants -- although still a baby compared to Apocalypse and Selene.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: In ''Black Knight: Exodus'', after being temporarily brainwashed by Apocalypse.
* RedOniBlueOni: The stoic, direct and fanatically loyal disciple of Magneto stands in contrast to the flamboyant, scheming and treacherous Fabian Cortez.
* ReligiousBruiser: A crusader knight who has sworn his sword to Christ and then Magneto. Whether he shifted his belief from one to the other, or believes in both, has never been clarified.
* SanitySlippage: In ''Blood Ties'', where he goes in the span of a few issues from intending to rescue his adopted liege lord's granddaughter from Fabian Cortez to threatening to ''kill'' said granddaughter for the 'crime' of being born human. Implied to be a result of his fairly unstable powerset; see UnskilledButStrong below.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: In one what-if tale where Avalon isn't destroyed Exodus comes to lead one of the two main factions on Avalon, the 'Isolationists' who advocate bailing on Earth completely and taking Avalon into deep space.
* SealedBadassInACan: This or SealedEvilInACan depending on how he's being written and at what point he was sealed. His initial sealing, the one that lasted for some 800 years, falls more under the first category as he'd just rebelled against Apocalypse. Later sealings tend to fall under the latter category. None of them ever stick, which is pointedly [[LampshadedTrope lampshaded]] by Exodus himself at one point.
--> '''Exodus''': A thousand prisons throughout the centuries could not contain me... [[BadassBoast and neither shall you]]!
* SocialDarwinist: [[DependingOnTheWriter Sometimes]].
* SmugSnake: He's constantly smirking and [[KickTheDog kicking dogs]] in ''Quicksilver'', which is really weird considering how he's portrayed [[TheStoic most of]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist the time]].
* StableTimeLoop: Dane Whitman, the Black Knight of the present day, was transported by Eternal magic into the body of his ancestor Eobar Garrington, who was Bennet's best friend and fellow Crusader Knight during the Third Crusade. It was Dane, in Eobar's body, who drove Bennet into continuing their previously-shared quest alone, setting into motion a chain of events that led to his becoming Exodus.
* TheStoic: As a 12th century knight, it's unsurprising that he would affect this demeanor.
* StoryBreakerPower: The main reason why he isn't used very often. Let's face it, if he and Magneto had ever gotten the opportunity to fight the X-Men together, they would have beaten them all, leveled the X-Mansion and curbstomped the human militaries of the world as an afterthought.
* SuperPrototype: Not stated as such, but there's a real good chance he was this for Apocalypse. Despite predating Mr. Sinister and the Four Horsemen, Exodus is easily leagues more powerful than them. This is probably why Apocalypse [[SealedBadassInACan sealed him away]].
* SuperWeight: Straddles the line between 4 and 5.
* SupermanSubstitute: He's a FlyingBrick who shares many of the trope namer's powers, who is one and the older and more experienced mutants, regarded as among the most powerful of them, is TheLeader to whatever team he's on, and is in a way the LastOfHisKind (being one of the only crusader knights who survived into the present day).
* TeleportersAndTransporters: A teleporter of great range, to the point and being able to transport himself and others between Earth and the space station Avalon with ease.
* UnskilledButStrong: A strange example. Though not by any means unskilled, Bennet just has so ''many'' powers that he frequently seems to struggle under the weight of them all. His presence is always announced by wide-band PsychicStatic, his early appearances showed him having visible difficulty using his more complex powers, and a few appearances imply that he suffers from a psychic variant of schizophrenia on account of not being able to block out all the voices around him.
--> '''Exodus''': ''[to Rogue]'' Foolish child. My powers are far too vast for you to steal. [[note]] Turns out all she needed to steal was one of them. [[/note]]
** Ironically enough, considering the above, when weakened and reduced to a form of energy vampirism, he ran into someone far stronger than he was in the form of [[ComicBook/XMan Nate Grey]], who promptly overloaded him and wiped the floor with him.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: In his origin story, ''Black Knight: Exodus'', we see his first (and so far only) pre-Exodus appearance, and he turns out to have been pretty cheerful and easygoing for a medieval crusader.
* VerticalKidnapping: This is his most damaging move in ''VideoGame/XMenMutantApocalypse'' - he grabs your character, flies a few hundred feet up, then throws them back to the ground.
* VillainousRescue: While his status as a villain is debatable at this point, he and Elixir come to Magneto's rescue once again in ''ComicBook/XMenBlue'', allowing him to teleport to their secret base to escape a mutant mob and later teleporting him around the world in order to stop the Mothervine threat once and for all.
* VoiceOfTheLegion: During the 90s Exodus's speech bubbles were unique, somewhat like Deadpool's, except instead of being yellow they were purple-bordered. The effect they're going for was implied to be that he's always speaking verbally ''and'' telepathically simultaneously (see UnskilledButStrong above). Like many interesting 90s character tics, this was quietly dropped/forgotten about, though in this case he might have simply developed greater control over his powers offscreen.
* VowOfCelibacy: ''X-Men: Legacy'' revealed that he swore one back during his days as a crusader knight.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Exodus wants what's best for his people. He really, really does. It's just that between being a fish out of temporal water and the general instability his powers seem to inflict on him, that he has funny ways of going about it sometimes.
* WhatMeasureIsAMook: Subverted during the story arc where Holocaust attacks Avalon. Exodus ''goes berserk'' when he witnesses Holocaust murder one of his Acolytes in front of him. Played straight when it comes to humans, though, as Exodus has absolutely no problem at all with massacring human {{Mooks}} wholesale in the defense of his people.
* WideEyedIdealist: A super-rare villainous example, [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by him having the black and white outlook of a Knight Templar.
* TheWorfEffect: On the receiving end from Nate Grey in the 90s - Exodus was a [[LifeDrinker psychic vampire]] following his brawl with Holocaust, and Nate was leaking psychic power all over the place. Exodus tried to feed on him, had the best of it, then Nate [[BerserkButton sensed that he'd been enhanced by Apocalypse]] and [[UnstoppableRage went mad with rage.]] Exodus wound up overloaded and at the bottom of a sealed up crevasse very shortly afterwards. (Though on the upside, it did seem to cure the vampirism problem.)
** In Creator/BrianMichaelBendis's ''Uncanny'' run, he [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains casually got his neck snapped by new villain Matthew Malloy]]. Though not a hugely popular character, fan outcry over it (and more specifically over Bendis's 'only ten people will care' remark) led to a very quick RetCon.
* WorthyOpponent:
** Regards Professor X as one.
--> '''Exodus''': You honor me with your words, Charles Xavier. It is a good thing, is it not, that enemies can respect one another? Magnus respected you to the bitter end.
** Describes Hope, who's fighting him at the time, as utterly magnificent.
* YouCannotKillAnIdea: His response to being threatened by Maria Hill.

Characters/ChildrenOfTheAtom | [[Characters/ExcaliburMarvelComics Excalibur]] | Characters/GenerationX | Characters/NewMutants | Characters/NewXMenAcademyX | Characters/{{SWORD}} | Characters/XClub | Characters/XCorp | Characters/XFactor | Characters/XForce | Characters/XStatix | Characters/XTerminators\\

Cortez quickly gathered a second generation of Acolytes, a group with massive numbers mirroring the size the X-Men had grown to by this time and organized around a ChurchMilitant ideology that exalted Magneto as a mutant messiah. Unfortunately for Cortez, Magneto had survived his assassination attempt and recruited a messiah figure of his own, the biblically-powerful mutant Exodus. Deposing Cortez with Exodus's aid, Magneto retook the reins of Acolytes, casting them firmly into the role of EvilCounterpart team to the X-Men as a whole. However, off-panel politics (the continuing fallout of the rather fiittingly titled "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_Comics#Founding Image X-odus]]) disrupted whatever plans the writers originally had for the Acolytes, Consequently, they lost their focus after two highly-publicized CrisisCrossover stories (''ComicBook/FatalAttractions'' and ''ComicBook/BloodTiesMarvelComics'') and devolved in short order into a team of SuperPoweredMooks.

* VillainDecay: Zigzagged all over; Cortez's physical threat is someties played up (as in ''X-Men Forever'') but his real threat is in his mind for political machination. He's effectively the BigBad of the first Acolytes story, leaving everyone, heroes and villains, alike to die on Asteroid M. In ''ComicBook/FatalAttractions'' he's brushed aside by Exodus almost instantly and plays no further part in the story, and in ''Blood Ties'' he's TheHeavy for having instigated the civil war on Genosha and kidnapped little Luna Maximoff, but once again he's little threat physically and ends up cowering in a sewer, pathetically begging the heroes to protect him from Exodus's wrath.

** DragonAscendant: Ironically became this despite not wanting it, being forced to assume Magneto's place as leader of the Acolytes after Charles Xavier brainfried Mags in ''ComicBook/FatalAttractions''.

* DullSurprise: Their response to being teleported off Avalon by the X-Men during ''ComicBook/FatalAttractions'' is a hilariously flat "Oh, crud."

* NotQuiteDead: After ''ComicBook/FatalAttractions''. It took him a few weeks to siphon off enough life-force to where he could get back on his feet.