Who Is Exodus? ‘X-Men ‘97’s Dangerous New Villain, Explained
X-Men '97 (2024) Season 2 has continued to pick up the pieces left by the first season, and with its most recent episode, it includes reintroducing the villain Exodus. Another product of the ‘90s era of the X-Men, Exodus is a powerful foe that many people in the fandom may not know about.
He makes his first full appearance in Season 2, Episode 5, "Strange Land, Savage Heart," and immediately we see why he has such a biblical and intense name. But there's still so much about the character we don't know. Let’s explore his history and how it ties into the series.
Who Are Exodus and the Acolytes?
Exodus, like Apocalypse, is an incredibly old mutant. Born in 12th-century France, Bennet du Paris was a crusader who felt he was destined for more than he was given. During the Crusades, he learned a lot about himself, like the fact that he was a mutant and even had a biblical experience when he saw the Phoenix Force.
Eventually, he met and was enhanced by Apocalypse, but after betraying him, was placed in a coma until he was awakened in the modern times, choosing to join Magneto as one of his Acolytes. The Acolytes were mutants who followed Magneto and trusted in his vision, unlike the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. But years later, Exodus would join the X-Men on Krakoa and, seeing Hope Summers as a messiah, protected her.
Exodus is an Omega-Level Mutant with telekinetic and telepathic powers enhanced by Apocalypse. He's also an empath with incredible durability and a regenerative healing factor. But all these powers are enhanced when those around him have faith in his abilities, making him nearly unstoppable in the right circles. He also still carries his longsword from his time as a crusader.
How Does ‘X-Men ‘97’ Adapt Exodus?
X-Men '97 Season 2 has managed to adapt decades of stories in ways that still fit with the show's narrative. For example, Magneto was the one who inspired Exodus and led the Acolytes. Still, with his death this season as well as the lives lost on Genosha in Season 1, Exodus gained inspiration in another way.
In this series, he was the one leading the Acolytes on the Savage Land, hoping to make an example of anti-mutant sympathizer Graydon Creed. Leading the Acolytes, he is a brutal mutant leader looking out for his own and ready to kill anyone in his way, including the X-Men. With his followers, it works perfectly to non-verbally show how strong he is through the faith of his Acolytes.
We see glimpses of his power as he tortures Colossus for turning against him, but overall, the show doesn't show the full range of his abilities. Even still, there's a great fight between him and Nightcrawler that gives us an idea of his skill. Overall, while the character's larger story remains unknown, X-Men '97 maintains the broad strokes of the character.
Is ‘X-Men ‘97’ the Last Time We See Exodus?
From the TV show to even toy lines, Exodus has been a fan-favorite character that fans want to see more of. Now that we've seen him in action, though, it's hard not to get caught up in the Exodus wave. Plus, as the MCU introduces a new era of X-Men, he would make a great villain to introduce between major names like Magneto and Apocalypse.
Exodus is a character that has immense potential based on the structure of his powers, his story, and how he ties into the history of characters and entities like Apocalypse and the Phoenix Force. Not only is he the perfect connective tissue to the entire X-Men universe, but he's also a great way to balance the anti-mutant hate the world suffers from.
X-Men '97 may have opened Pandora's Box by bringing Exodus into the fold, even for one episode. With so few villains that stick out, he's a character with all the best ingredients to be great, and now the only question that remains is if we ever see him again. But if we do, especially in X-Men '97, it could be the start of an even greater story set in the X-Men universe.
