Origin
Exodus was born Bennet du Paris, a French national who joined up with the 12th Century’s Black Knight Eobar Garrington during the Crusades. Aside from their holy quest, du Paris sought a mysterious power in a Palestinian territory called Akkaba. When he learned that the Black Knight would not aid him in the quest for power, du Paris ventured off himself. After near death experiences, du Paris finally reached Akkaba. There he was confronted by the minion Scarab. The Scarab told du Paris that he possessed the hidden power already; it had just been dormant. As a test, the Scarab battled du Paris and lost. Having proven himself as one fit to survive, du Paris was introduced to Apocalypse. Apocalypse enhanced and sped up du Paris’ mutant powers and turned him into Exodus, “the journeyman bridging the chasm between an ancient past and a distant, inevitable future.”
As a further test, Apocalypse charged Exodus to kill the modern day Black Knight, Dane Knight, and the Avenger Sersi, who had been time traveling. Exodus refused to do so after the Avengers reasoned that he was being used as a pawn. Apocalypse, annoyed by his defiance, bound the new powers of Exodus and placed him in a stasis. The Black Knight buried his friend in Switzerland and posted watchmen over the tomb. He would later be awakened in the 20th century by Magneto. Exodus found much about Magneto’s philosophy appealing, and joined Magneto’s cause and became a loyal and powerful lieutenant and disciple to the master of magnetism. Exodus on occasion will give his name as Paris Bennett, which is an alias.
Creation
Exodus, or Bennet Du Paris is a Marvel comics character, usually associated with the X-Men franchise. Exodus was created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Quesada, and he first appeared in X-Factor #92 released July 1993.
Major Story Arcs
Beginnings
Since he was first sighted by the government-sponsored incarnation of X-Factor, Exodus, who has lived for several hundred years, has acted as an unquestioning follower of Magneto and fanatic leader of the Acolytes, a remorseful peacemaker seeking to end the Genoshan civil war and, finally, as the leader of a group of mutant criminals with a grudge against the X-Men. Throughout all of his varied incarnations, Exodus has displayed a fragile psyche, as well as a fundamental disregard for the lives of regular humans. Exodus at one point held his own against the combined forces of the Avengers and the X-Men, in spite of not yet having realized his full potential. Presumed to be one of the most powerful mutants on Earth, Exodus’ mental instability and lack of morals make him an unpredictable, extremely dangerous individual.
Attack On SHIELD
After the Decimation, Exodus and the Acolytes (Frenzy, Random and Tempo) attacked the SHIELD Helicarrier. Exodus made the Helicarrier into a Cerebro type machine, hoping to find thousands of mutants having been born since M-Day. He didn’t find any, and Rogue told him that the X-Men knows that no mutants have been born, since they have the world’s most powerful telepath and he should have asked. He then went to Mr. Sinister, to ask for help to restore the mutant race.
Exodus and the Acolytes allied with Sinister to make the a new team of Marauders, and in #200 of X-Men, he and his section of the Marauders (the Acolytes(plus Uniscone)) attacked the Xavier Institute, and after a brief skirmish with the students and Colossus and Kitty Pryde, they couldn’t find what they were looking for, Destiny’s Diaries. They did find a black replica of an issue of the diaries, and after Exodus scanned Kitty’s mind and found that she believed this fake to be the original, he figures that a telepath, a powerful telepath had messed with Kitty’s mind, and he implies (the implication revealed to be true) that it was Emma Frost (this was all planned by the two women and Cyclops).
Messiah Complex
Exodus was next seen in Messiah CompleX. He was at the Marauders base when it was attacked by the X-Men, but was quickly taken out by Nightcrawler, who quickly teleported him outside and slammed him head first into the ground. In the final battle on Muir Island, Exodus battled Emma Frost psychically, her keeping him busy mentally so he couldn’t attack the others physically. This was revealed to be a plot by Emma and Dust, Dust entering Exodus’s body through his mouth and nose, and he fainted where he was.
He then organized the rescue of Charles Xavier, and had to remove his memories in order for him to survive. When Xavier was woken up by Omega Sentinel and Magneto, Frenzy went to kill Magneto because he wasn’t a mutant anymore. He shot her through the eye with a laser, and Exodus appeared to release his full wrath on Magneto but was pulled away to the psychic plane by Xavier. During his battle with Xavier, Exodus used Professor X past failures as a tool to defeat him on the Astral plane. But Xavier accepted his failures and defeated Exodus, stating that if he ever attacked him again he would turn Exodus’ powers off permanently. Exodus then state that he never intended to fight Xavier, but wanted him to lead the Acolytes.
End Of The Acolytes
Sometime later Xavier tracked Exodus and the Acolytes to an abandoned Hulk buster base. With little effort Xavier beat back all of the base defenses and took out the Acolytes one by one. Finally he stood face to face with Exodus as if prepared to battle. Instead Xavier showed Exodus all of the tragedies to hit the mutant race. Xavier wanted Exodus to change his methods in how he helped the mutant race. Pondering this, Exodus destroyed the base and told Xavier he would take a leave of absence to figure out how to best serve mutants and would no longer go by the name Exodus. Just as they are finishing their conversation, H.A.M.M.E.R. and Norman Osborn arrive to arrest Xavier.
Return to Unite
After a period of absence, Exodus appeared at the recently rebuilt Westchester X-Men base, renamed as the Jean Grey School for Higher Leaning. He has learned of the schism that has fractured the mutant community, and the idea displeases him and he has come to the school to let his objections heard and known. He is met outside the school by Rogue, Wolverine, Cannonball, Rachel Grey, Gambit, and Frenzy. Exodus talks down to them, saying that their actions weaken and endanger all mutants and that they must rejoin the mutants at Utopia or that he would force them to. A battle ensues. The X-Men manage to hold their own long enough for Rogue, using the power of Kid Gladiator, to edge out a victory against Exodus. Wolverine then tells Exodus to use his telepathy to simply read their minds to see why their stance is justified and why they will not comply with his threats or demands. Exodus does as told, and the resulting telepathic feedback he receives from the teachers in attendance actually does get him to reflect on the events leading up to the mutant split and his own actions and what he should do. Apologizing to the mutant group assembled, he then speeds off declaring that he actually has issue with Cyclops’ actions and attitudes. The X-Men at the Westchester school realize how their actions may have endangered their Utopia teammates, and so they rush after Exodus, who has a head start.
Round Two with X-Men
Rogue has reservations about not warning the Utopia base, even after Wolverine tells her flatly that he doesn’t want anyone to, and that it’s their mess and they have to be the ones to clean it up. Wolverine, Gambit, Cannonball, Rachel Grey and Frenzy head out in a X-Jet to try and catch Exodus, with Rogue using Exodus’ powers she absorbed to teleport in as the ship is leaving. She did alert Utopia, hoping that Cyclops’ Extinction Team received the message. They do manage to catch up to Exodus, but the battle is even harder this time, especially as Rogue’s Kid Gladiator powers have worn off. Help comes in the aid of Hope and her team. Despite not wishing them involved, Wolverine has no choice but to let them help. Exodus, outnumbered even more than before, is finally defeated, but he is sly about making the point that he did manage to unify the two groups of mutants and that they must unify.
The Last Will & Testament of Charles Xavier
Exodus is revealed to have become a member of SHIELD’s Psychic Division. He was called in to psychically scan and possibly shut down Matthew Malloy, an extremely powerful mutant. Exodus – an Omega-level telepath – was killed from the psychic strain.
Powers and Abilities
Exodus is an Omega Level Mutant described as a Psionic of Highest Order. His high-power levels are inexplicably linked to genetic tampering done by AApocalypse. Exodus can further enhance his powers by other people faith in him. Exodus is one of the few mutants that retain powers after the events of M-Day.
He possesses vast telepathic and telekinetic abilities; extraction of life energy and prolonged lifespan is examples of his many powers. Able to psionically transport himself, his clothing, and additional mass from one location to another. Mutant abilities enhance when others around him or he himself, have faith in him and his abilities. Can project his astral form from his body onto astral planes or the physical planes. In the physical plane he can only travel in astral form over short distances. In the astral plane, he can mentally create psionic objects and manipulate the aspects of his environment. He also has reddish skin. Exodus can use his psionic powers to increase his strength and durability. Exodus has considerably strong force fields.
Physical Characteristics
- Height: 6′
- Weight: 195 lbs
- Hair: Black
- Eyes: Solid White
Alternate Realities
Earth-295
In the Age of Apocalypse reality Exodus was a member of Magneto’s X-Men, and had a relationship with Dazzler. This reality has an Apocalypse who has taken over the world. Instead of being reawakened by Magneto, it is Apocalypse who wakes Exodus from his stasis
House Of M
Along with Vanisher and Pyro, Exodus is the ruler of Australia in this reality. He ends up upsetting some of the Hulk’s friends, and the Hulk claims leadership, however extremely briefly Exodus reclaims it, but then loses it just as quick. Magneto disowns him, saying that he brought all of this on himself.
Other Media
Video Games
X-Men : Children Of The Atom
He made a cameo here.
X-Men : Mutant Apocalypse
He appears as a boss here.
X-Men 2: Clone Wars
He appears as a boss here.