Who Is Exodus On X-Men '97? The Marvel Comics Villain Explained

This article contains spoilers for "X-Men '97" Season 2 Episode 7, "Strange Land, Savage Heart."

The previous "X-Men '97" episode, "Danger.exe," explored the fallout out of Magneto's (Matthew Waterson) death through people closest to him: Professor X (Ross Marquand), who didn't know how to live in a world without Magnus, and Magnus' estranged daughter Lorna Dane/Polaris, who has to reconcile the parts of her father she does and does not want to emulate. Now, "Strange Land, Savage Heart" looks at how Magneto's legacy is being twisted by the more militant mutants he once led.

The episode introduces "The Acolytes of Magneto," militants fighting for mutant rights if not mutant supremacy. They've even made their base in the Savage Land (a tropical region of Antarctica where cloned dinosaurs roam) just as Magneto once did. Their leader is a red-skinned, sword-wielding mutant named Exodus (Bo Poraj), whose powers range from telekinesis (animated like golden, fiery energy in "X-Men '97") to teleportation.

In the comics, Exodus debuted in the 1993 "Fatal Attractions" storyline, which "X-Men '97" loosely adapted for Magneto's heel turn at the end of Season 1. Magneto was leading mutants called the Acolytes, and when he got taken out of commission at the story's end, Exodus ascended as their leader. "Strange Land, Savage Heart," though, leaves out some details about Exodus' backstory.

Exodus is Bennet du Paris, a French mutant born in the 12th century who was made immortal after a run-in with Apocalypse. Before he was Exodus, he was a Crusader, hence his sword and knightly costume. The episode only alludes to Exodus' history — he labels his current work a "crusade," and Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough) calls him a "Templar" — but that history makes Exodus a strong foil for Nightcrawler, a Catholic with truly godly kindness and capacity to forgive.

The Acolytes previously appeared during the original "X-Men" two-parter "Sanctuary" when Magneto first created the orbital mutant refugee colony Asteroid M. Exodus did not appear in that iteration, but the comic prequel "X-Men '97: Season 2" at least shows some of his rise, such as how he freed mutants captured by the government team X-Factor and brought them to live in the Savage Land.

There's also another familiar face among the Acolytes: Colossus/Piotr Rasputin (Robert Cait), a Russian-born mutant who can make his skin into steel. Similar to Nightcrawler, Colossus is a mainstay X-Men in the comics, but was only a guest star on the animated series. This episode brings him into the fold by starting him off as one of Exodus' Acolytes.

"Strange Land, Savage Heart" returns once more to the Genoshan genocide, revealing Colossus' little sister, Illyana/Magik, was killed during it. That radicalized him into mutant separatism and distrust for humans, even if he's still more forgiving than Exodus. (Colossus' story arc mirrors "Fatal Attractions," where he joined the Acolytes after Illyana died of an anti-mutant disease, the Legacy Virus.)

Exodus made a cameo living in Genosha back in "Remember It," meaning he must've survived the genocide himself. That helps explain why he's leading the Acolytes on Magneto's original, abandoned dream of mutants living safe and separate from humans.

When the episode begins, the Acolytes kidnap presidential candidate Graydon Creed (Ben Pronsky), leader of anti-mutant hate group the Friends of Humanity. Exodus broadcasts his demands: all of X-Factor's detained mutants released, or Creed dies. The X-Men then travel to the Savage Land and convince the Acolytes to hold a trial before Creed's execution, because one mutant is especially invested in saving his soul.

Graydon Creed's hatred of mutants reflects inward; he's the son of Mystique and Sabretooth. His mother abandoned him, and his father abused him, so he hates all mutants. Their shared mother also makes him Nightcrawler's kin, so Kurt wants to save a brother who wouldn't save him.

When it seems like Kurt's words might stay Colossus' judging hand, Exodus impulsively attacks his own Acolyte. That escalates into a duel between Nightcrawler and Exodus, two teleporting swordsmen against each other — until Creed shoots Exodus and takes Nightcrawler hostage, demanding he teleport him to safety. The spurned Nightcrawler leaves Creed to wander Antarctica's frozen wasteland. 

Exodus feels like a halfway between the two greatest X-Men villains; an immortal like Apocalypse, but with the ideology of Magneto (on his bad days, anyway). Magneto is almost too good a villain, because many X-Fans forget he often is one. "Magneto was right" is a common rallying cry in "X-Men" fan forums, and even something "X-Men '97" has sometimes endorsed.

"Strange Land, Savage Heart," which features a minority trying to find something worth redeeming in a racist leader's soul, was a chance to fall back into tone-deaf platitudes about peace and forgiveness without consequence or change. Thankfully, it rights the course by prioritizing Nightcrawler's own POV. Kurt is the type of person who extends grace to people who don't deserve it, but he's also not naive enough to keep turning his cheek to Creed until the very end. Some villains don't want to be saved, but Kurt Wagner is a man who will try to first. Exodus is not, and with Magneto out of the picture, I'm hoping Creed's shot wasn't fatal; Xavier's dream needs the enduring test of a foil.

"X-Men '97" is streaming on Disney+.