Is Exodus The Moses Of Marvel’s Fall Of X?

Recently, the X-Men have found themselves in an even more dangerous situation than usual. With Fall of X killing many mutant heavy-hitters and scattering much of the mutant race to unknown corners of the Marvel Universe, there are serious questions about what will become of the X-Men. But it turns the Omega-Level Mutant Exodus may be a key player in their future salvation.

Following the Hellfire Gala, the fates of many mutant heroes are still in question. This was teased out in Immortal X-Men #14 (by Kieron Gillen, Lucas Werneck, David Curiel, Erick Arciniega, and VC’s Clayton Cowles) which revealed that while they’ve seemingly survived, they’re lost in a mysterious new setting. With few options, these mutants have turned to Exodus for guidance, setting him up to lead them to the “promised land” and salvation. In the process, the Omega-Level Mutant is reliving his origin story, hinting at the quiet importance of his earliest days.

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Exodus’ Origins, Explained

Exodus is one of Marvel’s oldest living mutants, having been born in the 12th Century. As explored in Black Knight: Exodus (by Ben Raab, Jimmy Cheung, Andy Lanning, Tom Zuiko, Richard Starkings, and Comicraft), Bennet du Paris was raised as a devout Christian and took part in the Crusades, venturing far from his birth land of France. Making his way to Jerusalem (and befriending the Black Knight of this era), Bennet became defined in part by his willingness to press on through the difficult terrain to achieve his goals. After he was told there was a place of great power lost in the desert, Bennet ventured alone into the dangerous terrain to seek out his destiny. This eventually resulted in the activation of his X-Gene, revealing his Omega-Level mutant powers.

Exodus was taken in by Apocalypse and transformed into the Exodus that modern mutants know today, as the villain initially tried to utilize Exodus’ powers for his own cause. However, Exodus fought back against his fellow ancient mutant, eventually ending up in a coma that he would not fully awaken from until Magneto located him almost a thousand years later. Exodus’s trek through the desert bears similarities to many tales of righteous believers from the Bible, a fact the faith-driven Exodus has reflected on in the past. His faith in a grand design for the future of the mutant race, and by extension all life, has remained a driving force for the Omega-Level Mutant in the Krakoa Era. Upon finding a newfound belief in the “mutant messiah” Hope, Exodus has become a steadfast (if ruthless) ally to the mutant nation. But while that faith may leave him with a dark self-confidence in most stories, and was corrupted into a horrifying form in Sins of Sinister, it could become the key to mutant survival in Fall of X.

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How Exodus Is Repeating His Origin With Modern Mutants

During the disastrous Hellfire Gala that kicked off the events of Fall of X, Exodus was one of the many mutants forced to make their way through the compromised Krakoa Gates. Charles Xavier believed that the mutants in question were killed. However, these mutants seem to be alive, albeit lost. Although they initially believed they were being sent to the mutant world of Arakko, Immortal X-Men #14 places them in some other mysterious location, with no clear landmarks. Waking up in an unknown desert alongside Destiny and Hope, Exodus finds himself standing before 250,000 assembled mutants. Since then, he’s called them all mutant pilgrims and risen up as their leader. Whether he will be the mutant Moses, leading them to the Promised Land, or will make another misstep is yet to be seen.

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Exodus’ Faith Could Save The Mutant Race

Exodus has been long defined by his faith in the future of the mutant race and the modern take on the character really leans into his deep beliefs in his people’s eventual glorious fate. This belief specifically reflects Exodus’ origin and speaks to the kind of belief that the character has frequently embraced. As he came to realize his full potential, he must now lead others on a similar path. Traveling through the desert has such deep roots for the character and Western religious stories as a whole, so it makes sense that he would see this newfound challenge as just his latest test to overcome. The fact that this test of faith will also play out for the rest of the mutant community adds a greater sense of danger to the event, however. If Exodus’ deep-seated faith is misplaced, it could lead to a truly dire situation for a quarter of a million mutants.

As Hope notes when they realize they’re stranded and lost, many of the mutants that are with them lack offensive abilities or even experience in dangerous situations. They have no supplies and only Exodus’ belief in a higher power is holding them together. If his origin is anything to go by, then Exodus might be able to guide the rest of the assembled mutants on a heroic path toward evolution into a form that’s stronger than anything they’ve known before. In the process. he could help ensure that the assembled mutant population is able to adapt to their terrible new circumstance and find their way back to the promised land. This could mean Krakoa, Arakko, Earth, or nearly any place else in Marvel’s vast cosmos.