ELIJAH CROSS
Real Name: Elijah Cross
Identity/Class: Human, former mutant
Occupation: Terrorist
Group Membership: X-Cell (Abyss/Nils Styger, Blob/Fred Dukes, Callisto, Fatale, Marrow/Sarah, Reaper/Pantu Hurageb)
Affiliations: Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff), Rictor (Julio Richter) (loosely), X-Cell
Enemies: The FBI (Martelli,
others), Edward
Hutchinson, X-Factor Investigations (M/Monet St. Croix, Layla
Miller, Multiple Man/Jamie Madrox, Siryn/Theresa Cassidy, Strong
Guy/Guido Carosella, Wolfsbane/Rahne Sinclair)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mutant Town, New York City, New York, USA
First Appearance: X-Factor III#17 (May, 2007)
Powers/Abilities: As a mutant, Elijah Cross formerly had the ability to increase his density into a super heavy form while still retaining his full mobility. He often used the powers to bowl over others by running into them, hitting his opponents like a ton of bricks.
While depowered during M-Day,
Cross' former mutant powers were restored by exposure to the Terrigen
Crystals wielded by Quicksilver but this restoration was temporary, as
the Crystals caused Cross' powers to overload, killing him.
Height: 3'6"
Weight: Variable
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
History:
(X-Factor III#18 (fb) - BTS) - A mutant with the ability to increase
his density to a super heavy form while still retaining his mobility.
He often used this power when humans would come after him, thinking he
was an easy target, but he "annihilated" them.
(X-Factor III#17 (fb) - BTS) - Elijah Cross blamed the government for the loss of his mutant powers during the M-Day event.
(X-Factor III#18 (fb) - BTS) - Thinking M-Day was just step one of the government's plan for mutants that they deemed threats and that registration was the second step, Cross became convinced that mutants could not wait for the government's next step and that they had to do something.
(X-Factor III#17 (fb) - BTS) - Elijah Cross formed the terrorist X-Cell organization to attack government agencies and personnel. Following an X-Cell attack on the US Undersecretary of Defense Edward Hutchinson and several other attacks, the FBI identified Cross as the ringleader of the X-Cell.
(X-Factor III#18 (fb) - BTS) - Cross realized the government was not cooperating with the X-Cell's demands and he returned to the X-Cell, informing them that he would seek out the then-deranged Quicksilver, who had set himself up in Mutant Town as someone that could restore powers.
(X-Factor III#17 (fb) - BTS) - The FBI tracked Cross down and confronted
him in Mutant Town, New York.
(X-Factor III#17) - When Elijah Cross screamed for help, X-Factor
Investigations' Rictor and Wolfsbane overheard the scream and ran into
an alley to find FBI agents beating up on Cross. Unaware of who Cross
or the FBI agents were, Wolfsbane and Rictor leaped into battle to stop
the FBI agents, whom they mistakenly thought were thugs attacking a
victim. Cross escaped during the scuffle and moments after Wolfsbane
and Rictor realized they had attacked federal agents, several armored
S.H.I.E.L.D. Cape-Killers descended from the skies and ordered them to
freeze.
(X-Factor III#17) - Following Wolfsbane and Rictor's apprehension by
federal authorities, O*N*E head Val Cooper met with X-Factor's Jamie
Madrox and informed him who Elijah Cross and the X-Cell were, further
revealing that Cross had recently escaped due to the intervention of
Wolfsbane and Rictor in Cross' FBI apprehension. Cooper then asked
Madrox to take down Elijah Cross and the X-Cell permanently, informing
him that Cross was somewhere in Mutant Town. While Cooper warned that
Madrox would help her or else, Cross himself was meeting with
Quicksilver, whom he asked for help.
(X-Factor III#18) - Meeting inside with Quicksilver, Cross informed Quicksilver about his past mutant powers and how he used to "annihilate" anyone who thought he was "easy pickings." When he claimed the government had taken away his powers and those of others during M-Day and assumed they had done so because they saw mutants as threats, Cross was questioned by Quicksilver whether or not he was sure M-Day was caused by the government. Cross exclaimed that there could be no other explanation, as he felt M-Day was the first step and mutant registration was the second step. Explaining his reasoning for forming X-Cell as way to go after the government and why he had come to Quicksilver for help, Cross revealed that the rest of the X-Cell would make their way there if Quicksilver was willing to help them. Quicksilver admitted that it was true he could help those who proved worthy and when he asked if Cross was worthy, Cross reached to shake hands and excitedly confirmed he was. Before Cross could completely shake hands with Quicksilver, however, the former Morlock Callisto intervened and attempted to apprehend Quicksilver, whom she had previously attempted to have "restore"her, only for her skin to be rendered so sensitive that rain caused her intense agony. Quicksilver time-jumped to defeat Callisto and Cross was surprised to see Quicksilver's powers. Unsure of what he had just seen and concerned about Callisto's situation, Cross asked if Quicksilver could truly help his people or not. Quicksilver assured Cross that he could help but that he may need a catalyst to transfer his power through to safely restore Cross' allies.
(X-Men: Messiah Complex Mutant Files - X-Cell entry - BTS) -
Learning that Quicksilver sought X-Factor Investigations' Rictor as the
catalyst, Cross sent the X-Cell to capture Rictor.
(X-Factor III#19) - After returning to Quicksilver's clinic with a
captured Rictor, Elijah Cross and his X-Cell allies waited outside
Quicksilver's door in case Rictor tried to escape.
(X-Factor III#20 (fb) - BTS) - Using Rictor as a catalyst,
Quicksilver restored the mutant powers of Elijah Cross.
(X-Factor III#20) - Elijah Cross then watched as Quicksilver
utilized Rictor to restore powers to his X-Cell teammates Reaper,
Fatale and Abyss. When Quicksilver and X-Cell felt the ground shaking,
Cross ran to the window and reported an army of Jamie Madrox duplicates
marching towards Quicksilver's clinic. Figuring Madrox would be on the
same side as the X-Cell against the government, Cross admitted his
mistake before ordering Reaper, Abyss and Fatale to take the duplicates
down. Cross joined his three teammates in attacking the Madrox
duplicates and his allies in X-Factor Investigations, claiming that
Madrox brought the attack on himself and that they could have been
friends. During the battle, Cross used his restored powers to bowl over
numerous Madrox duplicates but the real Madrox soon noticed a burning
smell. Moments later, Cross' body began smoking and Cross assumed
X-Factor Investigations was behind his situation. Exclaiming that he
would make X-Factor pay for what they were doing, Cross soon combusted.
When Fatale began complaining of being hot, M asked her if she received
her powers back the same Cross had and a terrified Fatale replied in
the affirmative. X-Factor deduced that Cross had exploded because
Quicksilver's ability to restore mutant powers was still unstable and
Abyss used his remaining power to transport Reaper and Fatale into the
dimension through which he teleported. With Cross dead, half of the
X-Cell transported away, and Callisto and Marrow escaping into the
sewers, Madrox assumed Val Cooper would not be happy.
Comments: Created by Peter David, Khoi Pham and Sandu Florea.
Elijah Cross appeared to be Caucasian in X-Factor III#17-18 with light brown hair (see above headshot & post-M-Day images) but in X-Factor III#20, he appeared to have darker skin and darker brown hair (see main image). It's possible that his darker skin and hair color could have been an after effect of Quicksilver using Terrigen Crystals to restore his mutant powers and a small sign of Cross' impending burnout but it equally could have just been a coloring error.
No actual explanation was given
for Elijah Cross short and almost childlike stature but my guess is
that his mutant powers somewhat stunted his height as he became super
dense.
This profile was finished on 08/08/2025, but saved for the late Peter David's birthday!
Profile by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Elijah Cross should be distinguished from:
| --X-Factor III#17 |
Appearances:
X-Factor III#17 (May, 2007) - Peter David (writer), Khoi Pham
(pencils), Sandu Florea (inks), Andy Schmidt (editor)
X-Factor III#18 (June, 2007) - Peter David (writer), Khoi Pham
(pencils), Sandu Florea (inks), Andy Schmidt (editor)
X-Factor III#19 (July, 2007) - Peter David (writer), Khoi Pham
(pencils), Sandu Florea (inks), Andy Schmidt (editor)
X-Factor III#20 (August, 2007) - Peter David (writer), Khoi Pham
(pencils), Sandu Florea (inks), Andy Schmidt (editor)
X-Men:
Messiah Complex Mutant Files (2007) - Eric J. Moreels (head writer,
coordinator, writer), Jeff Christiansen (head writer, coordinator),
Chad Anderson, Stuart Vandal, David Wiltfong, Sean McQuaid, Chris
Biggs, Michael Hoskin, Mike Fichera, Ronald Byrd, Madison Carter
(writers), Khoi Pham (X-Cell entry art), Pond Scum (art
reconstruction), Jeff Youngquist, Jennifer Grunwald (editors)
First posted: 09/23/2025
Last updated: 08/08/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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Martelli