X-Men's Very First Mystery Power is Solved by Angel's Ultimate Form
When Ultimate Marvel’s Angel took the mutant growth hormone drug Banshee to escalate his powers, his abilities took an unexpected turn, giving an exciting explanation for X-Men's original mystery superpower. Unlike the changes that Apocalypse wrought when transforming Warren Worthington III into Archangel, including blue skin and metallic, razor-sharp wings, this was a more natural change — with Angel going full bird-man. In addition to sporting the wings and head of a majestic eagle, this appearance offered an incredibly satisfying answer about his powers.
Ever since his debut as a founding X-Man, fans have wondered why Worthington’s powers so perfectly mimic the religious concept of an angel, and what significance this had to his abilities (especially once he developed the powers of healing and even resurrection.) The mainstream continuity eventually explained that he may be descended from the Cheyarafim: a group of angel-like mutants who existed in Biblical times alongside demon-like mutants called the Neyaphem. It is suggested that the appearance of these types of mutants gave rise to humanity's initial belief in angels and demons. It's a smart answer — Warren looks like an angel because he's descended from the mutants who inspired that idea in the first place — but Ultimate X-Men took a different path.
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A separate continuity designed to tell stories free of mainstream comics history, the Ultimate Universe put its mutants through Hell, from being tortured by shady government organizations to having their DNA harvested to create power-enhancing drugs. When Angel uses Banshee to join Colossus’ supercharged version of the X-Men, the end result seen in
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