Death Seed Archangel

Death Seed Archangel's History

X-Factor's formation begins a period of upheaval in Warren's life. Cameron Hodge abuses Warren's trust and portrays X-Factor as "mutant hunters" for hire, further fueling anti-mutant sentiment. An altercation with the Brotherhood of Mutants allows Mystique to discover the relationship between the "mutant hunters" and the former X-Men; she exposes Warren as the financial backer for X-Factor, causing a public relations nightmare. Warren's wings are mutilated during the Mutant Massacre by the Marauder, Harpoon. When the wings develop gangrene, Cameron Hodge violates Angel's wishes and has the crippled wings amputated.Despondent over the loss, Warren escapes the hospital and commandeers his private jet. It explodes in the air as the rest of X-Factor watch helplessly from below. It is ultimately revealed that Hodge sabotaged Warren's plane in order to finish off his nemesis, in an apparent suicide.

Seconds before the explosion, Warren is spirited away by the ancient mutant Apocalypse. Apocalypse offers to restore Angel's wings if Angel will serve him as one of his Four Horsemen. Apocalypse subjects Angel to extensive genetic alterations, giving him blue skin and organic metal wings which can cut through almost anything. The wings can fire the metal feathers as projectiles. Apocalypse gives Worthington the title of Death. He makes Worthington the leader of his Horsemen after Worthington beats the others in a fight, and gives him a drug that remove his reservations to follow Apocalypse's dark plans. Death is unveiled to X-Factor during their second encounter with the Horsemen, and Warren sadistically exploits the weaknesses of his friends to defeat them in combat.During a later attack on Manhattan, Iceman fakes his own death at Warren's hands, hoping that the shock of killing a friend will enable him to break free of the influence of Apocalypse's drug. Although freed, Warren refuses to rejoin X-Factor, feeling that he has changed too much psychologically to be a hero.

He seeks out Candy Southern, but finds that she is missing. Warren learns that Candy has been lobotomised to protect Cameron Hodge's secrets, including the establishment of the anti-mutant militia "The Right" using funds embezzled from Worthington. In the confrontation that follows, Hodge murders Candy in front of Warren and Warren decapitates Hodge. Changing his codename from "Death" to "Dark Angel", he later rejoins X-Factor and takes the codename "Archangel" during the events of Inferno.

Warren later meets and becomes romantically involved with Charlotte Jones, a New York City Police officer and single mother. It is with Charlotte's help that X-Factor frees Warren from the Ravens, a cult of near-immortal psychic vampires. It is during this battle that Warren's survival is made public knowledge, allowing him to regain control over his family's remaining business holdings and his personal fortune. X-Factor rejoins the X-Men following the defeat of the Shadow King on Muir Island