The X-Men have counted plenty of unexpected and bizarre mutants among their number over the years -- with one of the most infamous being Beak. But despite his generally unimpressive powers, Beak actually had a far more important role in the history of the Marvel Universe than anyone expected.
Now, we're taking a closer look at how Beak, one of the most underestimated mutants in the Xavier Institute, ended up helping save the multiverse with the Exiles.
Barnell Bohusk -- aka Beak -- was one of the primary Xavier Institute students during the Grant Morrison run on New X-Men. Among the student body, Beak wasn't the most popular or notable -- but he played an important role throughout New X-Men, being manipulated by Cassandra Nova and beginning a romance with fellow student Angel Salvadore before surviving the events of "Planet X" and the chaos of Xorn's rampage through New York. Beak was hinted to eventually have a vital role in saving the world, with his grandson in the "Here Comes Tomorrow" future suggesting that Beak was still a legend decades after his time with the X-Men.
Beak's true moment of importance came when he was a member of the Exiles, a band of mutants pulled from their home realities. The team was transported around the multiverse, repairing damaged timelines and setting them back on their correct course. Beak was forcibly recruited to the team in Exiles #48 by Tony Bedard and Mizuki Sakakibara, taking the place of long-time member Nocturne. The Timebroker -- the entity that assembled the Exiles in the first place -- even teases that Beak has a "rather important task" ahead that will save multiple realities. Beak spent his time with the Exiles risking his life with little chance to help, but growing as a thinker and problem-solver. These were the skills that ended up saving him and the entire multiverse from a lot of trouble in Exiles #62-65.
After the Timebroker becomes increasingly erratic, he removes Beak from the team and replaces him with Holocaust from the Age of Apocalypse. Beak is placed into the same stasis that had been used to contain all the other previous members of the Exiles, alive or dead. This was carried out by King Hyperion, who forced the Timebreakers (the nickname for the insectoid race that had been disguised as the Timebroker) to do his bidding and prepare the multiverse for his rule. A working caste member of the Timebreakers frees Beak, revealing that their scans of multiversal probability suggested Beak would be the key to stopping King Hyperion's potential conquest of the multiverse.
While Beak is initially at a loss for what to do, he turns out to be special for his ability to think -- and talk -- his way out of situations. Using the Timebreaker's teleporter to travel the multiverse at an enhanced rate, Beak is able to find the ultimate counter to an evil version of Hyperion -- two good versions of him. The two Hyperions give the Exiles a genuine edge over King Hyperion, and help prevent him from spreading chaos across the multiverse.
While he may not have been directly responsible for the defeat of King Hyperion, Beak did play his part. It was his gentle nature that endeared him to both other Hyperions, allowing them to be quickly recruited to the cause. His acknowledgment that he can't save the world on his own gave him the bright idea to call for such specific and powerful help. Beak wasn't with the Exiles for much longer, quickly returning to his reality after convincing the two good Hyperions that the Exiles were trustworthy. But in his own way, Beak really did help save the entire multiverse -- and serve a vital role for the continued safety of every reality in existence.