Warpath

James soon manifested his own mutation, similar to his brothers'. He joined the Hellions at the Massachusetts Academy under the leadership of The White Queen, where he was tutored and trained by her in the use of his powers.

James first encountered the New Mutants after the White Queen invited Doug Ramsey to her school and captured Kitty Pryde and Doug. Emma Frost was unaware that Kitty and Magik shared a rapport, and the New Mutants came to their rescue. Still, they were all captured and forced to remain at the Academy. With the growing rivalry between the two teams and the New Mutant's reluctance to accept their fate, the Hellions proposed a challenge and, if the New Mutants won, they would allow them to escape. During the match, however, the White Queen appeared and chaos ensued, nonetheless allowing the New Mutants to escape.