Cortez joined the Upstarts for excitement, a group of mutants organized by the Gamesmaster who were awarded points for killing other mutants. Cortez gathered a group of mutants who believed in Magneto's teachings and formed the Acolytes. He brought the group to Asteroid M, Magneto's orbital base, only to arrange for its destruction and the death of the first wave of Acolytes, along with their messiah.
Obtaining many points for the deaths of such powerful mutants, Cortez then gathered a second group of Acolytes easily by playing Magneto off as a martyr. Neophyte overheard Cortez telling the Gamesmaster about how he killed Magneto and caused the other Acolytes to abandon him.
When Magneto returned and was mind-wiped, the Gamesmaster stripped Cortez of his points. Furious, Fabian concocted an elaborate scheme to regain them. He kidnapped Luna Maximoff, the daughter of Quicksilver and granddaughter of Magneto, and began a civil war on Genosha by encouraging mutants to kill the ruling humans. Both the X-Men and the Avengers tried to stop him, and he was apparently killed by the new Acolyte leader, Exodus.