Erg

**Erg** (birth name **Leo**) is a character on the second season of FOX's *The Gifted*. He is the leader of the Morlocks.

## Early Life

As a teenager, Erg was beaten up by racist kids. His powers manifested at the same time which caused him to lose his left eye.

Sometime after 7/15, in Dallas, Texas, Erg's life was saved by Evangeline Whedon. Together, they formed the Mutant Underground. Erg moved mutants through the tunnels, while Evangeline organized on the surface, helping mutants across the border. After the betrayal of a human ally (Erg's girlfriend Pam), many mutants were slaughtered and Evangeline thwarted Erg's attempt to help. Erg left and a cell of the Underground splintered off into the Morlocks, believing humans cannot be trusted and mutants needed their own communities.

## Throughout the Series

### Season 2

In *coMplications*, Erg encounters Thunderbird and Blink in the sewers under Washington D.C, learning they were to sent to him by Evangeline Whedon, an associate of the X-Men and the Mutant Underground. With that, Erg decides to talk, but only with Blink.

Clarice informs Erg that two of their friends were taken by the Inner Circle and want to know what they're up to. Though he claims that while usually, he'd dump her and John back on the surface and hide the entrance to the tunnels, but he finds Clarice, with her teleportation powers, useful to him. He goes onto to state Clarice has a link to his group as she is a mutant who does't hide her visible mutation.

Erg then brings Clarice to a large chamber that house the Morlocks, which Erg dubs as "the real Underground"; mutants who live open and unafraid. There, they chose not look like people on the surface and fight for freedom. Clarice tells him that the Mutant Underground is also fighting for freedom. Upon bringing up the X-Men, Erg cuts her off by stating the X-Men fought for tolerance, not peace and people only tolerate what they hate. Clarice still believes it's something worth fighting for. Erg insists she tells that to fellow Morlock, Mara. Once she lived in Fairfield, went to school, and her parents wanted her to grow up normal despite being a mutant. She used sonic abilities to travel similar to a bat, then one day a group of Purifiers heard her and decided her clicks might be dangerous. They beat her and cut out her voice box. Erg then declares his mission is to help his people and that if Clarice wants his help, she must help them. Clarice reluctantly agrees to be his spy on the surface in exchange for the information she desires.

In *teMpted*, he is reluctantly showed up to meet with Evangeline for their next move. It is only then, he found out her group were slaughter by Reeva and stated that mutants and humans will never tolerate each other. He later welcomes Clarice to the Morlocks headquarters.

In *calaMity*, he allows Caitlin reluctantly to treat an injured mutant from the Purifiers. He slowly respects Caitlin and proudly tells her that she should be proud she is a Morlock and uses the mud to put a "M" on her cheek.

In *oMens*, when the Purifiers attack the Morlock hideout, he and Clarice helps evacuate everyone but at the cost of Clarice's life. When Thunderbird stays behind to stop the Purifiers from attacking Polaris, Eclipse, Reed, and Caitlin, he meets with him and orders him to punch him so that he can absorb the energy and attack the pursuers saving Thunderbird's life. He later appears at the end of the episode where he states that everyone now knows the sacrifice Reed made and that there are mutants that needs their help. He appears outside and shocked to find Clarice alive and where she states that "she has to show everyone something."

## Personality

According to Evangeline, Erg is a mutant separatist, believing mutantkind should not coexist with regular humans. He is also very knowledgeable, as Evangeline has stated "nothing happens in D.C. he doesn't know about".

Erg is dedicated to helping the Morlocks find freedom and believes the X-Men instead fought for tolerance rather than peace and that people only tolerate what they despise. However, he's more willing to help mutants who are unable to pass for humans than those who can, shown when he was reluctant to provide refuge to the mutants that escaped Lynwood prison.

## Physical Appearance

Erg is a dark-skinned male with black short hair and a beard. He wears an eyepatch on his left eye covered with a cork to help him harness his powers and mostly torn street clothing with a hood. When he created the group called the Morlocks, he engraves in his cheek the letter "M".

## Abilities and Skills

* **Energy Manipulation:** Erg's ability is absorbing and redirecting energy through his left eye hole. When Thunderbird punched him, Erg absorbed the kinetic energy from the hit and redirected an equal amount of force back at him, leading Blink to state that he "basically punched himself."

## Appearances

### Season 2

* *unMoored* (mentioned)
* *coMplications*
* *outMatched* (mentioned)
* *afterMath*
* *meMento*
* *hoMe*
* *teMpted*
* *calaMity*
* *Monsters*
* *oMens*

## Trivia

* He made his first appearance in 1985 comic series titled *Power Pack #12*.
	+ In the comics, Erg possessed the ability to absorb all forms of energy, and project them in blasts from his right eye.
* Erg's name could be derived from "ergokinesis", another term for his ability of Energy Manipulation.

## References

1. ↑ ‘The Gifted’ Showrunner Previews New Original Mutant - Slash Film