Atius was raised through the era of prohibition and was raised inside the mob, thus was corrupt from the beginning. His mutant abilities only made his potential even worse, and overall he was being manipulated to perform ritual after ritual that would bring him one step closer to becoming the next vassal of his father. This went on until Atius stumbled upon the truth; after overhearing the men he had grown up with and treated as fathers speak to Azazel using his newfound telepathic abilities, he realized what he was. He reflected upon all the things he had done, all the pain he had caused and the thought that his life was not his.

He refused. Atius fled Detroit and journeyed to New York, there starting a string of businesses. It was impossible for him to completely escape the criminal life. Whether he manipulated oppressed women of the era to join speak-easies, or he simply ran bootlegging operations, Atius broke the law to make his way by. Ultimately, he Atius adopted the name Adrian de Zelli and started a ring of legit jazz joints funded by his illegal operations. Adrian created havens for mutants, as he was, and did his best to use the money he made exploiting people to also give them a fair chance. The whores of his speak-easies were often found real jobs while Suffrage was being pushed; his bootlegging operations eventually ended when prohibition did and his jazz houses eventually picked up.

Adrian was a type of Robin Hood for mutants and runaways, but he also protected those he could. Adrian was not above using his demon form to simply kill those who tried to harm his workers or interfere with his bootlegging operations. He often protected his businesses himself. Adrian caught the eye of several other men attempting to create a better world for mutants, but most took note of his underhanded and immoral methods. Regardless, Adrian became a public hero during World War II as the small fortune he amassed through his illegal operations was essentially used to fund his entire community and several jazz houses throughout World War II and the Great Depression. At the end of World War II and the end of several of the legislation set forth, the Golden Era ushered in and began to rain down on Adrian.

A man who once had to protect whores that he pimped out was now a man that could afford them real jobs, even though many started out and still are working as his whores. A man who killed for illegal booze was now selling them and music - adding to culture. A man who had a small fortune from breaking the law handed it out to those who worked for them, and made sure his businesses - that fed families - did not fail. A man who fought and killed to give people who were different a chance. Adrian embodied the spirit held within the Xavier Institute far before it was founded and was a possible inspiration for it when it finally came to be. Adrian, although not specifically a man of virtue, was the first of those who believed mutants could be integrated into society.

Adrian continued expanding his party houses and safe havens across the nation, becoming a self-made millionaire after The Great Depression. Although Adrian never allowed himself to become a public image, among the right rings his name was well-known. Adrian and his reputation only grew to the extent he was forced to transfer from the universities he attained his several degrees due to the pressure they were getting from interests groups. Although it took almost twice as long, Adrian attained degrees in several fields ranging from economics to a PhD in Psychology. For decades, Adrian used his knowledge and wealth to continue his efforts to integrate mutants into society where he could as well as made his business practices completely ethical as well as dabbled in other fields.