[14][15][16] David Alleyne is a naturally intelligent boy, who finds upon becoming a teenager that the answers to his exams and assignments begin appearing in his head whenever he is in the same room as his teachers.

He takes college-level courses while finishing high school and drops subtle hints to his family about his powers, but they fail to realize he is a mutant until the campus anti-mutant group outs him.

Realizing he can no longer be a mutant in secrecy, David accepts an invitation from Danielle Moonstar to attend the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning.

[20] Along with his other friends at the school, they bring to Xavier Institute the homeless mutant Surge, who David acquires an immediate interest in.

In the illusion, he becomes President of the United States and establishes a utopian worldwide government before Surge learns of his plan to attack China and destroys the White House, killing them both.

After returning to the mansion, he is invited to join Surge in running the New X-Men squad, giving them free rein to add more members at their will.

Some of the students break free and attack Belasco, while Josh manages to immediately regrow David's heart with his powers, bringing him back to life.

While the students battle against Belasco, David realizes that his weakness is telepathy, having put special helmets to block the telepathic powers of Stepford Cuckoos and Martha Johansson.

Learning of David's near-death experience in Limbo, Surge fears for his safety and attempts to force him to leave the school by kissing Hellion in front of him.

David prepares to leave, but is confronted by the Cuckoos, who offer to remove his mental blocks as thanks for saving them during Stryker's attack, restoring all the past knowledge and skills he absorbed when he had his powers.

Using Krav Maga martial arts picked up from Wolverine and Shadowcat, he displays his newfound assets by besting Hellion in combat, fully aware that the kiss had just been a ploy.

Prodigy declines participation and stays behind at the school, viewing the mission to be largely out of vengeance against the Purifiers for their murdered schoolmates than to truly locate the baby.

The two work together on a stakeout to catch a thief dressed as Patriot, but the plan goes awry when the criminal dissipates Tommy's body and then fades away.

Marvel Boy, Prodigy and Hulkling become involved in the plans by the Hood to siphon off cosmic knowledge endangering innocent people.

There are multiple betrayals and back-tracking, as the heroes are convinced the knowledge driving the civilians mad could be safely converted into data that helps all of humanity.

[51] In the one-shot Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling, written by Chip Zdarsky and queer author Anthony Oliveira,[52] around Empyre, Marvel's summer 2020 crossover event, Oliveira brings Prodigy and Speed into canon as an out couple,[52][53] drinking with Hulkling, who claims they "always have exactly one and a half drinks and start making out.

"[53] Prodigy later becomes a professor at Empire State University (ESU), with Kamala Khan and Sophie Cuckoo as students in his "Examinations of Post-Krakoan Diaspora" class.

[56][57] A side effect of his powers are self-imposed mental blocks, which prevents him from retaining the knowledge he absorbs, forgetting whatever he has learned after a short period of time.

He creates a Danger Cave, a training room for the rest of his peers, and shows an extensive knowledge of the past missions of the X-Men.

[61] When the mental blocks in his mind are removed by the Stepford Cuckoos, David later regains access to all the skills and knowledge that he absorbed when he was still a mutant.

[63][64] Stacie Rook of Screen Rant included David Alleyne in their "10 LGBTQ+ Marvel Heroes That Should Join The MCU" list.

[65] Chase Magnett of ComicBook.com included David Alleyne in their "8 More New Mutants We Want Back at Marvel Comics" list, saying, "He's a valuable new perspective with a very unique ability that any clever writer would relish utilizing in superhero adventures.