Cerebra is the most powerful mutant detecting system currently available. After Charles Xavier decided to devote his life to protecting humanity from evil mutants and safeguarding innocent mutants from human oppression, he created Cerebro, to help search for said mutants. After many years of service, and being destroyed, rebuilt, and upgraded, Cerebro gained a nonotech body, after interacting with Bastion, and attempted to find, catalog, and register mutants. Cerebro was eventually destroyed, but, still needing a way to track mutants, Professor Xavier and Beast created Cerebra.

Found at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning off-limits subterranean levels, Cerebra's primary unit was originally an egg-shaped chamber in which a telepath could sit and connect to the system via a helmet. The chamber was constructed so that telepathic activity creates a condensation on the walls, forming images of what the user sees. When in global search mode, Cerebra designates mutant signatures as points of light on a globe, with the height of each point indicating the relative power level of the individual. Like Cerebro, Cerebra can also extend the range of a telepath's thoughts. However, Beast had apparently found a way to bypass the telepathic static that Magneto created years ago, making Cerebra a true global communications device, unlike Cerebro, which was limited in range. The Cerebra helmet differed from the Cerebro helmet also, where the Cerebro helmet fit around the head, exposing the eyes, Cerebra covered the entire face, with an "X" over the front.

After the birth of the first mutant baby since M-Day, her power rating over-loaded Cerebra, but the Professor and Beast repaired it.

Following the destruction of the X-Mansion, Cerebra was rebuilt using a spherical design, with a suspended walkway leading to the telepath's chair and helmet, at Graymalkin Industries. In this new configuration, Cerebra can not only locate mutants, but can also holographically represent recent memories of mutants in specific geographic locations and the helmet design returned to the traditional look that was similar to Cerebro's.

After being harassed by Norman Osborn, Cyclops relocated the X-Men, and any mutant accepting his offer, to Utopia, where he also moved the Cerebra chamber.