Apocalypse (comics)
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Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur) is a very powerful supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, one of the foremost enemies of the X-Men. Apocalypse was created by Jackson Guice and Louise Simonson and first fully appeared in X-Factor #6 (June 1986).
A virtually immortal mutant bonded with extraterrestrial technology. Apocalypse is one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe, possessing a multitude of superhuman abilities, including almost unsurpassed strength, invulnerability and the ability to both shift and alter his mass and form. He has a longstanding association with many X-Men characters.
Apocalypse is most often accompanied by four servants, the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, a nod to the Horsemen of the Book of Revelation, and named after each.
Apocalypse is the second earliest known mutant (the first being Selene), born in mid-30th century BC Egypt. After coming to mutant power, he appears as a death god in several ancient mythologies. However, he has been most active in the late 20th and early 21st centuries AD when mutants became a sizable part of the human population. He sees this as an age to implement his extreme Social Darwinist eugenic philosophy: only the fittest have the right to survive- and he gets to define who is fittest.
A popular X-Men adversary, he played vital roles in 1990s-era “event” storylines “The Age of Apocalypse” and “The Twelve.”
He was also featured prominently in the 1990s X-Men animated series, its successor X-Men: Evolution and the video game X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse.
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[edit] Publication history
Apocalypse made his first appearance in the shadows at the end of the #5 issue of X-Factor in 1986, and later had his full appearance in X-Factor #6, in which he acted as the mysterious leader of the Alliance of Evil. Apocalypse would then make a few cameo appearances, in which he recruited four mutants to become, and serve as his Horsemen. In X-Factor #25, Apocalypse's plan was to destroy New York, and ordered his Horsemen to do so. However, his plan was thwarted by the efforts of the X-Factor.
In his early X-Factor appearances, Apocalypse is potrayed as a messiah-like character (Somewhat similar to Magneto), seeing himself as a savior of mutantkind and dreaming of a pure race of all mutants. However, he also ruthlessly wants to cull the weak from the strong.
Since his adversary role in the first series of X-Factor, and by the end of 1991, Apocalypse has later made appearances as a major villain in various X-Men titles over the years, usually with entire storyarcs or crossovers, becoming a seemingly invincible, and one of the most feared foes of the X-Men.
In the 1990s, Apocalypse had his own limited four-issue comic book miniseries, Rise of Apocalypse, by writer Terry Kavanagh & penciler Adam Pollina. This miniseries was a detailed origin of En Sabah Nur's rise of becoming Apocalypse.
Apocalypse had another limited miniseries in 2006 titled X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula, which takes place in the 1800's where he battles the lord of vampires, Dracula.
Apocalypse is perhaps most notable for the major famous story arc, the Age of Apocalypse, an alternative reality, in which he had overthrown the world. He also made prominent appearances in The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, Askani'son, X-Men: Search for Cyclops, Black Knight: Exodus and Eternals: Apocalypse Now where, although not centered around him, the characters involve were affected by him.
[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] The Rise of Apocalypse
Apocalypse's story begins with his birth in mid-30th century BC Egypt during the First Dynasty. He was born gray-skinned and somewhat disfigured, a sign of doom, in the settlement of Akkaba and abandoned by his original parents. The child was left to die in the harsh desert sun. However, a roving band of feared nomad raiders, the Sandstormers, slaughtered the population. Their ruthless leader, Baal, found the child crying in rage, and believed him to have the potential to be a god. He raised the child as his own, naming him En Sabah Nur ("The First One") in anticipation of others like him. The tribe lived and died by the philosophy of survival of the fittest, with "fittest" being the toughest, most ruthless and pitiless.
As En Sabah Nur grew, he surpassed the other tribesmen in intelligence and strength. Everyone in the tribe except for Baal hated and feared him for his inhuman looks and great abilities. Nur did not understand their fear, but hardened his heart against it. Moreover, he believed in the principle that Baal and the tribe lived by, that only the fittest, tested by hardship, would, and should, survive. En Sabah Nur earned the right to adulthood at seventeen by surviving an endurance test in the desert: Nur killed three armed warriors of the tribe using only his bare hands. He and Baal were the only Sandstormers to survive when General Ozymandias attacked their camp.
They found refuge in a sacred cave, but it soon collapsed. After a week of wandering without food or water, they had found the remnants of a timeship within an underground Egyptian tomb. He told En Sabah Nur to continue on, spreading the Sandstormers' doctrine, with the ultimate goal being the removal of Rama-Tut, a man who arrived in a fantastic ship from the future and discovered by Baal, only to leave and become the Pharaoh of Egypt. Baal told Nur that he believed him to be a conqueror whose coming was foretold in ancient prophecies, and that Nur was in fact destined to overthrow Rama-Tut.
Then Baal died from lack of nourishment, and Nur, whose mutant physiology kept him alive, vowed to take revenge on Rama-Tut and claim his destiny. When Nur reached the surface, he was quickly enslaved. While a slave, he kept his disfigured lips constantly covered, and Ozymandias' sister, Nephri, became attracted to the mysterious slave. Eventually he had a vision of the Egyptian death god Set, who urged him to become a conqueror.
En Sabah Nur caught the attention of the Pharaoh Rama-Tut, who was actually the time traveling Kang the Conqueror, who came back in time in order to locate the young Apocalypse and take him under his wing. Kang knew that Apocalypse, one of the most powerful mutants who ever lived, and the one who was destined to rule the world, had been born in ancient Egypt. Hence, Rama-Tut had gone back in time to find Apocalypse as a child, raise him, and thereby become the master of the most powerful being on the planet. Since Rama-Tut's mission failed, he decided to keep Apocalypse as a slave. En Sabah Nur was thrown into a pit of snakes, but survived when his powers activated. He revealed his face to Nephri, who rejected him for his appearance, and refused to bow to Rama-Tut, who also captured the Fantastic Four, who had traveled back in time. En Sabah Nur was shot by the Pharaoh with the same weapon he used to depower the Fantastic Four. En Sabah Nur was again left to die, but survived with the sudden emergence of his mutant immortality and mass shifting. Rama-Tut then fled, as Apocalypse's power flared. The Fantastic Four went back to their era. Apocalypse used his abilities to turn Ozymandias into a sand-like being, who would record Apocalypse's accomplishments throughout time. Years later, he revisited Nephri, now an ancient Egyptian Queen, and he mocked her dying beauty, as he was still as he had been years before. He walked away, leaving Egypt.
[edit] Early history
For centuries, he travels around the world, worshipped as a god wherever he goes. He is worshipped as Aten, Sauru, Set, Kali and Huitzilopochtli; although these beings also exist as separate entities in the Marvel Universe, Apocalypse's powers are such that he was easily confused with them.
It is most likely that this is the same time that Nur began to have progeny, that faithfully followed him as the Clan Akkaba. Offspring of Apocalypse receive a portion of his power, those closest related having near identical abilities. He also frequently acts as a conqueror, raising armies to do his bidding.
Centuries later, revealed in X-Force #37, En Sabah Nur discovers a starship created by the alien Celestials in Mongolia. Apocalypse strikes down the ship's guardian, the immortal Saul, and enters the Ship. Unable to understand the technology inside he leaves again, searching the world for a key to the mysteries inside.
In Cable & Deadpool #27, he finds this key when the time-traveler known as the Traveler, actually Cable, kills him. The Traveler's techno-organic blood is accidentally mixed with Apocalyse's and Ozymandias returns Apocalypse to the Ship.
Inside, Apocalypse finds that his new techno-organic body can link to the Ship and make contact with it. However, he is confronted by the Celestials, who lents him their technology, requiring as payment greater sufferings later. Apocalypse agrees, and is transformed and enhanced by Celestial technology, becoming one of the most powerful mutants who will ever live.
An early Horseman of War, leading Apocalypse's armies (The Dark Riders), bests the man who would later become Dracula in single combat. Apocalypse ruthlessly delivers the final blow to him, but Vlad refuses to die. During the 12th century, Apocalypse encounters crusader Bennet du Paris and awakens his latent mutant powers. Bennet almost immediately rebels but is soundly defeated. Apocalypse places him in suspended animation to remain until the late 20th century when Magneto revives him as his leading Acolyte, Exodus. Apocalypse enters long states of suspended animation to re-energize his body while he awaits for mutants to become more common, letting Clan Akkaba and Ozymandias to act in his stead while he sleeps.
- It was revealed in New Eternals: Apocalypse Now, when Apocalypse and Ikaris came face to face, that they both had met and fought centuries before now. The Eternals also referred to Apocalypse as their "Ancient Nemesis", indicating that Apocalypse had been battling the Eternals at some point a long time ago during the early centuries.
[edit] Mister Sinister and Dracula
He emerges from stasis during Victorian Britain after being disturbed by the Marauders (as told in the Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix miniseries).
During this time, he turns Nathaniel Essex into the being known as Mister Sinister, and turns some of his Marauders into techno-organic hybrids. He leaves one man to incubate for 100 years to emerge as his herald.
However, Sinister rebels and infects Apocalypse with a super virus he had created, and Apocalypse is forced to re-enter his slumber. Still later, Sinister returns, this time to infect Apocalypse with a Techno Organic virus in the Cable 1999 annual.
In 1897, Apocalypse is woken by some followers in order to deal once more with Dracula, who is turning members of Clan Akkaba into vampires in order to battle Apocalypse, as revenge for his earlier defeat and the way the Dark Lord previously shamed him.
Apocalypse kills one of his leaders as the price for awakening their master. Apocalypse, with Abraham Van Helsing, kills Dracula, although the master vampire would frequently return and suffer many more deaths. The continuation of the Akkaba line is secured by Ozymandias through a disabled but powerful teleporter named Frederick Slade mating with a woman referred to as Miss Ferguson. It's stated that Chamber is a member of this bloodline, since another surviving member of Clan Akkaba had the last name Starsmore and possessed the mutant ability to exhale gouts of flame.
The Starsmore family never forgot about Apocalypse, although Chamber later rejected them.
[edit] The Awakening
Apocalypse awoke from his slumber by the arrival of the time-traveling mutant Cable, but spent many years hidden. Ironically, Cable had come to the present to prevent Apocalypse's awakening. During this time Nur gave weapons dealer Moses Magnum superhuman powers.
Eventually Apocalypse came into conflict with the original incarnation of X-Factor on repeated occasions, first as employer of the Alliance of Evil. Later, when X-Factor member Angel lost his wings, Apocalypse granted him artificial ones in exchange for his servitude.
Angel accepted and was reborn as the Horseman Death, but he rebelled. Apocalypse left his Celestial Ship with X-Factor, and took the willing Morlock Caliban, who saw Apocalyse as a source of revenge for his fellow Morlocks killed in the Mutant Massacre. Apocalypse radically altered Caliban, who would later do Apocalypse's bidding in fighting the X-Men.
Apocalypse later returned to combat the High Evolutionary, and he took several Inhumans to create a team for him, first dubbed The Riders of the Storm, and later renamed simply The Dark Riders.
Apocalypse was also confronted by Loki, who, in human disguise, offered him to join him in carrying out his biddings. However, Apocalypse had watched him in secret and learned of his true intentions. The two fought, and Apocalypse trapped Loki in one of his Celestial machines, which were draining of Loki's power. Apocalypse tells Loki that he will oppose him whenever he can. Loki then freed himself from the Celestial machinery, escaping, and warning Apocalypse not to interfer with him and his plans. Apocalypse then tells Caliban that mankind must now quickly grow stronger.
Apocalypse would again return to battle the X-Factor on his base at the moon, where Apocalypse defeats and imprisons them, to leech their life-forces to strengthen his own power to Cosmic levels. However, Black Bolt and the Inhuman Royal Family blast into the base and frees them. Jean and Beast go to help Nathan while the others attacks Apocalypse. They realize that Apocalypse has infected Cyclops' son Nathan with the same Techno-organic virus derived from the alien technology that gave him his powers.
Nathan pulls Jean onto the Astral Plane, for her help in combating the virus, which appears in the form of Apocalypse. Jean yanks Scott in to help, and he stabs the Apocalypse avatar with a psionic sword. Cyclops awakens in the physical world, where he uses the combined powers of Nathan, Jean and his own to tear Apocalypse apart.
Apocalypse is defeated, and his original immortal body is destroyed, and the infected Nathan was sent to the future with Askani for a cure, where he became the time-traveling mutant warrior known as Cable.
Apocalypse, however would once again return, and came into conflict with the X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force when Cable's clone, Stryfe, traveled to the present and attempted to assassinate Professor X and frame Cable for the crime.
At the end of this conflict, the severely weakened Apocalypse was apparently killed after a battle on the moon with his former servants, the Dark Riders, and left for dead by Archangel.
[edit] Resurrection
Apocalypse's dead body was recovered by Genesis, the son of Cable. Genesis, who took over command of the Dark Riders with a new team, wanted to become the heir of Apocalypse by restoring him to life. Genesis restored Apocalypse to life by sacrificing the lives of many people in villages neighboring Akkaba.
During this time, Wolverine was held captive by Genesis, who attempted to restore Wolverine's lost adamantium skeleton and claws and turn him into a Horseman as a gift for Apocalypse. However, Wolverine broke free and mutated into a feral state, and then killed Genesis and nearly all of the Dark Riders, with the exception of Gauntlet. During the fight, Cannonball opened the coffin containing Apocalypse's body, but found it empty.
The body was stolen by Ozymandias and Apocalypse was reborn in Uncanny X-Men #335 with Ozymandias at his side. He teamed up with Cable to oppose Onslaught, but Cable and the Invisible Woman stopped him when he tried to kill Franklin Richards.
[edit] The Twelve
Later, the storyline of The Twelve unfolded (in January & February 2000). Supposedly lost diaries of the mutant seer Destiny surfaced, telling of twelve beings of fantastic power that could defeat Apocalypse once and for all. The Twelve legend, however, was a ruse created by Apocalypse himself; once the Twelve were assembled, he planned to use them to transform himself into a godlike entity beyond the Celestials. The Twelve, chosen not only for their mutant powers but also for the Jungian quasi-archetypes they represented, consisted of:
- Magneto and Polaris, representing opposing magnetic poles;
- Storm, Sunfire and Iceman, representing elementals;
- Cyclops, Phoenix and Cable, representing family (Father, Mother, Child), and chosen for the power of the Summers-Grey bloodline;
- Bishop and Mikhail Rasputin, representing time and space, respectively
- Professor X, representing the mind; and
- The Living Monolith as the core.
In an earlier storyline, dating to about 1987, The Twelve were supposed to be the future leaders of mutantkind whom the Master Mold was programmed to destroy. They included Cannonball and Mirage (then joint leaders of the New Mutants), Psylocke and Apocalypse himself, among others. Also included was a character called Ultiman, a future incarnation of Franklin Richards. In Uncanny X-Men # -1 it was revealed that it was Madame Sanctity of the Askani Sisterhood who programmed the identities of the Twelve so they would be destroyed in order to prevent the rise of Apocalypse, though for some reason she did not program all the correct identities, seemingly to protect Cyclops, Phoenix and Cable.
Apocalypse planned to funnel the powers of the eleven mutants into The Living Monolith, and then from the Monolith into Nate Grey. As the power flowed into Nate, Apocalypse would possess Nate's body, which he had determined was the only physical body able to withstand such primal energies. Magneto had been weakened in some previous battles, however, so he could not supply enough energy to "complete the circuit," thus shorting it out.
The Twelve escaped and confronted Apocalypse as he was preparing to transfer his essence into Nate. Cyclops jumped in the way of the transfer, saving Nate, but Apocalypse merged with Cyclops instead, giving birth to a whole new horror (unofficially dubbed by some fans as "Cyclopalypse").
Although he did not achieve the godhood he wished, Apocalypse's power was expanded to an incredible degree and he managed to escape in Cyclops' body, with Jean Grey the only one who believed her husband still survived within the form.
After teleporting away, an amnesiac and powerless Cyclops regained control of the merged form. As Apocalypse began to re-emerge, however, Jean and Cable were alerted to his location, and she finally managed to free Cyclops by telepathically forcing Apocalypse's spirit out of her husband's body. Apocalypse was rendered an incorporeal astral form, and Cable took advantage of the opportunity to apparently destroy him, sundering his spirit with his Psimitar.
[edit] Return
The techno-organic virus, which Apocalypse long ago infected Cable with, was also revealed to be the means by which Apocalypse's spirit reconstituted itself. With only a drop of his blood into a vat of organs and blood, the virus would rewrite the genetic code of the material within to form a body for Apocalypse.
Due to the events of M-Day, in which most of the mutants lost their powers, Apocalypse was revealed to be alive and well, and awoke from a slumber in a tomb in Akkaba, recalling:
- "Across the world-- helpless mutants slaughtered. Pogroms. Horror. ...Something has woken me from my slumber. Once, a sudden surge in worldwide mutant power stirred me from a similar sleep. Now-- a plummet in global mutant capacity-- has opened my eyes".
Mike Marts said of the character's return:
| “ | "Apocalypse, at his core, has always been about ensuring that the mutant race is strong enough to survive whatever hardships it might encounter. Now, after the events of M-Day, the mutant race is at its all-time low…so if there was ever a time where the mutant race needed a savior, it’s now. And En Sabah Nur intends to be that savior." | ” |
Reappearing inside a Sphinx-shaped ship on the front lawn of the X-Mansion, Apocalypse had three new Horsemen: Gazer (War), Sunfire (Famine) and Polaris (Pestilence).
While at the mansion, one of the X-Men switched sides to become a new Horseman Death: Gambit, so he could keep an eye on Apocalypse, although his mind was frayed as a result.
He also swayed some of the 198 to side, including Skids, Scalphunter and Fever Pitch.
Cable also revealed that he was responsible for Apocalypse's revival, stating that the mutant community needed a powerful threat to rally against. Believing that the X-Men would inevitably defeat Apocalypse yet again and that it would bring the remaining mutant community together, Cable judged "the risks worth the rewards."
Apocalypse reminded Cable that even if he is defeated, he will return stronger than before, to which Cable responded. "Good, the world needs you to be stronger, Apocalypse....It's always helped us be stronger."
It was discovered that the Celestials lent their technology to him, requiring as payment greater sufferings later. Apocalypse was going to embrace death as an escape from his lifelong pact, when the Celestials returned and took him away.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Apocalypse is one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe. After exposure to the Celestial Ship, all of Apocalypse's powers have been enhanced far beyond their original limits.
- Apocalypse has complete control over his body's atoms in a molecular level, and can alter them at will, in order to shape-shift his physical form; he can change his appearance or the size of his body, mimic metals and armors, allow his body to become extremely malleable, maintain his full dexterity, and elongate his body or limbs. Through his ability to alter his form, Apocalypse can also grant himself any physical superhuman power, therefore making him extremely powerful. Apocalypse also can morph his arms and fists into various melee weapons and give himself flight by turning his arms into wings or jets. Apocalypse can also grant himself potentially almost unlimited superhuman strength and grow to enormous sizes. Apocalypse can also adapt his molecular structure to any adversity, and possesses transmutation abilities, as his descendants have already proven capable of.
- Apocalypse can generate and absorb energy due to a combination of his mutant power and Celestial technology in his body; he can create force fields, project massive energy blasts of destructive force, and can also expel energy from his body, and control it's directions. He can augment himself further by drawing on various outside energy sources. Apocalypse can also infuse his body with energy to speed up his reflexes and reaction time in which to move at superhuman speed, allowing him to counteract other with super-speed powers themselves.
- Apocalypse's original body was immortal. Even before being modified by the Celestial ship, he had lived for thousands of years, and was extremely resistant to injury. With the Celestial modifications, this resistance to harm was amplified, making him virtually invulnerable, enabling him to withstand a scream from Black Bolt, as well the combined attacks of the Inhumans and X-Factor with no effect. After the destruction of his original body, Apocalypse has been forced to use host bodies of robot-like forms to house his life-energies. Because of this, Apocalypse's power fluctuates, and most of his bodies cannot withstand his energy and abilities. In the alternate future timeline from which Cable hails, Apocalypse's physical form was no longer able to contain his superhuman energies resulting in his original body burning out. Hence, he transferred his consciousness and powers into a succession of host bodies, abandoning each one when it too grew too old to contain his power. This version of Apocalypse was ultimately defeated in transit from a depreciated body into a potential host body.
- Apocalypse possesses the ability to heal himself, and combined with his molecular shape-shifting powers, he can heal from seemly any damage. Apocalypse has been able to easily heal instantly from stab wounds, and once blowed himself, and regenerated from there (He was also severely weakended, almost falling apart while doing this). Should he, however, suffer injuries that prove potentially fatal, he can enter a coma-like state of suspended animation during which he may recover from his wounds with the assistance of his Celestial technology. Apocalypse's techno-organic blood contains many unique properties. With only a drop of his blood into a vat of organs, blood, etc. the virus can rewrite the genetic code of the material within to form a new body for Apocalypse.
- Apocalypse possesses telepathy and telekinesis, and has shown potential to be a powerful psionic. He has shown capable of mind blasting Xaviver, as well easily withstand a telekinetic blast from Exodus.
- Apocalypse also has repeatedly shown the ability to teleport himself and other beings (it is unclear if he required amplifying technology to do some of these things).
- Aside from his superhuman powers, Apocalypse is also extraordinarily intelligent, a genius with knowledge of science and technology far beyond that of conventional science and technology. This was not merely a result of his exposure to alien technology, as he was able to make significant new advances beyond the alien materials to which he was exposed.
In the X-Cutioner's Song saga (Part X), even Beast needed Apocalypse's peerless expertise in biology to aid Xavier. Apocalypse has also proven to be a master manipulator, able to turn even the greatest of the X-Men to his side and become his horsemen. Apocalypse is also a is a skilled leader and tactician.
[edit] Servants and allies
As mentioned above, aside from the Four Horsemen, Apocalypse has empowered a number of servants. These include Ozymandias, Exodus, Sinister, the Harbinger of Apocalypse and Moses Magnum.
Apocalypse is also worshipped by a number of cults, like Clan Akkaba and the Dark Riders, and individuals, such as the feline mutant Anais, who still roam the world.
[edit] First mutant?
Apocalypse often claims to be the first mutant. It is unclear whether this is true. Selene is possibly much older than he, as she claims to date back to the times of Conan and Kulan Gath. Saul and Azazel are also said to be older, although it is unclear at which point their mutations manifested. With Saul now dead and Azazel trapped in another dimension, the title of oldest mutant on Earth is still disputed between Selene and Apocalypse.
He was thought to be one of the Externals for some time. Recently, Selene claimed that this was not possible. According to Selene, Apocalypse is not a "true" immortal because he depends on technology to enhance his powers. Many claim that Selene's argument is irrational; Apocalypse was alive for several centuries before enhancing himself with technology. Selene herself also requires absorption of human lifeforce to maintain herself.
[edit] Goals
Apocalypse's goal have been depicted differently through out the years from writer to writer. Apocalypse believes in the survival of the fittest, that the weak shall be culled from the strongest to rule over the planet. Apocalypse is not above engineering events to weed out the unfit. He views the X-Men as pawns in a game he will ultimately win
In his first appearance in the X-Factor comics, Apocalypse was written as a Messiah-like character, with no desire of simply ruling the world, just make it a stronger place, wanting actually the best for humanity, but just through not positive means.
[edit] Other versions
[edit] The Age of Apocalypse
When Professor X's son Legion traveled back in time to kill Magneto before he would become a supervillain, he instead accidentally killed his own father.
This resulted in an alternate timeline in which Magneto, not Professor X, founded the X-Men, and in which Jean Grey never became the Phoenix.
In this timeline, the Age of Apocalypse, Apocalypse arose ten years before he was awoken by Cable and set out to conquer most of North America with the aid of thousands of mutants at his command.
He succeeded, though the world stood at the edge of destruction. Meanwhile, the disturbance of the timeline leads to a crystallization wave of the M'Kraan Crystal that is heading toward Earth...
However, Apocalypse's regime lasts only twenty years. While the empire has the power to destroy the world, it is slowly falling apart.
Apocalypse has to deal with the X-Men as well as the Human High Council, while his Horsemen are each involved in their personal plots: Sinister secretly plans on destroying Apocalypse while Mikhail Rasputin has disappeared in order to establish his own personal domain; and while remaining loyal, Holocaust and Abyss are involved in their personal struggles.
In the end, when it seems Apocalypse will remain victorious, he suffers an attack from all X-Men and their allies and ends up ultimately killed by Magneto himself.
[edit] Ultimate X-Men
In Ultimate X-Men, set in the Ultimate Marvel continuity, Apocalypse appears as an entity worshipped by Sinister.
It is not clear whether this Apocalypse is real or just a piece of fiction in the insane mind of his believer.
In Sinister's apartment, he spoke to an Apocalypse which was a stuffed effigy, but while Sinister was imprisoned in the Triskelion, Apocalypse appeared to Essex (though whether or not this was just a hallucination is unknown) and commanded him to choke himself.
In Magnetic North, Sinister mentioned that "A child is coming. The master will be reborn", presumably referring to Apocalypse.
[edit] House Of M
Approximately 5,000 years old, Apocalypse is a virtually immortal mutant. By the end of the Mutant-Human War, Apocalypse is seen as one of Magneto's most trusted lieutenants, but it was not always that way. The two came to blows early in the war, battling over the right to lead mutantkind. Apocalypse lost, but instead of destroying him, Magneto offered Apocalypse a place by his side.
Apocalypse, surprised by his rival's generosity, accepted the offer. Magneto gave Apocalypse a crucial mission - to free the hundreds of captured mutants held in mutant camps across the United States. Apocalypse succeeded, and those freed mutants were crucial in the eventual mutant victory. When the House of M arose to rule the world, Apocalypse was given all of Egypt as his personal kingdom.
He and his horsemen then began to rebuild many of the pyramids and monuments that were destroyed over the millennia.
He seems to be killed in this dimension (and in this dimension only) by the word "die", uttered by the Inhuman Black Bolt, during a Magneto-ordered mission whose goal was to kill the Black Panther (who had already killed Magneto's assassin Sabretooth, beheading him with a sword).
There's no actual sign of Apocalypse's corpse, but given that he was at point-blank range when Black Bolt totally destroyed the landscape with his voice, it's most unlikely that he survived.
[edit] Other
- In the Mutant X universe, Apocalypse was actually an ally of the X-Men and The Six. He appeared in Mutant X #19 and was apparently killed by Charles Xavier.
- In the Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, the Apocalypse that Cable knows ruled that time and was frequently opposed by the Askani.
- In What If...? vol. 2 #111, Apocalypse had transformed Wolverine into War but ended up being killed by him.
- An alternate version of Apocalypse appears on Earth-570 in Cable/Deadpool #15.
[edit] Appearances in other media
[edit] X-Men: The Animated Series
Apocalypse made several appearances in the X-Men animated television series, and featured as the most powerful and dangerous opponent of the X-Men's villains. He was voiced by John Colicos and then by Robert Bockstael.
Apocalypse was oddly enough colored purple/pink on the show (As seen in the picture to the right). His appearance also altered from episode to episode. This is all possibly due to the cartoon being handed from Saban to Hasbro.
In this animated version, Apocalypse's only desire in life is to bring destruction and chaos, he is potrayed as an unstoppable insane force of destruction, hinted to be the personification of evil. He claims to be "as far beyond mutants as they are beyond humans".
Apocalypse showed no known limitations to his power, and stated that he knows more of this world than we dared dream.
His goal is to destroy the current world so a new world could be created in it’s place, in his image.
Apocalypse would make his first appearance in part of a plotline revolving around an offer to "cure" mutations.
[edit] Come the Apocalypse
While assuming the form of Dr Godfred Adler, the shape-shifting mutant known as Mystique was set the task by Apocalypse to find four worthy mutants to become his slaves. The mutants believed the device used was going to "cure" them of their mutant powers, instead, it actually works to transform mutants into the Horsemen of Apocalypse. The winged Angel became known as Death, the anorexic girl Autumn Rolfson became Famine, Abraham Lincolm Kieros became War and the Morlock Plague became known as Pestilence.
Apocalypse sends his new Four Horsemen on a mission to create widespread chaos, destroying military bases, crops and government buildings. Including even destroying the Eiffel tower in France. The X-Men however interfers and manage to defeat the Horsemen, who retreats back to Apocalypse. The X-Men follows them, as they would lead them to Apocalypse.
Rogue who had already learned the location of Apocalypse's base in Stonehenge, headed there and confronted Apocalypse, but is easily defeated when attempting to attack him. Apocalypse tells Rogue that she is like everyone els corrupted, and must be exterminated. Rogue then says that Xavier was right about Apocalypse being crazy.
Apocalypse attempts to finish off Rogue, but is interputed by the arrival of his four Horsemen. Archangel tells Apocalypse that they have been defeated, and are not worthy. Apocalypse, angered, and suprised states that his creatures cannot be defeated, and that neither he can be defeated. Apocalypse is then blasted by Cyclops, who had arrived with the other X-Men, and tells him that they beg to differ.
Apocalypse laughs mockingly, and orders his Horsemen to destroy them. As the battle begins, Rogue finds that she must stop this, and attacks Archangel by absobing his energy and personality.
Archangel breaks free from Apocalypse's mind control, and having realising what he has done, turns on Apocalypse, and stops his Horsemen single-handly.
Apocalypse is shocked at his Horsemen's defeat. But he tells the X-Men that they are only delaying the inevitable. Wolverine attacks him, but Apocalypse escapes in one of his alien craft hidden beneath Stonehenge, and shoots out into the endless space.
[edit] Conflict with the X-Men
In Days of Future Past, Apocalypse was secretly behind the assassination of Senator Kelly, which Mystique tells Rogue (It is also hinted that Apocalypse may have transformed Mystique into the the shape-shifter she is, as she tells Rogue that Apocalypse made her what she is, and gave her purpose).
Apocalypse also appears in a storyline revolving around Cable. In this story, Taking advantage of growing mutant hysteria, Apocalypse masquerades as a member of the Friends of Humanity and helps Graydon Creed, by creating a Techno-Organic virus to infect and kill every mutant on Earth. By the year 3999 the virus has killed almost every human and mutant.
The X-Men, with Bishop, who had travelled back to the past to stop the virus, followed Creed to his mansion and into his secret lab. In there, Apocalypse revealed himself and the X-Men fights him. As the X-Men's attacks prove to do nothing against Apocalypse, Bishop throws a grenade at the tank contaning the virus, and it's destroyed. The X-Men then flees, as the lab begins to blow up.
However, Apocalypse, enraged with the X-Men for foiling his plans, grews several hundred feet in height and vaporizes the X-Men with a single shot of his energy blasts (this however was reversed through time travel by Cable).
His former horsemen, Archangel, who had become hell-bent on destroying him, had spent months hunting down and trying to find a way to kill the seemly invincibly millenia old mutant. Although whatever information of Apocalypse that Archangel found and believed could help him destroy Apocalypse, only lead further to the truth that Apocalypse was could not be killed. But Archangel refused to accept so. One of Archangel's experts in ancient relics soon provided him with an ancient document telling of a way to destroy Apocalypse.
Archangel then attacked Apocalypse on Liberty Island, but is quickly defeated by him, and is saved by the X-Men. Trying to help Archangel, the X-Men discovers Apocalypse's sentient spacecraft, Ship, and set a trap to finally stop Apocalypse with Ship's help. The trap, however, fails, due to Apocalypses override system. Apocalypse then reveals to Archangel, that he all along was the archiologist in disguise, and the information to destroy him was false. Thanks to Beast, who manage to defeat Apocalypse's override code, the Ship turned it self against Apocalypse, and trapped him in a capsule, which was rocked into the outer space. But Apocalypse swore that he would return.
Apocalypse's capsule would seemingly be found by Deathbird, and they became allies. Apocalypse then witnessesed Magneto's televised speech declaring Asteroid M a safe haven for mutants. Later on, Apocalypse with Deathbird would revive Fabian Cortez, after he had been left to die at Asteriod M by Magneto. And tells Cortez that his talents will prove useful to him, and empowered Cortez with the ability of altering the mutations of other mutants. Cortez, now his servant, would gather Apocalypse's Hounds and brings the Morlock Caliban out of the tunnells to lead them.
[edit] Beyond Good and Evil
In the Beyond Good and Evil storyline, towards the end of the series, Apocalypse still wages his war against humanity and mutantkind, opposed by Cable and his Clan Chosen, Cable's freedom fighters. Cable and his Clan Chosen attempt to make an assault at his Lazarus Chamber in Egypt, and to strike him as he's weakened.
Apocalypse had although foreseen this, and steals Cable's time-travelling Computer, infusing it with himself, granting him the ability to travel through time. As Apocalypse attempted time travelling, he was thrown off course into the central core outside of time, The Axis of Time. Apocalypse would spend centuries exploring the Axis and discovering it's powers. Apocalypse would now set a scheme into attain godhood by kidnapping the most powerful psychic beings from across the universe. He recruited Mister Sinister and the Nasty Boys to find the psychics. He ordered Sinister to start with Jean Grey.
Apocalypse would then aid his ally Deathbird in defeating the Shi'ar empire and securing the Empress Lilandra, though quickly betrays her and kidnaps the psychic guardsman Oracle.
Apocalypse would also manipulate Mangeto to side by telling him that his plan would be to use the psychics to create the ultimate future in which Mutants would rule. Apocalypse also promised to resurrect his dead wife, Magda.
The X-Men and Cable, who had learned of Apocalypse's plot, joined forces, and travelled to ancient Egypt, using Greymalkin, to kill Apocalypse. However, when finding Apocalypse it turns out that it was Mystique in disguise. It was revealed that Apocalypse knew all along of the X-Men's plan, and had set a trap to capture now the last of the needed psychics, Professor Charles Xavier.
Wth all of the Universes telepaths under his control, Apocalypse could now accomplish his true plan. However, Magneto approached Apocalypse telling him that he was going to explain what he really would do. Apocalypse explains to Magneto that he planned to kill all the psychics simultaneously, in order to release a wave of psychic energy powerful enough to cause time to stand still and eventually erase everything outside the Axis of Time. Apocalypse would then re-create the universe in his own image, so he could rule unchallenged.
Magneto shocked, of hearing his true plan, turned on him, alongside with Mystique, who was neither of his scheme. They are aided by the X-Men and Cable to stop him. In the end, the psychics, now freed, used their combined powers to trap Apocalypse in the Astral plane, where he would remain for all eternity, never to harm mankind or existence again.
In one of the final episodes of the series, The Fifth Horseman, Apocalypse is shown to be communicating from the astral plane with Fabian Cortez, at an ancient Mayan temple which was a "backup" Lazarus Chamber Apocalypse created centuries ago. He quests Cortez in finding a powerful mutant to serve as his vessel, which would allow him to return to our world. The Hounds captures the mutant Jubilee to act as host for his master. However, the sacrifice is stopped by interruptions of Beast and Caliban who frees Jubilee and escapes leaving the temple in ruins. Cortez begs Apocalypse to forgive him for his failure of not having a vessel. Apocalypse however then tells Cortez that he has provided him with a vessel. Cortez confused states that he does not understand, and Apocalypse proceeds by forcefully possessing him. Resulting in Cortez himself becoming the vessel. As Cortez's body transformed into his own, Apocalypse burst out maniacal laughter, as he lived once more.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Apocalypse was depicted many times as an invincible opponent.
He was invulnerable to apparently all forms of physical harm; Gambit flew a plane into Apocalypse with no effect, and he withstood numerous energy blasts from Cyclops without a scratch. Not even Wolverine's adamantium claws were able to cut through his armored body.
Apocalypse possessed shape-shifting powers, with he especially used to transform his fists into melee weapons. He was also capable of altering his size to massive proportions in just a matter of seconds.
His powers also included superhuman strength, energy blasts from his chest and palms, teleportation, and flight. He also displayed telepathy and telekinesis.
[edit] X-Men: Evolution
In the animated series X-Men: Evolution, Apocalypse was first mentioned in a single episode of the second season.
The last half of the third season focused on the battle to stop Apocalypse from waking, and he became the main villain for the fourth and final season of the series. He is played by David Kaye.
The origin of this version of Apocalypse is largely the same as the one created in the comics. In the series, Apocalypse had discovered a device left by Rama-Tut (never explicitly said to be Kang) called the Eye of Ages that would turn all humans on Earth into mutants (similar to the device used by Magneto in the X-Men movie, but on a global scale).
When Apocalypse tried to power the device, he was weakened, and his high priests, afraid of his power, imprisoned him inside the Eye of Ages and then took him to the top of the Himalayan Mountains and imprisoned him behind three doors.
Centuries later, Apocalypse would be able to use telepathy to reach the world outside his prison and used the hypnotist Mesmero to help unlock the doors. The final door required Mesmero to enlist the aid of Rogue and Mystique—Rogue would use her energy-absorbing power to absorb enough energy from other mutants to revive Apocalypse, and Mystique would use her shape-shifting abilities to unlock the door (turning her to stone in the process). The X-Men and Magneto worked together to stop Mesmero, but they were too late. The awakened Apocalypse defeated them all in an instant and vanished.
Apocalypse's master plan included uncovering pyramids in Mexico, China, and Egypt that would help to relay the Eye of Ages' mutating effect across the globe. To help protect these pyramids, Apocalypse enslaved Magneto, Professor X, Storm, and Mystique to guard the three pyramids and the base hidden under the Sphinx. The X-Men gathered their allies (including modified Sentinels under the command of S.H.I.E.L.D) and launched an offensive against the pyramids. In the end, Rogue stopped Apocalypse by using the power she absorbed from Leech to shut off his mutant abilities and trap him in the Eye of Ages. Wolverine then sent Apocalypse through time using the vessel that Rama-Tut had used to arrive in ancient Egypt. Apocalypse was not killed, but his destination was unknown. After his defeat, Wolverine and Rogue think they may not be lucky and seeing the last of Apocalypse won't be possible. If there had been a fifth season, Apocalypse could have returned.
In the series, Apocalypse was originally depicted as a god-like pharaoh with an ethereal white glow. Unlike his comic book counterpart, this version of Apocalypse never spoke, and his powers were never defined. He displays high levels of telekinetic and telepathic abilities, as well as various energy-based powers, molecular manipulation, teleportation, and size-alteration. In the final episodes of the series, Apocalypse used Rama-Tut's technology to become a cybernetic being closer to the comic book version, and he began to speak in the grand, self-important tone with which older fans were familiar. Some critics felt the producers had done this to pander to traditionalist fans, feeling that the silent, god-like Apocalypse felt more like a real menace than the talkative, cyborg version he reverted to.
[edit] Video games
[edit] X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
Apocalypse makes a cameo appearance in the ending to X-Men Legends and he was voiced by Dan Hay. This cameo appearance leads up to his role as the main villain in the sequel, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse.
Apocalypse looks very similar to his Ultimate X-Men counterpart, which follows the trend of the other character designs in the game.
In X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, Apocalypse is the primary villain. The game begins with the X-Men and Brotherhood joining forces, both of whom have "grievances with Apocalypse." Apocalypse is looking for mutants with "Harmonic DNA" which he would use to power a device that would essentially make himself invincible.
He eventually found four mutants: Polaris, Quicksilver, Emma Frost, and Sabretooth. He also kidnapped Beast, using him to translate Nuwali symbols to explain about the device, and has Mr. Sinister drug Beast, controlling his mind and turning him into a spy for Apocalypse.
He later kidnaps Angel, transforming him into the Horseman Death, which parallels the comic storyline in which Angel becomes Archangel, and serves Apocalypse as Death. Apocalypse loses control of the harmonic power after being pushed to use it by the X-Men and Brotherhood.
This shouldn't have happened, and it is hinted at the very end of the game that Mr. Sinister sabotaged the device, also hinting that he may be the primary villain, should there be an X-Men Legends III.
[edit] VS series
Apocalypse appears as one of the boss characters in the X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter games. He appears initially as in the picture at left, but then grows to an enormous size after screaming "I AM THE APOCALYPSE!!!", far too big to fit on a single screen.
His main weapon and weak point is his gigantic fist, which can turn into various weapons that do major damage when it strikes the player's character. Although he was the main boss in X-Men vs. Street Fighter, he was downgraded to a sub-boss in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter with a cyborg version of Akuma called "Cyber-Akuma" (Mech-Gouki in the Japanese version) taking his former spot. It was revealed that Apocalypse captured Akuma and transformed him into a cyborg with incredible power, which made him extremely difficult to defeat.
- Apocalypse also made a minor appearance in an ending to X2: Wolverine's Revenge and was voiced by Chris Smith.
- Apocalypse appears also on the SNES video game X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse. Apocalypse is secretly based in Genosha and has kidnapped a number of mutants. Like his comics book counterpart, Apocalypse offers the X-Men the chance to become his Horsemen.
[edit] Trivia
- According to the writers at Marvel, "En Sabah Nur" translates to "The First One" in Arabic. However, the phrase actually translates into something more akin to "Good Morning".
- A little known fact is that Apocalypse was created as a last minute replacement for the Owl, a Daredevil villain who original X-Factor writer Bob Layton wanted to use as X-Factor's main villain. When Layton was removed from the book and replaced with Louise Simonson, she requested that the last page of X-Factor #5 be changed to a shadowy figure named Apocalypse, as Simonson wanted a new character to be the main villain for the book. [1]
- Apocalypse was once planned to be the mastermind behind the Weapon X project that gave Wolverine his adamantium skeleton.[citation needed]
- During his run on Cable, Robert Weinberg actually planned a rather complex series of circumstances that would have revealed that Apocalypse was in fact the Third Summers Brother all along, but Weinberg left the book before he could go along with his plan. [2]
[edit] Bibliography
- Black Knight: Exodus
- Cable and Deadpool #26-27
- Cable Annual 1999
- Cable vol. 2 #1, 19, 34-35, 44-53, 64, 66-68, 74-76
- Classic X-Men #25
- Eternals: Apocalypse Now
- Fantastic Four vol. 1 #335, 415
- Further Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix #1-4
- Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #455-457
- Magneto Rex #3
- New Excalibur #9
- Power Pack vol. 1 #35
- Rise of Apocalypse #1-4
- She-Hulk vol. 2 #29-30
- Thor vol. 1 #373-374
- Uncanny X-Men #295-296, 335-336, 376-378
- Wolverine vol. 2 #100, 145-146
- Wolverine: Jungle Adventure
- X-Factor Annual #3
- X-Factor vol. 1 #4-6, 10-13, 15, 17-28, 49-51, 53, 65-68, 85-86
- X-Force vol. 1 #17-18, 37, 70
- X-Man #59
- X-Men vol. 1 #118-119
- X-Men vol. 2 #14-16, 41, 90, 93-98 178-179, 181-186
- X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula #1-4
- X-Men: Search for Cyclops #1-4
[edit] External links
- KMC - the Apocalypse respect Thread
- "Apocalyptic Accounts" at UncannyXmen.net
- Apocalypse at the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki
- Apocalypse (House of M) at the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki
- Apocalypse (Age of Apocalypse) at the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 1986 introductions | Fictional Egyptians | Marvel Comics immortals | Fictional characters with telekinesis | Fictional characters who can change their size | Fictional characters who can shapeshift | Fictional telepaths | Fictional characters who can teleport | Marvel Comics deities | Marvel Comics mutants | Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength | Eugenics in fiction
