Apocalypse
Apocalypse, as depicted on the cover of X-Men #183 (vol. 2, April 2006). Art by Salvador Larroca.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Uncanny X-men #119 (vol. 1, March, 1978)
Created by	Louise Simonson (writer) Jackson Guice (artist)
In story information
Alter ego	En Sabah Nur
Species	Human Mutant
Team affiliations	Four Horsemen Dark Riders Clan Akkaba
Notable aliases	The First One, High Lord
Abilities	Self-manipulation Immortality Superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance, reflexes, and durability Teleportation Flight Energy manipulation Technopathy Healing factor Psionic powers Genius-level intelligence Access to Celestial technology

Apocalypse is a fictional character from various comic books and graphic novels published by Marvel Comics. The character made his debut in the mid-1980s X-Men spin-off series, X-Factor (vol. 1, 1986-1991), and was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Jackson Guice. Apocalypse was introduced in X-Factor as a centuries-old mutant obsessed with the Social Darwinist philosophy of survival of the fittest. The character employs highly advanced technology in his schemes, such as transforming Angel into one of his Four Horsemen and infecting Cyclops' son with a "techno-organic virus". Although the character first appeared in X-Factor, the unnamed benefactor of the Living Monolith in Marvel Graphic Novel #17 (1985), has been identified as Apocalypse in disguise. ^[1] The supervillain Moses Magnum who fought the X-Men during the late 1970s, was retconned into being a minion of Apocalypse in Classic X-Men #25 (vol. 1, September 1988). Apocalypse's real name, En Sabah Nur, including his birthplace (Egypt), and the alien origin of his technology, was revealed in a flashback in X-Force #37 (vol. 1, August 1994). The origin story of Apocalypse relates that he is the first mutant, born 5,000 years ago. In 1995, the popular storyline known as the Age of Apocalypse was created, an alternate timeline in which Apocalypse has conquered much of the world, which temporarily replaced the main Marvel universe. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... Salvador Larroca (born 1964) is a Spanish comic book artist, primarily known for his work on various X-Men titles. ... This article is about the comic book company. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Louise Simonson (born Mary Louise Alexander) is an American comic book writer and editor. ... Jackson Guice (sometimes credited as Butch Guice) is a comic book artist who has contributed to the Micronauts, New Mutants, X-Factor, The Flash, Doctor Strange and Birds of Prey. ... -1... The Horsemen of Apocalypse are a team of fictional supervillains in the Marvel Universe that serve the ancient mutant Apocalypse as his personal strikeforce. ... The Dark Riders, also known as the Riders of the Storm, are a team of comic book supervillains in Marvel Comics universe. ... Clan Akkaba is a fictional cult made up of descendants of the Marvel Comics mutant supervillain Apocalypse. ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as superpowers (also spelled super-powers). ... A genius is a person of great intelligence. ... Celestials redirects here. ... A fictional character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that is created from ones imagination or from an adaption of an existing entity. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Graphic novel (sometimes abbreviated GN) is a term for a kind of book, usually telling an extended story with sequential art ( comics). ... This article is about the comic book company. ... The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a new company formed from a university research group. ... X-Factor is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. ... Louise Simonson (born Mary Louise Alexander) is an American comic book writer and editor. ... Jackson Guice (sometimes credited as Butch Guice) is a comic book artist who has contributed to the Micronauts, New Mutants, X-Factor, The Flash, Doctor Strange and Birds of Prey. ... -1... Social Darwinism is the idea that Charles Darwins theory can be extended and applied to the social realm, i. ... For other uses, see Survival of the fittest (disambiguation). ... Warren Kenneth Worthington III is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in Marvel Comics. ... The Horsemen of Apocalypse are a team of fictional supervillains in the Marvel Universe that serve the ancient mutant Apocalypse as his personal strikeforce. ... For other uses, see Cyclops (disambiguation). ... now. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... The Living Monolith (Ahmet Abdol) is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... From 1982 to 1990, Marvel comics published a series of Graphic Novels known as the Marvel Graphic Novel line of trade paperbacks. ... Moses Magnum is a fictional arms dealer, terrorist, and supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... Retroactive continuity – commonly contracted to the portmanteau word retcon – refers to the act of changing previously established details of a fictional setting, often without providing an explanation for the changes within the context of that setting. ... Classic X-Men, retitled as X-Men Classic later on in its run, is the Marvel Comics comic book series within the X-Men franchise that reprints classic X-Men stories. ... The place of birth is the place where a person was born. ... In literature, film, television and other media, a flashback (also called analepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. ... X-Force was a Marvel Comics superhero team, one of many spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. ... The Rise of Apocalypse is a four-issue limited series published in 1996 by Marvel Comics. ... Main character(s) Alternate universe X-Men and associates Creative team Writer(s) Rolf Kauka Scott Lobdell Mark Waid Fabian Nicieza John Francis Moore Larry Hama Warren Ellis Jeph Loeb Howard Mackie Terry Kavanagh Penciller(s) Roger Cruz Steve Epting Joe Madureira Andy Kubert Tony Daniel Salvador Larroca Chris Bachalo... Events Eadbald succeeds Ethelbert as king of Kent. ...

In 2008, Apocalypse was ranked #3 at Marvel.com on their list of Top 10 X-Men villains over the past four decades. ^[2] This article is about the comic book company. ...

Publication history

The writer of the first five issues of X-Factor, Bob Layton, intended to use the Daredevil villain Owl as the "the master" of the Alliance of Evil, mentioned in X-Factor #4 (vol. 1, May 1986). When Layton however 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 character named Apocalypse, as Simonson wanted a new character to be the main villain for the book. ^[3] Apocalypse was the principal adversary of X-Factor, until being apparently killed at the climax of issue #68 (July 1991). The character returns in X-Men #14 (vol. 2, November 1992), part of the X-Cutioner's Song crossover; though, the character is again, apparently killed off at the end of this crossover, in X-Force #18 (vol. 1, January 1992). Bob Layton is a USA comic book artist. ... For other uses, see Daredevil (comics). ... The Owl, real name Leland Owlsley, is a supervillain who frequently menaces Daredevil and other heroes in Marvel Comics universe, notably Spider-Man and the Black Cat. ... The Alliance of Evil is a villain group composed of young and reckless mutants with a radical way of going about things. ... X-Factor is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. ... Louise Simonson (born Mary Louise Alexander) is an American comic book writer and editor. ... Unseen characters are a common device in drama. ... The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... X-Cutioners Song is crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in twelve parts from the November 1992 to early 1993. ... CrossOver (before version 6. ... X-Force was a Marvel Comics superhero team, one of many spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. ...

During the Onslaught crossover, Apocalypse is resurrected in Uncanny X-Men #335 (vol. 1, August 1996). The origin story of Apocalypse is detailed the following year, in the character's own four-issue miniseries, titled Rise of Apocalypse, written by Terry Kavanagh and penciled by Adam Pollina. The same year, Apocalypse plays a part in the origin of Exodus in Black Knight: Exodus, and Mister Sinister in The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix. For the eponymous team and other X-Men comic books, see X-Men. ... In comic book terminology, the phrase origin story refers to a story or backstory revealing how a male character went through a sex change, or the circumstances under which they became superheroes or supervillains. ... A miniseries (sometimes mini-series), in a serial storytelling medium, is a production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. ... The Rise of Apocalypse is a four-issue limited series published in 1996 by Marvel Comics. ... Terrence Terry Kavanagh is a American comic book editor and writer. ... Adam Pollina is an comic book artist and penciller. ... For the singer, see Paris Bennett. ... Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essex) is a fictional character appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. ... The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix is a four-issue comic book limited series published in 1996 by Marvel Comics. ...

In January 2000, the mysterious storyline of The Twelve finally unfolded, in which Apocalypse plays a major part in. The story arc is followed by a series of sub-chapters, Ages of Apocalypse, and a four-issue limited miniseries, The Search for Cyclops. After six years, Apocalypse returned in X-Men vol. 2, #181 (2006), for the Blood of Apocalypse storyline, which was followed by two prologues: Cable & Deadpool #26 & 27 and the X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula miniseries. The Twelve is a crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics. ... The Ages of Apocalypse is a series of sub-chapters to the Twelve saga wherein En Sabah Nur finds himself trapped in the body of Scott Summers after a failed attempt to possess Nate Grey. ... Cable & Deadpool is a comic book published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2004. ...

Fictional character biography

Rise of Apocalypse

En Sabah Nur as featured on the cover of Rise of Apocalypse #1. Pencils by Adam Pollina.

The story of Apocalypse begins 3000 BC Egypt during the First Dynasty. Born gray-skinned (although Apocalypse's skin color is sometimes depicted as flesh colored or dark skinned) and blue-lipped with natural facial markings, in the settlement of Akkaba, he is abandoned as an infant, but found by a band of desert nomads, the Sandstormers, whose leader, Baal, sees the child's potential power, and raises him as his own, naming him En Sabah Nur. He is taught in the philosophy that the tribe lives and dies by: survival of the fittest. Nur and Baal are the only Sandstormers to survive on the day that General Ozymandias with his army, destroys the Sandstormers tribe, as they find refuge in a sacred cave before it collapsed. Baal eventually dies from lack of nourishment after weeks of deprivation, but before he does, he admits to Nur that he had believed him to be a savior foretold in ancient prophecies who is destined to overthrow the pharaoh Rama-Tut. The young Nur vows to take revenge on the pharaoh and claim his destiny. He hides himself as a slave in Tut's city, where he has visions of Egyptian gods who reveal his great destiny. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Adam Pollina is an comic book artist and penciller. ... Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the First Dynasty. ... Historical data for native populations collected by R. Biasutti prior to 1940. ... Aqaba (Arabic: العقبة al-ʻAqabah) is a coastal town with a population of 101,290 (2000) and 2% of Jordans population in the far south of Jordan (). It is the capital of Aqaba Governorate. ... For other uses, see Baal (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Survival of the fittest (disambiguation). ... Ozymandias is a fictional character, a supervillain in Marvel Comics X-Men franchise. ...

The pharaoh Rama-Tut, in actuality an earlier incarnation of Kang the Conqueror who had come back in time to locate the young Apocalypse and take him under his wing, tries to convince Nur to join him, but the young mutant savagely attacks the pharaoh only to be taken down by the conqueror's futuristic weapon. Nur survives, and tries to rescue Nephri, Ozymandias' sister, who had become attracted to the mysterious slave, but Nur is ultimately rejected by Nephri for his inhuman appearance, and she turns to her brother for protection in her panic. Heartbroken by this final rejection, En Sabah Nur's prodigious mutant abilities fully emerge in his enraged state, and he renames himself Apocalypse. Rama-Tut flees the former slave's rampage, while Nur uses his advanced technology to enslave and transform his former tormentor, Ozymandias, into a blind seer made of living stone, who would forever chronicle Apocalypse's future destinies. Fifty years later, Nur revisits Nephri, now an elderly Egyptian Queen on her deathbed, and mocks the loss of her beauty and vitality, in contrast to his own unchanged appearance, despite the passage of time. ^[4] This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... St. ... Ageless is an adjective describing something or someone whose age cannot be defined or is nonexistent. ...

Early history

As the millennia pass, Apocalypse travels around the world to determine if his time of testing had come. He appears throughout history, encouraging civilizations to worship him as a god from several ancient mythologies and testing their strength by manipulating them into fighting wars of conquest. and has appeared throughout history, claiming to have brought "growth, judgment, and destruction." ^[5] Apocalypse begins to beget progeny, who faithfully followed him as the Clan Akkaba. At some point, Apocalypse discovers advanced alien technology, which he uses to transform and enhance himself. ^[6] Apocalypse now enters states of suspended animation, while he waits for mutants to become more common, leaving Clan Akkaba and Ozymandias to act in his stead while he sleeps. Apocalypse has some history of having fought the race of godlike immortals known as Eternals, primarily the members Ikaris and Sersi, having been referred to as their "Ancient Nemesis". ^[7] In the 12th century, Apocalypse would re-encounter the Eternal Sersi, when he came across the crusader Bennet du Paris and awakens his latent mutant powers, transforming him into Exodus. ^[8] For other uses, see History (disambiguation). ... This article is about the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see History (disambiguation). ... Clan Akkaba is a fictional cult made up of descendants of the Marvel Comics mutant supervillain Apocalypse. ... This article is about suspended animation in a medical context. ... The Eternals are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Ikaris is a fictional member of the Eternals, a race appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Sersi is a fictional character, an Eternal superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. ... For the singer, see Paris Bennett. ...

In Victorian London, 1859, Apocalypse encounters Nathaniel Essex, a British scientist, and through him, learns the scientific term for beings like himself – mutant. Coercing Essex and members of the Hellfire Club into working for him, Apocalypse plots the first steps in his quest for global conflict on an unprecedented scale. He uses his advanced technology to transform Nathaniel into Mister Sinister, and commands him to create a plague to ravage and transmute the population of the world. At the same time, the mutant heroes Cyclops and Phoenix had been sent back through time to stop Apocalypse. Close to slaying the British Royal Family, Apocalypse is suddenly greatly weakened, and Cyclops and Phoenix manage to defeat him. It is revealed that Sinister had betrayed Apocalypse, seeing his vision of the future as madness, and had instead created a plague that attacked only Apocalypse, forcing the ancient mutant into his hibernation sanctuary. ^[9] In 1897, Apocalypse is awaken by his followers, in order to deal with Dracula, who is turning members of Clan Akkaba into vampires to battle Apocalypse, as revenge for his earlier defeat centuries ago as Vlad Tepes. Apocalypse, with some assistance from Abraham Van Helsing, kills Dracula. The continuation of the Akkaba line is secured by Ozymandias through a disabled but powerful teleporter named Frederick Slade mating with a woman. ^[10] The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... -1... For other uses, see Hellfire Club (disambiguation). ... Mister Sinister (Nathaniel Essex) is a fictional character appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. ... For other uses, see Cyclops (disambiguation). ... Jean Grey-Summers (born Jean Grey) is a fictional superheroine who lives in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... Philip Burne-Jones, The Vampire, 1897 Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings that subsist on human and/or animal lifeforce. ... Helsing and Van Helsing redirect here. ... Frederick Slade is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics. ...

Modern era

Apocalypse with Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel as the Horseman Death in X-Factor #24 (January 1988). Pencils by Walter Simonson.

Apocalypse spends many years hidden, but awakes from his slumber by the arrival of the mysterious time-traveling mutant Cable (ironically, Cable had come to the present to prevent the ancient mutant's awakening). Awakened almost a century earlier than he had planned, Apocalypse decides to examine the world and determine its conditions for testing. ^[11] He grants superhuman powers to the terrorist known as Moses Magnum,^[12] who does his bidding by testing the strong and winnowing the weak, battling the X-Men and the Avengers. Apocalypse first crosses paths with the original X-Men team (then organized as the mutant hunting group, X-Factor) when he briefly employs the Alliance of Evil, and orders them to capture the mutant Michael Nowlan. Apocalypse plans to use Nowlan's power-boosting mutation to provide mutantkind with unlimited power. This plan was foiled by the interference of the X-Factor team. ^[13] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Walter or, usually, Walt Simonson is a comic book writer and artist. ... This article is about the Marvel Comics character Nathan Summers. ... Moses Magnum is a fictional arms dealer, terrorist, and supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The Avengers is a team of fictional superhero characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. ... X-Factor is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. ... The Alliance of Evil is a villain group composed of young and reckless mutants with a radical way of going about things. ... Michael Nowlan, alias The Source is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. ...

Apocalypse later recruits mutants to serve as his Four Horsemen. Among them is Angel, whom Apocalypse saves from an exploding plane, granting him artificial wings (after he had lost his own natural wings) in exchange for his servitude. The X-Factor member is reborn as Death. ^[14] Apocalypse summons the X-Factor team to his cloaked ship, which floats invisibly above the city. Apocalypse was interested in this group of mutants and had studied them, monitored their activities and researched their origins and motives after learning of Professor Xavier and the X-Men. ^[15] Apocalypse explains his scheme to unleash his Horsemen and destroy New York, and offers X-Factor a place at his side. In the end, the Horsemen are defeated by X-Factor, thanks to the help of both the reformed Angel as well as Power Pack. Apocalypse leaves his Celestial Ship for them and in return, takes the willing Morlock Caliban. ^[16] Afterwards, Apocalypse secretly takes some control over the ship, and it starts to fight X-Factor, but they regain control. Apocalypse escapes with Caliban to one of his bases at Mount Everest. ^[17] Spoiler warning: The Horsemen of the Apocalypse are supervillains led by Apocalypse by Marvel Comics. ... Warren Kenneth Worthington III is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in Marvel Comics. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... Professor X Professor X (full name Charles Francis Xavier) is a comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe. ... This article is about the state. ... For the 1965 American military operation, see Operation Power Pack For other uses of the term, see Power pack The Power Pack is a team of fictional child superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Caliban is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Everest redirects here. ...

During the Evolutionary War, Apocalypse, confronts the High Evolutionary who had embarked on a quest to rid the world of a lesser species that he felt were preventing evolution from moving forward. Believing that the Evolutionary was disrupting the natural order of things, Apocalypse commenced battle with Wyndham. In the end, because of the High Evolutionary's actions, it helped the species evolve and grow stronger which ironically helped Apocalypse's plan of weeding out the weak and forcing the strong to rise. ^[18] Following the genetic manipulation of Caliban, Apocalypse is confronted by the Norse god Loki, who wants him to join his "Acts of Vengeance", but Apocalypse refuses and the two briefly fight. ^[19] The High Evolutionary as drawn by Jack Kirby. ... The High Evolutionary (Herbert Edgar Wyndham) is a fictional Marvel Comics character created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. ... Loki (Loki Laufeyson) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... Category: Possible copyright violations ...

Sins of the Future

Apocalypse infecting Nathan with a techno-organic virus, as depicted in Cable vol. 2, #64 (Feb, 1999). Pencils by José Ladrönn.

Apocalypse learns of Sinister's intention to create an adversary powerful enough to destroy him; Nathan Christopher Charles Summers, the son of Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor. Apocalypse, viewing him as a threat and realizing that Nathan's energy is the very energy that awoke him all those months earlier, ^[20] sends his newly formed group, the Riders of the Storm, to abduct the Summers child. Apocalypse at this time had conquered the city of Attilan, home of the Inhumans, and enslaved part of its population. X-Factor, alongside the Inhuman Royal Family, attacks Apocalypse's lunar stronghold. Although Apocalypse is severely defeated, the young Nathan is infected with a techno-organic virus, and is sent to the future with a woman named Askani to be cured. ^[21] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The OMAC Project #1; cover by Ladrönn. ... Madelyne Pryor is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Attilan is a fictional city in the Marvel Comics universe that houses the Inhumans which first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. ... The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics Universe, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. ... now. ...

In the future, Apocalypse has conquered the world and ruled until the 39th century. By this time, Apocalypse's body had grown feeble; ^[22] he becomes aware of the young Nathan's presence in this time, but only succeeds in kidnapping a clone of the child which the Askani created. Apocalypse plans to transfer his consciousness and power into the clone's stronger body, but perishes in combat with the (real) teenage Nathan. ^[23] Nathan grows up to become the warrior Cable (while his clone grows up to become the mutant terrorist known as Stryfe,) and travels back to the past to prevent Apocalypse's future domination of the planet. This article is about the Marvel Comics character Nathan Summers. ... Stryfe is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an adversary of the X-Men and related characters, especially Cable and X-Force. ...

In the present, Apocalypse is prematurely awoken from his regeneration chamber by his Riders (now calling themselves, The Dark Riders), who inform their master that his Horsemen has kidnapped Cyclops and Jean Grey, supposedly under his instructions (in actuality, Mister Sinister, who was posing as Apocalypse). ^[24] When attempting to rejuvenate himself again, Apocalypse is nearly killed by Stryfe who had arrived in the past to take revenge on Apocalypse. At the end of this conflict, Apocalypse is presumed deceased due to his two recent attempts at regeneration having been interrupted, and after a brief battle on the Moon with his former servants, the Dark Riders (who had joined Stryfe), Apocalypse is left for dead by Archangel. ^[25] One of the Nazgûl portrayed in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy In J.R.R. Tolkiens fantasy universe of Middle-earth, the Nazgûl (from Black Speech Nazg (ring) and Gûl (wraith, spirit); Ringwraiths, sometimes written Ring-wraiths), also known as the Nine Riders or... X-Cutioners Song is crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in twelve parts from the November 1992 to early 1993. ...

The Dark Rider's new leader, Genesis - the son of Cable, who had traveled to the present to ensure Apocalypse's rise and exact revenge on his father - plans to resurrect Apocalypse by sacrificing the lives of the people in villages neighboring Akkaba. During this time, Wolverine is held captive by Genesis, who attempts to restore Wolverine's lost adamantium skeleton and turn him into a Horseman as a gift for Apocalypse. However, Wolverine breaks free and mutates into a feral state, and then kills Genesis along with nearly all of the Dark Riders (Ironically enough, Apocalypse himself would repeat Genesis's scheme of reinforcing Wolverine's skeleton with adamantium again and brainwashing him into servitude, succeeding where Genesis had failed). During the fight, Cannonball opens the sarcophagus containing Apocalypse's body, but finds it empty, and wonders if Genesis was either lying about Apocalypse, or was delusional, or maybe Apocalypse had gotten up and left by himself. ^[26] It should be noted that Apocalypse was seen alive before this. ^[27] Genesis (Tyler Dayspring) is a fictional character in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. ... For other uses, see Wolverine (disambiguation). ... Adamantium is a fictional chemical substance and metal alloy in the Marvel comics universe. ... A feral horse (an American mustang) in Wyoming A feral animal or plant is one that has escaped from domestication and returned, partly or wholly, to its wild state. ... Cannonball (Samuel Zachary Guthrie) is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. ... The Etruscan Sarcophagus of the Spouses, at the National Etruscan Museum. ...

Further schemes

After a long healing slumber, Apocalypse, fully restored, awakens with Ozymandias at his side and quickly learns of the present danger; Onslaught. ^[28] He observes the conflict between the psionic entity and Earth's heroes with Uatu the Watcher, who suggests to Apocalypse a course of action; an alliance with the one who hated him the most, Cable. ^[29] Apocalypse surmises that Onslaught would be most vulnerable through the astral plane, and that he needs Cable for actual physical transportation to this realm. Once on the astral plane, Apocalypse would remove the captive Franklin Richards, greatly weakening Onslaught. The plan succeeds, but is interrupted by the Invisible Woman, who had invisibly accompanied the pair, having suspected Apocalypse's motive in wanting to actually kill her son. However, the reprieve in battle gave Onslaught the time to escape, prolonging the conflict. ^[30] Onslaught is a fictional character, a psionic entity in the Marvel Comics universe created from the consciousness of two characters: Professor Charles Xavier, founder and leader of the X-Men, and the villainous mutant known as Magneto. ... In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Uatu is the member of the extraterrestrial species known as the Watchers assigned to observe Earth and its solar system. ... The astral plane, also called the astral world or desire world, is a plane of existence according to esoteric philosophies, some religious teachings and New Age thought. ... This article is about the Marvel Comics character. ... Invisible Girl redirects here. ...

Following the events of the Onslaught saga, the gamma-spawned powerhouse, the Hulk and his human alter ego, Banner, are split into two separate entities; Hulk now draws upon energy derived from Franklin Richards' pocket universe; Apocalypse recruits the Hulk to become his Horseman, War, with intentions of using the Hulk's nexus-energy to overcome the Celestials. To test this newest recruit, Apocalypse set War against the New World Order, a shadow cabinet organization that intends to conquer the world. The New World Order in turn set the Juggernaut and the Absorbing Man against War, but both are easily defeated. However, Hulk comes to his senses after injuring his friend, Rick Jones. Despite this apparent setback, the incident was still a victory for Apocalypse as it was a successful testing of newly understood Celestial technology. Apocalypse activates the self-destruct mechanism on the sword of War, which the New World Order had obtained, destroying their headquarters. ^[31] Incredible Hulk, The Hulk and The Incredible Hulk redirect here. ... Heroes Reborn was an event in which Marvel Comics temporarily outsourced the production of several of its most famous comic books to the studios of its popular former employees Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld. ... Celestials redirects here. ... The Car of Juggernaut, as depicted in the 1851 Illustrated London Reading Book The term juggernaut ( ) is used to describe any literal or metaphorical force regarded as unstoppable that will crush all in its path. ... The Absorbing Man (Carl Crusher Creel) is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe. ... Richard Milhouse Rick Jones is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. ...

The Hellfire Club later awakens Apocalypse's long-hidden Harbinger from its deep sleep; originally a normal man, whom Apocalypse in the 19th century once left to incubate for 100 years. Apocalypse releases his Horseman (Caliban) and his scribe Ozymandias from his possession, to fend for themselves, if they were to survive the coming events. ^[32] Cable with the Avengers battles the Harbinger, but are unable to stop it. Apocalypse then appears, activating a bomb inside the Harbinger which would destroy all of New York, but Cable manage to prevent this disaster. ^[33] The Harbinger of Apocalypse is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Incubation period, also called the latent period or latency period, is the time elapsed between exposure to a pathogenic organism, or chemical or radiation, and when symptoms and signs are first apparent. ... The Avengers is a team of fictional superhero characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. ...

When Magneto, is disrupting Earth's magnetic field, Apocalypse sends a Skrull impersonating the mutant Astra (having dealt with the original Astra) to stop the Master of Magnetism. ^[34] Magneto (Eric Magnus Lensherr) is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. ... For the indie-pop band, see The Magnetic Fields. ... The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in the Marvel Universe. ... Astra is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

Intending to start an all-out war between the humans and the subterranean-dwelling Deviants as part of his plan to test the strong, Apocalypse sets off nuclear warheads at Lemuria, causing the Deviants to further mutate (which also restores Ikaris's father Virako to life). Apocalypse launches an attack at San Francisco, using a mentally controlled Deviant, Karkas, now a gigantic monster, that the Eternals are forced to battle. Apocalypse is confronted by his centuries-old foe, Ikaris, who now is a Prime Eternal. Although, Apocalypse defeats Ikaris, the Eternal still succeeds destroying his ship and thwarting his plan. ^[35] The Deviants are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18 km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ... Lemuria is the name of two fictional locations in the Marvel Universe. ... Virako is a member of the Eternals, a fictional race in the Marvel Comics universe. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Karkas is a character from the Marvel Universe, a member of the Deviants, a fictional off-shoot of humanity specific characterized by somewhat monstrous appearances. ... Prime Eternal is the title given to the leader of the Eternals, a fictional race of godlike immortals in the Marvel Comics Universe. ...

The Twelve

Main article: Apocalypse: The Twelve

Apocalypse merges with Cyclops in X-Men vol. 2, #97 (February 2000). Pencils by Alan Davis.

Supposedly lost diaries of the mutant seer Destiny surfaced, telling of twelve beings that could defeat Apocalypse once and for all. ^[36] Various mutants, all listed in the prophecy, are abducted by Apocalypse's Horsemen including a faction of the Skrulls. The Twelve legend was in fact a ruse, orchestrated by Apocalypse himself; once the Twelve are assembled, Apocalypse intended to use them to transform himself into a godlike entity beyond the Celestials. ^[37] It is revealed at the end of this story arc, that Apocalypse's physical form has been burned out due to the vast amount of energies he has under his control, forcing him to wear a bio-armor (like his future counterpart), and now plans to use Nate Grey as a host body for him to move his energy and consciousness into. The X-Men confront Apocalypse as he is close to merging with Nate, but are unable to stop him. Cyclops however, pushes Nate Grey out of the way, merging with Apocalypse instead. ^[38] While the merge is successful, Apocalypse's aim for unlimited power was not, and he attempts to complete the transformation by warping reality into various scenarios (see Ages of Apocalypse). Apocalypse hoped to lull the Twelve into empowering him with their energy, but eventually, the mutants realize their true predicament and Apocalypse teleports away. ^[39] Image File history File links ApocalypseTwelve. ... Image File history File links ApocalypseTwelve. ... Alan Davis (born 1956) is a British writer and artist of comic books. ... Destiny (Irene Adler) was a Marvel Comics character, known as an adversary of the X-Men. ... Arishem towers in the distance and judges that a world shall die. ... X-Man (Nate Grey) is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe and related to the X-Men franchise. ... The Ages of Apocalypse is a series of sub-chapters to the Twelve saga wherein En Sabah Nur finds himself trapped in the body of Scott Summers after a failed attempt to possess Nate Grey. ...

An amnesiac and powerless Cyclops regained control of the merged form, but Apocalypse begin to re-emerge, however. Jean and Cable are alerted to his location in Egypt, where Jean in the end manage to free Cyclops by telepathically tearing out Apocalypse's essence from her husband's body, rendering Apocalypse in an incorporeal astral form, which Cable apparently destroys using his Psimitar. ^[40] The astral plane, also called the astral world or desire world, is a plane of existence according to esoteric philosophies, some religious teachings and New Age thought. ...

Post-M-Day

X-Men vol. 2, #182 (April 2006). Cover art by Salvador Larroca.

Due to the events of M-Day, in which most of the mutants lost their powers, Apocalypse was revealed to be alive and well. The techno-organic virus, with which he long ago infected Cable, was 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. ^[41] Apocalypse awakes from a slumber in a tomb in Akkaba, recalling: ^[42] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 388 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (500 × 773 pixels, file size: 89 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 388 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (500 × 773 pixels, file size: 89 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Salvador Larroca (born 1964) is a Spanish comic book artist, primarily known for his work on various X-Men titles. ... Decimation event logo, as shown on the covers of tie-in comics Decimation is the name of the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning out of the House of M limited series, that focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witchs stripping nearly all of the mutant population of...

Apocalypse finds himself in a world with its mutant population reduced to a tenth of what it had been, out of the millions who populated earth prior to his demise at Cable's hands. Reappearing inside a Sphinx-shaped ship, Apocalypse confronts the X-Men with his newly assembled cadre of Horsemen on the front lawn of the X-Mansion ^[43]. The Horseman Famine uses his powers to cause an intense feeling of hunger and weakness in the mutants and humans on the institute grounds. Apocalypse offers the mutants an elixir; his own blood, provided they join his side. ^[44] Bent on becoming the new messiah for mutant-kind, Apocalypse approaches the world leaders at the United Nations in New York and issues an ultimatum: humanity would destroy ninety per cent of its own population, putting man and mutant on level ground in anticipation of the final conflict when the worthy alone would survive - or Apocalypse would unleash his meta-plague on the world and obliterate all humanity. ^[45] Pogrom (from Russian: ; from громить IPA: - to wreak havoc, to demolish violently) is a form of riot directed against a particular group, whether ethnic, religious or other, and characterized by destruction of their homes, businesses and religious centres. ... For other uses, see Sphinx (disambiguation). ... In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, the X-Mansion, the common name for the Xavier Mansion, is the base of operations and training site of the X-Men and the location of a school for mutant teenagers, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly Xaviers School for Gifted Youngsters. ... Messiah (Hebrew: , Standard  Tiberian ; Aramaic: , Aramaic/Syriac: , ; Arabic: ‎, ) Literally, Messiah means The Anointed (One), typically someone anointed with holy anointing oil. ... UN redirects here. ... An ultimatum (Latin: ) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance. ...

In the end, Apocalypse's horsemen are lost, Ozymandias betrays him, and he is forced to retreat by combined assault of the X-Men and the Avengers. Ultimately, it is discovered that the Celestials lent their technology to Apocalypse, requiring as payment greater sufferings later. He attempts to embrace death as an escape from his lifelong pact, only to find himself instantly resurrected and hearing a voice: "We cannot let you die. Not yet. It is time Apocalypse… it is time". ^[46]

Characterization

Personality

Characterizations of Apocalypse have varied through the years. In his initial appearances, Apocalypse was depicted as a mutant supremacist, but he slowly became more of a character with concerns of the evolution of mankind and how it must progress; he tests mankind to provide his own form of natural selection, culling the weak from the strong in order for humanity to grow stronger. ^[47] Apocalypse is sometimes portrayed as a malevolent and megalomaniacal despot, bent on conquering the world as the self-considered fittest. ^[48] Apocalypse's strong belief in survival of the fittest has made him a considerable complex foe. Even when seemingly defeated, his plans have meant that even a loss is a victory; in his first encounter with the X-Men, when the mutant team had defeated his Alliance of Evil, Apocalypse, much to Cyclops's confusion, displayed satisfaction, stating that they had done well and that their "assistance" has been invaluable and he will find them again when he needs their help in winnowing out the weak. ^[49] Apocalypse also did not consider X-Factor for foiling his plan of destroying New York with his Horsemen a defeat, but a victory of lesser degree; not only had X-Factor proved that they were among the strong, but division now existed with his former Horseman joining the team, and as they now controlled his Celestial ship, Apocalypse predicted that it would cause distrust between the mutant group and the New York human populace. ^[50] Apocalypse has shown to admire his servants when they are standing up to him; as his former Horseman Archangel had come to his sense, refusing to serve him no longer and attacking him, Apocalypse responded saying "excellent! Strong in mind, as well as body!". Apocalypse as well did not kill Sinister upon learning of his treachery but forgave him, seeing strength in Sinister's defiance, although with the understanding that it would not be tolerated again. ^[51]-1... Supremacism is the belief that ones race or religion is the supreme, and that those of other distinctions are (by various arbitrary criteria) unfit for social or religious interaction, and sexual reproduction. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... For other uses, see Natural selection (disambiguation). ... This article is about the psychopathological condition. ... Despotism is government by a singular authority, either a single person or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute power. ...

Apocalypse is unaccustomed to engage in physical confrontation, and instead prefers to manipulate figures, and events behind-the-scenes. He is cruel, vicious and sadistic; during the X-Cutioner's Song, when his entire body was falling apart, it was said that Apocalypse had not been this happy in a thousand years, and Apocalypse stated that he took joy in the struggle of his pain. ^[52] Machiavellianism is primarily the term some social and personality psychologists use to describe a persons tendency to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain. ... Sadistic personality disorder was never formally admitted into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM); nevertheless, some researchers and theorists continue to use its criteria. ...

In his latest appearances, Apocalypse's personality has somewhat drastically changed. He has displayed benevolence; feeling too many mutants have needlessly died, and hesitating to unleash his Horseman Pestilence to wipe out all of humanity. ^[53] For a characteristic of many gods, see omnibenevolence For the phrenological faculty, see Benevolence (Phrenology) Look up Benevolence in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Powers and abilities

Apocalypse is portrayed as one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel universe, ^[54] exceeding even that of his former minion, the Harbinger in power, ^{[55] [56]} who was more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the Avengers and Cable at the same time. Even when in a severely weakened, dying state, Apocalypse has been capable of fighting, and defeating the X-Men (Storm, Colossus, Beast, Quicksilver, Archangel, and Iceman.) ^[57] The Harbinger of Apocalypse is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The Avengers is a team of fictional superhero characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. ... This article is about the Marvel Comics character Nathan Summers. ...

Apocalypse possesses several superhuman powers rather than a singular mutant ability, unlike other mutants. He further augmented himself by Celestial technology, though it is unclear if these enhancements granted him any additional powers beyond what he already possessed. His powers appear to change according to the story's need and/or the creative team's desires; Apocalypse was initially portrayed as a shape-shifter with the ability to teleport himself including others over unknown distances, but his powers have been greatly expanded since then, and he has displayed immense strength, near invulnerability, rapid regeneration, energy absorbing and projecting, as well as some telepathic and telekinetic capabilities.

Apocalypse has complete control over the atomic structure of his body — can alter his form as it suits him; allow his body to become extremely malleable, change his density and even increase his size and strength by taking on additional mass from an extra-dimensional source. Apocalypse can stretch, or contort his limbs and body into a multitude of shapes and sizes, with elasticity and flexibility far beyond the natural human limits. He can open holes through his body to avoid attacks. He is able to form various weapons (e.g. blades, hammers, guns, or shields) with parts of his body, including wings or jets to enable flight. He is also able to adapt his body to apparently any disease or environment. On one occasion, he has showed the ability to phase his hand through another object/person. Through his shape-shifting ability, Apocalypse can give himself virtually any physical superhuman power.

Thanks to his mutant power of immortality, Apocalypse is immune to aging. He does not need sustenance of any kind, and his body produces practically no fatigue toxins during physical activity, able to exert himself at peak capacity indefinitely. Apparently Apocalypse belongs to a sub-species of immortal mutants known as the Externals. He has been referred to as an External on several occasions, however, his longevity is believed by Selene as mostly due to technological means. Although, Apocalypse was already many centuries old before his first encounter with the technology with which he would later integrate himself. To note, Selene herself needs to maintain her supply of life force that she drains from living victims. The Externals were a fictional group of X-Men antagonists and mutants. ...

Aside from his superhuman powers, Apocalypse is extraordinarily intelligent and wise. ^[58] His knowledge in various areas of science and technology, primarily genetics and biology, is far more advanced than conventional science; even Beast needed Apocalypse's expertise in biology to cure Xavier of a techno-organic virus. ^[59] Apocalypse has mastery of Celestial technology that he uses for his own applications, such as altering mutants or humans (he is able to directly interface with the various technologies he has at his disposal). Apocalypse is a skilled demagogue, able to turn even the greatest of the X-Men to his side. He is also a master strategist; Apocalypse revealed to his Skrull allies during the gathering of the Twelve that he had been precisely preparing every single one of his plans and plots for centuries, using hundreds of generations of pawns and peons, both human and mutant, all to reach the specific end goal of evolving to a level of power beyond even the Celestials themselves. ^[60] Apocalypse's mind is very sharp; he once found a safe house of Cable, where he immediately realizes that Cable's weaponry is based on his work and his technology; it took him but a moment to come to the correct conclusion that Cable was not only a time traveler from the future and that he himself ruled this future, but also that Cable was Nathan Summers. ^[61] Look up wise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Beast (disambiguation). ... A demagogue (sometimes spelled demagog) is a leader who obtains power by appealing to the gut feelings of the public, usually by powerful use of rhetoric and propaganda. ...

Technology

The exact origin of Apocalypse's technology has been inconstant throughout the years. Originally, writer Fabian Nicieza revealed in X-Force #37 (1993) that Apocalypse (as En Sabah Nur) in the middle of the 12th century discovered a starship of the Celestials in China that had crashed on a mountain ages ago.

By the end of the Blood of Apocalypse storyline, it is revealed that Apocalypse built a pseudo-Celestial ship from alien “blueprints” in Egypt, and that the Celestials loaned their technology to Apocalypse in return for an unknown, yet to be revealed, favor. Nevertheless, Nicieza the following year in Cable & Deadpool #27, continued his contradicting version involving the crashed Celestial Ship in China.

Name

The meaning of En Sabah Nur can be interpreted as "The First One" or translated in Arabic or Turkish language; En = most, ultimate / Sabah = morning / Nur = divine light, so this can be interpreted as First Light at the Break of Dawn. It is also a common greeting in Arabic, meaning "Good morning." Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ...

Summers brother

For more information, see Third Summers brother.

During his run on Cable, Robert Weinberg 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. ^[62] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Vulcan (Marvel Comics). ... This article is about the Marvel Comics character Nathan Summers. ... Robert Weinberg (also credited as Bob Weinberg is an American author. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Vulcan (Marvel Comics). ...

Alternate versions

Main article: Alternate versions of Apocalypse

In addition to his mainstream incarnation, Apocalypse has had been depicted in other fictional universes. In addition to his mainstream incarnation, Apocalypse has had been depicted in other fictional universes. ... This article is about the shared universe setting used by many Marvel Comics titles. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

In other media

Main article: Apocalypse in other media

As one of the primary adversaries of the X-Men, Apocalypse has been adapted in various other media, such as television including computer and video games. Apocalypse is an enemy of the X-Men, and has been included in almost every media adaptation of the X-Men franchise, including television, computer and video games. ... The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... This article is about the British magazine covering computer and video games. ...

Bibliography

Main article: Bibliography of Apocalypse

List of detailed appearances by the character. Below is a complete list of detailed appearances by the Marvel Comics character Apocalypse. ...

References