Apocalypse in other media
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Adaptations of Apocalypse in other media | |
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Created by | Louise Simonson (writer) Jackson Guice (artist) |
Original source | Comics published by Marvel Comics |
First appearance | X-Factor vol. 1, #5 (June 1986) |
Films and television | |
Film(s) | X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) |
Television show(s) | X-Men (1992) X-Men: Evolution (2000) Wolverine and the X-Men (2009) |
Games | |
Video game(s) | X-Men (1993) X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994) X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse (2001) X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (2005) |
Originally an archenemy of the X-Men in Marvel comic books, the supervillain Apocalypse has appeared in various forms of media, including animated television series, live-action films and video games, while merchandise of the character include toys, and trading cards.
Film[]
Canadian actor Brendan Pedder portrays a young En Sabah Nur in the post-credits scene of the 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past.[1][2]
Oscar Isaac portrays En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse in X-Men: Apocalypse.[3][4][5][6][7] Isaac revealed that both practical and digital effects would be used for Apocalypse's costume,[8] with the actor having to go through extensive makeup and prosthetics applications, in addition to wearing high-heeled boots and a 40-pound suit in order to appear taller and more imposing.[9] In the film, Apocalypse demonstrates various abilities, such as telepathy, telekinesis, technopathy, teleportation, cellular regeneration, matter and energy manipulation, mutant enhancement, protective shielding, enhanced adaptive skills, and superhuman physical attributes (although he specifically states his telepathy is limited compared to Xavier's full potential). The world's first and most powerful mutant, Apocalypse emerged in prehistoric times. He eventually developed some form of technology and a battle-suit he wore that allowed him to live forever by transferring his essence into the bodies of others, many of whom were other mutants so he could amass their powers, becoming truly all-powerful, and came to be worshiped throughout history as various gods; historical records make reference to his 'Four Horsemen', and how destruction would always follow in his wake. When he was being transferred into the body of a mutant with a healing factor, some of his followers betrayed him, causing him to be trapped underground by collapsing his pyramid. There, Apocalypse remained in stasis for millennia until he was accidentally awakened in the 1980s. Apocalypse subsequently recruits Storm, Psylocke, Angel and Magneto as his Four Horsemen, claiming that he intends to build a world where only the 'strong' survive.
When the telepathic professor Charles Xavier psychically contacts Magneto, Apocalypse is able to detect his presence, and quickly turn the connection back on Xavier, using him to make the world's governments immediately disarm the Earth of all nuclear missiles, some by disabling their launch vehicles and the rest by launching the missiles themselves into space, effectively preventing the humans from rebelling against him. After kidnapping Xavier, Apocalypse attempts to transfer his consciousness into the professor's mind and body to further advance his telepathy and take control of every mind on the planet, but he is opposed by a new group of X-Men - Raven Darkhölme, Hank McCoy, Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Kurt Wagner, and Magneto's son Peter. While the other X-Men fight the Four Horsemen, Nightcrawler teleports Xavier away from Apocalypse's transferral equipment before Apocalypse can transfer himself into Xavier, and gain the power to control virtually every mind on Earth. After this, Magneto is convinced to betray Apocalypse, as does Storm when she sees Apocalypse disregard Angel after his 'loyal follower' was defeated, as well as Apocalypse attacking Storm's hero Raven. During the final battle, the two former followers join the X-Men in fighting the villain as Xavier, having engaged him in a telepathic battle on the astral plane, encourages Jean to tap into her full potential, and by doing so, allowing her to finally disintegrate Apocalypse. Before he dies, he cryptically says, "all is revealed".[10]
Television[]
X-Men: The Animated Series[]
![]() | This section's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (June 2016) |
![Apocalyse shown in his light blue and violet armor and standing in front of a purple vortex.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7f/Apocalypse_1992.jpg/200px-Apocalypse_1992.jpg)
Apocalypse appears in X-Men The Animated Series, voiced by John Colicos for Seasons 1, 2, 3 and 4, and by James Blendick for Season 5. Apocalypse's goal is to purge a "corrupt" and "weak" world of both humans and mutants, and to remake life in his own image. This version depicts Apocalypse as an immortal and invincible megalomaniac, able to grow to gigantic sizes and shapeshift his body into technological components, such as weapons, shields and rockets. He describes himself as "eternal" - a being superior to both humans and mutants.
In Apocalypse's first appearance, "The Cure", his subordinate Mystique presents a cure for mutations that is in fact a means to brainwash mutants into becoming The Four Horsemen, further mutating their bodies in the process. In "Come the Apocalypse", he announces his presence to the world and has his horsemen destroy a peace conference. He is defeated when his horseman of Death, Archangel, turns against him. In "Days of Future Past: Part 2", Mystique reveals that he is secretly behind her assassination attempt of Senator Kelly to further his agenda of sowing chaos and destruction.
In "Time Fugitives", the present day Apocalypse's actions in creating a deadly virus to foment a human-mutant war threatens Bishop's future in 2055, but is integral to the survival of the mutant race in 3999: a timeline in which Cable is a long-time enemy of Apocalypse. Both Cable and Bishop time travel to the present and aid the X-Men in a raid Apocalypse's base; Cable destroys Apocalypse's virus and secures the viral antibodies to preserve both timelines.
In "Obsession", Apocalypses manipulates Archangel, his former horseman who has since become hell-bent on destroying his former master, into an open confrontation. The X-Men discover Apocalypse's base aboard a sentient alien ship, that is helping Apocalypse against its will. With the aid of Beast, the ship sacrifices itself to send its master into deep space and temporarily save Earth.
In "Sanctuary", two-part storyline, Apocalypse had associated himself with Deathbird and rescued Fabian Cortez from the descending Asteroid M.
In the "Beyond Good and Evil", four-part storyline, Cable destroys Apocalypse's Lazarus Chamber, the source of his immortality. However, Apocalypse survives by stealing Cable's computer for its time travel capabilities and accidentally ends up in the Axis of Time. He recruits Mr. Sinister, Magneto and Mystique to kidnap the universe's most powerful psychics in a plot to achieve deityhood: inside the Axis, he would kill the psychics simultaneously, releasing a powerful wave of energy that would stop time itself and destroy all life, leaving him to recreate life in his image and rule the universe unchallenged. Magneto and Mystique, upon learning they were deceived by the false promise of Apocalypse creating a mutant-ruled alternate future, turn on Apocalypse and Mr. Sinister and help the X-Men stop him. Professor X rallies the freed psychics to combine their powers and drag Apocalypse out of the Axis and into the present where, without his Lazarus Chamber, Apocalypse ceases to exist.
In "The Fifth Horseman", Apocalypse is revealed to have survived the events seen in "Beyond Good and Evil" storyline, but is trapped in the Astral Plane, from where he's communicating with Fabian Cortez, whom he previously rescued from death during the events of "Sanctuary: Part Two". He charged Cortez with finding a powerful mutant for him to be reincarnated in. Cortez failed and Apocalypse claimed Cortez himself for the vessel; Apocalypse lived once more.
X-Men: Evolution[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/25/Apocalypse_Evolution.png/200px-Apocalypse_Evolution.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/08/Apocalypse_Evolution_2.png/200px-Apocalypse_Evolution_2.png)
David Kaye voices Apocalypse in X-Men: Evolution. He was first mentioned in the second season, before going on to become the main antagonist of the third and fourth seasons. Depicted as the world's first mutant, Apocalypse possesses various powers that make him nearly invincible, including telepathy, telekinesis, technopathy, immortality, invulnerability, flight, shapeshifting, size alteration, matter and energy manipulation, and enhanced strength and speed.
During the age when the pharaoh Rama-Tut used some form of technology to conquer Egypt, a mutant grey-skinned infant was abandoned in the desert, only to be found by the warrior Baal's tribe of bandits. Baal recognized the child's potential, and named him En Sabah Nur, Egyptian for "The First One". Under Baal's training, Nur grew up to be a powerful warrior who was unmatched in combat, described as having "unnatural" physical attributes. Word of Nur's power soon spread to the pharaoh, who saw Nur as a threat to his rule, and subsequently sent his army to kill the mutant. The bandits were massacred during the battle, and the trauma of seeing Baal murdered caused Nur's full powers to manifest, resulting in him killing all of the pharaoh's forces and taking the name "Apocalypse". Apocalypse then discovered a small, pyramid-shaped vessel left by the pharaoh, which contained a device called the Eye of Ages. Entering the Eye, Apocalypse was given even more power, becoming a god-like pharaoh with an ethereal white glow. Apocalypse soon begin planning to use the Eye to turn all of the humans on Earth into mutants, but fearful of his powers, his formerly-loyal high priests seized an opportunity to seal him within the machine, entombing him in the Himalayas and locking the tomb behind three doors. Centuries later in the present, Apocalypse was able to telepathically contact the hypnotist Mesmero, and recruited him to unlock the tomb doors with the three esoteric keys and revive him. When the X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants discover that Rogue, having been manipulated by Mesmero, has stolen all of their powers, they join forces in an attempt to stop Apocalypse's revival. However, Mesmero eventually succeeds in awakening Apocalypse by manipulating both Mystique and Rogue. Apocalypse subsequently merges with the futuristic technology in Rama-Tut's craft, becoming a blue cybernetic being, before once again attempting to use the Eye of Ages to turn every human on Earth into mutants. To this end, Apocalypse uncovers pyramids in Mexico, China, and Egypt designed to relay the Eye's mutating effects across the globe. Apocalypse later turns Magneto, Professor X, Storm, and Mystique into his Four Horsemen to defend the three pyramids and his base hidden under the Sphinx. The X-Men then gather their allies (including modified Sentinels under the command of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and engage in a final battle against Apocalypse and his Horsemen. In the end, Wolverine comes up with a plan that involves Rogue absorbing the powers of Leech. Once she has them, she uses them to shut off Apocalypse's mutant abilities and the Eye of Ages, trapping him in it long enough for Wolverine to damage the control system of the vessel, sending Apocalypse to a location from which he will never return to Earth.
Wolverine and the X-Men[]
Apocalypse makes two brief, non-speaking appearances Wolverine and the X-Men. In "Shades of Grey", he is revealed to be Mister Sinister's secret master. In "Foresight", Apocalypse appears in the future alongside Sinister and a now villainous Cyclops. Apocalypse was originally going to serve as the primary antagonist of the second season, but the series was cancelled.
Video games[]
![The Apocalypse that appears in the X-Men Legends 2 video game. He is presented as a stocky, pale skinned man wearing heavy, dull blue armor and a tattered blue cape.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/63/Apocalypse_Legends.png/220px-Apocalypse_Legends.png)
- Apocalypse appears as a boss in Wolverine's first stage in Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade's Revenge.
- Apocalypse appears as a boss in the Sega Genesis games X-Men and X-Men 2: Clone Wars.
- Apocalypse appears as a boss in the Sega Game Gear video game X-Men: Gamesmaster's Legacy. He is the first boss after you collect all of the characters.
- In the SNES video game X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse, Apocalypse is secretly based in Genosha and has kidnapped a number of mutants. Like his comic book counterpart, Apocalypse offers the X-Men the chance to become his Horsemen.
- Apocalypse appears as one of the boss characters in the Capcom fighting games X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter.
- Apocalypse is a secret character in the Game Boy Color version of X-Men: Mutant Academy.
- In X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse, the X-Men are transported to an alternate reality ruled by Apocalypse.
- Apocalypse makes a cameo appearance in X-Men: Next Dimension.
- Apocalypse makes a minor appearance at the end of X2: Wolverine's Revenge, voiced by Chris Smith.[11]
- In the game X-Men: The Ravages of Apocalypse (released only for the PC), Apocalypse kidnaps and clones the X-Men.
- Apocalypse makes a cameo appearance in X-Men Legends, voiced by Dan Hay.[11]
- Apocalypse is the primary antagonist and final boss in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse and is voiced by Richard McGonagle.[11]
- Apocalypse is briefly mentioned in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.
- Apocalypse appeared in the teaser trailer for the game, Marvel Universe Online, which was cancelled, but is now being developed by Gazillion.
- Apocalypse is playable in the mobile game Marvel: Future Fight.[12]
- Apocalypse appears as a boss in the mobile game Marvel Puzzle Quest.[citation needed]
- Apocalypse is a playable character in Marvel Contest of Champions and is set to appear in its spin-off Marvel Realm of Champions.
See also[]
- List of Marvel Comics characters
- Bibliography of Apocalypse
References[]
- ^ Tilly, Chris (2014-05-23). "X-Men: Days of Future Past's Post-Credit Sequence Explained". Ign.com. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
- ^ Zalben, Alex (May 25, 2014). "'X-Men: Days Of Future Past': Meet The Kid Who Played Apocalypse". MTV. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (December 5, 2013). "'X-Men: Apocalypse' Announced for May 2016". The Wrap. The Wrap News Inc. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ "Bryan Singer Announces New 'X-Men' Movie for 2016". Variety. Penske Business Media. December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ Tilly, Chris (2014-05-23). "X-Men: Days of Future Past's Post-Credit Sequence Explained". Ign.com. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
- ^ Zalben, Alex (May 25, 2014). "'X-Men: Days Of Future Past': Meet The Kid Who Played Apocalypse". MTV. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
- ^ "'X-Men: Apocalypse': Oscar Isaac Nabs Villain Role". Variety. November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
- ^ "Oscar Isaac: X-Men: Apocalypse Costume Will Be Mix Of Practical And Digital Effects (Exclusive)". Yahoo UK. November 24, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
- ^ Hiatt, Brian (May 18, 2016). "Oscar Isaac: The Internet's Boyfriend Becomes a Leading Man". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
- ^ "X-Men: Apocalypse Movie Ending Explained". ScreenRant. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Apocalypse Voice - X-Men franchise | Behind The Voice Actors". behindthevoiceactors.com. December 19, 2019. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources.CS1 maint: postscript (link)
- ^ https://www.newsarama.com/36375-marvel-future-fight-adds-cable-apocalypse-more-x-men-characters.html
External links[]
- Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur) at the Marvel Universe wiki
- Unofficial En Sabah Nur aka Apocalypse
- X-Men in other media