Age of Apocalypse
Encyclopedia
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book
crossover
storyline published in the X-Men
franchise of books by Marvel Comics
. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616
, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had ramifications in the main Marvel Comics universe.
(David Haller), a powerful psionic mutant
on Earth
and son of Professor Charles Xavier
, travels back in time with the intention of killing Magneto
, believing that Magneto's death will allow Xavier to achieve his dream of human/mutant equality. However, Legion traveled to a time when Magneto and Xavier were still friends. As Xavier dies trying to protect Magneto, Legion vanishes, and a new time-line is created. The only person aware of how history has changed is Bishop
, a time traveling mutant who followed Legion.
Because of Xavier's sacrifice, Magneto comes to believe in his late friend's dream of a peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants. Apocalypse
, an immortal mutant villain, was monitoring the fight. He chooses this moment as the perfect time to begin his world conquest, which did not happen in the regular Marvel Universe
for another ten years.
Magneto assembles the X-Men just as Apocalypse begins his war. Despite the X-Men's resistance, Apocalypse conquers all of North America
and eventually mutants are considered the ruling class. Apocalypse also initiated a genocidal
campaign called "cullings" killing millions of non-mutant humans. To further ensure that no one was left to challenge him or undo the circumstances that led to his reign, he had everyone with telepathic or chronal abilities hunted down. Meanwhile, the changes in the time-line result in a destructive crystallization wave created by the M'Kraan Crystal
.
, who is sent by Magneto to locate Destiny
, a mutant capable of seeing into the future, so that she can verify Bishop's story. Nightcrawler must travel to Avalon, a secret refuge where mutants and humans live together in peace. Along his journey, he encounters John Proudstar
, the pirate Callisto
, and his mother Mystique
. The chief antagonists for Nightcrawler's journey consist of the Pale Riders, a trio of Apocalypse's servants made up of Moonstar
, Damask, Dead Man Wade and the Shadow King
. Nightcrawler's team consists of Mystique, Switchback
, and later Damask, who joins Nightcrawler after realizing the beauty Avalon has to offer. The X-Calibre series gets its name from an in-joke
between Nightcrawler and his mother, Mystique, because of the caliber of bullets she uses, simply stamped with an X. This title replaced Excalibur
.
's X-Ternals consist of Sunspot
, Jubilee
, Strong Guy
, and Lila Cheney
. They are sent deep into space using Lila's teleportation in order to retrieve a shard of the M'Kraan Crystal, essential to the verification of Bishop's alternate reality. The X-Ternals are pursued by Rictor
, a henchman of Apocalypse desperate to earn his master's praise by killing Gambit. Upon reaching Shi'ar space, the X-ternals fight the Imperial Guard
in order to retrieve the crystal shard. Upon their return to Earth, Strong Guy betrays the team, not only stealing the M'Kraan Crystal, but also kidnapping Magneto's son, Charles. This title replaced X-Force.
and Shadowcat. They consist of Chamber
, Husk
, Mondo
, Vincente Cimetta, and Skin
. They are sent by Magneto into the Seattle Core
to rescue Colossus' sister, Illyana
, who is the last surviving transdimensional teleporter. Illyana is a slave of the Sugar Man
, one of Apocalypse's prefects and ruler of the Seattle Core. Mondo finds Illyana and secrets her inside of his body, intending to smuggle her out at shift change. When Mondo is found out, the ensuing fight finds the Sugar Man killing Mondo with a blast from his tongue, exposing the rest of Generation Next. While fighting a near hopeless battle, Generation Next is left for dead by Colossus, who sacrifices them in order to save his sister. This title replaced Generation X
.
, Blink
, Wild Child
, Morph, and Sunfire. They are sent by Magneto to stop the cullings, which are being undertaken by Holocaust
, Apocalypse's son and one of his horsemen. While helping with the evacuation and protection of humans, Sabretooth asks Blink to teleport him to Holocaust's location, which she reluctantly does. Sabretooth and Holocaust fight a vicious duel, but Sabretooth is defeated and seemingly killed, to Blink's horror. (Sabretooth had rescued Blink from Mr. Sinister, and she had come to see him as her dearest friend and mentor.) The team then fight Holocaust and his Infinites, destroying his factory. Holocaust manages to escape, however, and the team returns to Xavier's mansion, where Rogue learns that both her son and her husband have been captured. Sabretooth is revealed by Iceman to have survived the battle, to Blink's delight. This title replaced Uncanny X-Men
.
and Storm, Dazzler
, Banshee
, Iceman
, and Exodus
. The team is sent to Maine
by Magneto to aid in the evacuation of humanity to Europe
. During this mission, the team fights Apocalypse's Brotherhood of Chaos
, as well as the Horseman
Abyss
, who is defeated (but not killed) by Quicksilver. During their absence from the Xavier Mansion, Magneto and Bishop are attacked by Apocalypse himself, who captures them both. Fulfilling their mission, Quicksilver splits up his team to help the other X-Men: sending Iceman to rendezvous with Rogue
's team (the Astonishing X-Men) and Dazzler and Exodus to find Magneto's son, Charles. Finally, Quicksilver, Storm, and Banshee go to rescue Bishop, who is in the hands of the Madri, Apocalypse's priests. This title replaced X-Men
.
are depicted in this series carrying out missions for the Human High Council. Jean and Weapon X drift apart, as the Human High Council intends to launch a nuclear strike on the U.S. as Jean is appalled by the loss of life it would cause. After Weapon X concludes a battle with Donald Pierce
, Jean leaves to help evacuate the U.S., bidding a tearful farewell to Logan. Weapon X is then sent to recruit Gateway
, whose teleportation ability is necessary to bring the fleet to America. As the fleet leaves, Weapon X decides to join them, if only to find Jean somewhere in America before the bombs are dropped. This title replaced Wolverine
.
and Havok (Scott and Alex Summers), Emplate
and the Twins
(Marius and Nicole & Claudette St. Croix), Cannonball
and Amazon (Sam and Elizabeth Guthrie), the Bedlam Brothers (Jesse
and Terrence
Aaronson), and Aurora
and Northstar
(Jean-Marie and Jean-Paul Beaubier). The EMF is tasked with maintaining control of Apocalypse's breeding pens, where people are imprisoned, tortured, and experimented on by the Beast
, also a member of the EMF. Havok, jealous of his brother's leadership role, discovers that Cyclops is a traitor who has been helping people escape the pens; and in one such escape attempt, both Aurora and Northstar are seriously injured. Havok then exposes Cyclops and attempts to kill him, but Cyclops escapes with the aid of Jean Grey, who has arrived to evacuate as many people as she can before the Human High Council's nuclear strike. The Bedlam Brothers also choose to side with Cyclops, and they successfully defeat both Amazon and Cannonball. Cyclops and Jean defeat Havok, and as they lead the freed prisoners out of the pens, Havok is determined to kill his brother. This title replaced X-Factor
.
, a mutant born of Cyclops' and Jean Grey's DNA
, and the most powerful telekinetic in the world. He lives under the guidance of his father figure Forge
, who leads a group of outcasts consisting of Mastermind
, Toad
, Brute
, and Sauron
, who attack trains and factories of Apocalypse while masquerading as a theatre troupe. During their missions, they rescue Sonique
from imprisonment, who joins the team and becomes Nate's lover. They also encounter the mysterious Essex, who encourages Nate to unleash his full potential, against Forge's advice. Realizing Essex is not what he seems, Brute is killed by Essex before he can warn the others. The troupe is then attacked by Apocalypse's Bounty Hunters which consist of Domino
and her allies, Caliban
and Grizzly, who have been sent by Apocalypse to either recruit or destroy Nate. During the battle, Toad and Mastermind are both killed, as are Domino and her teammates. Forge then realizes Essex is a traitor, and is attacked by him, dying in Nate's arms. Essex then reveals himself to be Mister Sinister
, another of Apocalypse's horsemen, who created Nate in his lab. Defeating Sinister, Nate decides to leave Sauron and Sonique while he goes to confront Apocalypse personally and avenge Forge's death. This title replaced Cable
.
, the fourth Horseman of Apocalypse, who has hypnotized masses of humans in Europe through a catatonic Empath
. Mikhail is also served by "Keeper" Murdock
, a blind human who takes care of Empath and keeps him alive. A group of humans (Tony Stark, Gwen Stacy
, Don Blake, Susan Storm
, Ben Grimm, and Victor von Doom) attempt to stop Mikhail by willingly being taken prisoner, only to be reawakened through a ruse undertaken by Stark. They then steal the weapons on board the ship and destroy Mikhail's tower that blocks the evacuation of the human survivors. During these events, the Thing, a monster resembling the Earth-616 Gray Hulk
, fights against the human heroes. Once he reverts to Bruce Banner, however, the Thing aids the humans. Finally Don Blake kills Mikhail, dying in the process. Doom then rescues the surviving members of the Human High Council and the story ends with the humans successfully evacuating as Apocalypse launches a massive attack. This title replaces X-Men Unlimited
.
Magneto is freed during the X-Men's attack and orders Destiny to enter the M'Kraan Crystal with Illyana in order to send Bishop to the past, preventing the Age of Apocalypse from ever occurring. Colossus is furious with this decision, as he fears losing Illyana again, but she wants to do as Magneto wishes. Destiny, Illyana, and Bishop carry out their plan while Magneto resumes his fight with Apocalypse, Nate battles Holocaust and the X-Men continue their battle against Apocalypse's minions.
Meanwhile, Jean and Cyclops are leading the prisoners of the breeding pens to safety. She then uses her telekinetic powers to keep the Human High Council's bombs from dropping on the area. However Havok arrives, kills Jean Grey and shoots Cyclops, before Logan, arriving via parachute, kills Havok. As Jean dies, Logan sadly realizes that Jean Grey "is no Phoenix."
Illyana and Destiny successfully send Bishop to the past where he kills Legion. Colossus, insane and fearing for Illyana, rushes to reach her, destroying everything in his path, including Iceman and killing Shadowcat. Gambit then injures him from behind. As Colossus realises what he had done, reverts to his human self and dies just as Illyana returns to tell her brother that she has succeeded. Nate and Holocaust continue their fight, and Nate stabs him with a shard of the M'Kraan Crystal. Magneto kills Apocalypse by magnetically ripping him in half.
The comic ends with Magneto standing over the ruins of the citadel, watching as the world around them ends. He hopes that Bishop's success makes their world mere memories before the bombs reach them. He stands with Rogue and his son and thanks Charles Xavier for being in his life, as the nuclear destruction eventually engulfs them in a bright light.
. When the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline was revisited a decade later, she appeared in X-Men: Age of Apocalypse
#4 in Asian form. Her origin remains unknown. There has been no explanation of what exactly she was doing during the original Age of Apocalypse, other than the fact that she had some kind of past connection with Weapon X.
X-Universe also reveals the fate of several other individuals: Peter Parker was executed because he was a potential contact for Gwen Stacy, T'Challa and Namor perished when Wakanda and Atlantis, respectively, were attacked by Apocalypse, Frank Castle went MIA following a mutant raid on a Buddhist temple where he had sought peace after the deaths of his family, while Reed Richards and Johnny Storm sacrificed themselves in the evacuation of Manhattan Island.
Tales From the Age of Apocalypse were intended to be one-shot giant-size issues that would chronicle a story from the past of each of the Age of Apocalypse titles. Unfortunately, they had poor reception and only two were published. By the Light told the story of Blink transporting the X-Men to the moon where they faced Apocalypse's new horseman of Death, Maximus the Mad. Sinister Bloodlines followed the return of a Brood-infected Christopher Summers to Earth and his reunion, after escaping the experimentations of Sinister and Dark Beast, with Scott and Alex.
Blink was a four issue miniseries intended to reintroduce the Age of Apocalypse version of Blink as a teaser to the Exiles ongoing series. This story takes place prior to the "Age of Apocalypse" main events, but is largely set in the Negative Zone
. Blink becomes lost in the Negative Zone after attempting to incite Blastaar
towards war with Apocalypse and instead joins a rebellion against Blastaar alongside her lover, who turns out to be a de-evolved version of Annihilus. The last four pages of the final issue show Blink during the destruction of the Age of Apocalypse and becoming unhinged from time.
X-Man, during its run, occasionally re-visited the Age of Apocalypse, both through time travel and flashbacks. X-Man #-1 shows Mr. Sinister releasing Nate from his growth vat as a child to check on his progress. In the 1996 X-Man Annual, Sugar Man uses a variation on a time machine powered by Nate's psionic force to return to the early years of Apocalypse's rule where he hopes to take control himself. Nate follows and meets up with Forge, Magneto, Morph, and Mastermind, and is surprised to discover that Forge knew that he would be there because an older Nate Grey had time traveled and told Forge about his memories of this event. On the orders of this older Nate Grey, Forge forces the younger Nate to re-power the machine and return himself and Sugar Man to Earth-616. This leads to a rift between Forge and Magneto, who believed they should have allowed Nate to stay so that he could help them fight Apocalypse. Later, in X-Man #53 and #54, Nate, Jean Grey, and Cyclops run across a temporal rift that brings an infinite processing plant to Earth-616.
The one-shot features stories set before the events depicted in the original "Age of Apocalypse" event, similar in focus to the Chronicles of the Age of Apocalypse issues. The one-shot contains the story of how Colossus and Shadowcat left the X-Men to train Generation Next; how Sabretooth met Wild Child; the first appearance of the Silver Samurai; and how the world survived the Human High Council's nuclear attack.
The limited series, which takes place after the nuclear attack in X-Men: Omega, introduced several characters who were not in the original storyline. Long time characters Cloak and Dagger
, Psylocke, and the Morlocks (including Feral, Leech, Marrow, Skids, and Thornn), who where survivors of Mr. Sinister's experiments, are introduced. Newer characters Beak, Icarus
, and X-23 are seen along with an alternate version of Xorn. Jean Grey is also revealed to have saved everyone from the nuclear attack by tamping into the Phoenix Force-level powers, and is revived from death by Sinister.
The Exiles, two of which are from the Age of Apocalypse universe, visited the world as well during this time, the survival of which comes as a surprise to Blink and Sabretooth. Blink was originally removed from The Exiles because her 'personal timeline' had been repaired; since her uncorrected fate was to cease to exist, it is implied that her actions with The Exiles combined with Bishop's attempt to correct the timeline and Jean Grey repairing the M'Kraan Crystal, resulted in the age of apocalypse existing as a separate timeline.
'Life Seed' in order to save Angel
(Warren Worthington) from becoming the new Apocalypse, The Uncanny X-Force, under the guidance of Dark Beast
, journey to the Age of Apocalypse. X-Force
arrives ten years after the X-Men had defeated Mister Sinister
, yet it seems the X-Men still face enormous challenges in this harsh setting. The world, which during the previous appearance had seemed to be on the road to recovery, has once again fallen on hard times, similar to when Apocalypse was rulling, with sentinels now roaming the streets. As they follow Dark Beast to one of his labs, they are unknowingly followed by Wildchild and Sabretooth
. Dark Beast finds the life seed but before he could hand it over to the X-Force members, Nightcrawler
teleports in and swipes the seed away, figuring that Dark Beast was up to some evil plot after decades of absence. After a brief quarrel which ended with the life seed destroyed by Sunfire, Psylocke
recognizes Sabretooth from her time on the Exiles
and convinces Wolverine
(Earth-616) that this version of Sabretooth isn't a bad guy, which ends their battle. With the life seed destroyed, Dark Beast sneaks over to the portal back to the 616 Marvel Universe and walks in, leaving X-Force stranded in the Age of Apocalypse world. Nightcrawler's team, realizing that the sentinels are descending on their position, evacuates along with X-Force, taking them to the X-Men's new base in Atlantis.
Using a version of M.O.D.O.K., they discover the body of the slain Celestial which apparently still contains life seeds. However as X-Force also learn that the only way to return to the main reality is to seek the help of Gateway
who in turn is kept prisoner in the mysterious floating city known as The Sky, the Sentinels soon arrives at Atlantis forcing the group to abandon the complex. As Fantomex
leads a small team to the place where the Celestial is, the rest of the team invades The Sky to retrieve Gateway, however they are confronted by the Black Legion and the long thought deceased Weapon X(Logan/Wolverine Earth-215), who appears using Apocalypse
armor.
Meanwhile, unaware of the problems Wolverine and his team are facing in the fortress, Fantomex and his small crew dive into the heart of the deceased Celestial in order to get the life seed they need to free Warren. After battling some drones, they manage to find the seed and flee with it, losing Gambit in the battle, while, back in the fortress, Wolverine and his crew try to battle Weapon X and the Black Legion. However, Weapon X proves too powerful, since he had offered himself to the Celestials to prevent the planet's judgment and was further augmented by the Celestial technology and while he had ascended in form and power, his mind had become so twisted to the point of sending warriors to kill Charles Lehnsherr, the infant son of Magneto and Rogue.
Weapon X easily manages to swat them all and take Jean Grey so he could transform her into Death, a horseman of Apocalypse. To perform the ritual he approaches Storm who was enslaved and transform into a blind seer made of living stone. After taking out the Black Legion and freeing Gateway, Wolverine ask Gateway to open a portal to bring forth Fantomex team. Using Fantomex, they manage to free Jean and open a gateway to their world. Wolverine wants Jean to come too but she refuses and forces them through the gateway with her powers. As X-Force returns to their world, they are greeted by Dark Beast, the Horsemen of Apocalypse
, and Archangel, now wearing Apocalypse’s armor.
), Goodnight (a rebuilted Donald Pierce
), Deadeye (Zora Risman), Fiend (Francesca Trask), and Horror Show (Graydon Creed
).
trading card game, a series of exclusive cards were released as prizes and participation awards in various tournaments. These cards were themed around the Age of Apocalypse, and a number of cards in the set were printed with the Horsemen of Apocalypse team affiliation.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
storyline published in the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
franchise of books by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616
Earth-616
In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 or Earth 616 is the name used to identify the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place.-Origin of Earth-616:...
, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had ramifications in the main Marvel Comics universe.
Storyline
LegionLegion (Marvel Comics)
Legion is a Marvel Comics character, created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz.David is the mutant son of Charles Xavier and Israeli Holocaust survivor Gabrielle Haller...
(David Haller), a powerful psionic mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and son of Professor Charles Xavier
Professor X
Professor Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero known as the leader and founder of the X-Men....
, travels back in time with the intention of killing Magneto
Magneto (comics)
Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
, believing that Magneto's death will allow Xavier to achieve his dream of human/mutant equality. However, Legion traveled to a time when Magneto and Xavier were still friends. As Xavier dies trying to protect Magneto, Legion vanishes, and a new time-line is created. The only person aware of how history has changed is Bishop
Bishop (comics)
Bishop is a fictional comic book superhero, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books...
, a time traveling mutant who followed Legion.
Because of Xavier's sacrifice, Magneto comes to believe in his late friend's dream of a peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants. Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
, an immortal mutant villain, was monitoring the fight. He chooses this moment as the perfect time to begin his world conquest, which did not happen in the regular Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
for another ten years.
Magneto assembles the X-Men just as Apocalypse begins his war. Despite the X-Men's resistance, Apocalypse conquers all of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and eventually mutants are considered the ruling class. Apocalypse also initiated a genocidal
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
campaign called "cullings" killing millions of non-mutant humans. To further ensure that no one was left to challenge him or undo the circumstances that led to his reign, he had everyone with telepathic or chronal abilities hunted down. Meanwhile, the changes in the time-line result in a destructive crystallization wave created by the M'Kraan Crystal
M'Kraan Crystal
In the fictional Marvel Comics Universe, the M'Kraan Crystal is a gigantic crystalline artifact that lies at the nexus of all realities. The Crystal contains a negative galaxy, a source of near limitless power, which pulls and traps all matter inside. The Crystal plays a prominent role in several...
.
X-Men: Alpha
X-Men: Alpha was published in January, 1995, and launched the "Age of Apocalypse" crossover story. It briefly shows readers how many popular X-Men characters have changed in this new world. Bishop is reunited with Magneto while retaining fragmented memories of the true time-line. Magneto then assigns his X-Men and their allies with different missions. Some are to gather the forces needed to change history; while others will continue resisting Apocalypse. The story continues in eight interlocking miniseries, each focusing on a different team of X-Men or other mutant forces. Each miniseries temporarily replaced one of the monthly X-Men titles being published at the time.X-Calibre
X-Calibre is a team built around NightcrawlerNightcrawler (comics)
Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
, who is sent by Magneto to locate Destiny
Destiny (Irene Adler)
Destiny is a Marvel Comics fictional character, known as an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141...
, a mutant capable of seeing into the future, so that she can verify Bishop's story. Nightcrawler must travel to Avalon, a secret refuge where mutants and humans live together in peace. Along his journey, he encounters John Proudstar
Thunderbird (comics)
Thunderbird is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who was briefly a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 ....
, the pirate Callisto
Callisto (comics)
Callisto is a Marvel Comics fictional character, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, she first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #169 ....
, and his mother Mystique
Mystique (comics)
Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms...
. The chief antagonists for Nightcrawler's journey consist of the Pale Riders, a trio of Apocalypse's servants made up of Moonstar
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
, Damask, Dead Man Wade and the Shadow King
Shadow King
The Shadow King, also known as Amahl Farouk, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shadow King exists as an entity of pure psychic energy that feeds on the hatred of humanity...
. Nightcrawler's team consists of Mystique, Switchback
Switchback (comics)
Switchback is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in Marvel Comics. Created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Ken Lashley, she first appeared in X-Calibre #1 ....
, and later Damask, who joins Nightcrawler after realizing the beauty Avalon has to offer. The X-Calibre series gets its name from an in-joke
In-joke
An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding...
between Nightcrawler and his mother, Mystique, because of the caliber of bullets she uses, simply stamped with an X. This title replaced Excalibur
Excalibur (comics)
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an off-shoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. Conceived by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the original Excalibur first appeared in Excalibur Special Edition , also known as Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn.The...
.
Gambit and the X-Ternals
GambitGambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
's X-Ternals consist of Sunspot
Sunspot (comics)
Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force....
, Jubilee
Jubilee (comics)
Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
, Strong Guy
Strong Guy
Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,...
, and Lila Cheney
Lila Cheney
Lila Cheney is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. She is a mutant with the ability to teleport, but only over vast intergalactic distances.-Publication history:...
. They are sent deep into space using Lila's teleportation in order to retrieve a shard of the M'Kraan Crystal, essential to the verification of Bishop's alternate reality. The X-Ternals are pursued by Rictor
Rictor
Rictor is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe, who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first appeared in X-Factor vol.1 #17...
, a henchman of Apocalypse desperate to earn his master's praise by killing Gambit. Upon reaching Shi'ar space, the X-ternals fight the Imperial Guard
Imperial Guard (comics)
The Imperial Guard is a team of fictional super-powered alien warriors in the Marvel Comics universe. The Imperial Guard serves the rulers of the Shi'ar Empire, both by enforcing Shi'ar Imperial law on all planets within the Shi'ar Galaxy and as the Emperor or Empress's personal guard...
in order to retrieve the crystal shard. Upon their return to Earth, Strong Guy betrays the team, not only stealing the M'Kraan Crystal, but also kidnapping Magneto's son, Charles. This title replaced X-Force.
Generation Next
Generation Next consists of a young group of mutant students trained by the husband and wife team of ColossusColossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
and Shadowcat. They consist of Chamber
Chamber (comics)
Jonothon "Jono" Evan Starsmore, better known as Chamber or Decibel, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero associated with the X-Men and the New Warriors....
, Husk
Husk (comics)
Husk is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. Guthrie is a superhero associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Husk has the ability to remove one layer of skin - or "husk" - revealing an epidermis of a different composition beneath...
, Mondo
Mondo (comics)
Mondo is the name of two fictional comic book characters that have appeared in the Marvel Comics series Generation X. The first Mondo was a superhero later revealed to be a clone of the supervillain Mondo, who appeared years later. The first Mondo's first appearance was in Generation X...
, Vincente Cimetta, and Skin
Skin (comics)
Skin is a fictional mutant in the Marvel Universe of comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #317. -Fictional character biography:...
. They are sent by Magneto into the Seattle Core
Seattle Core
The Seattle Core is a fictional location found in Marvel Comics Age of Apocalypse storyline. The core was a slave camp ran for the sole purpose of generating electricity across North America. The Seattle Core was run by a four-armed mutant named the Sugar Man...
to rescue Colossus' sister, Illyana
Magik (comics)
Magik is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is the younger sister of the Russian X-Man Colossus.-Publication history:...
, who is the last surviving transdimensional teleporter. Illyana is a slave of the Sugar Man
Sugar Man
Sugar Man is a fictional character, a mutant villain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo, he first appeared in Generation Next #2 ....
, one of Apocalypse's prefects and ruler of the Seattle Core. Mondo finds Illyana and secrets her inside of his body, intending to smuggle her out at shift change. When Mondo is found out, the ensuing fight finds the Sugar Man killing Mondo with a blast from his tongue, exposing the rest of Generation Next. While fighting a near hopeless battle, Generation Next is left for dead by Colossus, who sacrifices them in order to save his sister. This title replaced Generation X
Generation X (comics)
Generation X is a fictional comic book superhero team, a spin-off of the X-Men franchise published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo, the team formed during the 1994 "Phalanx Covenant" storyline, and appeared in their own monthly series in September 1994...
.
Astonishing X-Men
The Astonishing X-Men are led by Rogue (Magneto's wife) and consist of SabretoothSabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
, Blink
Blink (comics)
Blink is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero featured in various X-Men-related series. Created by Scott Lobdell and Joe Madureira, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #317 .-Publication History:...
, Wild Child
Wild Child (comics)
Wild Child alternately spelled Wildchild and also known as Weapon Omega and Wildheart, is a fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics publications. The character has been active as both a superhero and a supervillain. He has been a member of Alpha Flight, X-Factor, and Weapon X...
, Morph, and Sunfire. They are sent by Magneto to stop the cullings, which are being undertaken by Holocaust
Holocaust (comics)
Holocaust is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men Alpha , and was created by Scott Lobdell and Roger Cruz.-Fictional character biography:...
, Apocalypse's son and one of his horsemen. While helping with the evacuation and protection of humans, Sabretooth asks Blink to teleport him to Holocaust's location, which she reluctantly does. Sabretooth and Holocaust fight a vicious duel, but Sabretooth is defeated and seemingly killed, to Blink's horror. (Sabretooth had rescued Blink from Mr. Sinister, and she had come to see him as her dearest friend and mentor.) The team then fight Holocaust and his Infinites, destroying his factory. Holocaust manages to escape, however, and the team returns to Xavier's mansion, where Rogue learns that both her son and her husband have been captured. Sabretooth is revealed by Iceman to have survived the battle, to Blink's delight. This title replaced Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
.
Amazing X-Men
The Amazing X-Men consist of team leader QuicksilverQuicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
and Storm, Dazzler
Dazzler
Dazzler is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #130 ....
, Banshee
Banshee (comics)
Banshee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who operates as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, Banshee first appeared in X-Men #28 ....
, Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
, and Exodus
Exodus (comics)
Exodus is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Quesada, he first appeared in X-Factor #92...
. The team is sent to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
by Magneto to aid in the evacuation of humanity to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. During this mission, the team fights Apocalypse's Brotherhood of Chaos
Brotherhood of Mutants
The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men...
, as well as the Horseman
Horsemen of Apocalypse
The Horsemen of Apocalypse is a team of fictional supervillain characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team is first mentioned in X-Factor #10 , and makes their full appearance in X-Factor #15...
Abyss
Abyss (comics)
Abyss is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. An alternate universe's counterpart of the character first appeared in X-Men Alpha, and the heroic Marvel Universe version of the character first appeared in Cable vol...
, who is defeated (but not killed) by Quicksilver. During their absence from the Xavier Mansion, Magneto and Bishop are attacked by Apocalypse himself, who captures them both. Fulfilling their mission, Quicksilver splits up his team to help the other X-Men: sending Iceman to rendezvous with Rogue
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
's team (the Astonishing X-Men) and Dazzler and Exodus to find Magneto's son, Charles. Finally, Quicksilver, Storm, and Banshee go to rescue Bishop, who is in the hands of the Madri, Apocalypse's priests. This title replaced X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
.
Weapon X
Weapon X (Logan) and his lover Jean GreyJean Grey
Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her...
are depicted in this series carrying out missions for the Human High Council. Jean and Weapon X drift apart, as the Human High Council intends to launch a nuclear strike on the U.S. as Jean is appalled by the loss of life it would cause. After Weapon X concludes a battle with Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #132. He was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Donald Pierce is a cyborg.-Fictional character biography:...
, Jean leaves to help evacuate the U.S., bidding a tearful farewell to Logan. Weapon X is then sent to recruit Gateway
Gateway (comics)
Gateway is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe, an Australian mutant with the ability to teleport objects and people from one location to another. He is considered an unofficial member of the X-Men...
, whose teleportation ability is necessary to bring the fleet to America. As the fleet leaves, Weapon X decides to join them, if only to find Jean somewhere in America before the bombs are dropped. This title replaced Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
.
Factor X
Factor X consists of the Elite Mutant Force (EMF), who serve Apocalypse. They are split into five sibling groups: CyclopsCyclops (comics)
Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes...
and Havok (Scott and Alex Summers), Emplate
Emplate
Emplate is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Generation X #1, and was created by Scott Lobdell and Chris Bachalo. Emplate would serve as one of the major antagonists to the Generation X comic book series during its...
and the Twins
M-Twins
The M-Twins are fictional comic book superheroine, mutants who appear in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo, she/they originally was a member of the teenage mutant group Generation X, and have not appeared in the series...
(Marius and Nicole & Claudette St. Croix), Cannonball
Cannonball (comics)
Cannonball is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants ....
and Amazon (Sam and Elizabeth Guthrie), the Bedlam Brothers (Jesse
Bedlam (comics)
Bedlam is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He originally possessed the mutant ability to create and project a bio-EM field. This has the effect of temporarily disabling any similarly powered technology in the vicinity. He can also utilize his power to scan...
and Terrence
King Bedlam
King Bedlam is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe, created for their comic book series X-Force...
Aaronson), and Aurora
Aurora (comics)
Aurora is a fictional character, a Canadian superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the twin sister of Northstar and the former lover of Sasquatch. She has also been in a relationship with Wild Child....
and Northstar
Northstar
Northstar is a fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the twin brother of Aurora. Through his mutation, Northstar gains superhuman powers, which he uses for the betterment of society...
(Jean-Marie and Jean-Paul Beaubier). The EMF is tasked with maintaining control of Apocalypse's breeding pens, where people are imprisoned, tortured, and experimented on by the Beast
Dark Beast
Dark Beast , sometimes known as the Black Beast, is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an alternate reality evil version of the X-Men’s Beast...
, also a member of the EMF. Havok, jealous of his brother's leadership role, discovers that Cyclops is a traitor who has been helping people escape the pens; and in one such escape attempt, both Aurora and Northstar are seriously injured. Havok then exposes Cyclops and attempts to kill him, but Cyclops escapes with the aid of Jean Grey, who has arrived to evacuate as many people as she can before the Human High Council's nuclear strike. The Bedlam Brothers also choose to side with Cyclops, and they successfully defeat both Amazon and Cannonball. Cyclops and Jean defeat Havok, and as they lead the freed prisoners out of the pens, Havok is determined to kill his brother. This title replaced X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
.
X-Man
The protagonist of X-Man is Nate GreyNate Grey
Nathaniel "Nate" Grey is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to the X-Men franchise...
, a mutant born of Cyclops' and Jean Grey's DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, and the most powerful telekinetic in the world. He lives under the guidance of his father figure Forge
Forge (comics)
Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to...
, who leads a group of outcasts consisting of Mastermind
Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde)
Mastermind is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 . He was given his "real name", Jason Wyngarde, by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.The original Mastermind was a mutant with the power to...
, Toad
Toad (comics)
Toad is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 ....
, Brute
Sunder (comics)
Sunder , is a fictional comic book character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Paul Smith in Uncanny X-Men #169 .-Fictional character biography:...
, and Sauron
Sauron (comics)
Sauron is a comic book character, a supervillain in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. An enemy of the X-Men, the character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Neal Adams. He first fully appeared as Sauron in X-Men #60 ....
, who attack trains and factories of Apocalypse while masquerading as a theatre troupe. During their missions, they rescue Sonique
Siryn
Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles...
from imprisonment, who joins the team and becomes Nate's lover. They also encounter the mysterious Essex, who encourages Nate to unleash his full potential, against Forge's advice. Realizing Essex is not what he seems, Brute is killed by Essex before he can warn the others. The troupe is then attacked by Apocalypse's Bounty Hunters which consist of Domino
Domino (comics)
Domino is a Marvel Comics character, best known as a member of the X-Men offshoot X-Force. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, she first fully appeared in X-Force, vol...
and her allies, Caliban
Caliban (comics)
Caliban is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Caliban's first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #148 , written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Dave Cockrum.-Fictional character biography:...
and Grizzly, who have been sent by Apocalypse to either recruit or destroy Nate. During the battle, Toad and Mastermind are both killed, as are Domino and her teammates. Forge then realizes Essex is a traitor, and is attacked by him, dying in Nate's arms. Essex then reveals himself to be Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri....
, another of Apocalypse's horsemen, who created Nate in his lab. Defeating Sinister, Nate decides to leave Sauron and Sonique while he goes to confront Apocalypse personally and avenge Forge's death. This title replaced Cable
Cable (comics)
Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201...
.
X-Universe
The X-Universe two-issue limited series focuses on a group of agents of the Human High Council fighting Mikhail RasputinMikhail Rasputin
Mikhail Nikolaievitch Rasputin is a Marvel Comics supervillain, older brother of Colossus of the X-Men and Magik of the New Mutants. Created by Jim Lee and John Byrne, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men ....
, the fourth Horseman of Apocalypse, who has hypnotized masses of humans in Europe through a catatonic Empath
Empath (comics)
Empath , is a fictional mutant in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Empath was created by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema and first appeared in New Mutants #16-17 as a member of Emma Frost's original Hellions.The character subsequently appears in The Uncanny X-Men #193 , Firestar #2-4...
. Mikhail is also served by "Keeper" Murdock
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
, a blind human who takes care of Empath and keeps him alive. A group of humans (Tony Stark, Gwen Stacy
Gwen Stacy
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy appears as a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 ....
, Don Blake, Susan Storm
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...
, Ben Grimm, and Victor von Doom) attempt to stop Mikhail by willingly being taken prisoner, only to be reawakened through a ruse undertaken by Stark. They then steal the weapons on board the ship and destroy Mikhail's tower that blocks the evacuation of the human survivors. During these events, the Thing, a monster resembling the Earth-616 Gray Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, fights against the human heroes. Once he reverts to Bruce Banner, however, the Thing aids the humans. Finally Don Blake kills Mikhail, dying in the process. Doom then rescues the surviving members of the Human High Council and the story ends with the humans successfully evacuating as Apocalypse launches a massive attack. This title replaces X-Men Unlimited
X-Men Unlimited
-Volume 1:The purpose of this title was to run stories that fit between the main X-Men comics. The stories included all characters from the X-titles, and the issues were collections of short stories...
.
X-Men: Omega
The final part of the event begins with Magneto, battling Apocalypse. The remaining X-Men invade Apocalypse's stronghold using Blink's teleportation and capture the Beast. Meanwhile, the Angel, no longer trusted by Apocalypse, decides to switch sides and, after fighting off the Infinites, sacrifices himself by flying into Apocalypse's force field generator and destroying it. This allows Nate Grey to enter Apocalypse's citadel. As the nuclear attack wipes out half of Apocalypse's western kingdom, he decides to kill Magneto. However Nate arrives and, along with Magneto, prepares to battle Apocalypse and Holocaust.Magneto is freed during the X-Men's attack and orders Destiny to enter the M'Kraan Crystal with Illyana in order to send Bishop to the past, preventing the Age of Apocalypse from ever occurring. Colossus is furious with this decision, as he fears losing Illyana again, but she wants to do as Magneto wishes. Destiny, Illyana, and Bishop carry out their plan while Magneto resumes his fight with Apocalypse, Nate battles Holocaust and the X-Men continue their battle against Apocalypse's minions.
Meanwhile, Jean and Cyclops are leading the prisoners of the breeding pens to safety. She then uses her telekinetic powers to keep the Human High Council's bombs from dropping on the area. However Havok arrives, kills Jean Grey and shoots Cyclops, before Logan, arriving via parachute, kills Havok. As Jean dies, Logan sadly realizes that Jean Grey "is no Phoenix."
Illyana and Destiny successfully send Bishop to the past where he kills Legion. Colossus, insane and fearing for Illyana, rushes to reach her, destroying everything in his path, including Iceman and killing Shadowcat. Gambit then injures him from behind. As Colossus realises what he had done, reverts to his human self and dies just as Illyana returns to tell her brother that she has succeeded. Nate and Holocaust continue their fight, and Nate stabs him with a shard of the M'Kraan Crystal. Magneto kills Apocalypse by magnetically ripping him in half.
The comic ends with Magneto standing over the ruins of the citadel, watching as the world around them ends. He hopes that Bishop's success makes their world mere memories before the bombs reach them. He stands with Rogue and his son and thanks Charles Xavier for being in his life, as the nuclear destruction eventually engulfs them in a bright light.
Mutant heroes
The only major mutant character missing in the original Age of Apocalypse is PsylockePsylocke
Psylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK...
. When the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline was revisited a decade later, she appeared in X-Men: Age of Apocalypse
Age of Apocalypse (limited series)
X-Men: Age of Apocalypse is a Marvel Comics six-issue limited series which takes place a year after the last story in the X-Men: Age of Apocalypse one-shot, with Magneto's X-Men helping North America recover from Apocalypse's iron fist...
#4 in Asian form. Her origin remains unknown. There has been no explanation of what exactly she was doing during the original Age of Apocalypse, other than the fact that she had some kind of past connection with Weapon X.
| Team | Leader | Members | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation Next | Colossus Colossus (comics) Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1... (deceased), Shadowcat Kitty Pryde Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 and was created by writer-artist John Byrne.... (deceased) |
Chamber Chamber (comics) Jonothon "Jono" Evan Starsmore, better known as Chamber or Decibel, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero associated with the X-Men and the New Warriors.... (deceased), Xorn (The AoA version of Husk Husk (comics) Husk is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. Guthrie is a superhero associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Husk has the ability to remove one layer of skin - or "husk" - revealing an epidermis of a different composition beneath... , deceased), Know-It-All (The Age of Apocalypse version of M M (comics) M is a fictional comic book superheroine, a mutant who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics... ) (deceased), Mondo (deceased), Skin Skin (comics) Skin is a fictional mutant in the Marvel Universe of comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #317. -Fictional character biography:... (deceased), Vincente Cimetta (deceased) |
|
| The Outcasts | Forge Forge (comics) Forge is a fictional character in the , a superhero associated with The X-Men.A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Mystique which led him to... (deceased) |
Brute (The Age of Apocalypse version of Sunder Sunder (comics) Sunder , is a fictional comic book character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Paul Smith in Uncanny X-Men #169 .-Fictional character biography:... , deceased), Mastermind Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde) Mastermind is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 . He was given his "real name", Jason Wyngarde, by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.The original Mastermind was a mutant with the power to... (deceased), Soaron (The AoA version of Sauron Sauron (comics) Sauron is a comic book character, a supervillain in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. An enemy of the X-Men, the character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Neal Adams. He first fully appeared as Sauron in X-Men #60 .... , deceased), Sonique (The AoA version of Siryn Siryn Theresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles... ), Toad Toad (comics) Toad is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 .... (deceased), X-Man (Nate Grey Nate Grey Nathaniel "Nate" Grey is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to the X-Men franchise... , MIA Missing in action Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively... ) |
X-Man is the "son" of Jean Grey and Scott Summers, created from their DNA by Mr. Sinister, and as such is a "spiritual twin" of Cable Cable (comics) Cable is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared as an infant in Uncanny X-Men #201... . |
| X-Calibre | Nightcrawler Nightcrawler (comics) Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1... |
Damask (The AoA version of the Black Queen of London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... 's Hellfire Club Hellfire Club (comics) The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men... ) (MIA), Mystique Mystique (comics) Mystique is a fictional character associated with the Marvel Comics' franchise X-Men. Originally created by artist David Cockrum and writer Chris Claremont, she first appeared in Ms... (MIA), Switchback Switchback (comics) Switchback is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in Marvel Comics. Created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Ken Lashley, she first appeared in X-Calibre #1 .... |
Following the fall of Apocalypse the team disbanded. The current whereabouts of Damask, Switchback and Mystique are unknown |
| X-Men X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1... |
Magneto Magneto (comics) Magneto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the central villain of the X-Men comic, as well as the TV show and the films. The character first appears in X-Men #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby... , Jean Grey Jean Grey Jean Grey-Summers is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. She has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix and is best known as one of five original members of the X-Men, for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her... |
|
Led out of Wundagore Mountain until the complex was destoyed by Nemesis Holocaust (comics) Holocaust is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men Alpha , and was created by Scott Lobdell and Roger Cruz.-Fictional character biography:... . Later moved to the ruined Xavier mansion, which never became a school in this universe. After the fall of Apocalypse, Magneto moved his X-Men to Washington, D.C. where they took up residence in the newly constructed Xavier Institute. More recently they are now based in Atlantis. |
| X-Ternals | Gambit (deceased) | Lila Cheney Lila Cheney Lila Cheney is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. She is a mutant with the ability to teleport, but only over vast intergalactic distances.-Publication history:... , Jubilee Jubilee (comics) Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to... , Strong Guy Strong Guy Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,... (deceased), Sunspot Sunspot (comics) Sunspot is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero most commonly associated with X-Men-related groups the New Mutants and X-Force.... (considered deceased by his teammates) |
Following the fall of Apocalypse the team disbanded. The current whereabouts of Lila and Jubilee are unknown |
| New Mutants | Beak, X-23 X-23 X-23 is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring the X-Men. X-23 is a female clone of Wolverine.-Publication history:... , Xorn Xorn Xorn is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. First appearing in New X-Men Annual 2001, Xorn was a new addition to the X-Men membership during writer Grant Morrison's revamp of the franchise.... (deceased), Silver Samurai Silver Samurai The Silver Samurai is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' universe, occasionally a superhero and more often a supervillain. His first appearance was in Daredevil #111... , Wolfsbane Wolfsbane (comics) Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf... , Psylocke Psylocke Psylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK... |
Mutants that joined Magneto's cause after the fall of Apocalypse. |
Other anti-Apocalypse forces
Besides the X-Men and its many offshoots, the Human High Council remains as the only other power opposing Apocalypse. Unlike the X-Men, however, the Human High Council considers the extermination of mutants as a viable option. Bolivar and Moira Trask, as well as Brian Braddock, are the major proponents for a mutant holocaust. Secretly, the Human High Council supports the Human Underground Resistance.X-Universe also reveals the fate of several other individuals: Peter Parker was executed because he was a potential contact for Gwen Stacy, T'Challa and Namor perished when Wakanda and Atlantis, respectively, were attacked by Apocalypse, Frank Castle went MIA following a mutant raid on a Buddhist temple where he had sought peace after the deaths of his family, while Reed Richards and Johnny Storm sacrificed themselves in the evacuation of Manhattan Island.
| Team | Members | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Human High Council | Brian Braddock (Captain Britain Captain Britain Captain Britain , briefly known as Britannic, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe, he first appeared in Captain Britain Weekly, #1... ) (deceased), Emma Frost Emma Frost Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne.... , Moira Trask Moira MacTaggert Dr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. Olivia Williams played a minor role of Dr. Moira MacTaggert in X-Men: The Last Stand... (deceased), Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross Thunderbolt Ross General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross is a fictional character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as an adversary of the Hulk, sometimes as a supervillain. Ross is a United States military officer, the father of Betty Ross, ex-father in-law of Glenn Talbot and the father in-law... , Bolivar Trask Bolivar Trask Bolivar Trask is a fictional character and a military scientist in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #14 . He is the creator of the Sentinels.-Fictional character biography:... , Mariko Yashida Mariko Yashida is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #118 .-Fictional character biography:... |
|
| Human High Council agents | Clint Barton (Hawkeye Hawkeye (comics) Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye... ), Donald Blake (Thor Thor (Marvel Comics) Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby.... , deceased), Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel Ms. Marvel Ms. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 and as Ms. Marvel—a... , deceased), Gateway Gateway (comics) Gateway is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe, an Australian mutant with the ability to teleport objects and people from one location to another. He is considered an unofficial member of the X-Men... , Ben Grimm (Thing Thing (comics) The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1... , deceased), Gwen Stacy Gwen Stacy Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy appears as a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 .... , Tony Stark (Iron Man Iron Man Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,... ), Susan Storm (Invisible Woman Invisible Woman Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics... ), Victor von Doom (Doctor Doom Doctor Doom Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak... ) |
|
| Sentinels | Programmed to protect humans above anything else, for which they are capable of not attacking mutants if it aids in the accomplishment of their Prime Directive. | |
| The Underground | Valerie Cooper Valerie Cooper Valerie "Val" Cooper is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe who currently works for the Office of National Emergency. She is most notable for her work as the liaison for mutant affairs in the United States government.-Publication history:... |
An underground resistance group that aids refugees escape from North America to Europe. |
| Henry Peter Gyrich Henry Peter Gyrich Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:... |
A human supremacist suicide bomber Suicide attack A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :... that threatens the nightclub Heaven. |
|
| Robert Kelly Robert Kelly (comics) Robert Edward Kelly is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He most often appears in Marvel's X-Men and X-Men-related comic books. He is a prominent United States Senator who began his career on an anti-mutant platform, and as the X-Men team is made up entirely of mutants, his role... |
An activist of mutant-human peaceful coexistence, for which Apocalypse imprisoned him. Rescued by Magneto, Nightcrawler, and Rogue. Later brokered the Kelly Pact, a non-aggression treaty between the Human High Council and Apocalypse. | |
| Joseph Robertson (deceased) | Maintains the clandestine newspaper, the Daily Bugle, with the purpose of informing humans of the news kept in secret by Apocalypse's regime. | |
| Deceased Mentions | Frank Castle Punisher The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,... |
Killed in action. |
| Peter Parker Spider-Man Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15... |
Deceased human boyfriend of Gwen Stacy who never became Spider-Man. | |
| Reed Richards Mister Fantastic Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 .... |
Died in the evacuation of Manhattan Island. | |
| Johnny Storm Human Torch The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1... |
Died in the evacuation of Manhattan Island. | |
| T'Challa Black Panther (comics) The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52... |
Died after Wakanda Wakanda (comics) Wakanda is a fictional nation in the Marvel Universe. It is the most prominent of several fictional African nations in the Marvel Universe. Wakanda is located in Northeastern Africa, although its exact location has varied throughout the nation's publication history: some sources place Wakanda in... was attacked by Apocalypse's Horsemen. |
|
| Namor | Died after Atlantis Atlantis (Marvel Comics) Atlantis is a fictional location in the Marvel Universe. It is based on the mythical island of Atlantis first mentioned in Plato's initial dialogue the Timaeus, written circa 360 BC. In the Marvel Universe, Atlantis was a small continent with many human settlements... was attacked by Apocalypse's Horsemen. |
Apocalypse's agents
| Team | Members | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Brotherhood of Chaos (Brotherhood of Mutants Brotherhood of Mutants The Brotherhood of Mutants, originally known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team devoted to mutant superiority over normal humans. They are among the chief adversaries of the X-Men... ) |
Arclight Arclight (comics) Arclight is a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Arclight first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #210-211 , and was created by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr.... (deceased), Box Box (comics) Box is a superhero from Canada. He was featured in Marvel Comics publications, notably Alpha Flight.-Fictional character biography:... (Madison Jeffries Madison Jeffries Madison Jeffries is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the . He first appears in Alpha Flight #16 and was created by John Byrne.- Publication history :... ) (deceased), Copycat (deceased), Spyne Spyne Spyne is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character, unlike many mutants, is more monstrously deformed and reptilian as opposed to other mutants somewhat human appearances . His first appearance was in Cable vol. 2 #17.-Fictional character biography:Spyne was one... (deceased), Yeti Yeti (comics) Yeti is the name of two fictional comic book characters from the Marvel Comics universe.-Brief information:The first Yeti is a huge humanoid and is believed to be an Inhuman that was mutated by the Terrigen Mist.... (deceased) |
Archlight, Spyne and Yeti were mentioned to have been dealt by Iceman, their deaths however were not shown on painel. |
| Inhuman Strike Force | Black Bolt Black Bolt Black Bolt is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 Black... (deceased), Crystal Crystal (comics) Crystal is a fictional character, a superhero in the . She is a member of the Inhumans and the younger sister of Medusa.... (deceased), Gorgon (deceased), Karnak Karnak (comics) Karnak is a fictional martial artist published by Marvel Comics. He first appears in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #45, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:... (deceased), Lockjaw Lockjaw (comics) Lockjaw is a fictional character and alien bulldog-like being that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:... (deceased), Medusa Medusa (comics) Medusa is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Medusa first appeared in Fantastic Four #36 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:... (deceased), Rhino Rhino (comics) The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic... (deceased), Triton Triton (comics) Triton is a fictional merman published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:... (deceased) |
Death's Maximus (comics) Maximus is a fictional character, a schizophrenic and genius appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #47 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:... personal army. They are the genetically altered clones of the Inhuman Royal Family with the exception of Rhino. |
| Bounty Hunters | Domino Domino (comics) Domino is a Marvel Comics character, best known as a member of the X-Men offshoot X-Force. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/co-writer Rob Liefeld, she first fully appeared in X-Force, vol... (deceased), Caliban Caliban (comics) Caliban is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Caliban's first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #148 , written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Dave Cockrum.-Fictional character biography:... (deceased), Grizzly Grizzly (comics) Grizzly is the name of four unrelated fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe. One is a wild west villain, one is an A.I.M. Agent, one is a foe of Spider-Man, and the fourth is a mutant who was a member of Six Pack.-Grizzly :... (deceased) |
Hunters in the service of Apocalypse. Their prime objective was to find and bring dead or alive the mutant known as Nate Grey. |
| Elite Mutant Force | Amazon (Lizzie Guthrie) (deceased), Aurora Aurora (comics) Aurora is a fictional character, a Canadian superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the twin sister of Northstar and the former lover of Sasquatch. She has also been in a relationship with Wild Child.... (deceased), Beast Dark Beast Dark Beast , sometimes known as the Black Beast, is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an alternate reality evil version of the X-Men’s Beast... (MIA), the Bedlam brothers Jesse Bedlam (comics) Bedlam is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He originally possessed the mutant ability to create and project a bio-EM field. This has the effect of temporarily disabling any similarly powered technology in the vicinity. He can also utilize his power to scan... (MIA) and Terrence Christopher Aaronson (King Bedlam King Bedlam King Bedlam is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe, created for their comic book series X-Force... in normal continuity) (MIA), Cannonball Cannonball (comics) Cannonball is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, Cannonball first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants .... (deceased), Cyclops Cyclops (comics) Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes... , Emplate Emplate Emplate is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Generation X #1, and was created by Scott Lobdell and Chris Bachalo. Emplate would serve as one of the major antagonists to the Generation X comic book series during its... (deceased), Havok (deceased), the Monets M-Twins The M-Twins are fictional comic book superheroine, mutants who appear in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo, she/they originally was a member of the teenage mutant group Generation X, and have not appeared in the series... (status unknown), Northstar Northstar Northstar is a fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the twin brother of Aurora. Through his mutation, Northstar gains superhuman powers, which he uses for the betterment of society... (deceased) |
Mr. Sinister's EMF is composed of mutant siblings belonging to powerful bloodlines, except for Beast, who serves as Sinister's leading scientist. |
| Enslavers of Seattle Core Seattle Core The Seattle Core is a fictional location found in Marvel Comics Age of Apocalypse storyline. The core was a slave camp ran for the sole purpose of generating electricity across North America. The Seattle Core was run by a four-armed mutant named the Sugar Man... |
Quietus (deceased), Sugar Man Sugar Man Sugar Man is a fictional character, a mutant villain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Chris Bachalo, he first appeared in Generation Next #2 .... (MIA), Rastus (deceased) |
The core was a slave camp ran for the sole purpose of generating electricity across North America. |
| Horsemen of Apocalypse Horsemen of Apocalypse The Horsemen of Apocalypse is a team of fictional supervillain characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team is first mentioned in X-Factor #10 , and makes their full appearance in X-Factor #15... |
Abyss Abyss (comics) Abyss is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. An alternate universe's counterpart of the character first appeared in X-Men Alpha, and the heroic Marvel Universe version of the character first appeared in Cable vol... (deceased), Holocaust/Nemesis Holocaust (comics) Holocaust is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men Alpha , and was created by Scott Lobdell and Roger Cruz.-Fictional character biography:... (deceased), Mr. Sinister Mister Sinister Mister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri.... (deceased), Prelate Rasputin Mikhail Rasputin Mikhail Nikolaievitch Rasputin is a Marvel Comics supervillain, older brother of Colossus of the X-Men and Magik of the New Mutants. Created by Jim Lee and John Byrne, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men .... (brother of Colossus) (deceased)
|
Sabretooth served as the Horsemen's leading Hound |
| The Infinites | Created by Sinister and the Beast from the genetic material of captured mutants and humans either deemed unworthy of living or executed for opposing Apocalypse. | Infinites were led by officers holding ranks such as Prelate or Mudir and were employed to carry out Cullings, massacres of human communities throughout North America. |
| Fedayeen | Mudir Rictor Rictor Rictor is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe, who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first appeared in X-Factor vol.1 #17... (deceased) leader of the Kurbaj Squadron |
The Fedayeen are the police of the Age of Apocalypse. Unlike the Infinites, they are not generally further mutated. |
| The Madri | Duplicates of Jamie Madrox Jamie Madrox James Arthur "Jamie" Madrox, also called the Multiple Man, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero, associated with the X-Men... (Multiple Man in normal continuity, deceased) |
Experimented on by both Beast and Sinister, his powers have mutated out of his control. Now, the Madri, form the wicked clergy of Apocalypse, worshipping him as a god and serving as his inquisitors. |
| Marauders Marauders (comics) The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by... |
Arcade Arcade (comics) Arcade is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Arcade first appeared in Marvel Team-Up, vol... (deceased), Dirigible (Kingpin Kingpin (comics) The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man... , deceased), the Owl (deceased), Red (Norman Osborn Green Goblin The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 .... , deceased) |
Human terrorists that have betrayed mankind. |
| The Pale Riders | Damask (Age of Apocalypse version of Emma Steed) (defected), Dead Man Wade (Age of Apocalypse version of Deadpool, deceased), Danielle Moonstar Danielle Moonstar Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.... (deceased) |
A trio of assassins serving Apocalypse. |
| Altered Humans (Age of Apocalypse versions of the Reavers Reavers (comics) In the fictional Marvel Comics universe the Reavers are a team of criminal cyborgs. The most significant team of Reavers were dedicated to the destruction of the mutant X-Men, and a number of them especially wanted to take revenge on one particular X-Man, Wolverine. The name was originally used by... ) |
Clegg (AoA version of Roughouse (destroyed), Dead-Eye (destroyed), Mangle (destroyed), Donald Pierce Donald Pierce Donald Pierce is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #132. He was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Donald Pierce is a cyborg.-Fictional character biography:... (destroyed), Slocum (AoA version of Bloodscream Bloodscream Bloodscream is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and an enemy of Wolverine.-Publication history:Bloodscream's first appearance was in Wolverine vol... , destroyed), Vultura (AoA version of Dragoness Dragoness (comics) Dragoness is a fictional mutant villain character in the Marvel Comics Universe, created for their on-going series New Mutants and X-Force. Dragoness was created by Louise Simonson and Rob Liefeld.-Fictional character biography:... , destroyed) |
Humans enhanced by Apocalypse's techno-organic virus. |
| Stryfe Force | Mikhail Rasputin's personal army. Formed by the best of his Upscale Program which is a program to augment the normal humans with cybernetics implants. They are activated by a silent signal. | |
| Hellions | Catseye Catseye Catseye is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Catseye was created by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema in New Mutants #16-17 .... , Jetstream Jetstream (comics) Jetstream is a fictional Moroccan mutant character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Created as a part of the group known as the Hellions, he exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe... , Roulette Roulette (Marvel Comics) Roulette is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Roulette was created by Chris Claremont and Sal Buscema in New Mutants vol... , Tarot Tarot (comics) Tarot is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Tarot first appeared in New Mutants vol... , Beef Beef (comics) Beef is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, a mutant from the Hellions group created as the antithesis to the X-Men's junior team of mutants, the New Mutants.- Fictional character biography :... , Bevatron Bevatron (comics) Bevatron is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, a mutant from the Hellions group created as the antithesis to the X-Men's junior team of mutants, the New Mutants.-Fictional character biography:... |
A team of young mutants that were trained in the use of their powers to become Apocalypse's agents. |
| Hounds Hounds (comics) Hounds are the name given to several groups of mutant characters from Marvel Comics. This term usually refers to those who track or hunt down mutants while serving a higher authority.-Days of Future Past:... |
Sabretooth Sabretooth (comics) Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14... (defected), Wild Child Wild Child (comics) Wild Child alternately spelled Wildchild and also known as Weapon Omega and Wildheart, is a fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics publications. The character has been active as both a superhero and a supervillain. He has been a member of Alpha Flight, X-Factor, and Weapon X... (defected), Caliban Caliban (comics) Caliban is a mutant character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Caliban's first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #148 , written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Dave Cockrum.-Fictional character biography:... (deceased), Wolverine Crule (comics) Crule is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in X-Force vol. 1 #12.-Fictional character biography:... (not the same as Wolverine/Logan in normal continuity, deceased) |
Mutants used to hunt down and imprison mutants and humans in concentration camps or simply to kill their targets. Sabretooth was used as the leading Hound to the Horsemen until his defection. Wild Child was too ferocious that he was kept a prisoner until Sabretooth rescued him. Caliban was used as the prime hound to the Bounty Hunters and Wolverine was a mutant altered by the Beast who served Holocaust as his leading hunter after the defection of Sabretooth. |
| Absorbing Man Absorbing Man The Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first... and Diablo |
Two wardens in Apocalypse's prisoner camps in Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... . |
|
| Bruce Banner/The Thing (Hulk Hulk (comics) The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 .... in normal continuity) |
A scientist of the Human High Council, secretly "bought" by Mikhail Rasputin, who supplies him with mutants for experiments in which Banner seeks to mutate himself. | |
| Magma Magma (comics) Magma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics series New Mutants, also associated with various X-Men-related comics. She was created by author Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, and debuted in New Mutants #8... (deceased) |
An assassin sent by Apocalypse to eliminate the Human High Council. | |
| Keeper Murdock (Daredevil Daredevil (Marvel Comics) Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood... in normal continuity) |
Mikhail Rasputin's personal warden. Responsible for watching over Empath, Mikhail's prisoner. | |
| Rex (MIA) | Apocalypse's majordomo. He appears to be currently at large and wanted by the X-Men for the part he played in the empire of Apocalypse. | |
| Shadow King Shadow King The Shadow King, also known as Amahl Farouk, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Shadow King exists as an entity of pure psychic energy that feeds on the hatred of humanity... (MIA) |
Apocalypse's leading telepath | |
| Strong Guy Strong Guy Strong Guy is the alias of Guido Carosella, a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz in New Mutants volume 1 #29 , and was reinvented as Strong Guy by Peter David and Larry Stroman in X-Factor #71 .-Early life:Born in Rhinebeck,... (deceased) |
Implanted with a bomb and forced to serve Apocalypse. Betrays the X-Ternals. | |
| Sebastian Shaw Sebastian Shaw (comics) Sebastian Hiram Shaw is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and an adversary of the X-Men.A mutant, Shaw possesses the ability to absorb energy and transform it into raw strength... (MIA) |
He appears to be currently at large and wanted by the X-Men for the part he played in the empire of Apocalypse. | |
| Balrog-Class Meta-Cyborg | Created by Sinister in his genetic processing tanks. They appear to be giant land-based cybernetic squids or octopuses. | |
Neutrals
| Group | Members | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avalon Savage Land The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10... |
Cain (Juggernaut Juggernaut (comics) The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby.... ) (deceased), Destiny Destiny (Irene Adler) Destiny is a Marvel Comics fictional character, known as an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141... , Douglas Ramsey (Cypher Cypher (comics) Cypher is a fictional mutant character, a superhero from Marvel Comics. He first appeared in New Mutants vol. 1 #13 .-Fictional character biography:Doug Ramsey was born to Philip and Sheila Ramsey... in the main reality) (deceased), Wendy Stinger (comics) Stinger is a fictional mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:Stinger first appeared in X-Factor #5-6 , and was created by Bob Layton.... (deceased) |
A haven for humans and mutants, housed in a secret area of the hidden prehistoric land known as Savage Land Savage Land The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10... . |
| The Brood Brood (comics) The Brood are a race of insectoid, parasitic, extraterrestrial beings that appear in the comic books published by Marvel Comics, especially Uncanny X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, they first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #155 .The Brood possess wings, fanged teeth and... |
Misty Knight Misty Knight Misty Knight is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. She was first mentioned in Marvel Premiere #20 and appeared in the next issue. She normally appears with Colleen Wing.-Publication history:... (deceased), Christopher Summers Corsair (comics) Corsair is a fictional character, a star-faring hero in the Marvel Comics universe. He leads the space-faring team the Starjammers and was best known as the father of X-Men superheroes Cyclops, Havok, and Vulcan... (deceased), Colleen Wing Colleen Wing Colleen Wing is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Colleen Wing first appeared in Marvel Premiere #19 , and was created by Doug Moench and Larry Hama.-Fictional character biography:... (deceased) |
Humans transformed into Brood following the escape of Christopher Summers, who had been infected by a Brood Queen. |
| Heaven Hellfire Club (comics) The Hellfire Club is a fictional society within the Marvel Comics Universe that often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men... |
Angel (deceased), Karma Karma (comics) Karma is a fictional superheroine from Marvel Comics created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.Karma is a mutant endowed with the ability to seize control of another's mind, though she has sometimes been depicted with other more extensive psionic abilities... (deceased), and Scarlett MacKenzie (presumed deceased) |
Nightclub run by Angel and its employees. |
| Artemis Fatale (comics) Fatale is a fictional character who first appears in the Marvel Comics universe. She is an assassin, usually working for Dark Beast. She first appeared in X-Factor vol. 1 #112, but in X-Men vol... (deceased), Avalanche Avalanche (comics) Avalanche is a Marvel Comics supervillain and an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141 .... , Blob Blob (comics) The Blob is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #3 .... (deceased), Newt (deceased), Phantazia Phantazia Phantazia is a fictional mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in X-Force #6 .-Fictional character biography:Phantazia was recruited by Toad into his lineup of the Brotherhood of Mutants... , Polaris Polaris (comics) Polaris is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular the X-Men family of books. Created by Arnold Drake, Don Heck, Werner Roth and Jim Steranko, Polaris first appeared in The X-Men #49... , Pyro Pyro (comics) Pyro is a fictional character in Marvel Comics and an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141 .... (deceased) |
Prisoners in Mr. Sinister's breeding pens. | |
| Scavengers | Cobra Cobra (comics) The Cobra is the alias of two fictional comic-book supervillains that appear in the Marvel Comics universe.-Klaus Voorhees:Klaus Voorhees, the original Cobra, was also known as The Human Cobra and is currently known as the original King Cobra... (deceased), Mister Hyde Mister Hyde (comics) Mister Hyde is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. His first appearance was in Journey into Mystery #99, 1963.-Publication history:... (deceased) |
Cannibal mutates who plague graveyards and attack anyone, regardless of their allegiance. |
| Morlocks Morlocks (comics) The Morlocks are a group of several fictional comic book mutants associated with the X-Men in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, they were named after the subterranean race of the same name in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine. They first appeared... |
Feral Feral (comics) Feral is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe. She has been both a superhero and a supervillain and most recognizably associated as a member of X-Force.-Fictional character biography:... , Leech Leech (comics) Leech is a character in the Marvel Comics Universe.Leech made his first appearance in Uncanny X-Men as a Morlock, a group of mutants whose deformities force them to live in the sewers under Manhattan. He is usually depicted as being around 12 years old... , Marrow Marrow (comics) Marrow , is a Marvel Comics character, associated with the X-Men. She is a mutant whose bones grow out of her skin and can be removed from her body, providing her with potential knives and clubs as well as body armor.... , Skids Skids (comics) Skids is a Marvel Comics mutant. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Jackson Guice, she first appeared in X-Factor vol. 1 #7 .-Morlocks:... , Danna Moonstar, Thornn Thornn Thornn is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics for their series, X-Force. She was one of the few Morlocks to survive the Mutant Massacre and is the sister of former X-Force member, Feral... |
Survivors of Mr. Sinister's experiments. |
| Bullseye Bullseye (comics) Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no... |
One of the many human prisoners aboard Mikhail Rasputin's ships. | |
| Callisto Callisto (comics) Callisto is a Marvel Comics fictional character, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, she first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #169 .... (deceased) |
Leader of a band of pirates. | |
| Peter Corbeau | A scientist and astronomer captured by Apocalypse and forced to serve as his librarian. | |
| Newell (Stingray Stingray (comics) Stingray is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The character first appears as Walter Newell in Tales to Astonish #95 and as Stingray in Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #19 Stingray (Walter Newell) is a fictional character that appears... ) |
Captain of the submarine Excalibur that transports refugees to Avalon. | |
| John Proudstar (Thunderbird Thunderbird (comics) Thunderbird is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who was briefly a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 .... ) (deceased) |
Leader of Ghost Dance, an anti-Apocalypse cult and the first stage in the Infernal Gallop to Avalon. | |
| Rossovich (Omega Red Omega Red Omega Red is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #4 , and was created by Jim Lee... ) (deceased) |
An information broker. | |
| Calvin Rankin (Mimic Mimic (comics) Mimic is a Marvel Comics fictional character who was briefly a member of the X-Men in the 1960s. He was then the first character to be added to the team after the original line-up and the first X-Man who was not a mutant.... ) (deceased) |
A victim of Sugar Man's plague experiment. | |
| Wolfsbane Wolfsbane (comics) Wolfsbane is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men.A Scottish mutant, Wolfsbane possesses the ability to transform into a wolf or into a transitional state somewhere between human and wolf... |
In her wild wolf form. |
Time-line escapees
Some characters escape the Age of Apocalypse into the Earth-616 continuity. These include Dark Beast, Nate Grey (the Age of Apocalypse version of Cable), Holocaust and Sugar Man, however others were later revealed to had escape the Age of Apocalypse at some point also.- Nate Grey allied himself with the X-Men a few times and once with Spider-Man, he later "died" by disseminating into every life form on the Earth, but has since returned to the living and is now residing on Utopia.
- Holocaust remained at large in the main Marvel Universe until he joined the ExilesExiles (Marvel Comics)The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate...
and was killed by another universe's evil version of HyperionHyperion (comics)Hyperion is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The first character debuted in The Avengers #69 Hyperion is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The first character debuted in...
.
- Beast was sent twenty years into Earth-616's past. This allowed for several retcons which were used to explain that he(now known as Dark Beast) was responsible for the creation of the Morlocks and also explain why Mr. Sinister initiated the "Mutant MassacreMutant Massacre"Mutant Massacre" was a major Marvel Comics crossover storyline, which took place during the fall of 1986. It primarily involved the superhero teams the X-Men, X-Factor and the New Mutants...
" as he recognized his stolen handiwork and ordered it exterminated as a debasement of his art.
- Sugar Man was also sent twenty years into Earth-616's past, and it was through him the GenegineerDavid MoreauDavid Moreau, also known as the Genegineer, is a fictional character, a villain in the Marvel Universe. Working for the island nation of Genosha, he developed a mind control device which made mutant slavery possible.-Fictional character biography:...
received the advanced genetic research to allow the small nation of GenoshaGenoshaGenosha is a fictional country that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is an island nation that exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as "Earth 616" in the Marvel Universe. The fictional nation served as an allegory for slavery and later for South...
to become powerful by enslaving mutants. He remained at large in the main Marvel Universe and only a few knew about his existence. Sugar Man was recently taken into custody by Steve Rogers after been defeated by the New Mutants.
- Blink escaped into the multiverse and ended up leading the reality-hopping team of heroes known as the Exiles. Her counterpart on Earth-616 was thought to have died during the "Phalanx CovenantPhalanx Covenant"The Phalanx Covenant" was a crossover storyline that ran through Marvel Comics' X-Men family of books in September and October 1994. One of its unique aspects was that the X-Men themselves only played a minor role in the story.- Plot :...
" storyline, but brought back from the dead by Selene during the "NecroshaNecroshaNecrosha is a comic book crossover story arc published by Marvel Comics. The crossover takes place in Marvel's main shared universe, the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Necrosha had been slowly building in the pages of X-Force...
" event.
- Sabretooth survived through the same means as Blink and joins a team of reality-hopping super beings known as Weapon X. During one mission, he opted to stay behind on a world to raise David Richards. Eventually, he was brought back into action and joined the Exiles. He has since returned to the Age of Apocalypse.
- Rastus, one of many wardens of Apocalypse was also revealed to escape to Earth-616, where he joined forces with the Sugar Man and killed some magistrates on Genosha before being killed by Callisto.
- Wild Child has also left this timeline when a time-traveler, Quentin Quire, saved him from the Friends of HumanityFriends of HumanityThe Friends of Humanity are one of the many anti-mutant hate groups in the Marvel Universe. Notable anti-mutant activists such as one time presidential-hopeful Graydon Creed and the robotic Bastion were among its members.-History:...
and then used Wild Child to replace the latter's counterpart, who had recently died. Wild Child has since been returned to the Age of Apocalypse.
- BlobBlob (comics)The Blob is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #3 ....
and IcemanIceman (comics)Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
are also revealed to had left the Age of Apocalypse due to the events put in motion by Archangel, Blob however was soon killed by Famine, the Final Horseman of Apocalypse.
- Nightcrawler will also leave this timeline according to the teaser released by Marvel and will join the X-ForceX-ForceX-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
team after the events of Dark Angel Saga.
Prequels
Before the tenth anniversary, the Age of Apocalypse was considered a dead reality that no longer existed—a fact that was frequently mentioned by time-line escapees, such as Sugar Man and Blink. However, there were quite a few prequels written that took place before its destruction.Tales From the Age of Apocalypse were intended to be one-shot giant-size issues that would chronicle a story from the past of each of the Age of Apocalypse titles. Unfortunately, they had poor reception and only two were published. By the Light told the story of Blink transporting the X-Men to the moon where they faced Apocalypse's new horseman of Death, Maximus the Mad. Sinister Bloodlines followed the return of a Brood-infected Christopher Summers to Earth and his reunion, after escaping the experimentations of Sinister and Dark Beast, with Scott and Alex.
Blink was a four issue miniseries intended to reintroduce the Age of Apocalypse version of Blink as a teaser to the Exiles ongoing series. This story takes place prior to the "Age of Apocalypse" main events, but is largely set in the Negative Zone
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
. Blink becomes lost in the Negative Zone after attempting to incite Blastaar
Blastaar
Blastaar, sometimes called the Living Bomb-Burst and Blasstaar, is a Marvel Comics supervillain. Blastaar is an opponent of the Fantastic Four and lives in the Negative Zone...
towards war with Apocalypse and instead joins a rebellion against Blastaar alongside her lover, who turns out to be a de-evolved version of Annihilus. The last four pages of the final issue show Blink during the destruction of the Age of Apocalypse and becoming unhinged from time.
X-Man, during its run, occasionally re-visited the Age of Apocalypse, both through time travel and flashbacks. X-Man #-1 shows Mr. Sinister releasing Nate from his growth vat as a child to check on his progress. In the 1996 X-Man Annual, Sugar Man uses a variation on a time machine powered by Nate's psionic force to return to the early years of Apocalypse's rule where he hopes to take control himself. Nate follows and meets up with Forge, Magneto, Morph, and Mastermind, and is surprised to discover that Forge knew that he would be there because an older Nate Grey had time traveled and told Forge about his memories of this event. On the orders of this older Nate Grey, Forge forces the younger Nate to re-power the machine and return himself and Sugar Man to Earth-616. This leads to a rift between Forge and Magneto, who believed they should have allowed Nate to stay so that he could help them fight Apocalypse. Later, in X-Man #53 and #54, Nate, Jean Grey, and Cyclops run across a temporal rift that brings an infinite processing plant to Earth-616.
After the Fall (Age of Apocalypse 10th Anniversary)
In 2005, Marvel published an Age of Apocalypse one-shot and miniseries to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the fan favorite event.The one-shot features stories set before the events depicted in the original "Age of Apocalypse" event, similar in focus to the Chronicles of the Age of Apocalypse issues. The one-shot contains the story of how Colossus and Shadowcat left the X-Men to train Generation Next; how Sabretooth met Wild Child; the first appearance of the Silver Samurai; and how the world survived the Human High Council's nuclear attack.
The limited series, which takes place after the nuclear attack in X-Men: Omega, introduced several characters who were not in the original storyline. Long time characters Cloak and Dagger
Cloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
, Psylocke, and the Morlocks (including Feral, Leech, Marrow, Skids, and Thornn), who where survivors of Mr. Sinister's experiments, are introduced. Newer characters Beak, Icarus
Icarus (comics)
Icarus , is a fictional character, a mutant superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was a member of the student body at the Xavier Institute and a member of the New Mutants training squad....
, and X-23 are seen along with an alternate version of Xorn. Jean Grey is also revealed to have saved everyone from the nuclear attack by tamping into the Phoenix Force-level powers, and is revived from death by Sinister.
The Exiles, two of which are from the Age of Apocalypse universe, visited the world as well during this time, the survival of which comes as a surprise to Blink and Sabretooth. Blink was originally removed from The Exiles because her 'personal timeline' had been repaired; since her uncorrected fate was to cease to exist, it is implied that her actions with The Exiles combined with Bishop's attempt to correct the timeline and Jean Grey repairing the M'Kraan Crystal, resulted in the age of apocalypse existing as a separate timeline.
Return to the Age of Apocalypse (Dark Angel Saga)
Seeking a CelestialCelestial (comics)
The Celestials are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appear in Eternals #1 and were created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
'Life Seed' in order to save Angel
Archangel (comics)
Warren Kenneth Worthington III is a fictional character, a comic book antihero in the Marvel Comics universe. Originally known as Angel and later Archangel, Worthington is one of the founding members of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-creator Jack Kirby, he first appeared in...
(Warren Worthington) from becoming the new Apocalypse, The Uncanny X-Force, under the guidance of Dark Beast
Dark Beast
Dark Beast , sometimes known as the Black Beast, is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an alternate reality evil version of the X-Men’s Beast...
, journey to the Age of Apocalypse. X-Force
X-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
arrives ten years after the X-Men had defeated Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister
Mister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri....
, yet it seems the X-Men still face enormous challenges in this harsh setting. The world, which during the previous appearance had seemed to be on the road to recovery, has once again fallen on hard times, similar to when Apocalypse was rulling, with sentinels now roaming the streets. As they follow Dark Beast to one of his labs, they are unknowingly followed by Wildchild and Sabretooth
Sabretooth (comics)
Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
. Dark Beast finds the life seed but before he could hand it over to the X-Force members, Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler (comics)
Nightcrawler is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe. He has been associated with both the X-Men and Excalibur, originally appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, he debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
teleports in and swipes the seed away, figuring that Dark Beast was up to some evil plot after decades of absence. After a brief quarrel which ended with the life seed destroyed by Sunfire, Psylocke
Psylocke
Psylocke is a fictional character depicted in comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably those comics featuring the superhero team the X-Men. The character has also appeared in licensed adaptations. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe, she first appeared in the UK...
recognizes Sabretooth from her time on the Exiles
Exiles (comics)
Exiles, in comics, may refer to:*Exiles , one of two series published in 1993 and 1995 by Malibu Comics*Exiles , a series published by Marvel Comics starting in 2001*Exiles , Marvel Comics villains...
and convinces Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
(Earth-616) that this version of Sabretooth isn't a bad guy, which ends their battle. With the life seed destroyed, Dark Beast sneaks over to the portal back to the 616 Marvel Universe and walks in, leaving X-Force stranded in the Age of Apocalypse world. Nightcrawler's team, realizing that the sentinels are descending on their position, evacuates along with X-Force, taking them to the X-Men's new base in Atlantis.
Using a version of M.O.D.O.K., they discover the body of the slain Celestial which apparently still contains life seeds. However as X-Force also learn that the only way to return to the main reality is to seek the help of Gateway
Gateway (comics)
Gateway is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe, an Australian mutant with the ability to teleport objects and people from one location to another. He is considered an unofficial member of the X-Men...
who in turn is kept prisoner in the mysterious floating city known as The Sky, the Sentinels soon arrives at Atlantis forcing the group to abandon the complex. As Fantomex
Fantomex
Fantomex is a fictional superhero associated with the X-Men in titles published by Marvel Comics. Fantomex first appeared in New X-Men #128 and was created by Grant Morrison and Igor Kordey....
leads a small team to the place where the Celestial is, the rest of the team invades The Sky to retrieve Gateway, however they are confronted by the Black Legion and the long thought deceased Weapon X(Logan/Wolverine Earth-215), who appears using Apocalypse
Apocalypse (comics)
Apocalypse is a fictional character who is an ancient mutant that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Factor #5 , created by writer Louise Simonson and designed by artist Walter Simonson...
armor.
Meanwhile, unaware of the problems Wolverine and his team are facing in the fortress, Fantomex and his small crew dive into the heart of the deceased Celestial in order to get the life seed they need to free Warren. After battling some drones, they manage to find the seed and flee with it, losing Gambit in the battle, while, back in the fortress, Wolverine and his crew try to battle Weapon X and the Black Legion. However, Weapon X proves too powerful, since he had offered himself to the Celestials to prevent the planet's judgment and was further augmented by the Celestial technology and while he had ascended in form and power, his mind had become so twisted to the point of sending warriors to kill Charles Lehnsherr, the infant son of Magneto and Rogue.
Weapon X easily manages to swat them all and take Jean Grey so he could transform her into Death, a horseman of Apocalypse. To perform the ritual he approaches Storm who was enslaved and transform into a blind seer made of living stone. After taking out the Black Legion and freeing Gateway, Wolverine ask Gateway to open a portal to bring forth Fantomex team. Using Fantomex, they manage to free Jean and open a gateway to their world. Wolverine wants Jean to come too but she refuses and forces them through the gateway with her powers. As X-Force returns to their world, they are greeted by Dark Beast, the Horsemen of Apocalypse
Horsemen of Apocalypse
The Horsemen of Apocalypse is a team of fictional supervillain characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team is first mentioned in X-Factor #10 , and makes their full appearance in X-Factor #15...
, and Archangel, now wearing Apocalypse’s armor.
Age of Apocalypse ongoing series
In Marvel's recent "Point One", a new team of anti-mutant humans calling themselves the X-Terminators, pledge to combat the rule of the currently ascended Weapon X and his minions, after X-Force's recent attempt to stop the genocidal successor of Apocalypse. The group consists of remaining members of the human race in the Age of Apocalypse who have been pushed to the edge of extinction by mutants. Members of that team are Prophet (William StrykerWilliam Stryker
Col. William "Bill" Stryker, M.D. is a fictional comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe, and enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Brent Anderson, he first appeared in the 1982 graphic novel X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills.Rev...
), Goodnight (a rebuilted Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce
Donald Pierce is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #132. He was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Donald Pierce is a cyborg.-Fictional character biography:...
), Deadeye (Zora Risman), Fiend (Francesca Trask), and Horror Show (Graydon Creed
Graydon Creed
Graydon Creed is a fictional character created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Brandon Peterson. The character is an enemy of the X-Men and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #299 .- Fictional character biography :...
).
What If?
There had been various What If? issues revolving around the Age of Apocalypse:- In What If? (vol. 2) #77, Legion manages to kill Magneto just as he escapes from the concentration camp he was being held in. Due to Magneto's death, mutants become accepted by the public and the X-Men are mutant celebrities, although Xavier senses that something is wrong. Apocalypse attacks a press conference in Washington, D.C., with an army of mutants and the X-Men are easily defeated. Xavier is forced to bring the now married Jean and Scott out of retirement. Xavier confronts Apocalypse directly while Jean and Scott take on his army. After being taunted that his dream was weak, Xavier kills Apocalypse with a psychic blast that kills himself as well. After sensing Xavier's death, Jean becomes angry and becomes the Phoenix again, causing the area to burn to the ground. Apocalypse's army retreats saying that his dream will live on, even though he is dead. In the aftermath, hatred and persecution of mutants begins to take place, due to the events in D.C. Scott reopens the Xavier Institute and carries on Xavier's dream. Apocalypse's forces challenge Scott, saying that only the best dream will survive.
- In What If? (vol. 2) #81, Tony Stark (Iron Man), head of the human resistance, joins up with Magneto to figure out a way to save Earth from the coming of GalactusGalactusGalactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
. Among Tony’s fellow human freedom fighters are the Hulk, Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), and Gwen Stacy. Ultimately, the survivors defeat Galactus by linking all minds on Earth (human and mutant) into one psychic attack. They are left greatly hurt by Galactus, but feeling more unified and capable of stepping past the racism caused by Apocalypse's rule.
- In 2006, Marvel published a What If? Age of Apocalypse one-shot that revealed what would have happened if both Xavier and Magneto were killed by Legion, leaving no one to form the X-Men. As explained by UatuUatuUatu, often simply known as The Watcher, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and designed by artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Fantastic Four #13 ....
the Watcher, the governments of the world respond to the hundreds of deaths caused by Legion's attack by capturing mutants and sending them into concentration camps, causing non-mutant superhumans to flourish. Some mutants, such as Cyclops (who tore out his own eyes to pass as human), flee to the Savage LandSavage LandThe Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
. After Apocalypse conquers the world, he gains hundreds of mutant and superhuman followers, including the Absorbing Man, Banshee, Cannonball, the Hulk, Holocaust, Juggernaut, Lady DeathstrikeLady DeathstrikeLady Deathstrike , occasionally spelled "Deathstryke", is a Marvel Comics supervillain, a foe of the X-Men, especially Wolverine.Her father Lord Dark Wind created the adamantium-bonding process that was forced on Wolverine...
, Namor, the Scarlet Witch, Sebastian Shaw, clones of Spider-Man, Storm, and Sunspot. Apocalypse's Horsemen are Hulk, Juggernaut, Namor, and Storm. Apocalypse's followers destroy the mutant sanctuary in the Savage Land and only Sauron and X-Man ( Nate SummersNate GreyNathaniel "Nate" Grey is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those related to the X-Men franchise...
) escape. They join the DefendersDefenders (comics)The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
, a group of heroes consisting of Brother VoodooBrother VoodooBrother Voodoo is a fictional character, a supernatural superhero in the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Gene Colan, he first appears in Strange Tales #169...
(the new Sorcerer Supreme), Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
(wielding Mjolnir), Captain Britain (using Iron Man's armor), Colossus, the Molecule ManMolecule ManMolecule Man is a fictional character, a supervillain or reluctant hero in the Marvel Comics universe, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #20.-1960s:...
, the Thing (using a prostheticProsthesisIn medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
arm), and Wolverine (without adamantium), who have learned the truth about their reality from the sacrifice of Doctor StrangeDoctor StrangeDoctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
. They have pledged not to change the past, but to overthrow Apocalypse in the present. As they fight back, Nate puts his own plans in motion to change the past, but with tragic consequences. The majority of the Defenders are killed in the struggle against Apocalypse. Nate succeeds in killing Apocalypse with the help of the Molecule Man. Nate then garbs himself in Apocalypse's armor and uses the stolen Eye of AgamottoEye of AgamottoThe Eye of Agamotto is a fictional mystical item in the Marvel Comics universe. The artist Steve Ditko, drew inspiration from the real world charm called 'The All Seeing Eye of the Buddha', known among Buddhists as "The Amulet of Snail Martyrs", a Nepali symbol meant to protect its wearer against...
to open a time portal into the past to stop Legion's actions. Captain America unleashes a bolt from Mjolnir that kills Nate and he and Wolverine walk off. Uatu reveals that by trying to change the past, Nate merely caused events to repeat themselves in yet another reality, as the lightning bolt destroyed Legion, Xavier, Magneto, and hundreds of others. He mentions that this problem is spreading like a cancer across the Multiverse, as reality after reality turns into an Age of Apocalypse.
Parodies
A one-shot titled Marvel Riot was published in December, 1995. The one-shot featured a parody of the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline.Television
- An Age of Apocalypse-like time-line is shown in the episode "One Man's Worth" from X-Men: The Animated Series. The death of Xavier at the hands of FitzroyTrevor FitzroyTrevor Fitzroy is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men, in particular Bishop. Created by Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #281 .Fitzroy hails from the same dystopian future as Bishop...
during his college years caused a destructive war between humans and mutants, with Magneto leading the Resistance against the mutant-hunting Avengers. Some of the mutants are shown in their Age of Apocalypse costumes from the comics.
- In the Wolverine and the X-Men animated series, after the X-Men accomplish their mission in the present to avoid a world ruled by Sentinels, a variant of the Age of Apocalypse reality is shown in the final episode of the first season. Mr. Sinister and Cyclops are depicted in their Age of Apocalypse versions alongside Apocalypse. The series was cancelled before a Season Two revolving around the "Age of Apocalypse" reality could be done, so exactly how it would have been portrayed is unknown.
Video games
- X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action role-playing game released in 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, N-Gage, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube video game consoles as well as the PC...
is heavily influenced by the "Age of Apocalypse" storyline, including several characters and concepts from the storyline.
Trading cards
In the VS SystemVS System
Vs. System , also written as VS System and abbreviated as VS, is a collectible card game designed by Upper Deck Entertainment . In the game, players build and play a deck of Vs. System cards in an attempt to win a game against their opponent. It was first published in 2004 and is set in the...
trading card game, a series of exclusive cards were released as prizes and participation awards in various tournaments. These cards were themed around the Age of Apocalypse, and a number of cards in the set were printed with the Horsemen of Apocalypse team affiliation.