Horsemen of Apocalypse
Encyclopedia
The Horsemen of Apocalypse is a team of fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...

al supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...

 characters that appear in comic book
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...

s published 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 team is first mentioned in 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...

#10 (vol. 1, November 1986), and makes their full appearance in X-Factor #15 (vol. 1, April 1987). They were created by writer Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...

 and artist Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson
Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...

.

The first comic book characters of this name were a team of aliens from the race known as the Axi-Tun that attacked Earth in ancient and modern times. They appeared in Giant Size Fantastic Four #3 (November 1974).

Fictional biography

The group consists of four mutants
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...

 that have been genetically altered and brainwashed to serve the ancient mutant, 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...

, either willingly or forcibly. They are enhanced or endowed with new abilities, and are always given the same titles based upon the biblical Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll' in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals"...

 (Death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....

, Famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...

, Pestilence, and War
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...

). While Apocalypse has empowered other individuals to do his bidding, the Four Horsemen remain his elite minions, always playing a key role in his plans.

Earlier incarnation

In X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula
X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula
X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula was a four-issue comic book limited series published in 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Frank Tieri and drawn by Clayton Henry.-Plot summary:...

#1, it was revealed that Apocalypse, centuries ago, had already created his Horsemen and rode among them as well; a Horsemen of War led the Riders of the Dark, and singlehandedly defeated the pre-vampire Dracula
Dracula (Marvel Comics)
Dracula is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. He is based on the vampire Count Dracula from the novel of the same name by author Bram Stoker, and is also influenced by Universal Studios' version of the character.-Publication history:A...

's army as well as Dracula himself.

X-Factor

In the 20th century, Apocalypse recruits Plague
Plague (comics)
Plague was a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She was originally a member of the Morlocks before joining the Horsemen of Apocalypse.-Publication history:...

, a member of the Morlocks, during the Mutant Massacre
Mutant 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...

 to fill the role of Pestilence. He approaches ex-soldier Abraham Lincon Kieros and grants him the position of War. An anorexic girl named Autumn Rolfson is Apocalypse's third choice and Autumn is given the position of Famine
Famine (comics)
Famine is a fictional character, a Mutant supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. She is most notable for being one of the original four horsemen of the villain Apocalypse.-Fictional character biography:...

. Apocalypse afterwards saved the dewinged Angel from his sabotaged, exploding plane and chooses him to be his fourth and final Horseman, Death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....



The Four Horsemen were forced to battle one another for leadership, and Death emerges victorious. In their first battle against X-Factor, the Horsemen were nearly defeated until Death appeared, shocking his former comrades. While X-Factor are strapped down, the Four Horsemen are sent out by Apocalypse to destroy New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. Meanwhile, 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:...

 confronts Apocalypse and asks for power to avenge his fellow 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...

.

X-Factor frees themselves and take on the Four Horsemen; Pestilence is accidentally slain by Power Pack
Power Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...

 in the battle and Archangel comes back to his senses after assuming he killed his former comrade, 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, ....

. Apocalypse retreats with his remaining Horsemen and the newly recruited Caliban, who is transformed by Apocalypse and later replaces Angel as Death.

X-Cutioner's Song

While Apocalypse heals from his recent defeat at the moon, 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....

 disguises himself as Apocalypse and orders the Horsemen War, Famine, and Caliban to capture 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...

 and 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...

. The Horsemen are later defeated by 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...

 when they discovered their hideout.

Hulk

After a battle with the X-Men in their mansion, 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 ....

 is taken by Apocalypse and becomes the third incarnation of War by being supplied with weaponry and a helmet shielding Hulk from his father's abusive and severely distractive spirit. Apocalypse set Hulk against the 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....

 to test the latter's strength. Hulk was able to stop and overcome the Juggernaut, after being empowered by energy from Franklin Richards'
Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in Fantastic Four.Franklin is an Omega-Level mutant with vast psionic and reality-manipulating powers...

 "Heroes Reborn
Heroes Reborn
"Heroes Reborn" was a 1996-1997 crossover story arc among comic-book series published by the American company Marvel Comics. During this one-year, multi-title story arc, Marvel temporarily outsourced the production of several of its most famous comic books to the studios of its popular former...

" pocket universe. He likewise overloaded the 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...

, but came to his senses after he had injured his friend, Rick Jones
Rick Jones (comics)
Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...

.

The Twelve

During The Twelve
Apocalypse: The Twelve
The Twelve is a comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in March 2000.-Background:The story of the Twelve begins with a young mutant by the name of Tanya Trask, who would later become Madame Sanctity. Adrift in the timestream, Tanya was rescued by Rachel Summers, in her guise of...

saga, Apocalypse sends his Horsemen to collect the chosen mutants written in Destiny's Diary. This new team featured the cybernetic mutant Ahab
Ahab (comics)
Ahab , a fictional character who is a cyborg supervillain from the future in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a native of the "Days of Future Past" timeline that first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #141...

 as Famine, the Shi'ar
Shi'ar
The Shi'ar are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. The Shi'ar Empire also called the Aerie, is a vast collection of alien species, cultures and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empires, and alongside them, is one of the three main alien empires...

 Deathbird
Deathbird
Deathbird is a fictional character. She is a Marvel Comics supervillainess, an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Dave Cockrum, she first appeared in Ms. Marvel #9....

 as War, and the Morlock, Caliban, this time as Pestilence. As the Horseman of Death, Apocalypse had abducted 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...

 and pitted him against 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...

. The winner of the battle, Wolverine, became his Horseman of Death, and Apocalypse strips the adamantium from Sabretooth and bonds it to Wolverine's skeleton. As Death, Wolverine battles the X-Men and kills his Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....

 imposter, who had replaced him to prevent his absence being noted.

When Death captured Mikhail 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 ....

 and failed to teleport out with him, he was chased into the Morlock
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...

 Tunnels by the X-Men. He battled them and regained his memory, thanks to the efforts of 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...

, 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....

, Archangel, and 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...

. The rest of the Horsemen are teleported to another dimension by Mikhail.

Blood of Apocalypse

Following the House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...

 and M-Day
Decimation (comics)
Decimation is the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning off from the House of M limited series. It focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers, thereby reducing a society of millions to one of scant hundreds.This event, which...

, Apocalypse resurrected, assembling a new cadre of Horsemen with the purpose of wiping out 90% of the baseline human population. Apocalypse's new Horsemen were Gazer
Gazer
Gazer is a fictional character, a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by writer Peter Milligan and artist Salvador Larroca, he first appeared in X-Men vol...

 as War, Sunfire as Famine, 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...

 as Pestilence, and Gambit
Gambit (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...

 as Death.

Gazer was saved from death and forced to battle an archeologist for the mantle of War, which he won with the aid of Apocalypse's scribe, Ozymandias
Ozymandias (Marvel Comics)
For the Watchmen character, see Ozymandias Ozymandias is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in 1996 in Uncanny X-Men #332, and was created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Joe Madureira.-Fictional character...

. Both Sunfire, who had lost his legs at the hands of Lady Deathstrike
Lady Deathstrike
Lady 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...

 and his powers to 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...

, and Polaris, an M-Day victim, were captured, and reluctantly altered into Famine and Pestilence, respectively. Gambit, however, submitted himself willingly to be transformed into Death, as he had come to believe Apocalypse could be helpful to the mutant cause, though he would need to be watched. Sunfire was able to break free of Apocalypse's control with the help of 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....

, although he was weakened by the experience. Polaris was knocked out by Iceman in the final battle. She was abandoned, saved by Havok, and freed from her brainwashing by the X-Men. Gazer died defending Apocalypse, having been stabbed in the back by Ozymandias.

The Final Horsemen

When the Clan Akkaba
Clan Akkaba
Clan Akkaba is a fictional cult in the Marvel Universe. Created by Frank Tieri and Clayton Henry. The Clan is composed of the descendants of the mutant supervillain Apocalypse and first appeared in X-Men: Apocalypse vs...

 finally resurrected En Sabah Nur albeit in the form of a child, putting into motion events that will turn this age into an Age of Apocalypse. The new X-Force faces the self-proclaimed "Final Horsemen", a whole new cadre of Horsemen, all separately assembled through time by Apocalypse and Ozymandias and only to be awoken when all other approaches have failed. They consist of the following.
  • Decimus Furius, the son of a philosopher that was originally alive in Rome during the 200's. When his father commited suicide and his mother died shortly after, he was left homeless, without any money. While slowly starving to death in an alley, he transformed into his mutant self, the mythological Minotaur
    Minotaur
    In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...

    . When he was seen, the human civilians attempted to kill him. He slaughtered dozens before being brought down. Eventually, after being imprisoned for years, he was offered freedom, providing he was able to deafeat all others in the arena. With his axe, he slaughtered all who opposed him. He was then worshipped as the Dark God Minotaur. He was found by Apocalypse and Ozymandias and he was appointed as War.

  • Jeb Lee, a Confederate spy that fought during the civil war. He marched behind enemy lines disguised as a Union drummer, gathering information. After the war he returned home, mistakenly wearing his Union uniform. The Confederates believed him to be a traitor and burned his family alive in front of him. This stimulated his latent mutant powers, the ability to use the sound of his drummer to cause a bioauditory cancer, a living sound that feeds on the flesh of those who hear it. He was approached by Apocalypse and Ozymandias and appointed as Famine. Famine was later captured by X-Force and tortured by Deathlok for many hours while his host took control, revealing the location of Archangel to the team.

  • Ichisumi, a geisha that first lived In Kumamoto, Japan in the year 1893 AD. Ichisumi was jealous of all the more beautiful and intelligent women around her; as she suffered from a severe inferiority complex. Her father was a samurai who would get mad whenever she would fail. Stemming from her repressed rage and the disapproval of her father, she savagely ravaged the other geishas after releasing a swarm of "yume beetles" from her mouth. This is when Ichisumi's powers first manifested leading to her "collection" by Apocalypse, as his Pestilence. Pestilence was later seen in some intimate moments wih Archangel who assigned her to guard Psylocke. Pestilence was later taken out by her after being stabbed through the mouth with her own parasol.

  • Sanjar Javeed, the bastard son and servant of the once king of Persia Shapur II. When the King could not let out that he had this son, Sanjar turned to thievery to get the attention of his father. However, this was when Sanjar's powers devolped, he gained an ailment aura that could transmit a spectrum of terminal diseases depending on what variety of metal he touches. He began to poison the entire kingdom by spreading diseases through the stolen treasures. On his deathbed King Shapur named his son the "The Seraph of Death". Soon Sanjar was collected by Apocalypse as his horseman, Death. Death was however killed by Wolverine while they tried to prevent Archangel's plans.

  • 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...

    , choosen by Archangel who used the Celestial item known as Death Seed to transform Betsy into the new Horseman of Death. She is later rescue by the AoA version of Nightcrawler who left her alone with Fantomex. After a brief talk, Psylocke kills Fantomex, however this was only a distraction created by Fantomex so Betsy would low down her defences so the AoA version of Jean Grey could invade her mind and release Betsy from Archangel's control.

Age of Apocalypse

In the alternate reality known as the Age of Apocalypse
Age of Apocalypse
"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...

, the four Horsemen also existed but didn't use any titles, with some exceptions such as Death and War. The only member who was also a Horseman in the main Marvel Universe was Abraham Kieros, also known as War. The first group of Horsemen consisted of Candra
Candra (comics)
Candra, sometimes called Kandra is a fictional character, a Mutant supervillainess appearing in Marvel Comics universe.She is a member of the Externals and has exhibited immensely powerful telekinetic abilities in addition to being immortal.-Origin:...

, Gideon
Gideon (comics)
Gideon is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza...

, Death (an unknown female, speculated to be Selene
Selene (comics)
Selene Gallio is a fictional character, a comic book supervillainess from the Marvel Comics universe. She is a mutant, and an enemy of the X-Men often associated with the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle.-Publication history:...

 or the mutant Dark Rider
Dark Riders (comics)
The Dark Riders, also known as the Riders of the Storm, are a team of comic book supervillains in Marvel Comics' universe. Created by Chris Claremont, Jim Lee, and Whilce Portacio in X-Factor Volume 1 #65...

 Lifeforce
Lifeforce (comics)
Lifeforce is a mutant super villain in the Marvel Comics Universe. Most notably a member of the second incarnation of the Dark Riders, her mutant ability enabled her to suck the life out of her enemies and absorb their strength into herself...

), and War. Later members included a never-seen Horseman named Bastion and Maximus
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:...

 of the Inhumans
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....

 as the second Death. Ultimately, Apocalypse announced the War of Succession, a battle between all his Horsemen. The four remaining Horsemen would rule North America alongside him. These four were 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:...

, Mikhail 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 ....

, Bastion, and 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....

. It is mentioned that Candra was killed by Holocaust, and Bastion was killed after the war by 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...

, making Abyss the newest horsemen and first recruit after the war. In a flashback, it is revealed that Mikhail was chosen after he defeated War during Apocalypse's attack on Russia.

Ages of Apocalypse

In one of the alternate realities created by Apocalypse during the Ages of Apocalypse
Ages of Apocalypse
"The Ages of Apocalypse" is a series of sub-chapters to Marvel Comics' "The Twelve" saga, wherein En Sabah Nur finds himself trapped in the body of Scott Summers after a failed attempt to possess Nate Grey. Using his newfound powers, Apocalypse warps reality several times, trying to get the...

, Davan Shakari
Erik the Red (comics)
Erik the Red is a fictional cover identity in the Marvel Universe which has been used by three characters: Scott Summers , Davan Shakari, a Shi'ar agent, and Erik Magnus Lehnsherr...

 was the Horseman of Death.

Cable & Deadpool

In Cable & Deadpool
Cable & Deadpool
Cable & Deadpool was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2004. The title characters, Cable and Deadpool, shared the focus of the book. The series was launched following the cancellation of the characters' previous ongoing solo series. The book's mix of humor, action, and...

, the Enema of the State story arc, Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...

, went to find 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...

, who had disappeared and was forced to travel to alternate universes to find him. In the first universe, Deadpool found a new group of Horsemen. An eight-armed Spider-Man was Pestilence, Blob was Famine, and Archangel was Death. The three fought Deadpool, 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...

, and 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 ....

. When Deadpool figured out there was still one more Horseman left, a superpowered Cable appeared and defeated all of them. Cable was War, the fourth Horseman. Deadpool teleported to another universe when he realized he couldn't win.

Exiles

One of the original members of the Exiles
Exiles (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...

 was Thunderbird of Earth-1100, who was transformed into Apocalypse's Horseman, War. As War, Thunderbird has lost his humanity and sense of taste but had enhanced senses. He managed to break through Apocalypse's mind control and rejoined his allies, the X-Men. When he went into battle-mode, he could even overpower the Hulk.

House of M

When the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...

 altered reality and created the House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...

, Apocalypse was brought back to life. He was a former enemy of 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...

, who became his subordinate, ruling North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...

. Magneto had sent him to kill Black Panther
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...

. He went to Wakanda, along with his Horsemen. Only one of his Horsemen was shown, which was 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, ....

.

Marvel Mangaverse

In the Marvel Mangaverse
Marvel Mangaverse
The Marvel Mangaverse is a series of comic books published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2002, with a sequel "New Mangaverse" released in late 2005 and early 2006....

comic, Avengers Assemble, Apocalypse was a tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....

-esque villain that grew in size and battled with the Iron Avenger (four vehicular machines that can transform together in the form of a giant 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,...

) piloted by the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...

 team (Captain America
Captain America
Captain 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...

, Scarlet Witch, 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...

, Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...

). The Horsemen included Archangel, 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....

, 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....

, and the White Queen
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....

.

Mutant X

In the Mutant X
Mutant X (comics)
Mutant X was a comic book published by Marvel Comics featuring Havok, a mutant and former member of the X-Men, who was transported into a parallel dimension. It was written by Howard Mackie....

series, Angel was chosen as Apocalypse's Horseman of Death, but went through a dramatically different transformation with bat-like wings, and he could breathe fire. To signify his transformation, he changed his name to The Fallen and sided against Apocalypse with Havok's group known as the Six. Eventually his treachery got the best of him and Fallen betrayed his teammates to realign himself with the Horsemen against an evil Professor X
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....

. The other Horsemen were all new characters except for War, who resembled Abraham Kieros.

Ultimate Horsemen

In the Ultimate Universe
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...

, Sinister is mentioned to be the first Horseman. He is later transformed into Apocalypse.

Avengers/Alternate Age of Apocalypse

While waging war against Ultron in the near future, Kang accidentally breaks time itself in an attempt to gather an army from various time periods, to aid him in defeating Ultron. As a result of this, an alternate universe version of the "Age of Apocalypse" Apocalypse and his Horsemen ended up in the present day Avengers Tower. A battle between the Avengers and the Horsemen (Spider-Man
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...

, 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...

, Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...

, and Red Hulk, all of which have been infected with the techno-virus and fused with their mounts). Due to the temporal chaos, the fight ends when the villains are teleport away back into the timestream.

What If...?

  • In one alternate reality, Wolverine was turned into the Horseman of War (he was known as Death). He turned against Apocalypse and killed him, then began slaughtering Earth's criminals and villains. Eventually, he became the peaceful Brother Xavier.

  • In the reality depicted in What If Legion Had Killed Xavier And Magneto?, the Horsemen of Apocalypse were Storm, 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....

    , Namor, and 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 ....

    .

Television

  • In the X-Men Animated Series
    X-Men (TV series)
    X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...

    , the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse were the same ones as in the X-Factor comics. The lineup was composed of mutants that submitted themselves to the so-called Mutant Cure, developed by Dr. Adler (actually 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...

     in disguise). The "Cure" process transformed the four mutants: Autumn Rolfson (Famine)
    Famine (comics)
    Famine is a fictional character, a Mutant supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. She is most notable for being one of the original four horsemen of the villain Apocalypse.-Fictional character biography:...

    , Plague (Pestilence)
    Plague (comics)
    Plague was a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She was originally a member of the Morlocks before joining the Horsemen of Apocalypse.-Publication history:...

    , Abraham Kieros (War)
    War (comics)
    War is the name of three fictional characters, who are Marvel Comics supervillains. Two are discussed here: both members of the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse. the first War and Abraham Kieros...

    , and Angel (Death)
    Angel (comics)
    Angel, in comics, may refer to:* Angel comics, comics featuring the Buffyverse character Angel* Warren Worthington III, a Marvel Comics character and member of the X-Men who has used the names Angel and Archangel...

     into altered mutants under the control of Apocalypse. The four-part episode Beyond Good and Evil featured another team of Horsemen, created by Apocalypse during his time in Ancient Egypt. The style of these Horsemen reflected their Egyptian origins. In the episode The Fifth Horseman, Fabian Cortez
    Fabian Cortez
    Fabian Cortez is a fictional character, a mutant comic book supervillain from the Marvel Comics universe and an adversary of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and writer/illustrator Jim Lee, he first appeared in X-Men #1 ....

     (at that point a follower of Apocalypse) creates a team called 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:...

     rather than Horsemen. One of them is Caliban, who resembled his appearance as "Death" in the comic books.

  • In X-Men: Evolution
    X-Men: Evolution
    X-Men: Evolution is an American animated television series about the Marvel Comics superhero team the X-Men. In this incarnation many of the characters are teenagers rather than adults...

    , Apocalypse enslaves two major heroes and two major villains to be his Horseman. Professor X became Death, with enhanced telepathy, telekinesis, agility, and strength, and the ability to conjure a "mental scythe" similar to Psylocke's daggers or knives. As War, Magneto had far more powerful magnetic abilities, including being able to survive in the vacuum of space by surrounding himself in a bubble of magnetized air, and reconstructing and controlling a destroyed Sentinel. Storm, as Famine, had enhanced abilities, generating lightning capable of overpowering Bezerker, as well as gaining increased stamina. Mystique served as Pestilence, having enhanced shape-shifting abilities, now able to transform into more than one object, such as a group of bats or snakes. Like Apocalypse, she gained the ability to manipulate her form on a molecular level, transforming her hands into blades, and turning into a puddle of water. She was also given enhanced speed and agility, as well as gaining an advanced healing factor, being able to replace a large portion of her stomach that was destroyed by Cyclops.

  • In Wolverine and the X-Men, there is a direct reference to the Horsemen of Apocalypse. After Angel lost his wings because of his father, Mister Sinister offered to get back Angel's wings. However, despite giving back his wings, Sinister transforms Angel into Archangel. Archangel was sent to kill his father, but is stopped by Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm. After that, Sinister sends Archangel to kidnap Jean Grey after she uses her powers by accident. Cyclops and Emma Frost tried to protect Jean from Sinister, but Archangel captures both Cyclops and Jean. Later on, the X-Men saves them from Sinster, Archangel, and the Marauders. The Marauders were captured, but Mr. Sinster and Archangel escaped.

Video Games

  • Akuma (Gouki in Japan) of Street Fighter
    Street Fighter
    , commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...

    is captured by Apocalypse and transformed into Cyber-Akuma (Mech-Gouki), serving as his Horseman of Death and final boss in the Capcom crossover fighting game Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
    Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
    is the fourth Marvel Comics-licensed fighting game produced by Capcom . It is a sequel to X-Men vs. Street Fighter which replaces most of the X-Men characters with characters from Marvel Super Heroes. In an attempt to balance the previous games' problems, the game engine was altered, although it...

    .

  • The Horsemen of Apocalypse are referenced in X2: Wolverine's Revenge
    X2: Wolverine's Revenge
    X2: Wolverine's Revenge is a video game released in 2003 to coincide with the release date of the film X2: X-Men United. Revenge was the first home console title to feature Wolverine in a starring role since 1994; he had appeared two years earlier in X-Men: Wolverine's Rage for Game Boy Color...

    . After watching Wolverine in action, Apocalypse and Mister Sinister prepare the Horseman of Apocalypse.

  • In X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
    X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse
    X-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...

    , the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse were 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...

    , Mikhail 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 ....

    , 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:...

    , and Archangel
    Angel (comics)
    Angel, in comics, may refer to:* Angel comics, comics featuring the Buffyverse character Angel* Warren Worthington III, a Marvel Comics character and member of the X-Men who has used the names Angel and Archangel...

    . Mister Sinister was a kind of "fifth" horseman, working as Apocalypse's right-hand man. During the fight with Apocalypse in the Vault of Ages, the Egyptian Statues based on the Four Horseman will come to life as clones of the Four Horseman.

External links

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