Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is one of the world's first mutants, and was a principal antagonist for the original X-Factor team and later the X-Men and related spin-off teams. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Jackson Guice, Apocalypse first appeared, unnamed, in Marvel Graphic Novel #17 (July 1985), followed by a full debut in X-Factor #5 (June 1986). Apocalypse is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe and the father of the original incarnation of the Horsemen of Apocalypse.
Since his introduction, the character has appeared in a number of X-Men titles, including spin-offs and several limited series. Apocalypse has also been featured in various forms of non-comics media, including the 2016 feature film X-Men: Apocalypse, in which he was portrayed by Oscar Isaac.
Conception and creation While writing the first five issues of X-Factor, Bob Layton dropped hints of a villain operating behind the scenes and leading the Alliance of Evil (mentioned in X-Factor #4, May 1986). Layton intended to reveal this character to be the Daredevil villain the Owl on the final page of X-Factor #5. However, Layton left the book after writing this issue and was replaced by writer Louise Simonson. Editor Bob Harras said that the character arose because of storytelling needs: "All I had communicated to Louise was my desire that an A-level, first class character be introduced. I wanted a Magneto-level villain who would up the stakes and give the X-Factor team reason to exist."
In a 2011 interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Simonson explained that when the X-Factor series was created, the original five X-Men were pulled out of the purview of Chris Claremont, who was writing The Uncanny X-Men. However, Simonson felt that the series needed an archenemy, or what Simonson called "a big, bad villain", and conceived of Apocalypse. Simonson described the character thus:
Harras also commented, "As soon as I saw the sketch by Walter [Simonson] and heard Louise's take on him, I knew we had the character I wanted. Jackson [Guice] redrew the page, patching in the shadowy Apocalypse where the Owl had been. But the genesis was clearly Walt and Weezie's."Callahan, Timothy (September 28, 2009). "When Words Collide". Comic Book Resources. Guice admitted to difficulty recalling the details behind redrawing the last page of issue #5: "The best I can remember now is putting his look together pretty much right on the pencil page—just adding bits of costuming business which hinted toward his true appearance when we'd eventually see him in full reveal. I don't believe there was even a character sketch done for him at that point—I planned on making sense of it all later on, but by then I was gone and others had that concern." Apocalypse's silhouette in issue #5 does not match up with his full appearance in issue #6, suggesting the possibility that Guice was using Simonson's sketch as a reference for issue #6 but did not have access to it earlier, necessitating that he come up with his own design for issue #5. Walter Simonson himself has downplayed his role in the character's creation, saying that Guice was responsible for creating the design and that he, Simonson, merely modified it later: "I did not co-create Apocalypse. However, I wish I had. Louise Simonson and Jackson Guice created him. He appeared in a few panels at the end of one of Jackson’s last X-FACTORs, so I am the first artist to use him extensively in stories. And I kind of juiced up his physique a bit."Papadimitropoulos, Thomas (March 6, 2012). "INTERVIEW CORNER #83: Walt Simonson". Comicdom.
Bob Harras said on the character of Apocalypse:
Although the character first appeared in 1986, he was retroactively said to have been present during previously published stories. The unnamed benefactor of the Living Monolith in Marvel Graphic Novel #17 (1985) was later identified as Apocalypse in disguise.Uncanny X-Men #376 (January 2000) Classic X-Men #25 revealed that years earlier, Apocalypse encountered the terrorist Moses Magnum and granted him superhuman power.
During his run on Cable, Robert Weinberg planned a story to reveal that Apocalypse was the third Summers brother, a mysterious sibling to the mutants Cyclops and Havok. But Weinberg left the book before he could go along with his plan and the third Summers brother was revealed to be the mutant Gabriel Summers, a.k.a. Vulcan.
Apocalypse was the principal adversary in the mid-1980s X-Men spin-off series X-Factor (1986–91) until being apparently killed at the climax of issue #68 (July 1991). Since then, the character has died and been resurrected several times thanks to his power and advanced alien technology. His name En Sabah Nur was revealed in Cable #2 (June 1993) and his birthplace (Egypt) and the origin of his technology, were revealed in X-Force #37 (August 1994). According to Marvel, the name translates from Arabic as "The First One" (although, in reality, the translation is considered grammatically incorrect, as it means "The First/Morning Light" [En-("The") + Sabah- ("Morning") + Nur- ("Light")] ). It is later revealed in the origin story Rise of Apocalypse that he is possibly the first mutant (meaning, in this case, a human being born with the X-gene), born 5,000 years ago. The character gained greater popularity in 1995 when the storyline "Age of Apocalypse" featured an alternate timeline in which Apocalypse has conquered much of Earth.
The character was reincarnated in the pages of Uncanny X-Force #1 as a small boy with no memory of his previous incarnation. The boy was named Evan Sabahnur.Uncanny X-Force #1 In 2012, the adult, villainous version of Apocalypse returned in the series Uncanny Avengers. His origins are further explored in the storyline "Apocalypse Wars".
In 2019, writers Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard expanded upon Apocalypse's origin and agenda in the Excalibur series and the X of Swords event. Apocalypse's 'survival of the fittest' mentality was revealed to have had the aim of preparing the mutant population for a dangerous reunion with the long-lost mutants of Arakko, which included his wife and four children, the original Horsemen of Apocalypse.
Fictional character biography Rise of Apocalypse
The being who would later be called Apocalypse is born with the mutant X-gene thousands of years ago in Akkaba, a settlement in ancient Egypt. Because of his grey skin and blue lips, his people abandoned him as an infant. He is rescued by Baal of the Sandstormers, who sees the child's potential power and will to survive. Baal names him En Sabah Nur, which Marvel translates as "The First One". The Sandstormers live by the credo of survival of the fittest, believing that only those who are strong enough to survive hardship and direct conflict are worthy of life.Rise of Apocalypse #1 It is also revealed during the Apocalypse Wars that, as a young boy, En Sabah Nur is very generous and selfless, to the chagrin of Baal. A time-displaced Evan Sabahnur and Beast try to save En Sabah Nur, but he allows himself to be captured to help them escape.All New X-Men (vol. 2) #11
Around this time, the time-traveller Kang the Conqueror arrives in Egypt and assumes the identity of Pharaoh Rama-Tut. Knowing who En Sabah Nur is fated to become and where he is, Rama-Tut sends his General Ozymandias and an army to destroy the Sandstormers and find the young Apocalypse. En Sabah Nur and Baal are injured and seek refuge in a cave. Before he dies, Baal reveals advanced alien technology hidden in the cave, left behind by the space gods known as the Celestials. Vowing revenge on Rama-Tut, En Sabah Nur enters the Pharaoh's city posing as a slave and draws the romantic attention of Ozymandias's sister, Nephri. On seeing the mutant's true appearance, Nephri rejects him and turns to her brother for protection. The heartbroken En Sabah Nur's rage causes his mutant abilities to fully emerge. Rampaging, he renames himself Apocalypse. Rama-Tut flees and En Sabah Nur uses the Celestial technology to transform his former tormentor Ozymandias into a blind clairvoyant made of living stone, now enslaved to Apocalypse. As the years pass, Apocalypse finds he no longer ages.Rise of Apocalypse #1–4
It is revealed in the series S.H.I.E.L.D. that Apocalypse, at some point in the days of ancient Egypt, joined forces with the Brotherhood of the Shield to fend off a Brood invasion. Also present were Imhotep and a man who was either the moon god Khonshu or his first Moon Knight avatar/champion.S.H.I.E.L.D #1
Early history As the millennia pass, Apocalypse travels around Earth, convincing civilizations that he is a deity (inspiring different myths as a result) and manipulating them into fighting wars. He justifies that this encourages "growth, judgment, and destruction".X-Factor #24 Apocalypse's progeny become Clan Akkaba. Apocalypse encounters the near-immortal human offshoot race known as Eternals, primarily Ikaris and Sersi, who refer to him as their "Ancient Nemesis".New Eternals: Apocalypse Now! At different points, Apocalypse uses his Celestial technology to enter periods of suspended animation, leaving Akkaba and Ozymandias to act in his stead.
In AD 1013, Apocalypse seeks to destroy the Asgardian Thor, who he knows will cause him trouble in the future, according to information obtained from Rama-Tut,Uncanny Avengers #6 (2013) yet the plans are foiled by Odin. In the 12th century, Apocalypse encounters Sersi again while awakening latent mutant powers in a crusader named Bennet du Paris, also known as Exodus.Black Knight: Exodus In 1459, Apocalypse defeats Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler) in Romania, who later becomes Dracula.Apocalypse vs Dracula #1 (2006)
In 1859, Apocalypse encounters British scientist Nathaniel Essex and learns more about the nature of mutants. Apocalypse uses his Celestial technology to transform Essex into the superhuman being Mister Sinister. He then coerces Sinister and the Hellfire Club into aiding his plans for global conquest, but Sinister concludes that these plans are madness and betrays Apocalypse, forcing him back into hibernation.The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix #1–4
In 1897, Count Dracula attacks Clan Akkaba in revenge for his defeat at Apocalypse's hands, forcing Clan Akkaba to revive their master from suspended animation. Apocalypse defeats the vampire again, this time with help from Abraham Van Helsing.X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula #1–4 Eventually, Apocalypse enters hibernation again, expecting to remain so for possibly two centuries, by which point mutants should be more common on Earth.
Modern era After many years of suspended animation, Apocalypse awakens nearly a century earlier than planned due to the arrival of the time-traveling mutant Cable.Cable #1 (1993) Apocalypse decides that Earth is ready for further examination and testing. He grants superhuman powers to the terrorist Moses Magnum,Classic X-Men #25 who then tests the X-Men and the Avengers. Apocalypse later briefly employs the Alliance of Evil to capture the mutant Michael Nowlan, who can boost the power of other mutants. This plan brings Apocalypse into direct conflict with the first incarnation of X-Factor, when the team consisted of the original X-Men.X-Factor #5–6
Apocalypse then recruits mutants to serve as his personal guard, known as the Four Horsemen. Among them is Warren Worthington III (Angel), whom Apocalypse has corrupted and turned into a cyborg called Death.X-Men (vol. 2) #13 Warren regains his identity and helps his friends defeat Apocalypse, adopting the new codename Archangel. Apocalypse escapes with his new recruit, Caliban, while X-Factor then takes his Celestial spaceship as a base.X-Men (vol. 2) #25