The X-Men have built up a truly impressive rogues’ gallery over their long history in comics, film, and animation, from Magneto to the Sentinels to the Hellfire Club. However, there are few enemies of Marvel’s mighty mutant heroes who are quite so intimidating as the immortal En Sabah Nur, better known as Apocalypse.
But as expected for a character who has been around for millennia in-universe, Apocalypse’s history can be quite convoluted at times. And like so many other comic characters, his backstory can be wildly different depending on the story or the adaptation. So to help untangle the mythos of this masterfully malevolent mutant, here’s a brief rundown of Apocalypse’s origin story, both in the movies and in the comics.
Apocalypse in the Movies
So far, Apocalypse’s only live action appearance is as the main antagonist of the aptly-named X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016. And while En Sabah Nur’s movie debut saw him played by the immensely talented Oscar Isaac, the portrayal of Apocalypse within the film proved unpopular with fans and critics alike. On paper, the film’s Apocalypse is faithful to the source material in the ways that count. He’s an immortal mutant who once reigned over ancient Egypt, and seeks to create a world where the strong rule over the weak. However, it’s in the finer details where the movie Apocalypse’s origins diverge from the comics.
While his exact beginnings are never explored, Apocalypse is explicitly stated within the film to be history’s first-ever mutant — the common ancestor of all mutantkind. And though he’s introduced as a pharaoh in ancient Egypt, he’s said to have lived for thousands of years before even that, ruling and destroying countless civilizations. However, Apocalypse is not actually immortal by nature. Rather, he has the ability to transfer his consciousness into the body of other mutants. By hijacking a new body every time his current form begins to age, Apocalypse has been able to survive for millennia. And every time he possesses a new mutant, he permanently gains their mutant gifts as his own.
As such, Apocalypse has amassed numerous superhuman abilities throughout history, from psychic powers to teleportation to matter transmutation. However, during one transference in 3600 BC Egypt, Apocalypse is betrayed by his subjects and sealed in his tomb, freeing the people from his tyranny. However, thanks to Apocalypse’s loyal Horsemen, his body is preserved for thousands of years until he’s eventually found and revived in 1983. Afterward, his plan to conquer 20th century Earth begins, leading to his battle with the X-Men.
Apocalypse in the Comics
While he was first created by writer Louise Simonson in 1986 for X-Factor #5, Apocalypse’s early life wasn’t detailed until the 1996 miniseries Rise of Apocalypse by Terry Kavanagh. Abandoned as an infant due to his gray and blue skin, Apocalypse was found and raised by a deadly band of raiders, who gave him the name “En Sabah Nur”. Growing up as a fierce warrior, he adopted the philosophy that only the strongest survive, while the weak are destined to perish. Eventually, En Sabah Nur took the name “Apocalypse” and became a conqueror, waging war against the pharaoh Rama-Tut — a name that die-hard Marvel fans may recognize as one of the many aliases of Kang the Conqueror.
Following his feud with Kang, Apocalypse discovered lost Celestial technology, which he used to create his signature battle armor. This armor grants Apocalypse the powers of energy projection and teleportation, bolstering his already-impressive mutant gifts. While he prefers to win fights with his immense strength, Apocalypse is also a powerful shapeshifter, able to take nearly any form he can imagine. However, his greatest gift of all is his immortality — an ability he possesses innately, no body-snatching required. Also unlike his film adaptation, the Apocalypse of the comics isn’t actually the first mutant. He’s certainly one of the oldest living mutants, with only the villainous Selene of the Hellfire Club predating him. However, more recent comics have revealed the existence of another first generation of mutants even more ancient than Apocalypse.
At some point during his ancient conquests, Apocalypse found his way to the living island of Okkara — the predecessor of Krakoa, which the X-Men have called home since 2019. As explored in the 2020 storyline X of Swords, written by Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard, Apocalypse was once a beloved hero and leader to an entire mutant civilization on Okkara. He even had a wife, Genesis, with whom he had four children: the original Horsemen of Apocalypse. However, once Okkara was torn asunder by invaders from the hellish dimension of Amenth, Apocalypse stayed behind on Earth while his family departed to hold back the Amenthi forces. Genesis left her husband with a single request: to act as the judge of mutantkind, guiding them until they became strong enough to defeat Amenth once and for all.
Not only does this added backstory add a great deal of nuance and tragedy to Apocalypse’s character, it also recontextualizes his obsession with power. He wants to create a world ruled by the strongest not out of megalomania, but because he sees no other way to save his family. Apocalypse’s origin story may not be the simplest one around, but if one takes the time to unravel it, there’s a surprisingly compelling story to be found. Even in his less flattering depictions, it’s not hard to see why the tale of Apocalypse has captivated so many X-Men fans over the decades.