Apocalypse in other media


Originally an archenemy of the X-Men in Marvel comic books, the supervillain Apocalypse has appeared in various forms of media, including animated television series, live-action films and video games, while merchandise of the character include toys, and trading cards.

Film

Canadian actor Brendan Pedder portrays a young En Sabah Nur in the post-credits scene of the 2014 film '.
Oscar Isaac portrays En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse in '. Isaac revealed that both practical and digital effects would be used for Apocalypse's costume, with the actor having to go through extensive makeup and prosthetics applications, in addition to wearing high-heeled boots and a 40-pound suit in order to appear taller and more imposing. In the film, Apocalypse demonstrates various abilities, such as telepathy, telekinesis, technopathy, teleportation, flight, cellular regeneration, matter and energy manipulation, mutant enhancement, protective shielding, enhanced adaptive skills, and superhuman physical attributes. The world's first and most powerful mutant, Apocalypse emerged in prehistoric times. He eventually developed some form of technology and a battle-suit he wore that allowed him to live forever by transferring his essence into the bodies of others, many of whom were other mutants so he could amass their powers, becoming truly all-powerful, and came to be worshiped throughout history as various gods; historical records make reference to his 'Four Horsemen', and how destruction would always follow in his wake. When he was being transferred into the body of a mutant with a healing factor, some of his followers betrayed him, causing him to be trapped underground by collapsing his pyramid. There, Apocalypse remained in stasis for millennia until he was accidentally awakened in the 1980s. Apocalypse subsequently recruits Storm, Psylocke, Angel and Magneto as his Four Horsemen, claiming that he intends to build a world where only the 'strong' survive.
When the telepathic professor Charles Xavier psychically contacts Magneto, Apocalypse is able to detect his presence, and quickly turn the connection back on Xavier, using him to make the world's governments immediately disarm the Earth of all nuclear missiles, some by disabling their launch vehicles and the rest by launching the missiles themselves into space, effectively preventing the humans from rebelling against him. After kidnapping Xavier, Apocalypse attempts to transfer his consciousness into the professor's mind and body to further advance his telepathy and take control of every mind on the planet, but he is opposed by a new group of X-Men - Raven Darkhölme, Hank McCoy, Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Kurt Wagner, and Magneto's son Peter. While the other X-Men fight the Four Horsemen, Nightcrawler teleports Xavier away from Apocalypse's transferral equipment before Apocalypse can transfer himself into Xavier, and gain the power to control virtually every mind on Earth. After this, Magneto is convinced to betray Apocalypse, as does Storm when she sees Apocalypse disregard Angel after his 'loyal follower' was defeated, as well as Apocalypse attacking Storm's hero Raven. During the final battle, the two former followers join the X-Men in fighting the villain as Xavier, having engaged him in a telepathic battle on the astral plane, encourages Jean to tap into her full potential, and by doing so, allowing her to finally disintegrate Apocalypse. Before he dies, he cryptically says, "all is revealed".

Television

''X-Men: The Animated Series''

Apocalypse appears in X-Men The Animated Series, voiced by John Colicos for Seasons 1, 2, 3 and 4, and by James Blendick for Season 5. Apocalypse's goal is to purge a "corrupt" and "weak" world of both humans and mutants and to remake life in his own image. This version depicts Apocalypse as an immortal and megalomaniac, able to grow to gigantic sizes and shapeshift his body into technological components, such as weapons, shields and rockets. He describes himself as "eternal" - a being superior to both humans and mutants.
In his first appearance, "The Cure", his subordinate Mystique presents a cure for mutations that is in fact a means to brainwash mutants into becoming The Four Horsemen. In "Come the Apocalypse", he announces his presence to the world and has his horsemen destroy a peace conference. He is defeated when his horseman of Death, Archangel, turns against him. In "Days of Future Past: Part 2", Mystique reveals that he is secretly behind her assassination attempt of Senator Kelly to further his agenda of sowing chaos and destruction.
In "Time Fugitives", the present day Apocalypse's actions in creating a deadly virus to foment a human-mutant war threatens Bishop's future in 2055, but is integral to the survival of the mutant race in 3999: a timeline in which Cable is a longtime enemy of Apocalypse. Both Cable and Bishop time travel to the present and aid the X-Men in a raid Apocalypse's base; Cable destroys Apocalypse's virus and secures the viral antibodies to preserve both timelines.
In "Obsession", Apocalypses manipulates Archangel, his former horseman who has since become hell-bent on destroying his former master, into an open confrontation. The X-Men discover Apocalypse's base aboard a sentient alien ship, that is helping Apocalypse against its will. With the aid of Beast, the ship sacrifices itself to send its master into deep space and temporarily save Earth.
In "Sanctuary" two-part storyline, Apocalypse had associated himself with Deathbird and rescued Fabian Cortez from the descending Asteroid M.
In the "Beyond Good and Evil" four-part storyline, Cable destroys Apocalypse's Lazarus Chamber, the source of his immortality. However, Apocalypse survives by stealing Cable's computer for its time travel capabilities and accidentally ends up in the Axis of Time. He recruits Mr. Sinister, Magneto and Mystique to kidnap the universe's most powerful psychics in a plot to achieve deityhood: inside the Axis, he would kill the psychics simultaneously, releasing a powerful wave of energy that would stop time itself and destroy all life, leaving him to recreate life in his image and rule the universe unchallenged. Magneto and Mystique, upon learning they were deceived by the false promise of Apocalypse creating a mutant-ruled alternate future, turn on Apocalypse and Mr. Sinister and help the X-Men stop him. Professor X rallies the freed psychics to combine their powers and drag Apocalypse out of the Axis and into the present where, without his Lazarus Chamber, Apocalypse ceases to exist.
In "The Fifth Horseman", Apocalypse is revealed to have survived the events seen in "Beyond Good and Evil" storyline, but is trapped in the Astral Plane, from where he's communicating with Fabian Cortez, whom he previously rescued from death during the events of "Sanctuary: Part Two". He charged Cortez with finding a powerful mutant for him to be reincarnated in. Cortez failed, and Apocalypse claimed Cortez himself for the vessel; Apocalypse lived once more.

''X-Men: Evolution''

voices Apocalypse in . He was first mentioned in the second season, before going on to become the main antagonist of the third and fourth seasons. Depicted as the world's first mutant, Apocalypse possesses various powers that make him nearly invincible, including telepathy, telekinesis, technopathy, immortality, invulnerability, flight, shapeshifting, size alteration, matter and energy manipulation, and enhanced strength and speed.
During the age when the pharaoh Rama-Tut used some form of technology to conquer Egypt, a mutant grey-skinned infant was abandoned in the desert, only to be found by the warrior Baal's tribe of bandits. Baal recognized the child's potential, and named him En Sabah Nur, Egyptian for "The First One". Under Baal's training, Nur grew up to be a powerful warrior who was unmatched in combat, described as having "unnatural" physical attributes. Word of Nur's power soon spread to the pharaoh, who saw Nur as a threat to his rule, and subsequently sent his army to kill the mutant. The bandits were massacred during the battle, and the trauma of seeing Baal murdered caused Nur's full powers to manifest, resulting in him killing all of the pharaoh's forces and taking the name "Apocalypse". Apocalypse then discovered a small, pyramid-shaped vessel left by the pharaoh, which contained a device called the Eye of Ages. Entering the Eye, Apocalypse was given even more power, becoming a god-like pharaoh with an white glow. Apocalypse soon begin planning to use the Eye to turn all of the humans on Earth into mutants, but fearful of his powers, his formerly-loyal high priests seized an opportunity to seal him within the machine, entombing him in the Himalayas and locking the tomb behind three doors. Centuries later in the present, Apocalypse was able to telepathically contact the hypnotist Mesmero, and recruited him to unlock the tomb doors with the three esoteric keys and revive him. When the X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants discover that Rogue, having been manipulated by Mesmero, has stolen all of their powers, they join forces in an attempt to stop Apocalypse's revival. However, Mesmero eventually succeeds in awakening Apocalypse by manipulating both Mystique and Rogue. Apocalypse subsequently merges with the futuristic technology in Rama-Tut's craft, becoming a blue cybernetic being, before once again attempting to use the Eye of Ages to turn every human on Earth into mutants. To this end, Apocalypse uncovers pyramids in Mexico, China, and Egypt designed to relay the Eye's mutating effects across the globe. Apocalypse later turns Magneto, Professor X, Storm, and Mystique into his Four Horsemen to defend the three pyramids and his base hidden under the Sphinx. The X-Men then gather their allies and engage in a final battle against Apocalypse and his Horsemen. In the end, Wolverine comes up with a plan that involves Rogue absorbing the powers of Leech. Once she has them, she uses them to shut off Apocalypse's mutant abilities and the Eye of Ages, trapping him in it long enough for Wolverine to damage the control system of the vessel, sending Apocalypse to a location from which he will never return to Earth.

''Wolverine and the X-Men''

Apocalypse makes two brief, non-speaking appearances Wolverine and the X-Men. In "Shades of Grey", he is revealed to be Mister Sinister's secret master. In "Foresight", Apocalypse appears in the future alongside Sinister and a now villainous Cyclops. Apocalypse was originally going to serve as the primary antagonist of the second season, but the series was cancelled.

Video games