Apocalypse
I am the rocks of the eternal shore. Crash against me and be broken.
Abilities
- •Total molecular control — can reshape his body into any form, size, or weapon
- •Celestial technology bonded to his body — augments his mutant powers to cosmic levels
- •Virtually immortal — has existed for over 5,000 years since ancient Egypt
- •Superhuman strength — can increase his mass and power to incalculable levels
- •Energy projection — devastating blasts capable of leveling cities
- •Teleportation — can transport himself and others across vast distances
- •Creates and empowers the Four Horsemen — transforming mutants into his agents of destruction
- •Genius-level intellect refined over millennia of study and conquest
- •Celestial Ship — an alien vessel that serves as his mobile fortress and laboratory
Powers & Abilities
Biography
En Sabah Nur was born nearly 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt — the first known mutant in human history. Abandoned as an infant because of his grey skin and blue lips, he was found by Baal, leader of the Sandstormers, a nomadic tribe who worshipped the principle of survival of the fittest. Baal named him En Sabah Nur — “The First One” — and raised him as a warrior, teaching him that only the strong deserve to live.
When Baal was killed, En Sabah Nur discovered a hidden chamber beneath the Egyptian pyramids containing technology left behind by the Celestials — cosmic beings who had experimented on early humans millions of years ago. The alien technology bonded with his mutant physiology, granting him the ability to reshape his body at the molecular level, project devastating energy, and achieve virtual immortality. He took the name Apocalypse and declared himself the ultimate expression of evolution — a god of natural selection.
For millennia, Apocalypse tested civilizations and individuals, culling the weak and empowering the strong. His Four Horsemen — Death, War, Famine, and Pestilence — became his instruments of judgment, each one a mutant transformed and corrupted by Celestial technology. His most famous Horseman was Warren Worthington III, the Angel, whom Apocalypse transformed into Archangel after his wings were destroyed. The Death persona would haunt Warren for decades.
The Age of Apocalypse — a 1995 crossover where Professor X was killed before founding the X-Men — showed a world where Apocalypse conquered North America, creating a genocidal dystopia. It remains one of the most acclaimed X-Men events ever. In the modern Krakoa era, Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard gave Apocalypse an extraordinary redemption arc, revealing that his millennia of “survival of the fittest” was driven by the loss of his wife Genesis and their children in Otherworld. The X of Swords crossover reunited them, and Apocalypse chose love over conquest — staying behind in Otherworld with his family after 5,000 years of war.
First Appearances
X-Factor #5
1986First cameo of Apocalypse — a shadowy figure appears on the final page, watching from the shadows. The most powerful mutant who ever lived makes his presence known.
Find on eBay →
X-Factor #6
1986First full appearance of Apocalypse — En Sabah Nur reveals himself to the world. He begins recruiting his Four Horsemen, declaring that only the strong deserve to survive. A major Bronze/Copper Age key.
Find on eBay →
X-Factor #15
1987Apocalypse assembles the Four Horsemen — Famine, Pestilence, War, and Death ride. The Horsemen concept becomes one of the most iconic villain tropes in X-Men history.
Find on eBay →
X-Factor #19
1987Apocalypse vs. X-Factor — the first major battle. Apocalypse tests X-Factor to see if they are worthy of survival. His philosophy of "survival of the fittest" is fully established.
Find on eBay →
The Fall of Archangel — Death Horseman
X-Factor #10
1986Angel's wings are destroyed — during the Mutant Massacre, the Marauders critically injure Warren Worthington III. His wings are amputated, setting up his transformation by Apocalypse.
Find on eBay →
X-Factor #24
1988First appearance of Archangel — Apocalypse transforms the broken Angel into Death, the fourth Horseman. Warren Worthington is reborn with razor-sharp metal wings and blue skin. A landmark transformation.
Find on eBay →
X-Factor #25
1988Archangel unleashed — Death battles his former teammates. Warren struggles against Apocalypse's programming while his friends try to reach the man inside the Horseman.
Find on eBay →
X-Factor #34
1988Archangel breaks free — Warren overcomes Apocalypse's conditioning and turns against his master. But the physical and psychological scars remain forever.
Find on eBay →
Uncanny X-Force #1
2010Archangel resurfaces — Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force discovers Apocalypse has been reborn as a child. Wolverine's black ops team must decide: kill a child to prevent Armageddon?
Find on eBay →
Origin — En Sabah Nur
Rise of Apocalypse #1
1996The origin of En Sabah Nur — born 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt, abandoned as an infant in the desert due to his grey skin. Found by Baal of the Sandstormers, who raises him as a warrior.
Find on eBay →
Rise of Apocalypse #4
1997En Sabah Nur discovers Celestial technology — bonding with the alien ship hidden beneath the pyramids. The technology transforms him into the immortal Apocalypse.
Find on eBay →
X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula #1
2006Apocalypse in the 15th century — reveals his centuries-long conflict with Dracula and Clan Akkaba, his bloodline of followers who have served him throughout history.
Find on eBay →
S.W.O.R.D. #4 (Cable backup)
2009Apocalypse across the ages — stories revealing his influence on civilizations throughout human history, from ancient Rome to the Ottoman Empire.
Find on eBay →
The Twelve
Uncanny X-Men #376
2000The Twelve revealed — Apocalypse seeks twelve specific mutants whose combined power will make him a god. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Magneto, Polaris, Storm, Sunfire, Iceman, and others are hunted.
Find on eBay →
X-Men vol. 2 #97
2000Apocalypse captures the Twelve — he uses their mutant energies to fuel his ascension. Cyclops sacrifices himself, merging with Apocalypse to prevent the ritual from completing.
Find on eBay →
X-Men: Search for Cyclops #1
2000The X-Men hunt for Cyclops — after merging with Apocalypse, Scott Summers is lost inside the villain's consciousness. Jean Grey and Cable race to save him before Apocalypse fully absorbs his body.
Find on eBay →
Cable #75
2000Cable vs. Apocalypse — the final battle. Cable was created specifically to destroy Apocalypse, and the Askani prophecy comes full circle.
Find on eBay →
Age of Apocalypse
X-Men: Alpha #1
1995Age of Apocalypse begins — Legion travels back in time and accidentally kills Professor X, creating an alternate timeline where Apocalypse conquered North America. Every X-Men title is replaced for four months.
Find on eBay →
Amazing X-Men #1
1995Magneto leads the X-Men in the Age of Apocalypse — without Xavier, Magneto founded the X-Men to fight Apocalypse's totalitarian regime. Rogue and Magneto are married.
Find on eBay →
Astonishing X-Men #1 (AoA)
1995The AoA Astonishing team — featuring Sabretooth as a hero, Blink as the breakout star, and Rogue leading the charge against Apocalypse's forces.
Find on eBay →
X-Man #1
1995First appearance of X-Man (Nate Grey) — the Age of Apocalypse version of Cable. Created by Sinister from Cyclops and Jean Grey's DNA. Extremely powerful and unstable.
Find on eBay →
X-Men: Omega #1
1995Age of Apocalypse concludes — the heroes defeat Apocalypse and Bishop restores the original timeline. But some AoA characters survive and cross over into the main universe.
Find on eBay →
Age of Apocalypse #1 (2012)
2012Return to the Age of Apocalypse — the alternate timeline survived and evolved. New stories explore what happened after the original event ended.
Find on eBay →
Apocalypse & Cable
New Mutants #87
1990First appearance of Cable — Nathan Summers, the mutant warrior from the future created to destroy Apocalypse. His entire existence is defined by the war against En Sabah Nur.
Find on eBay →
X-Factor #68
1991Apocalypse infects baby Nathan with the techno-organic virus — Cable's defining affliction. Cyclops must send his infant son 2,000 years into the future to save his life.
Find on eBay →
Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix #1-4
1994Cyclops and Jean Grey raise Cable in the future — they are sent forward in time to protect Nathan from Apocalypse, who rules the future as a tyrant.
Find on eBay →
Cable #19
1994Cable and Apocalypse — their war spans millennia. Cable returns from the future specifically to prevent Apocalypse's rise to power in the present day.
Find on eBay →
Uncanny Avengers #6
2013Apocalypse Twins — Kang raises the twin children of Archangel, who were born with Apocalypse's power. They plan to destroy Earth and transport all mutants to a new world.
Find on eBay →
Uncanny X-Force — Remender's Apocalypse Saga
Uncanny X-Force #1
2010Wolverine's black ops team — Wolverine, Archangel, Psylocke, Fantomex, and Deadpool form a secret kill squad. Their first target: a child clone of Apocalypse. Rick Remender's masterpiece begins.
Find on eBay →
Uncanny X-Force #4
2011Fantomex kills the child Apocalypse — one of the most controversial moments in X-Men history. A child is executed to prevent the future. The team is forever changed by what they've done.
Find on eBay →
Uncanny X-Force #11
2011The Dark Angel Saga begins — Archangel's Apocalypse programming reactivates. Warren Worthington is losing his battle against the Death persona, threatening to become the new Apocalypse.
Find on eBay →
Uncanny X-Force #18
2012The Dark Angel Saga concludes — Archangel becomes the Heir of Apocalypse and must be stopped. Psylocke is forced to kill the man she loves. Remender delivers one of the most emotional X-Men stories ever told.
Find on eBay →
Uncanny X-Force #35
2012Remender's finale — the consequences of killing the child Apocalypse come full circle. Evan Sabahnur (Genesis), a new clone raised to be good, must choose his own path. One of the greatest X-Men runs ever.
Find on eBay →
Krakoa Era — Apocalypse Redeemed
House of X #5
2019Apocalypse joins the Quiet Council — the ancient villain sits alongside Xavier and Magneto as a governing leader of Krakoa. En Sabah Nur is given amnesty and a seat at the table. Unthinkable.
Find on eBay →
Excalibur vol. 4 #1
2019Apocalypse joins Excalibur — En Sabah Nur becomes obsessed with Otherworld and the magic realm of Avalon. Tini Howard writes an Apocalypse who is seeking something he lost millennia ago.
Find on eBay →
X of Swords: Creation #1
2020X of Swords begins — Apocalypse's past is revealed. Thousands of years ago, he was separated from his original Four Horsemen (his wife and children) when Otherworld fell. The entire crossover is his attempt to reunite with his family.
Find on eBay →
X of Swords: Destruction #1
2020X of Swords concludes — Apocalypse is reunited with his wife Genesis and stays behind in Otherworld. He chooses love over power. After 5,000 years, En Sabah Nur finds peace. The most surprising character arc in X-Men history.
Find on eBay →
Major Apocalypse Storylines
X-Factor #65-68
1991Fall of the Mutants aftermath — Apocalypse's Ship crashes into New York. The battle for Ship leads to baby Nathan being infected with the techno-organic virus. A turning point for multiple characters.
Find on eBay →
X-Men vol. 2 #182-186
2006Blood of Apocalypse — Apocalypse returns with new Horsemen including Gambit as Death. He offers mutantkind a choice: join him or die. Post-House of M, only 198 mutants remain.
Find on eBay →
Extraordinary X-Men #8-12
2016Apocalypse Wars — multiple X-titles tie into an Apocalypse event. En Sabah Nur threatens the X-Men across different time periods simultaneously.
Find on eBay →
Uncanny X-Men #295
1992X-Cutioner's Song — Apocalypse is attacked by Stryfe, Cable's evil clone. The event ties together Apocalypse, Cable, Cyclops, and Jean Grey in one massive crossover.
Find on eBay →
Browse All Apocalypse Comics
Search thousands of Apocalypse listings on eBay
SEARCH APOCALYPSE COMICS →