Marvel fans now have their first look at Marvel Studios' interpretation of the classic X-Men villain Apocalypse. The X-Men's tenure in the MCU is largely an overwhelming success, with X-Men '97 Season 1 earning rave reviews and Deadpool & Wolverine becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history. X-Men '97 also set the stage for Apocalypse's return to the small screen, which is close to coming to fruition.
Marvel Studios shared the first look at the official design for Apocalypse in his full costume from X-Men '97 Season 2. Images from New York Comic-Con shared by DisInsider and Laughing Place showed a Marvel Legends figurine depicting Apocalypse from the second season of Marvel Studios' revival of X-Men: The Animated Series.
Shown in battle against X-Men '97's core group of heroes (including Rogue, Wolverine, Jean Grey, and more), Marvel Studios brings Apocalypse's comic-inspired look to life in his figurine. This collectible comes with multiple attachments for Apocalypse's arms, allowing him to embrace the terrifying nature he made famous in the comics.
The images largely show Apocalypse facing off against Cable, with Apocalypse wearing his iconic purple armored suit from the comics. This comes complete with a large "A" on his belt and a purple helmet on his head.
As part of a Hasbro Pulse Exclusive release, Hasbro showed off the multiple attachments that come with this figurine, including a massive sword, drill, and set of hands with nothing in them.
This figurine is larger than most Marvel Legends figurines at exactly one foot tall, dwarfing the merchandise for other characters that usually come in at about 6" or 7" tall.
X-Men '97 Season 2 will be the second chapter of Marvel Studios' revival of X-Men: The Animated Series, which dominated on TV during the 1990s. The new season is confirmed to bring in heroes like Havok and Polaris, and the X-Men will start off split up into two different factions, stuck in different time periods. X-Men '97 Season 2 is expected to debut on Disney+ sometime in 2026.
What To Expect From Apocalypse in X-Men '97 Season 2
At the end of X-Men '97 Season 1, Magneto, Xavier, and other X-Men are transported to ancient Egypt before they run into En Sabah Nur (one of multiple villains lined up for Season 2). En Sabah Nur is Apocalypse's original name, and all fans see in Season 1 is him lying in the sand before the X-Men agree to join forces with him.
Recognized as the first mutant in history, Apocalypse's specific storyline in Season 2 is still being kept under wraps. However, with this new figurine's release, fans will see En Sabah Nur evolve into Apocalypse, complete with his costume and full set of powers.
Apocalypse appeared in almost a dozen episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series, showing his strength and smarts against the mutants across multiple time periods. Considering X-Men '97's innate ties to its predecessor, Marvel may look to connect Apocalypse's upcoming story to what fans have already seen from this ultra-powerful villain in past episodes.
With Marvel reportedly wanting to bring Apocalypse into the live-action MCU, the character seems set for a renaissance on the big and small screen, partly thanks to his role in X-Men '97 Season 2.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
