Marvel Studios is preparing for Apocalypse's return by dedicating a brand new special episode to him. As one of the world's first mutants, Apocalypse has often been dubbed the X-Men's greatest foe and has challenged the team across film, television, and comics. He'll next be seen as the main antagonist of X-Men '97 Season 2, Marvel Studios' animated spiritual successor to X-Men: The Animated Series.
Ahead of Apocalypse's TV return, Marvel Studios is preparing viewers for his arrival with a new episode of Marvel Studios' Legends, a docuseries that began on Disney+ and showcases individual characters using footage from past appearances. Marvel Studios' Legends was long thought dead, but has been revived sparingly for specific releases, now on YouTube rather than Disney+.
The new episode is available on YouTube and shows Apocalypse's Marvel history, particularly his encounters with the X-Men in X-Men: The Animated Series. The 4-minute episode covers Apocalypse's origins and evolution throughout the show, culminating in his arrival in X-Men '97 Season 1.
Notably, Apocalypse was adapted into live-action in 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse, where the blue mutant was portrayed by Oscar Isaac, but this Marvel Studios' Legends episode focuses solely on Apocalypse's appearances in animation.
Apocalypse's origins begin in Ancient Egypt, where he was born with the mutant gene as a man named El Sabah Nur. He was ostracised due to his grey skin and blue lips, but was eventually adopted and grew into a selfless young man. That is, until Kang the Conqueror, in disguise as Pharaoh Rama-Tut, attempts to have him killed, knowing the threat he'll become in the future.
This only angers Apocalypse further, who imbues his body with Celestial technology and enacts his plan to dominate the world. Eventually, of course, Apocalypse comes across Charles Xavier's X-Men, who have been fighting to end his schemes ever since.
Apocalypse's might is on full display throughout the mini episode. His mutant gene grants him immortality, allowing him to live through the generations, and his Celestial tech grants him a host of abilities like telekinesis, teleportation, and telepathy, not to mention his inherent intelligence and scientific knowledge.
Marvel Studios' Legends shows how Apocalypse's design has changed throughout his animated appearances, but the core design principles remain the same. The character is always envisioned in a large blue/purple suit of armor, with a grey face and blue lips, similar to the comics.
Fans will be able to see Apocalypse in X-Men '97 Season 2 on Disney+ on July 1. The 10-episode new season stars the voice talents of Ray Chase, Jennifer Hale, Cal Dodd, Alison Sealy-Smith, and Ross Marquand as the voice of Apocalypse.
You can watch the new Marvel Studios Legends episode below:
X-Men '97 Prepares For the Apocalypse
The dedication of a Marvel Studios' Legends episode to Apocalypse is only further proof of how large a role the villain is going to play in the sophomore season of X-Men '97.
The villain was teed up to appear in the finale of Season 1, after the X-Men found themselves flung across time, with some stranded in the Ancient past, and others trapped in the far future. In both timelines, Apocalypse serves as the connective tissue, providing audiences with a window into the mutants' origins and into him at the height of his power in the future. Not only that, but Apocalypse will also be mounting his own hunt for the X-Men, led by his Four Horsemen.
As the Marvel Studios' Legends episode reiterates, Apocalypse is "the X-Men's most diabolical foe," and his inclusion in Season 2 of X-Men '97 only further cements it as a true successor to the 1990s animated series. Picking the X-Men's most monumental foe for Season 2 also shows just how quickly X-Men '97 is increasing in scale and stakes.
