Rise of Apocalypse


The Rise of Apocalypse is a four-issue limited series published in 1996 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Terry Kavanagh, and drawn by Adam Pollina.

Plot summary

5,000 years ago, a baby is found in the Egyptian desert by a band of nomad raiders. The child is raised and named En Sabah Nur by the tribe's leader, Baal, who teaches the boy survival of the fittest. During the same time, Egypt is ruled by Pharaoh Rama-Tut who, in actuality, is the time traveller Kang the Conqueror. Kang arrived from the future to claim En Sabah Nur as his heir, because the boy will grow up to become the supervillain Apocalypse. Nur's tribe is destroyed by Rama-Tut's armies. Before Baal dies as well, he tells Nur that he is destined for greater things. Seeking revenge, En Sabah Nur travels to Rama-Tut's city where he hides as a slave and falls in love with Nephri, the sister of Rama-Tut's general Ozymandias. However, Nephri rejects Nur due to his disfigured appearance. Nur's mutant powers awaken, and he enslaves Ozymandias while Rama-Tut flees. Having renamed himself Apocalypse, Sur sets out to destroy the weak.

Collected editions

The series has been collected into a trade paperback:
  • ''The Rise of Apocalypse''

In other media

Apocalypse's origin, similar to the Rise of Apocalypse, appeared in the X-Men: Evolution episode, "Dark Horizon, Part II". This version was abandoned as a baby before he was found by Baal's tribe of bandits, named "En Sabah Nur", and grew up to become a powerful warrior. After the Pharaoh Rama-Tut learned of Nur's power and slaughtered the bandits, the latter's full powers manifested, leading to him killing Rama-Tut's forces, renaming himself "Apocalypse", and taking the pharaoh's pyramid-like vessel and a device within it called the Eye of Ages. Using it to empower himself further, he intended to use it turn all humans on Earth into mutants, but was sealed in the vessel by his high priests for fear of his power.