Summary
- Apocalypse will seek a successor to his mutant cause in the miniseries Heir of Apocalypse.
- A mutant tournament to determine the new heir of En Sabah Nur will see 12 unique mutants facing multiple trials.
- Marvel teases post-Krakoan era revelations in X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse.
A new age of the X-Men is dawning, but before the mutants can begin their newest era, the iconic former villain Apocalypse must choose a successor to carry on his "sacred responsibility" on Earth in X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse. The 4-issue miniseries will see 12 brave mutants enter into a deadly tournament to become En Sabah Nur's new heir on Earth, as the formidable mutant remains on Arakko to steer his people in the right direction.
Apocalypse is known for his "survival of the fittest" mentality to mutant succession. Yet, much of his perspective has shifted throughout his Krakoan Era experiences, so the trials of "heart, body, mind, and soul" will surely be more complex than simple fights.
will see Armageddon Girl, Cable, Cypher, Emma Frost, Exodus, Forge, Gorgon, Mirage, Mr. Sinister, Penance, Rictor, and Laura Kinney competing for the historic role in Apocalypse's place.
For centuries, Apocalypse tested the mutants of Earth to guarantee that only the strong would survive. Now, as he takes his throne on Arakko, another must rise in his place and ensure the mutants of Earth do not grow weak in his absence! Twelve mutants chosen from the X-Men's greatest heroes—and villains—will compete for the honor, but only one can become... the HEIR OF APOCALYPSE!
Apocalypse Must Choose His Next Successor On Earth
Apocalypse has played a truly fascinating role within the X-Men since his reintroduction as a hero during the Krakoan Age, where Apocalypse's knowledge of magic, and his heroic sacrifice, helped the X-Men win in Saturnyne's deranged X of Swords competition. During the Genesis War on Arakko during the X-Men's Fall of X, En Sabah Nur returned using the name Revelation, helping Storm utilize powerful mutant magical circuits to fight against Genesis and stop her genocidal war on Arakko. Revelation's future has so far been unclear, but the synopsis for Heir of Apocalypse reveals the mutant will be staying on Arakko to "take his throne."
Apocalypse will now test a group of 12 incredibly powerful mutants to see who is the rightful heir of Revelation's work on Earth, although it is unclear what type of role this successor will have. The group of mutants includes Krakoa Era villains like Mister Sinister and Armageddon Girl, X-Men icons like Emma Frost and Mirage, as well as the fan-favorite Rictor, a former magical student of En Sabah Nur's. Throughout his time in exile in Amenth, Apocalypse came to realize that true strength is not just domination, but survival through adaptation, so the trials for these mutants will surely include fascinating tests of morality, brutality, and survival.
Heir Of Apocalypse Reveals A Lot About The Post-Krakoan Era
While Marvel's reveal of Heir of Apocalypse states that this miniseries happens before the X-Men officially enter their new era, it seems likely that Apocalypse's rule on Arakko, and his successor, will continue into the mutants' new "From The Ashes" era. Heir of Apocalypse reveals several major things: Arakko is still around and semi-safe, Storm no longer leads Arakko, the villainous Mister Sinister is still alive after Fall of X, and at least a handful of beloved X-Men heroes survive Orchis and Enigma. With little information revealed about the mutants' new era, this sparse information could be incredibly telling.
Marvel has also revealed that some of the contenders for succession will not survive the trials, meaning someone's fan-favorite character may not survive Apocalypse's tests. As En Sabah Nur - Revelation - returns to his rightful seat as ruler of Arakko, the mighty mutant will test a group of 12 X-Men, to see who is worthy to follow in Apocalypse's footsteps and help lead Earth's mutants to a better future.
X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #1 from Marvel Comics debuts June 5th, 2024.
Source: Marvel Entertainment
