Marvel Announces X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse

12 mutants will battle it out to determine who will be Apocalypse's successor in the new X-Men series.

By Cameron Bonomolo

Who will be the heir of Apocalypse? Named En Sabah Nur, The First One, the ancient evil was destined to become Apocalypse: a mutant supremacist who was instilled with the belief that the "strong will survive." Thousands of years later, Apocalypse sought to enslave or exterminate all but the strongest mutants and rule over a world with that ideology: the survival of the fittest. With his four Horsemen of Apocalypse — Famine, Pestilence, War, and Death — Apocalypse conquered civilizations through the centuries... and became an archenemy of the X-Men.

But then the Krakoan Age of the X-Men ushered in a new era for mutantkind, and Apocalypse joined the island nation in peace and sat on the Quiet Council of Krakoa alongside mutant leaders like Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto. But with the Krakoan Age at an end ahead of Marvel's X-Men relaunch this summer, Apocalypse will seek a successor in X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse.

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In the just-announced four-issue series from writer Steve Foxe (Dead X-Men) and artist Netho Diaz (Daredevil: Black Armor), Apocalypse will gather 12 mutants for an epic tournament of trials to discover who is fit enough to take his place: Armageddon Girl, Cable, Cypher, Emma Frost, Exodus, Forge, Gorgon, Mirage, Mr. Sinister, Penance, Rictor, and Wolverine's daughter, Laura Kinney.

The official synopsis: "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!"

"The shadow of Apocalypse has loomed large over not just the Krakoan Era, but a substantial percentage of mutant-focused storytelling since his debut in 1986," Foxe said. "These past few years have shown so many new facets of En Sabah Nur, and my Krakoan peers aren't done with him quite yet. So it's both an immense honor and a ton of pressure to step up to the slab for Heir of Apocalypse, which charts a new path for his legacy in the years to come."

"I've been lucky to bend the ear of past and future stewards of these characters to make sure these four issues are a meaningful entry in the Apocalypse canon—and I had every X-fan's dream task of selecting twelve mutants from across the history of the franchise who might just be up for the titular role," Foxe continued. "Some are characters I've already had the privilege to write, some are characters I've eyed enviously, and some won't survive the series... but only one will become the Heir of Apocalypse."

X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #1 is on sale June 5 from Marvel Comics, which will relaunch the X-Men with new ongoing X-Men titles in July 2024.

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