Recaps

The X-Men captured Magneto after Jean used the Phoenix Force to suppress his powers. Apocalypse arrived in World War II-era Northern Europe and prepared to introduce the X-Gene to the town’s people.

• Magneto used his enhanced magnetic powers to fend off Cyclops, Shadowcat, Jean, and Rogue as they tried to reach him.
• Rogue attempted to absorb Magneto’s power from a distance, but he blasted her, Shadowcat, and Jean away with his magnetic field.
• Jean used the Phoenix Force to break Magneto’s shield and suppress his Mutant ability, allowing Cyclops and Shadowcat to capture him.
• The X-Men regrouped with their teammates and escaped along their planned route with Magneto.
• Apocalypse arrived in World War II-era Northern Europe, scanned a city’s inhabitants, and found no trace of supernatural powers.
• Apocalypse took out a vial of improved X-Gene and prepared to use it on the town’s people.

Jack accepted the power of the God of Mutants and awakened as a powerful Mutant, while children and other oppressed people across occupied areas began evolving. Apocalypse watched as their belief in him started to form the concept of the God of Mutants.

• Jack worked in a frozen field under a German overseer until his worsening headache made him collapse.
• Jack saw the God of Mutants again and agreed to accept his power and fight for his new bloodline.
• The overseer whipped Jack, but Jack rose into the air and killed him with psychic force.
• Other children began experiencing painful awakenings, and Jack crushed nearby German soldiers with his power.
• People across the city’s factories, strongholds, and concentration camps began evolving and chose to accept the God of Mutants’ power for revenge.
• Apocalypse watched, satisfied that the recipients’ belief in him could help the concept of the God of Mutants coalesce.

After the Führer threatened Schmidt over superhuman resistance fighters disrupting German forces, Schmidt learned that HYDRA had found the Tesseract and headed for Norway. Apocalypse also ordered Jack and his New Mutant followers to seize the Tesseract and offer it to him.

• Schmidt returned to Hydra Base furious after the Führer blamed him for failing to stop superhuman resistance fighters and threatened to replace him or cut funding.
• A trusted aide told Schmidt that HYDRA had located the Tesseract, and Schmidt mobilized his forces for Norway.
• Apocalypse considered the dangers of revealing the Mutants too soon and saw the Tesseract as a way to travel between parallel universes.
• Apocalypse gave Jack an oracle to seize the Tesseract in Norway and bring it to him.
• Jack rallied his thousand New Mutant followers, who enthusiastically prepared to carry out the order.

The X-Men questioned Magneto about the world’s transformation, but he refused to explain and rejected their ideals. As they prepared to take him back to their universe, Xu Xiao arrived, killed everyone except Jean Grey, and took direct control of the situation.

• Scott questioned Magneto about what had happened to the world, while Magneto called the X-Men traitors to Mutantkind.
• Scott and Magneto clashed over whether Mutants could live in harmony with humans, and Jean said she could not probe Magneto’s mind without risking his escape or death.
• Shadowcat suggested taking Magneto to their universe for help from Jean and Professor X, and the X-Men agreed to return.
• Xu Xiao appeared and used chains woven from rules to restrain Jean and suppress the Phoenix Force within her.
• Xu Xiao turned Scott, Magneto, and the other X-Men to dust, leaving Jean alive as he took charge of the universe and prepared to draw the Marvel Universe’s attention.

Jack retrieved the Tesseract from the Nazis in Tønsberg and prepared to offer it to Apocalypse, but Thor arrived to reclaim it. Apocalypse sent the Tesseract through a portal to Asgard, and Jack and the other Mutants began fighting Thor as Apocalypse entered Asgard himself.

• Schmidt's troops recovered the Tesseract from a church in Tønsberg, but Jack and his followers stormed in and killed the Nazis, including Schmidt.
• Apocalypse appeared through a spatial rift and ordered Jack to offer him the Tesseract.
• Thor struck at Jack with lightning and demanded that he return Asgard's treasure.
• Apocalypse opened a portal to Asgard and told Jack to fight Thor; Jack sent the Tesseract through the portal and struck Thor.
• Jack and the other Mutants battled Thor and the Asgardians while Apocalypse stepped through the portal into Asgard.

Apocalypse invaded Asgard and devastated its defenders while Odin sent Loki to capture him. Loki tried to flee but Apocalypse seized him and began beating him.

• Odin ordered Loki to lead a team and capture Apocalypse.
• Apocalypse turned the advancing Asgardian guards and Valkyries to ash with his matter manipulation.
• Loki appeared and blocked Apocalypse's attack with magic, but his strength quickly drained.
• Loki tried to teleport away, but Apocalypse interrupted the escape and grabbed him.
• Apocalypse lifted Loki and began striking him with the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique.

Apocalypse fought Odin’s forces in Asgard, using Loki as a shield until Odin struck him with Gungnir. Apocalypse survived and seized the spear, then challenged Odin to decide whether the Tesseract was worth continuing the fight.

• Apocalypse used the injured Loki to fend off Asgardian warriors, and Odin’s enchanted armor joined the battle with Gungnir.
• Odin emerged through the armor and pierced Apocalypse’s chest with Gungnir, then rescued Loki and began lecturing him.
• Apocalypse stood up, healed, and pulled Gungnir from his chest, using Xu Xiao’s power to keep Odin from recalling it.
• Odin sensed that a powerful being stood behind Apocalypse and weighed the cost of fighting over the Tesseract.

Odin agreed to leave Apocalypse’s plans on Earth alone in exchange for Apocalypse keeping Asgard out of his affairs. Apocalypse returned to Earth, empowered Jack to Omega level, and found him and Thor poised to resume their deadly fight.

• Odin decided not to fight Apocalypse because he wanted to protect Thor and preserve Asgard’s strength.
• Apocalypse returned Gungnir, and he and Odin agreed not to interfere with each other’s interests.
• Apocalypse opened a portal to Earth after asking Odin to stop interfering with his actions in the mortal world.
• Jack and Thor continued their destructive fight in Norway, both nearly exhausted and unwilling to retreat.
• Apocalypse arrived, gave Jack a Seed of Desire, and raised his power to Omega level.
• Jack’s killing intent surged, and Thor raised his hammer to prepare for another fight.

After Thor left, Apocalypse gave Jack a mission to spread the X-Gene and turn people into Mutants, then used the Space Stone to travel to a parallel world. Meanwhile, Xu Xiao waited on Mount Everest for an opponent until a vast consciousness arrived and locked onto him.

• Apocalypse stopped Jack from pursuing Thor, and Thor left through the Bifrost after promising to return for another fight.
• Apocalypse gave Jack blue X-Gene serum and ordered him to spread it worldwide, especially among chosen children of destiny.
• Apocalypse absorbed the Space Stone and crossed into a parallel spacetime world.
• Jack gathered the scattered believers and prepared to use the X-Gene to create more Mutants.
• Xu Xiao waited on Mount Everest while analyzing the Phoenix Force, and a vast consciousness descended upon the Milky Way and targeted him.

Xu Xiao met Galactus and fought him in space after the two recognized each other as worthy opponents. As Galactus revealed his true form and unleashed his power, Xu Xiao summoned a near-identical figure and told it to fight next.

• Galactus arrived with Stardust, Firelord, Tyrant, and Silver Surfer after sensing Xu Xiao on Earth.
• Xu Xiao met Galactus aboard his spaceship, and they agreed to fight in space.
• Xu Xiao and Galactus exchanged punches, and their clash destroyed Galactus's spaceship.
• Galactus unleashed his full power and grew into an energy form as large as a medium-sized star.
• Xu Xiao produced a near-identical figure and told it to show Galactus its power.

Xu Xuanpin transformed into the Divine Venerable of Desire and let Galactus swallow him, triggering a new, greed-driven consciousness inside Galactus that began to seize control of his body. Xu Xiao watched from a distance and confirmed that Galactus’s predicament came from the divine body he had devoured.

• Xu Xuanpin revealed his true divine form and challenged Galactus, who sensed that the god could contend with him.
• Galactus unleashed his devouring power and pulled the Divine Venerable of Desire into his body while Xu Xiao watched.
• Galactus’s power shredded Xu Xuanpin’s divine body, but the absorbed essence caused Galactus’s devouring power to surge out of his control.
• A new consciousness awakened inside Galactus, consumed by greed and intent on devouring everything, and began fighting him for control.
• Galactus realized Xu Xiao’s divine body had caused the new consciousness, and Xu Xiao confirmed it.

Xu Xiao used the Dao of Desire to turn Galactus’s greed against him, causing new desire-born consciousnesses to fight for control of his body. After a year of watching the struggle, Xu Xiao saw the consciousness of greed nearing victory.

• Xu Xiao explained how desire could influence beings and described how his divine lord of desire had merged into Galactus rather than being consumed outright.
• Galactus’s amplified greed formed a new consciousness that fought his main will, while Xu Xiao watched and analyzed the contest.
• Galactus accused Xu Xiao of setting a trap, but Xu Xiao said he was using ordinary tactics and estimated that Galactus had less than a five percent chance of regaining control.
• Xu Xiao avoided trying to destroy Galactus because of his importance to the Marvel Universe, and spent the following year watching him while using the Seed of Desire to stir trouble across multiple worlds.
• Three consciousnesses—the embodiments of greed and killing intent and Galactus’s main will—fought inside Galactus, with greed holding most of the power and appearing likely to win.

Xu Xiao defeated Galactus by reclaiming the hidden power of the Dao of Desire and taking much of Galactus’s energy, then left the universe to pursue his plans in Marvel. On Earth in another Marvel universe, Apocalypse was cornered by the Illuminati, who prepared to attack him.

• Galactus’s two other consciousnesses blew themselves up, severely weakening his body and leaving the greedy consciousness in control.
• Greedy Galactus lunged at Xu Xiao, but fear stopped him, and Xu Xiao entered his maw to draw out his energy and consume his greed.
• Xu Xuanpin reappeared and absorbed Galactus’s greed, while Xu Xiao took and sealed away much of Galactus’s origin energy.
• Xu Xiao left Galactus as an unconscious energy aggregate and departed to investigate beings and a special dimension in Marvel, with Apocalypse’s ascension ritual in mind.
• The Illuminati tracked Apocalypse to a derivative Marvel universe on Earth, and Namor flew at him after Mister Fantastic confronted him.

Apocalypse attacked the Illuminati after rejecting Professor X’s claims that Mutants threatened universal order. He left Namor, Black Bolt, Mister Fantastic, and Tony Stark incapacitated, then fought Doctor Strange while Professor X fled.

• Namor charged Apocalypse and was knocked through the ground by a single blow.
• Professor X accused Apocalypse of endangering universal order, and Apocalypse dismissed the accusation and chose to fight.
• Apocalypse tore half of Black Bolt’s tongue out and punched him away, then froze part of Mister Fantastic and sent him flying.
• Apocalypse appeared beside Tony Stark and pierced him with a heat ray before Stark’s nanotech armor had fully covered him.
• Apocalypse attacked Doctor Strange as Strange tried to protect his teammates, while Professor X moved his wheelchair out of the fight.

Doctor Strange gathered heroes from multiple universes to stop Apocalypse, while Apocalypse recruited powerful Mutants and rallied them against humanity. The two sides assembled for a multiversal conflict, with thirteen powerful Mutants answering Apocalypse’s call as his apostles.

• Doctor Strange escaped Apocalypse through a portal and traveled across universes to recruit allies, warning them that Apocalypse planned to conquer the multiverse.
• The Avengers and other groups, including the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, agreed to oppose Apocalypse and gathered forces from multiple universes.
• Apocalypse traveled between worlds and sought out powerful Mutants who recognized him as the God of Mutants.
• Apocalypse urged Mutants to rebel against humanity, promising to awaken and strengthen their powers if they followed him.
• Thirteen powerful Mutants from dozens of universes answered Apocalypse’s summons and became his apostles.

While Apocalypse’s forces prepared for a multiversal war, Xu Xiao negotiated with the First Firmament on the Far Shore to establish Mutants as a lasting concept across the Marvel Multiverse. The First Firmament exposed Xu Xiao’s otherworldly origins and made additional demands, and Xu Xiao agreed to its proposal.

• Apocalypse returned to the X-Men: Apocalypse world and waited for the multiversal war to begin.
• Xu Xiao met the First Firmament on the Far Shore and offered to hunt Celestials in exchange for access to the Mutant dimension it controlled.
• The First Firmament recognized Xu Xiao as a visitor from another world and asked for more than his original offer.
• The First Firmament proposed that Xu Xiao help carry out its broader plans, and Xu Xiao considered how he might use their cooperation to his advantage.
• Xu Xiao agreed to the First Firmament’s demands, and the two supreme beings reached an agreement.

Superheroes from across the multiverse launched an assault on Apocalypse in Egypt, but his pyramid cannons destroyed their Iron Legion vanguard and made portal attacks impossible. As the heroes planned a direct advance, Apocalypse revealed that the entire Mutant world had been rallied against them, and nuclear bombs began falling.

• Thirteen apostles prepared Egypt’s pyramid cannons as Strange, Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, and the assembled superhero forces arrived to fight Apocalypse.
• Captain Marvel and Tony Stark argued that Apocalypse had to be stopped, and the Sorcerers Supreme opened portals to Egypt.
• Apocalypse fired a pyramid cannon through the portal, annihilating the Iron Legion vanguard and forcing Tony Stark and Strange to shut the passage.
• Tony Stark and Mister Fantastic abandoned the portal assault and planned to advance by sea, land, and air using Ravager ships.
• Apocalypse’s forces dropped nuclear bombs on the approaching heroes after he had united the world’s Mutants against the invaders.

The heroes who had entered the mutant world faced nuclear strikes and a global military counterattack. In Cairo, Captain Marvel charged ahead alone and was killed by Jack and Hugh after they weakened her powers and drained her life.

• The Sorcerer Supreme and other heroes survived a nuclear blast, while Captain Marvel flew toward the northern hemisphere in anger.
• Tony Stark and the Iron Legion headed for Egypt to support Captain Marvel as more missiles approached the remaining heroes.
• Captain Marvel shot down Egyptian fighter jets and broke through the blockade to attack a pyramid.
• Jack altered the source of Captain Marvel's power, and Hugh used life manipulation to drain her life essence.
• Hugh drained Captain Marvel dry and left her corpse in the Egyptian desert, making her the first superhero to die in the conflict.

After Jack killed Captain Marvel, Apocalypse prepared to become the God of Mutants by taking control of the Superpower Dimension. Xu Xiao sent Apocalypse’s consciousness into the dimension and remained outside to guard it while he tried to take control.

• Jack warned the apostles that Captain Marvel had only been an appetizer and that a stronger enemy might come.
• Apocalypse remained still as he connected to the special dimension that was the source of Mutant powers.
• Xu Xiao explained that the Superpower Dimension had formed from fragments of the First Firmament and was the source of Mutants’ ability to alter reality.
• Xu Xiao guided Apocalypse’s consciousness through a space of countless dimensions until they found the Superpower Dimension.
• Apocalypse vowed to take control of the dimension and become the true God of Mutants.
• Xu Xiao sent Apocalypse’s consciousness into the unclaimed dimension and stayed outside to guard it.

Thor and Tony Stark fought the Egyptian military and Jack’s Mutants, who had gathered to kill the arriving superheroes. Tony was killed by Thena, and Thor was left surrounded as the battle continued.

• Thor and Tony Stark counterattacked the Egyptian military, while Tony ordered the Iron Legion to lift its weapons restrictions.
• Thor destroyed a particle cannon blast with lightning, but Jack arrived with five apostles to confront the heroes.
• Li Daokui absorbed Thor’s lightning and began fighting him with a stronger bolt of his own.
• Thena used magnetic fields to crush the Iron Legion and disrupt Tony Stark’s nano armor.
• Thena punched through Tony’s armor and chest, killing him as he fell from the sky.
• Thor roared at Tony’s death, but a powerful blast sent him flying while several Mutants closed in.

Thor was overwhelmed by the Apostles as new arrivals joined the battle, and Apocalypse’s cannons destroyed the Ravagers’ ship before the fighting spread. Meanwhile, Xu Xiao faced the attention of dimension demon gods drawn to the Superpower Dimension.

• Thena struck Thor with a Destruction Fist after Jack weakened his defenses, while Li Wei took Thor’s axe blow; Thor was driven underground but remained alive.
• Jack stopped Li Wei from finishing Thor when a portal opened and a massive spaceship approached.
• Apocalypse’s particle cannons destroyed the Ravagers’ warship, killing Star-Lord, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the surviving Asgardian Valkyries, and the others aboard.
• Doctor Strange and the X-Men fought the Apostles as Scarlet Witch and the two Phoenixes opened a portal toward the pyramids.
• Xu Xiao killed dimension creatures while Dormammu, Mephisto, the Vishanti, Shuma-Gorath, and other dimension demon gods arrived, drawn by the Superpower Dimension.

Xu Xiao revealed that he was a Dominator from another world and used World Power to overpower Dormammu in the Sea of Dimensions. As he began cutting into Dormammu’s origin, the other dimensional demon gods reconsidered confronting him.

• The dimensional demon gods eyed Xu Xiao with hostility while he waited for Apocalypse to make progress in the Superpower Dimension.
• Xu Xiao chose Dormammu as a target and unleashed his hidden presence, revealing himself as a Dominator from another world.
• Dormammu challenged Xu Xiao and attacked him with dark power, but the assault failed to corrupt him.
• Xu Xiao used World Power and his Golden Pupil of Myriad Phenomena to pierce Dormammu’s dark power and analyze its essence.
• Dormammu realized Xu Xiao was cutting apart his origin, and the gathered dimensional demon gods grew wary.

Xu Xiao cut away and stored some of Dormammu’s dark essence, frightening the dimensional demon gods into fleeing. Meanwhile, the two Phoenixes and Scarlet Witch reached Apocalypse’s pyramid, where the Phoenixes killed his seven apostles and prepared to face him.

• Xu Xiao overpowered Dormammu with world power, took a sample of his dark essence, and let him escape into another universe.
• Xu Xiao invited the remaining dimensional demon gods to let him study their powers, and they all fled.
• The two Phoenixes and Scarlet Witch arrived at Apocalypse’s pyramid and were attacked by seven apostles.
• Scarlet Witch resisted an apostle’s freezing power, while the Phoenixes used the Phoenix Force to overwhelm the attackers.
• The Phoenixes killed all seven apostles and turned their attention to Apocalypse.

Xu Xiao intervened when the Phoenix’s main consciousness attacked Apocalypse, transporting himself, Phoenix, and Wanda away from Earth. Left to ascend, Apocalypse merged with the Superpower Dimension and claimed godhood over all Mutants.

• Wanda watched Phoenix and Apocalypse clash, then was shocked when Apocalypse seized both Phoenixes and killed Jean Grey.
• Phoenix’s main consciousness revived Jean Grey and burned Apocalypse’s wrists, forcing him to release the Phoenixes.
• Xu Xiao appeared to shield Apocalypse, then used World Power to transport himself, Phoenix, and Wanda into space.
• Apocalypse called on the Superpower Dimension and linked himself to the concept of Mutants across all worlds.
• Apocalypse declared himself the eternal God of Mutants, taking conceptual authority over their powers and ensuring no Mutant could surpass him.

Apocalypse became the multiversal concept of Mutants, turning the battle against Strange and the superheroes in the Marvel Universe against them. Xu Xiao returned to the Doomsday Base after learning from First Firmament about the Sea of Worlds and the demand that he join an invasion of the DC Multiverse.

• Apocalypse became bound to the Mutants as their representative, resurrected his apostles, and strengthened Jack and the other Omega-Level Mutants.
• Jack blocked escape through space while Strange, Thor, and the superheroes realized they had lost and prepared to fight to the death.
• Xu Xiao persuaded Phoenix and the being behind Wanda to avoid conflict with Mutants, then reflected on Apocalypse as his lasting representative in Marvel and his new control of World Power.
• Xu Xiao recalled that First Firmament had made him agree to join an invasion of the DC Multiverse in exchange for ownership of the Superpower Dimension.
• Xu Xiao considered First Firmament's account of world invasions, the different scales of worlds, and the higher-dimensional Sea of Worlds.
• Xu Xiao activated the World-Crossing Gate and returned to the Doomsday Base, unsure whether anything had changed.