This is genuinely the best news we’ve heard this month. With the next X-Men: Days of Future Past movie still heading our way on May 23 2014, Twentieth Century Fox not only gave a release date but a title as well for the following X-Men movie.
Here’s the tweet from Bryan Singer:
#Xmen #Apocalypse 2016!
— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) December 5, 2013
The news came a big surprise, and it is a surprise that we’ve been waiting for! The title of the next X-Men movie will be ‘X-Men: Apocalypse‘ and it will be released on May 27, 2016. Apocalypse is a personal favourite of ours and we’ve been yearning to see him on the big screen for ages!
The title is of course referring to the popular Age of Apocalypse storyline for the comics, though to be fair they may be borrowing elements of that storyline and not adapting the entire thing..
Apocalypse has an incredibly convoluted backstory, but in the simplest terms, he’s a mutant despot, born in ancient Egypt, with an idea of mutant supremacy in which only the strongest of mutants are worthy of a life. His schemes against the X-Men typically see him engaging in genetic experimentation or situations in which mutants are pitted against other mutants, for his own Darwinian results. In the “Age of Apocalypse” storyline, the X-Men experience an alternate future in which Apocalypse controls America as a ruthless mutant military state.
Apocalypse was ranked #3 at Marvel.com on their list of Top 10 X-Men villains. In 2009, Apocalypse was ranked as IGN‘s 24th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time. To give you an idea of how powerful Apocalypse is, here’s a shot description of all of his powers:
Apocalypse has total control over the molecules of his body, enabling him to alter his form as it suits him,such as allowing his body to become extremely malleable and flexible or change its size, enhance his physical abilities, transform his limbs into weapons or wings and jets, regenerate from fatal injuries, adapt his body to apparently any disease or hostile environment and give himself virtually any physical superhuman power.
He is also able to project and absorb energy, and has displayed telepathy and telekinesis. Apocalypse is as well capable of technopathy, able to directly interface with the various technologies he has at his disposal. Apocalypse is also immortal, and immune to aging, not needing sustenance of any kind and can survive fatal injuries. Whether this ability is a part of his mutant powers, or developed as a result of his merging with celestial technology is unclear.
Aside from his superhuman powers, Apocalypse is extraordinarily intelligent, a scientific genius with knowledge in various areas of science and technology including physics, engineering, genetics and biology, that is far more advanced than conventional science.Apocalypse has knowledge of Celestial technology that he uses for his own applications, such as altering mutants or humans. Apocalypse is also a skilled demagogue and a master strategist.
Apocalypse’s blood can heal other mutants, but is fatal for humans. Apocalypse’s blood can also restore his de-powered mutant descendants as is seen when a large dose of Apocalypse’s blood regenerates the lost body part of Chamber and gave him a look similar to Apocalypse
Impressed much? Considering the fact that X-Men: Days of Future Past deals very much with time travel, it seems likely that film’s plot will bleed into Apocalypse.
[Source]
