The X-Men's Apocalypse will do anything to bring back his First Horsemen - could they actually be his children? The Jonathan Hickman relaunch has seen the entire mutant race gather on the living island of Krakoa. In theory, everyone has set aside their own agendas, with each mutant living for the good of their race. In reality, lots of mutants are still doing their own thing, and some are even turning on one another.
Apocalypse has made the most of the new mutant status quo, insisting he has only ever worked for what he saw as the good of his people, and reinventing himself as the first priest of Krakoa. But Tini Howard's Excalibur series has made it clear he hasn't set aside his former Machiavellian ways, but is instead using Krakoan resources for his own purposes. The scale of Apocalypse's plan is breathtaking; it has literally involved conquering the mystical dimension of Otherworld in the name of the X-Men. It's become clear the upcoming "X of Swords" event is the consequence of Apocalypse's actions.
As convoluted as Apocalypse's schemes may be, his goal appears to be a simple one; to restore the long lost First Horsemen of Apocalypse. He views the age of Krakoa as the perfect time to correct a mistake he made millennia ago, when he consigned people he cared about to an eternal war. But why does Apocalypse care so much about these First Horsemen?
Jonathan Hickman has been systematically rewriting Apocalypse's backstory since long before he took over the X-Men franchise. In fact, his SHIELD series revealed Apocalypse allied with the Egyptian Pharaoh Imhotep and an early Moon Knight all the way back in 2620 BC, where they fought against an alien invasion from the monstrous Brood. Powers of X #2 revealed this wasn't the last time Apocalypse proved himself to be a hero, with Doug Ramsey learning of an ancient battle on the land called Okkara. This place was split apart by a mystical blade called the Twilight Sword, torn apart into the twin living islands of Krakoa and Arakko. Apocalypse and his First Horsemen stood against a horde of demons who emerged from the tear in reality, and Apocalypse successfully plugged the gap, casting Arakko into another dimension of some kind. His First Horsemen were lost to him, stranded in this mysterious realm.
The same issue hinted Apocalypse is far more dedicated to these First Horsemen than to any of their successors. It included a so-called "Sinister Secret," bar-room gossip from Mr. Sinister:
"For years, this fittest-of-all mutant has routinely surrounded himself with a particular-numbered entourage. These hangers-on stick around for a while until they are eventually replaced with newer, more exciting members. What most people don't know is that if the original members returned, these pretenders would be dropped so fast their heads would spin."
The comment proved prophetic, because in Excalibur #9 Apocalypse revealed everything he is doing is about correcting an ancient wrong - the one that cost him his First Horsemen. "Krakoa is only half of a whole," he explained. "Forever longing. And I made it that way. It was brutal and bloody. I did it because I was the only one who could. Only I could have sent my four finest warriors into reddest hell, and -- worse than asking them to die for me -- I asked that they live, fighting eternally." Apocalypse regrets what he did, and he's desperately attempting to undo it.
But why is Apocalypse so concerned about his First Horsemen? The ancient mutant generally views others as little more than a means to an end, discarding them as pawns when he has no more use for them. But the First Horsemen are clearly different. Although Apocalypse did indeed send them into eternal battle, he regrets that, and will go to any lengths to get them back. There's a level of emotional attachment here that is most curious.
An important clue may lie in the fact these First Horsemen appear to be immortal. As Excalibur #11 reminded readers, this is actually quite rare; only a minority of mutants are blessed with immortality. This sub-group of mutants are called "Externals," and these ancient beings share energy like a single living organism. If one dies, the others become stronger, but any death is only ever temporary. It's reasonable to assume these First Horsemen are Externals, like Apocalypse himself. But that seems particularly unlikely. Externals are rare, with only a dozen born since the dawn of time. The odds of Apocalypse successfully finding, and recruiting, four Externals to serve as his first warriors are infinitesimal.
Unless, of course, there is another connection between Apocalypse and his First Horsemen. Mutant powers are genetic in nature, passed on from one generation to the next. Apocalypse is one of the oldest mutants, and all his descendants are known to possess tremendous power. It's likely this would have been greatest in the first generation, before the X-gene essentially became diluted over the course of the millennia. The first children of Apocalypse could potentially have been Externals as well. If this theory is correct, then there is a simple reason Apocalypse so desperately wants his First Horsemen back; he is a father missing his children.
X-Men #2 offered supporting evidence for this theory, with Apocalypse encountering one of the Summoners of Arakko. He treated the Summoner with an unusual degree of fondness and affection, recognizing she was herself descended from one of his First Horsemen - specifically War. "I mean to save all of my children," Apocalypse swore to the Summoner. Readers assumed he was speaking metaphorically, viewing the mutants of both Krakoa and Arakko as his spiritual children. But it's entirely possible Apocalypse was actually being literal in this; that he desired to get his family back, and that this desire will be the cause of the X-Men's "X of Swords" event.
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