We do the bidding of the same Celestial Lords our ancestors have served for eons. We are from a long line of Cosmic Overseers. 
Apocalypse is one in a long line of beings selected by the Celestials. Charged with ensuring that evolution takes its natural course.
,_Gorsvil_(Earth-616),_and_Kelby_Tak_(Earth-616)_from_Uncanny_X-Force_Vol_1_15_001.jpg){kind=link}
Archangel, the heir of Apocalypse, kneeling in front of portraits of his predecessors
On Earth exists a line of evolutionary overseers or caretakers[1] empowered by the Celestials to ensure their work is done on a given. When a Celestial Host first visits a planet, they engineer the progressive evolution of the planet's species. Continuous change, growth, and improvement among the lifeforms is encouraged by the Celestials, to the point where, if a species fails to evolve at the expected rate, the Celestials may declare their "experiment" a failure and destroy entire species or civilizations.[2]
,_Death_Seed,_and_William_Rolfson_(Earth-616)_from_Uncanny_Avengers_Vol_1_7_001.jpg){kind=link}
Genocide being given a Death Seed by a Celestial Gardener
Celestial Hosts only arrive every few thousand years, however, and so the Celestials raise up a representative from the evolving species to ensure their race continues to proceed apace, in the name of evolution,[3] the Celestials-selected being ensuring the success of humanity's new mutations, ensuring they would flourish and become the dominant species.[4] In many realities, En Sabah Nur served as the Celestial caretaker for five thousand years, and so the line of succession is named for him, Apocalypse. He was allegedly the eighth individual to assume this mantle on Earth-616,[5] though the references made to him being the eighth Apocalypse remain unverified.[6]
According to Amahl Farouk, En Sabah Nur was selected because he was (allegedly) the first mutant on Earth.[4] Successors are bestowed with a Death Seed,[7][8] and they are honored by Clan Akkaba.[3][9]
Succession Line[]
_and_Eson_(First_Cosmos)_from_X-Men_Vol_2_186_002.jpg){kind=link}
En Sabah Nur meeting Eson
Earth-616[]
En Sabah Nur's role as a chosen representative of the Celestials was only recently unveiled. Previous stories told of how En Sabah Nur became Apocalypse after finding a Celestial ship and claiming its technology as his own, but the mutant was characterized more like a tomb robber than a chosen vessel of evolution.[10][11][12]
_and_Warren_Worthington_III_(Earth-616)_from_Uncanny_Avengers_Vol_1_8_001.jpg){kind=link}
Statues of En Sabah Nur and Archangel located at Akkaba Metropolis
New information eventually came to light explaining Apocalypse's motivations and behavior in terms of the Celestial mandate. An object known as the Death Seed, provided by a Celestial Gardener can evolve an individual being to become the chosen evolutionary caretaker of the space gods.[8] Once the caretaker has been chosen, they can then use a Death Seed to empower a successor. This successor will be powerful but of lesser might under the caretaker until the caretaker's death, at which point the Death Seed in the successor will fully activate, causing them to evolve into the next caretaker.[3]
Apocalypse[]
| Character | Name (Main) | Rank | Ascended/first appeared in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presumably Apocalypse | Seemingly Third | Uncanny Avengers #14 (Statue in shadow) |
Name unreadable, statue shadowed[13] | |
| Presumably Apocalypse | Seemingly Fourth | Uncanny Avengers #14 (Statue in shadow) |
Name unreadable, statue shadowed[13] | |
| Presumably Apocalypse | Seemingly Fifth | Uncanny Avengers #14 (Statue in shadow) |
Name unreadable, statue shadowed[13] | |
| Kelby Tak[7][14] | Presumably Apocalypse | Seemingly Sixth | Uncanny X-Force #15 (Painting) Uncanny Avengers #14 (Statue, full name) |
"Apocalypse to the Deviants/Eternals".[14] Also spelled Kaby Tak[13] |
| Gorsvil[14] | Presumably Apocalypse | Seemingly Seventh | Uncanny X-Force #15 (Painting) Uncanny Avengers #14 (Statue, full name) |
"Neanderthal Apocalypse"[14]. Also spelled with two "l".[7] |
| En Sabah Nur | Apocalypse | Eighth[5] (unverified)[6] | X-Factor #5 (First appearance) X-Force #37/Cable & Deadpool #27 (Ascension) |
Last incarnation killed as a child, cloned as Evan Sabahnur; Named "NSabahNur" in Uncanny Avengers #14. |
| Warren Worthington III | Archangel/Dark Angel[15] | Seemingly Ninth | Uncanny X-Force #10 Uncanny X-Force #15 (met the Dreaming Celestial) |
Former Death of the Horsemen of Apocalypse |
| Eimin & Uriel Worthington | Apocalypse Twins (Uriel & Eimin) |
Seemingly Tenth | Uncanny Avengers #5 (Born into role) Uncanny Avengers #7 (Reclaimed role as adults) |
Children of Archangel and Ichisumi (Pestilence); Prevented Genocide from claiming the role of Heir of Apocalypse, reclaiming the position for themselves |
| Evan Sabahnur | Apocalypse | Seemingly Eleventh | Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #4 | Clone of En Sabah Nur; Ascended due to a reverse spell |
| Doug Ramsey | Revelation | Seemingly Twelfth | X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #4 | Winner of a tournament hosted by En Sabah Nur to find an heir |
Evicted Heirs[]
| Character | Name (Main) | Supposed rank | Evicted/killed in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Rolfson | Genocide | Seemingly Tenth | Uncanny Avengers #7 | Son of En Sabah Nur and Autumn Rolfson (Famine); Evicted by the Apocalypse Twins |
Earth-295 (Age of Apocalypse)[]
Apocalypse[]
| Character | Name (Main) | Rank | Ascended/first appeared in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| En Sabah Nur | Apocalypse | Possibly Eighth, if mirrored from Earth-616 | X-Men: Alpha #1 | |
| James Howlett / Logan | Weapon Omega | Possibly Ninth, if mirrored from Earth-616 | Age of Apocalypse #5 | Killed En Sabah Nur's clone supposed to ascend, and ascended in his place |
| Jean Grey | Apocalypse | Possibly Tenth, if mirrored from Earth-616 | Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #61 | Former Phoenix Host |
Evicted Heirs[]
| Character | Name (Main) | Supposed rank | Evicted/killed in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| En Sabah Nur's clone | Presumably Apocalypse | Possibly Ninth, if mirrored from Earth-616 | Age of Apocalypse #5 | Clone of En Sabah Nur; Imbued with the Apocalypse Force;[16] Killed by Weapon X who ascended in his place |
- ↑ Uncanny Avengers #6
- ↑ Eternals #7
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Uncanny X-Force #15–16
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Uncanny X-Force #30
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Uncanny X-Force #20
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 X of Swords Handbook #1 ; Apocalypse's profile
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Uncanny X-Force #15
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Uncanny Avengers #7
- ↑ Uncanny Avengers #15
- ↑ X-Force #37
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men #295
- ↑ X-Men (Vol. 3) #12
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Uncanny Avengers #14
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Rick Remender's statement on Twitter
- ↑ Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 4) #6
- ↑ Age of Apocalypse #5