Every Mutant Competing in X-Men’s Heir of Apocalypse, Explained

2019’s House of X/Powers of X marked a new beginning for Marvel’s X-Men, as Marvel’s mutants entered what is now referred to as the Krakoan Age. This era has been associated with introducing dynamic changes to the world of the mutants with several fresh, new initiatives. Professor Charles Xavier led mutants to a segregated society where they believed they were safe from persecution, and resurrection protocols were introduced to bring back those who had fallen. However, perhaps the most pertinent change to the X-Men’s world was the unification of the mutants, which led to former villains such as Mister Sinister and Apocalypse being welcomed into the new society.

A direct result of the mutants’ coming together was the ascension of former rivals into different roles within the new society. The former terrorist Magneto was now heralded as a venerable protector of mutants. The obsessively scheming Mister Sinister and the shape-shifting former leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Mystique, were both given seats in government. Perhaps most surprisingly, one of the X-Men’s greatest adversaries, Apocalypse, ascended to the role of mentorship, taking on essential responsibilities vital for the future of all mutants.

With the “Fall of X” officially ending the Krakoan Age, there have been many questions and speculations about what is coming next for the mutants. Marvel has addressed some of the mystery with the reveal of X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse, a four-issue miniseries that features the villain turned mentor searching for a successor in the only way he knows – through competition. All the mutants participating in the tournament are incredibly powerful and have an equal chance of winning if they dare.

12 Armageddon Girl

The mutant Lin Li was originally introduced as the quiet and unassuming Nature Girl, eventually joining Jubilee’s Generation X team. However, the Krakoan Age has seen her develop into one of the most powerful enemies the X-Men have ever had to face. While many former villains embraced the new concept of mutant unity, the X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic has detailed her disgust with the treatment of the planet by humans and has seen her devolve into a powerful force capable of taking on the likes of Namor, Black Panther, and even fellow mutants such as Jean Grey and Synch.

Upon leaving Krakoa as an exile and forming the environmental terrorist group X-Men Green, Nature Girl’s contact with the mutant Curse has led to her becoming a deadly threat to the world around her. She has absolute control over all things associated with nature, including animals and plant life, and has used her abilities to cause devastating natural disasters. As she embraced more and more of her darker nature, Lin Li took the name Armaggedon Girl and proved capable of defeating Jean Grey, suggesting that she may be an Omega-Level mutant. As such, Li is powerful enough to defeat nearly anyone she faces, giving her an excellent chance to emerge victorious in Apocalypse’s tournament.

11 Cable

As the son of Cyclops, who was sent to the future and returned as an old, grizzled soldier, Cable has one of the X-Men’s most unique origin stories. He is also one of their toughest and most militant members, having formed the original X-Force team. He is one of the most interesting participants in the competition, having been a bitter enemy of Apocalypse for years. Nonetheless, he is a proven leader with a limited knowledge of the future, making him a good contender for the contest.

Although Cable is the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor (a clone of Jean Grey), his mutant powers are mostly derived from his maternal side, giving him telepathy and telekinesis. Additionally, Cable has a techno-organic arm and eye, granting him enhanced strength and the ability to see into the infrared spectrum. He has been trained as a soldier and warrior since being sent to the future as a child, making him an excellent tactician. He has a great chance of emerging victorious from the contest, considering he has previously defeated highly formidable foes such as Captain America and Iron Man and even fought Wolverine to a stalemate.

10 Cypher

Doug Ramsey, aka Cypher, has been essentially written off since his creation as one of the weakest heroes ever. When he joined his first team, the New Mutants, Doug was more often than not relegated to hiding whenever his teammates entered a combat situation, and his protection was often a huge priority. His usefulness extended once he developed a relationship with the alien Warlock, who would become a protective bodysuit for Doug. However, Cypher was still the first of the young mutants to be killed in action in the classic New Mutants #60 (by Louise Simonson and Brett Blevins).

Subsequent stories have seen Cypher resurrected and given much more of a purpose, with his ability to translate virtually any language proving indispensable during the Krakoan Age. During this time, Cypher was the only one capable of communicating with Krakoa, the sentient island the X-Men used to house their mutant nation, and he single-handedly created a new language for the mutants of the island. Cyper has also learned to read combat prowess as a language, giving him some degree of fighting aptitude. Still, even with his friend Warlock protecting him, the non-physical nature of Doug’s powers may end up detrimental to his success in Apocalypse’s competition.

9 Emma Frost

Originally introduced as an antagonist to the X-Men at the onset of the classic “Phoenix Saga,” Emma Frost later became a trusted ally and member of the mutant team of heroes. Emma has proven to be quite formidable, not only as a highly-skilled telepath but also as a resourceful teacher and mentor – as well as a cunning manipulator. Nevertheless, she has earned the trust of her teammates and has operated as a leader of the mutants besides the respected founding X-Man Cyclops, who once served as her love interest.

Emma’s Omega-Level skills as a telepath mark her as a serious threat in Apocalypse’s competition. Her power level has been equated to that of Professor Charles Xavier, but this will be tested when facing the other telepathic mutants involved in the contest. Additionally, she can transform her body into a nearly impervious diamond form that grants her super strength while negating her telepathic skills. This gives Emma a few options for approaching the competition, and her resourcefulness, in conjunction with her powers, is likely her surest path to victory.

8 Exodus

Exodus was a long-time adversary of the X-Men, only joining them as an ally upon establishing the mutant nation of Krakoa. He has proven himself to be one of the most powerful mutants in the world and one of the most physically impressive mutants in the competition. Exodus, an extremely long-lived mutant, was born in the 12th century and was taken and experimented on by Apocalypse, whom he later turned against. His vast powers and physical durability make him heavily favored to win the contest, particularly if it comes down to physical might.

Exodus has several impressive abilities that designate him as an Omega-Level mutant and set him apart from his peers. His most impressive powers include virtually unlimited (and unmatched) telekinesis, telepathy on par with Charles Xavier and Emma Frost, teleportation, and healing. Also working in his favor is his experience fighting against groups, as he has shown no fear of facing entire teams of heroes alone – and emerging victorious.

7 Forge

Like the previously mentioned Cypher, Forge does not possess any of the flashier offensive powers of the best-known members of the X-Men; however, he still manages to be one of their most valuable and underrated members due to his mutant ability of creation. It has been said that Forge can build anything he can imagine, and he has worked as a weapons contractor. His most famous creation is nullifer tech capable of negating the powers of mutants.

Forge’s abilities make him the most underrated underdog in the competition. Given the time to prepare, it is not beyond his ability to create tech to disable the skills of the other competitors. Additionally, he will most likely create armor that will protect himself from his opponents and protective headgear to block telepathic attacks. It is also conceivable that he will come prepared with offensive creations specialized for his opponents. Although Forge is underrated, he should never be counted out.

6 Gorgon

Gorgon is a skilled assassin who is welcomed to Krakoa alongside other former villains of the mutant society established by the X-Men. As the former High Priest of The Hand, Gorgon proved formidable enough to defeat Wolverine in hand-to-hand combat and served as the bodyguard of several high-ranking Quiet Council members, including Professor Charles Xavier and Apocalypse. Gorgon proved instrumental during “X of Swords,” although he was killed in the process.

Gorgon will be resurrected in time to compete in Heir of Apocalypse, and his skills make him one of the deadliest contenders on the roster. His primary mutant ability is to transform anyone he makes eye-to-eye contact with to stone, making it necessary for him to wear a blindfold or sunglasses virtually all times. Additionally, Gorgon has many other impressive abilities, such as limited telepathy, healing, super strength and durability, and he is also a master swordsman, particularly efficient with his twin blades, Godkiller and Grasscutter.

5 Mirage

Danielle “Dani” Moonstar was one of the original members of the New Mutants, the X-Men’s junior team, and served for years as a group leader alongside Cannonball. She has also spent time as a member of the Valkyrie and rides a winged horse named Brightwind. Mirage has proven herself a valuable and resourceful ally, having served on several hero teams, including the Defenders and even the X-Men at one point. She has also fought alongside many Asgardians, including the Mighty Thor.

Mirage’s mutant power allows her to create illusions drawn directly out of the minds of others. While this was initially restricted to only producing images of a target’s greatest fear, with time, she also learned to project a target’s greatest desire. Additionally, Mirage also has limited telepathic skills and the ability to create and shoot “neural arrows” capable of stunning opponents by disrupting their nervous system, forcing them to relive traumatic memories, or even killing. While she does not appear as physically formidable as some of her opponents, Mirage is extremely experienced and courageous and should not be underestimated.

4 Mister Sinister

The delightfully demented Mister Sinister is another longtime adversary of the X-Men who was accepted into Krakoa upon forming the mutant nation. Additionally, he has served a vital role to society through his obsessive cloning and mutant categorization, and it is these efforts that made Krakoan resurrection possible. Although the Krakoan Age brought unity for all mutants, Sinister became bored with this and manipulated events behind the scenes, earning him a forced exile once his schemes were uncovered.

Mister Sinister is easily the most cunning and ruthless participant in Apocalypse’s tournament. He has already proven willing to kill others in service of his own goals and has even resorted to murdering his own clones in the past. Additionally, he has mastered the art of creating chimeras, which are single-cloned individuals who possess the power of several other mutants in conjunction. Sinister has used this method to empower himself in the past, and it is within the scope of reason to assume that he can do so again, making him one of the most lethal participants in the competition.

3 Penance

Monet St. Croix has operated for years under the simple code name “M” and proved to be one of the most valuable members of the X-Factor Investigations team led by Jamie Madrox. She has also proven her mettle in the Uncanny Avengers, working beside stalwart heroes such as Captain America. Alongside her assortment of powers, Monet demonstrated an ability to transform into her vicious “Penance” form at will at the onset of the Krakoan Era, also becoming one of the first mutants to be resurrected.

In her human form, Monet possesses several powers that will serve her well in Apocalypse’s contest, including superhuman strength, speed, durability, regeneration, flight, telepathy, and telekinesis. While these abilities already mark her as a serious contender, Monet can also transform into her red-skinned Penance form, which grants her diamond-hard skin, telepathic resistance, and razor-sharp claws. In either form, Monet will pose a serious challenge to anyone who crosses swords with her in the tournament.

2 Rictor

If anyone in Apocalypse’s competition has an advantage, it may be Rictor, who had benefitted from the training of the X-Men’s first leader, Cyclops, and Cable when he formed the original paramilitary group known as X-Force. Also working in his favor is the fact that Apocalypse has mentored him since coming to Krakoa, and he was formerly left to maintain the responsibilities of his mentor when he journeyed to Arrako. This makes Rictor uniquely qualified to take on the duties of Apocalypse once again, granted he can get past the other competitors.

Rictor was already vastly powerful before being brought by Apocalypse to Krakoa, already possessing the ability to manipulate the earth and cause earthquakes. He has since vastly increased his abilities and can now manipulate other forces associated with the earth, such as volcanic lava. Under the tutelage of Apocalypse, Rictor has also gained a fundamental understanding of magic and mysticism, as well as an obsessive devotion to his mentor. Rictor is sure to want to win the tournament more than anyone and may be willing to resort to the most desperate measures to do so.

1 Wolverine (Laura Kinney)

Laura Kinney is the current wearer of the Wolverine mantle, and for good reason. As the clone and genetic daughter of the original, Kinney has proven capable of getting the job done, no matter which team she is part of. She has had several stints on different X-Men teams, both as Wolverine and X-23 and Logan has given her his approval. Like Logan, she was created to be a living weapon; as such, she can physically take on (and match) almost any opponent she faces.

Like her older counterpart, Laura possesses razor-sharp claws that she can extend from the back of her hands (although she only has two on each hand instead of three). She also has an additional claw that can extend from each foot, giving her even more versatility in battle. She also has the vaunted healing factor associated with her name and is resistant to psychic attacks. Although she is admittedly not as powerful as some of the other contestants in the tournament, it would be a big mistake to count out anyone bearing the name of Wolverine.