[SPOILER] Is Named Apocalypse's Official Successor, Changing X-Men Lore Forever

Summary Apocalypse has chosen Douglas Ramsey as his surprising heir in X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #4.

Revelation already has two powerful disciples awaiting his leadership.

Douglas Ramsey's transformation into Revelation signals potentially dark times ahead for the X-Men.

Warning: contains spoilers for X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #4For millennia, the powerful X-Men villain Apocalypse stood as a symbol of mutant power and might, until the Krakoan Age of mutantkind offered a different path forward for the epic En Sabah Nur. After the fall of Krakoa, Apocalypse finally realized that his philosophy was no longer working for the future of mutants, prompting him to begin a search for an heir. Finally, in X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #4, En Sabah Nur has chosen a surprising successor: the beloved X-Men hero, Douglas Ramsey.

Among the participants in Apocalypse's tournament were iconic mutants like Emma Frost, Mirage, Wolverine and Cable, who all "failed" En Sabah Nur's trials, prompting the ancient villain to select Cypher as his next successor.

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X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #4, from writer Steve Foxe with artists Netho Diaz and Sean Parsons, sees Apocalypse reveal Cypher's bold new look and title, as Revelation rises with En Sabah Nur's Celestial powers and fierce determination for mutant growth.

X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #4 Release Date: July 31st, 2024 Writers: Steve Foxe Artists: Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons, Alex Sinclair, Clayton Cowles Cover Artist: Adedotun Akande Variant Covers: Paco Medina The survivors of Apocalypse's deadly trials confront the final test as their past, present and future converge. When the dust settles, only one will remain to safeguard mutantkind’s destiny by any means possible. Only one will become… the HEIR OF APOCALYPSE.

Apocalypse Has Chosen Douglas Ramsey As His Heir

Cypher's Revelation already has two powerful disciples

Apocalypse choosing Cypher as his heir may come as a major surprise to many X-Men fans, who are used to seeing Douglas Ramsey as a mutant hero with little offensive power or desire to lead. Cypher's role in the Krakoan Era was incredibly important - acting as the voice of Krakoa for the Quiet Council - but he has never been seen as a fighter. However, after Apocalypse attacked the X-Men in an attempt to keep Krakoa on Earth - and not in the White Hot Room - En Sabah Nur finally realized that his violent ideology was no longer suitable for mutant evolution.

X-Men's Apocalypse Names the 2 Mutant Heroes He Actually Respects

In this way, Cypher is perhaps the perfect choice for a successor, since his skills, beliefs, and ideology are vastly different from Apocalypse. Revelation, after being "reborn" with an entirely new design reminiscent of Apocalypse's own, tells En Sabah Nur that he will not lead mutants with "force and might," a major shift from Apocalypse's rule. However, just like Apocalypse's Horsemen, Revelation already has two powerful disciples: Bei the Blood Moon and Warlock. Bei, Doug's powerful Arakki wife, and Warlock, Cypher's best friend and soulmate, are the perfect disciples for Revelation, who will stand by him and hopefully offer heroic perspectives.

The New Revelation Might Become The X-Men's Next Big Bad

Douglas Ramsey is unrecognizable as the fierce new villain

The final panel of X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse reveals that "Revelation will return!" Doug's fierce look in the final scene portrays the formerly peaceful and kind mutant hero as a villain, potentially the X-Men's next major Big Bad. Unrecognizable as the transformed Revelation, hopefully, Apocalypse's Celestial tampering has not altered Doug's natural heroism. Regardless, it is clear that Revelation is committed to evolving Apocalypse's legacy, taking En Sabah Nur's mission for mutant growth and evolution in a different, potentially villainous direction.

Now that the Krakoan utopia has fallen, dispersing mutantkind throughout Earth with no unifying vision for their future, the fractured mutants will be looking for a powerful leader. Apocalypse is retired, and Revelation is risen, but only time will tell if the X-Men can ever accept Douglas Ramsey's bold new lessons.

X-Men: Heir of Apocalypse #4 from Marvel Comics is available now in stores.