He’s the greatest foe that any mutant has ever faced…and he’s the root of the mutant gene. He’s En Sabah Nur, “The First Mutant”, as they call him, but you might know him better as: Apocalypse! This week, we’re taking on the big bad Egyptian himself, Apocalypse, and wondering what sort of songs you might find on his apocalyptic playlist. So what songs do you think we’ll find? Let’s take a look!

It’s the End of the World As We Know It (and I feel fine), R.E.M., 1987

“That’s great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes.” Here’s a great way to get this playlist rocking, with R.E.M.’s classic hit, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I feel fine)”. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know this song. Odds are, Apocalypse would appreciate the lyrics, as they certainly depict an interesting take on the end of days. We all know that Apocalypse would feel fine if it was the end of the world.

Armageddon It, Def Leppard, 1987

“Yeah, but are you gettin’ it? Armageddon it!” Sounds like Apocalypse’s go-to response when dealing with people who don’t understand his mission. En Sabah Nur, as he is formally called, might not always come out on top, but his answer to most of his problems…is to just Armageddon it. Blow it up, destroy it, enslave, and reign supreme.

Don’t Fear the Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult, 1976

Apocalypse is a reaper of sorts. He is the first of his kind, a god-like mutant who wants nothing more than to kill and reign supreme. By instituting his Four Horsemen, Apocalypse will take whatever means necessary to make sure that no one stands in his path. “All our times have come…”

Apocalypse Dreams, Tame Impala

In the comics, Apocalypse endured a long hibernation while he awaited the right time to finally take over the world. During that sleep, perhaps he dreamt. This song might have been the perfect accompaniment.

Black Hole Sun, Soundgarden, 1994

In my eyes, indisposed, in disguises no one knows, hides the face, lies the snake, the sun in my disgrace.” If you really listen to the lyrics and think about what those words might mean to a mistaken Egyptian boy, then you might understand why we included this song on the playlist. Most people don’t realize that Apocalypse’s childhood was very confusing and traumatizing. He was the first mutant, so in many ways he was alone and had to suffer from the insecurities and hate from his peers by himself.

Radioactive, Imagine Dragons, 2012

“I’m waking up to ash and dust, I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust.” Whatever your take on Imagine Dragons is, this song still fits perfectly within Apocalypse’s playlist. When he awakens from his slumber, the world has changed, but he still needs to conduct his business. The world is his for the taking, so he needs to adjust quickly to the new world and begin his destruction.

The End is the Beginning is the End, Smashing Pumpkins, 1997

Here’s simply one of the most eerie, creepy apocalyptic songs ever recorded. You might even recognize it from Watchmen. But if you look at the lyrics, “From Ether’s tragic I am born again,” you really get the feeling of a tragic, tortured soul. In the end, that’s all Apocalypse is. He wants to make the world suffer and bow down before him.

The Four Horsemen, Metallica, 1993

We needed to throw in a song for Apocalypse’s militia…his four horsemen! You might already be familiar with this Fearsome Foursome, but the most famous of Apocalypse’s horsemen is none other than Warren Worthington III, or Angel. When Apocalypse institutes Warren as his henchman, he becomes an evil, blue-skinned, cybernetic mutant named Archangel. Here’s hoping we’ll see plenty of them in the upcoming film!

The End is Here, Alter Bridge, 2004

It starts off with a creepy guitar line reminiscent of London Bridge is Falling Down, and leads into a heavy rock beat with lyrics that totally capture the angst and fear that Apocalypse’s opposition might be feeling at any given moment. The X-Men have fought against Apocalypse several times, and each time they’ve been driven to the point of near-defeat. But they always strive to push onward.

Walk Like an Egyptian, The Bangles, 1985

Sticking with tradition, we’ll keep the last song light-hearted! There’s arguably no Egyptian character more famous than En Sabah Nur himself, Apocalypse. Therefore, we can clear our pallets of these apocalyptic downers with the classic 80s, Walk Like an Egyptian. Hey, the new movie is said to take place primarily in the 80s, so maybe Bryan Singer will throw some of The Bangles in with the soundtrack. Who knows?

There it is! What do you think? Did we miss any songs that you think should have made the list? Let us know! Have any requests for future installments of Superhero Playlist? Send us your requests in the comments section! And as always, keep on jammin’ to those playlists!