Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.

What Else editions take a look at some of the greater storylines and alternate realities that have been represented in Heroclix through the years.

Today we look at a world where Xavier died before he could enact his dream: The Age of Apocalypse

Appearances in Heroclix: Uncanny X-Men, Deadpool, Wolverine and the X-Men, Giant Size X-Men, Mutations and Monsters

First Appearance: X-Men: Alpha

Notable Members: Colossus, Magneto, Sabretooth, Sugar Man, Sunfire, Weapon X, Blink, Nightcrawler, Cyclops, Dark Beast, Jean Grey, X-Man, Nemesis

The Beginning

When Legion, the son of Charles Xavier, travels back in time and tries to kill Magneto he fails. Instead, he kills his own father and without Xavier to form the X-Men, the Age of Apocalypse is created.

Magneto

After watching his friend die, Magneto abandons his anger and hatred. In tribute to Charles, Magneto tries to forge a peaceful future of coexistence between humans and mutants. Unfortunately, Mangeto forms the X-Men just as Apocalypse begins his war of world conquest and so the team is not yet prepared to face the wrath of the immortal mutant. Apocalypse conquers North America and places mutants loyal to him in control of the territories. Though Magneto and his rebel X-Men fight back, millions of humans are killed.

One day, a mentally fragile Bishop is reunited with Magneto. Bishop retains memories of the “proper” timeline and tells Magneto there is a way to set everything right. To this end, Magneto charges his many X-Men with equally important missions to reshape reality and save the world. He is later attacked and kidnapped by Apocalypse and Holocaust.

While the X-Men unite to free Magneto and enact his plan to save the world, Nate Grey arrives at Apocalypse’s base. He helps free Magneto and battles Holocaust while Magneto fights and kills Apocalypse in one on one combat.

Nightcrawler

Nightcrawler leads a team to Avalon, known in the main Marvel universe as the Savage Lands, to locate Destiny. Avalon has been transformed into a society where mutants and humans live together dedicated to Xavier’s dream. While there he meets John Proudstar, the monk Cain, Callisto and his mother Mystique. He is pursued by a group of Apocalypse’s Pale Riders: Moonstar, Damask, Dead Man Wade and the Shadow King. Nightcrawler eventually succeeds in finding Destiny, who confirms that Bishop’s story is true. They return in time to help use the M’Krann crystal to send Bishop back in time to stop Legion from creating the Age of Apocalypse.

Colossus

Colossus, with his wife Shadowcat, lead a team of young mutants into the Seattle Core to rescue Colossus’ sister Illyana. As the last transdimensional teleporter, she is crucial to Magneto’s plans to reshape reality. They battle the Sugar Man and are all left for dead after Colossus is able to get Illyana out.

Sugar Man

The Sugar Man is the ruler of the Seattle Core and thus a warden of Apocalypse’s. He battles Colossus’ team and kills them after they rescue Colossus’ sister Illyana. He follows Colossus to the final battle and leaps into the M’Krann crystal, sent back 20 years into the past of the current 616 universe.

Sabretooth and Wild Child, Blink, Sunfire, Nemesis

Sabretooth is among Apocalpyse’s Horseman when they first battle the X-Men. However, he hesitates in the face of what Magneto is trying to accomplish and is left behind by his master. From then on, Sabretooth is a loyal follower of Magneto and believes in his dream. He rescues a young Blink from Mr. Sinister’s experiments and does the same for the young feral mutant, Wild Child. Alongside Blink and Sunfire, they follow Rogue on a mission to stop the cullings being carried out by Apocalypse’s son and horseman, Holocaust (aka Nemesis). Once the team begins evacuating humans, Sabretooth asks Blink to teleport him to Holocaust’s location. Sabretooth viciously attacks Holocaust and is seemingly killed, though the team manages to defeat Holocaust and his “Infinites.” Once they return to Xavier’s Mansion, they learn that Rogue’s husband, Magneto, and their son, Charles, have been kidnapped by Apocalypse. She leads the X-Men in the final battle to save the world.

Weapon X and Jean Grey

Weapon X and Jean Grey carry out missions for the Human High Council, which still controls most of Europe. They learn that the High Council intends on launching a nuclear strike against America and Jean is appalled, choosing to leave and help evacuate the US. Weapon X then has to recruit Gateway, whose powers will transport the Council fleet to America. As the fleet begins to leave, Weapon X goes with them to try and find Jean and bring her back before the bombs are dropped.

Cyclops and Dark Beast

Cyclops, along his brother Havok, Emplate and the Twins, Sam and Elizabeth Guthrie, the Bedlam Brothers and Aurora and Northstar serve in the Elite Mutant Force (EMF). The EMF serves Apocalypse and controls his breeding pens where they are experimented on by the Beast. Havok, who has grown jealous over the years, learns that Cyclops has been helping people escape the pens. During one such escape, Aurora and Northstar are both seriously hurt. Havok exposes his brother as a traitor and tries to kill him but Cyclops manages to escape with the help of Jean Grey. The Bedlam Brothers feel more loyal to Cyclops than Apocalypse and defeat the Guthries while Cyclops and Jean are able to overpower Havok.

X-Man

Nate Grey is an escape experiment of Mr. Sinister, who used the DNA of Jean Grey and one of Apocalypse’s top agents, Cyclops. He is the most powerful telekinetic in the world, raised and taught by Forge. He leads a team made up of Mastermind, Toad, Brute and Sauron that attack trains and factories of Apocalypse while parading as a theatre troupe. Nate ends up being among those at the final battle with Apocalypse that somehow makes it through the M’Krann crystal and into the “reset” 616 universe.

The End

Once assembled, the X-Men use the power of the M’Krann crystal to send Bishop back in time where he is able to kill Legion and stop him from creating the Age of Apocalypse. As the timeline resets, Jean and Cyclops are killed by Havok before Weapon X uses his “bad” hand to kill Havok. With his love dead, he sits down and waits for the Human Council bombs to drop. Nate Grey escapes to the 616 while Blink and Sabretooth are both eventually recruited for the Exiles. Sugar Man and the Beast are both sent into the past, shaping modern events.

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