Top 10 Moments in X-Men Apocalypse

10. An Angel Gets His Wings

Angel just has bad luck in the X-Men films. We got to see him as a pivotal part of The Last Stand, but he was hardly memorable. Ben Foster did a wonderful job portraying the mutant, the film crumbled all around him. Ten years later, we get another crack at seeing Angel on the big screen. His introduction was great, but he seemed completely underutilized in the third act. He was awesome to watch in battle, though he was killed off way too quickly. He didn't get his shining moment in the climax of the film, but he stole the show about 90 minutes earlier.

When En Sabah Nur met each of his followers, he amplified their powers. Angel was already reeling from a disastrous encounter with Nightcrawler at the beginning of the film, and needed a wing repair. Apocalypse did him one better, and gave him brand new wings. The scene was as gruesome as it was beautiful, and the effects team should win awards for it. With bones cracking out of his skin and metal feathers shining in the darkness, this scene had our jaws dropping. It was such an unbelievable effect, but it felt so incredibly real. Every sound, movement, and texture of Angel's body made us feel is his pain. It was truly a beautifully crafted scene, and no one doubted Sabah Nur's power when it was finished.

9. The Origin of Scott Summers

Origin stories can be tough when you're trying to force them into an already packed film; they typically end up feeling rushed and out of place. That's probably the reason we didn't see many of the young X-Men grow into their power. They did, however, show the origin of Cyclops, and they knocked it out of the park.

The story of the X-Men is all about finding your place as an outcast. So many people feel like they don't belong, and the X-Men were designed to be their heroes. By mutants feeling like outsiders, it made their turn as heroes all the more heroic. If they can overcome what makes them different, why can't any of us? I think this is what the original film tried to convey with Rogue, but it didn't play out quite as well. Watching Scott get bullied in school, and than lose control of his power, really captured what it meant to be a mutant. You tried your hardest to fit in, but knew you never would. You either had to accept who you were, or live a lie. Throughout the rest of the film, Scott continued to learn this lesson.

In the third act, Scott's story came full circle. He told Raven that he didn't know how to fully control his powers, letting us know that we was still holding onto what it meant to be "normal." Raven responded with one of the most poignant lines of the entire film. "Embrace your powers." This simple quote told Scott, and the rest of us, that we are meant to be different. We were all given unique talents, and it's silly to try and hold them back. From his incident with a bully, to that powerful quote, Scott's transition into Cyclops taught us that being different is what living life is all about. That, right there, tells you everything you've ever needed to know about the X-Men.

8. Tearing Down Auschwitz

We've always known Magneto was powerful. Ever since the first X-Men film, he's been a force to be reckoned with. After being unlocked by Apocalypse, his powers were taken to a whole new level. We saw the peak of his abilities when he began tearing down the world in the third act, but it was his dismantling of the famous concentration camp that made for the more powerful scene.

After losing his family, Erik was in a downward spiral. Apocalypse used that anger, and fitted him with even more power. To complete his disdain for the human race, Erik was taken back to Auschwitz; where he was taken from his mother as a boy. Even without his background, Auschwitz stands as the single greatest concentration of man's evil, but the personal touch took Erik over the edge. We watched as he tore the entire campus from the ground, piece by piece. As his rage grew, his powers increased, and we saw the entirety of Auschwitz spiraling high above the heads of the horsemen.

This was emotionally powerful, but also technically brilliant. We've seen destruction throughout this trilogy, but never like this. It was a perfect model of Magneto's true power, and it stood as one of the most breathtaking scenes in the film.

7. Cerebro Meltdown

Cerebro has always been a staple of Charles Xavier. Throughout all eight films, his journey into the machine continues to be captivating. Of all the scenes featuring Cerebro, this easily stands out as the best.

After being taken over by En Sabah Nur, Charles begins a tear throughout the minds of the world's armies. He can't control how he's using the machine, and no one can get it to shut off. Every country, under the command of Apocalypse, fires off their nuclear weapons into space. Watching all of the warheads fly above together was a powerful image, and it gave us an idea of what Apocalypse was trying to do. In order to stop the madness, Havok had to unleash his power and destroy Cerebro entirely.

The scene was larger than life, but it was a very small effect that stood out among the destruction. The transition of Charles' eyes into those empty black holes gave audiences the chills. It looked so natural, but was such a disturbing thing to witness. That one, small touch was the icing on top of an already brilliant cake.

6. It Runs in the Family

Of all the great things about the First Class trilogy, one of the best has to be Fassbender's performances. Each and every film, he has stood out as the best actor on the screen. Bringing a level of humanity and despair to a super-villain is something that no one else has quite been able to achieve, and we have loved the ability to connect with his character. No one does heartbreak quite like Michael Fassbender, and he nailed it again after watching the death of his family.

When trying to lead a normal life, Erik was found out by the local police. As they were taking him away, it was revealed that his daughter was also a mutant. Much like Erik when he was pulled away from his mother at Auschwitz, Nina exhibited powers that she couldn't control. Animals in the woods responded to her rage, and they spooked one of the officers. Accidentally shooting his bow, the officer killed both Erik's daughter, and wife. What followed was another piece of perfect acting by Fassbender. The mixed emotions of anger, despair, and hopelessness rang out from every inch of his body, and we felt it. Our hearts broke alongside his, and he further solidified his place among Hollywood's elite.

As if the emotion wasn't enough, the slaying of the officers via his dead daughter's necklace was a nice touch. We've seen Magneto do a lot with a little, but this moment carried a touch of symbolism far beyond anything we'd seen before. Start to finish, this scene was a beautifully tragic piece of storytelling.

5. Gods of Egypt

This movie took place almost entirely in the 1980's but it's opening scene took us back to 3500 BCE. Thought it was only a set-up for the rest of the film, the first few minutes were mesmerizing to say the least. There were so many unforgettable pieces to this scene, I'm not even sure where to start.

We saw Apocalypse transfer his body into another mutant, assuring he would have a much longer life. We saw a mutiny unfold, trying to stop the false god from living any longer. We got a glimpse of ancient rituals and religions, themes that can always be fascinating. The action and elements of the sequence were incredible, but it was the collaborative efforts of the original horsemen that stole the show.

These powerful mutants had unique abilities that we all would have loved to see more of. From making web-like barriers to blazing the flesh off of incoming enemies, these four mutants were not to be messed with. Not only did they have unbelievable powers, but they all looked bad-ass as well. Fighting against an army to protect their leader, these characters deserved much more screen time. I know they needed to move the story along as quickly as possible, but I wasn't able to get my fill of these four. Seriously, I'd love to watch a whole movie about the first four horsemen as they battled across the ancient world. Fox, any way we can make that happen? Please?

4. Weapon X

We all knew a Wolverine cameo was coming, and it didn't disappoint, Sure, the scene had a couple of plot holes that could have been ironed out, but seeing Logan fighting on-screen is always a treat.

In First Class, Wolverine's cameo was delightful, but extremely short. This time around, he got to see a little more action. Blazing through the soldiers of the Weapon X program, Logan got his chance to put his captors in their place. The scene was one of the most violent in the entire movie, but it was a chance to see a more primitive Wolverine. The Weapon X program wasn't done justice in X-Men Origins, but this gave us a better look at Stryker and his facilities.

Logan's action sequence was a wild ride, but his emotional moment with Jean struck a cord with comic fans as well. The love triangle between Jean, Scott, and Logan has always been a talking point for fans, and this scene planted the seed for that to grow with these new X-Men. When Wolverine comes back around to Xavier's School, he'll have already met Jean Grey this time. Hopefully, she'll have aged a little more by the time he rides back into town.

3. The End is the Beginning

If there was one perfect thing about this film, it was the way it set up a new class of X-Men. It was the conclusion of the story centered around Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique, but it was also the beginning for so many more.

After introducing characters like Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, and Nightcrawler, it was evident the films would continue to follow this story-line. The Fox connected universe will grow, and these mutants will be at the forefront. As the film wrapped, we got our first look at the newcomers being trained to become full-on X-Men, and fans loved the promise in their future. The cast was phenomenal in the film, and they look ready to lead a franchise going forward.

It's always sad to close the chapter on certain characters that we all love, but seeing new ones take over is a thing of beauty. With the franchise in the hands of Storm, Jean, and Cyclops, the future is looking very bright for the X-men.

2. Time In A Bottle

The song was a little different this time around, but Quicksilver once again stole the show. In Days of Future Past, we saw Peter move in such a way that the rest of the world seemed slow, and it instantly became every fan's favorite scene.

When it happened a second time in Apocalypse, I was worried the trick would seem old. I'm so pleased to announce I was wrong about that one. Bryan Singer and his writers found new and hilarious ways for Quicksilver to work against the obstacle of time. The highlights included a pizza-eating bulldog, a Tab soda, and a sloppy make-out session. We'd seen the Quicksilver bit done before, but it was taken to a whole new level in this film. The added bonus of saving the lives of many young mutants helped make the scene more memorable than the previous one.

Without losing any of the magic, or humor, Evan Peters again turned time upside down. The scene was written perfectly, but it was Peters' masterful timing that tied it all together. I hope they locked that guy into a multi-film contract, because I'd love to see a whole lot more of Quicksilver going forward. He's a scene-stealer if there ever was one.

1. All Together Now

Let's get this out of the way, the final battle wasn't perfect. With so much going on in the scene, it was tough for the film to bring it all together. The struggle was clear as we saw a choppy scene try to find its direction, but it finally came together at just the right time.

The best moment in this film was finally getting to see all of our favorite X-Men fighting together. We got a taste of it in X2, and The Last Stand kind of dropped the ball, so this was our first real look at the power they possess when side-by-side. The only way to defeat Apocalypse was to harness the power of multiple mutants, so each of the X-Men had to bring their own talents to the table. It beautiful to finally see all of these characters in action at once, but it was Jean Grey's power that blew everyone away.

Not only did we get treated to the full power of the X-Men, but we got our first look at The Phoenix. Unleashing every ounce of power she had, Jean tore En Sabah Nur to pieces. When she was finished, the outline of the Phoenix surrounded her, hinting at the Dark Phoenix story-line that so many want to see. This scene was the biggest tease for what's to come in future X-Men films, but it didn't take away from the destruction of Apocalypse either. Fans cheered as the villain was wiped away, and the victory was easily worthy of our applause.

What was your favorite moment of X-Men: Apocalypse? Did I leave it off of the list? Let us know in the comments below!