X-Men Apocalypse Producer Explains How Apocalypse Comes From Comics and Cartoons

The world of the X-Men films has typically been unique; while characters and ideas were drawn from the comics and stories that came before, it was sometimes hard to spot the direct influences.

Well, producer/writer Simon Kinberg says that in the case of the titular villain of X-Men: Apocalypse, the character's influence will be seen, from comic book source material, and even the popular 90s cartoon, creating "an amalgam of a lot of different versions of Apocalypse." During a set visit, Kinberg elaborated on from where their Apocalypse comes.

"I think the things that interested us the most—there are touches of some of the more controversial things, like his origin—but one of the things that interested us most was the notion of his being the first mutant and coming from a time when mutants were treated as gods. And what it would be like for someone who experienced a world in which he was treated as a god, to go from that to a world in which he was treated at best as an equal, and at worst as less than, and how radical that would make that character in our modern world. So that was something we talked a lot about, again thematically and emotionally for this character, for this actor [Oscar Isaac]," he said.

Apocalypse initially emerges in the time of Egypt's pharaohs as "En Sabah Nur," meaning "the first one." In the comic books, he rises to power, but eventually goes into a hybernation of sorts, emerging every so often to make sure his influence is felt on the development of the world, and waiting for more mutants to emerge so they can take their rightful place at the top of society.

Coming into a world where mutants have come into society but are not revered and respected, then, sounds like it will be the impetus for his anger.

The key part of his character that was emphasized in the early 90s X-Men: The Animated Series is best summed up in one line from the show. "Evil? I am not malevolent, I simply am." That carried over into the comics - his Darwinian credo of "only the strong survive" was, to him, merely a statement of fact.

X-Men: Apocalypse is directed by Bryan Singer, and hits theaters May 27, 2016. It stars Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse, with returning stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and more.