X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
d. Bryan Singer, 144 minutes

Film Plot Summary

Professor Charles Xavier's voice-over opened the film as a prologue:

Mutants. Born with extraordinary abilities. And yet, still, they are children stumbling in the dark. Searching for guidance. A gift can often be a curse. Give someone wings, and they may fly too close to the sun. Give them the power of prophecy, and they may live in fear of the future. Give them the greatest gifts of all, powers beyond imagination, and they may think they're meant to rule the world.

In the Nile Valley, 3600 BCE (future location of Cairo).

Egyptian worshippers knelt as they chanted the name of elderly ruler En Sabah Nur (meaning 'Apocalypse'), who was being carried on a platform to the interior of his Pyramid to conduct a ritual. Inside the technologically-advanced, solar-connected Pyramid, the aging ruler was surrounded by his four lieutenants or Horsemen (identified by Horse helmets) - Pestilence (Warren Scherer), Famine (Rochelle Okoye), Death (Monique Ganderton), and War (Fraser Aitcheson).

Pestilence (Warren Scherer)	Famine (Rochelle Okoye)	Death (Monique Ganderton)	War (Fraser Aitcheson)

To preserve him forever, god-like En Sabah Nur was about to have his elderly consciousness transferred into the younger body of his successor - a mutant (Oscar Isaac) with instant healing powers. Outside the Pyramid, conspiracy guards signaled that a betrayal of the ruler was about to begin (yelling "Death to the False God"), and caused massive stone pillars to slide down into the interior of the Pyramid to kill En Sabah Nur and the four Horsemen and everyone else inside. Fighting back and defending against the betrayal, the last of the surviving Horsemen, Death, formed a protective shield over the successor, and activated a trap door beneath them, before everyone perished in the entire collapse of the Pyramid. However, the process of transference was accomplished and completed, but En Sabah Nur (now in the younger body and comatose) was entombed alive in the rubble (within a stasis-bubble) for thousands of years.

The opening credits - signified the movement through time to the modern day.

Ohio, 1983.

In a Wedgewood High School classroom, a teacher (Ally Sheedy) was discussing past events, and showing overhead projected images from 10 years earlier, in January 1973 (Headlines read: "PEACE TURNS TO CHAOS - Pandemonium in Paris"), when the existence of mutants was first discovered. [Note: This referenced events in the previous film, X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).] In Washington DC on the White House Lawn, Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender) disrupted the unveiling ceremony of Sentinels designed to destroy mutants, and made an alleged attempt on the life of President Nixon. Young blue-skinned mutant Mystique/Raven Darkholme (Jennifer Lawrence) stopped him. Lehnsheer escaped and became 'the world's most-wanted fugitive."

During the classroom presentation, student Scott Summers (Tye Sheridan) complained of eye soreness and was allowed to report to the Principal's office as the bell rang. He retreated to a bathroom stall after he noticed his glowing red eyes in a mirror. When confronted by a rival student named Sam (Anthony Konechny), Scott directed his gaze at Sam and unleashed a powerful blast of energy that knocked him across the room into the opposite wall, and destroyed the ceiling.

East Berlin.

Raven Darkholme/Mystique entered into an underground fight club to investigate its activities. In the secret fight location, mutant champion Angel (Ben Hardy) (aka The Winged Warrior, Bird of Prey, and The Angel of Death because of oversized feathered wings projecting from his back) had just defeated a large fat mutant named Blob (Giant Gustav Claude Ouimet) in the ring. Angel's next immediate challenger was from the Munich Circus, another mutant known as Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) - a blue-skinned, demon-like figure with a tail and the ability to teleport. After the Nightcrawler was unloaded from a locked box, the two combatants began to fight inside an electrified cage with arm guards posted to prevent their escape. Raven intensified the voltage to the cage, helped in the defeat of Angel (by injuring his wings), and rescued the Nightcrawler.

Pruszkow, Poland.

Mutant Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto was located living a typical domestic life in Communist Poland, using the alias Henryk Gurzsky and employed at a metal foundry. His loving wife was Magda (Carolina Bartczak) with young daughter Nina (T.J. McGibbon). At Nina's bedtime, he sang to her and told her a story passed down from his parents. He told her about his hurtful past and separation from his parents during WWII: "They were taken from me, when I was a little boy. But, they're still here, inside. And here - with you."

In the Summers household in Ohio with his parents (Ryan Hollyman and Joanne Boland), Alex Summers/Havok (Lucas Till) was concerned about his younger brother Scott's newfound mutant ability to emit powerful and destructive optic beams. To control his abilities, Alex suggested taking Scott (with bandages over his eyes) to Professor Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in Westchester County, New York. After arriving, in the hallways, Scott bumped into telepathic and telekinetic red-haired student Jean Grey (Sophie Turner). At the school, it was hoped that Professor X (James McAvoy) and teacher Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult) could possibly train him after his enrollment. Professor X told Scott: "The first step in understanding one's power is learning the extent of it. Only then can we begin the process of teaching you how to control it." On the grounds of the school, Scott removed his bandages and accidentally split a tree planted by Charles' grandfather - to everyone's surprise, Charles announced that Scott was immediately enrolled.

Cairo, Egypt.

Non-mutant and CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), an investigator of mutant cults, trailed after suspected occult followers with neck tattoos who entered a marketplace business. In a rear courtyard under a rug laid on the ground, she found the entrance to a hidden underground room. Down a tunnel, she found a chamber with ancient markings and inscriptions, and heard the followers reciting an ancient Egyptian chant over the last resting place of En Sabah Nur. During the chanting, the rays of the sun entered the tunnel, illuminated the top of En Sabah Nur's solar-powered Pyramid, and revived (resurrected) En Sabah Nur himself - as Apocalypse. During his awakening, explosions and an earthquake were triggered, burying everyone except Moira who was to only one to safely escape. The disturbing effects of the massive quake were experienced throughout most of the continent and in Central Europe, including Germany (the location of Mystique and Kurt) and in Erik's workplace in Poland. A large vat of molten metal was dislodged and nearly crushed a co-worker, but with his metal controlling powers, Erik saved him.

The effects of the quake's powerful tremors were also felt at Professor X's Institute. When Professor Charles Xavier found Jean in her bedroom, breathing heavily, shaking and moaning during a nightmarish dream, he telepathically sensed her pain - that she was having visions of chaos, death and destruction. When she awoke, she described an apocalyptic "end of the world." Knowing that she feared that she couldn't control her telekinetic powers, and might one day hurt someone, Charles reassured her: "Everyone fears that which they do not understand. You will learn to control your powers. And when you do, you'll have nothing to fear."

Charles first suspected that Jean's uncontrollable powers were responsible for the quake, but Hank determined that the energy surge's epicenter was halfway around the world, in Cairo, Egypt. After donning the Cerebro helmet to amplify his brain waves, Professor X determined that CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Prof. X's previous love interest) was at the quake's epicenter, and would soon return to Langley, Virginia (CIA headquarters) to deliver a report (she had been researching the historical legend of En Sabah Nur).

In Poland, the incident with his co-worker at the factory was witnessed. Erik feared exposure and prepared to flee with his family ("We can't stay here anymore"). In a panic after finding Nina missing, Erik and Magda found her in the adjacent woods surrounded by militia officers, who questioned his real identity, accused him of being Magneto, and asked him about the factory incident and his attack on the White House 10 years earlier. Erik surrendered, in exchange for the release of Nina, who ran back to her mother Magda. As the officers led her father away, Nina screamed at them ("Don't leave me!") - uncontrollably revealing her mutant powers when flying birds amassed, screeched and attacked the militia. During the scuffle, a Polish police archer with a bow and arrow accidentally killed both Nina and Magda - impaling them together with one arrow. Grieving and also enraged, Erik removed Nina's metal necklace and locket and used it to slaughter the men with one swing.

In the busy streets of Cairo, Egypt in 1983, Apocalypse emerged and spotted pickpocket Ororo Munroe / Storm (Alexandra Shipp), who created a momentary wind sandstorm as a manipulative diversion in order to carry out a theft. Although apprehended and cornered by two shop/street vendors who had chased after her, she was aided by Apocalypse, who first asphyxiated three bystanders with sand, and then literally melted and entrapped one of the vendors in a nearby wall.

Charles and Alex Summers traveled to Langley, Virginia's CIA headquarters to visit Moira. Inside the offices, Charles described: "I wiped her mind of all memories of us. The beach, Cuba, that whole time. It was so long ago, Alex, before the world knew about mutants." Once inside Moira's office, Charles (who falsely claimed that he had Level 5 clearance) asked about her recent Egypt visit. Using a scrapbook of photos and findings, she described her investigation in detail about the history and whereabouts of an all-powerful mutant:

Ever since the world found out about mutants in '73, there have been cults who see them as some kind of second coming or sign of god. I was tracking one of them. They called themselves Ashir En Sabah Nur, named after an ancient being they believed to be the world's first...mutant... These guys believe that the first mutant was born tens of thousands of years ago. And they believe he will rise again. They've been searching ancient sites all around the world for clues. These hieroglyphs describe a specific set of powers greater than any man could possess...They believe he had the ability to transfer his consciousness from body to body, and whenever he was close to death he would just take on a new body. So, these may have been the bodies of mutants enabling him to take their powers amassing varies abilities over the years....And wherever this being was, he always had four principal followers. Disciples. Protectors he would imbue with powers...And wherever he ruled, eventually, it would end in disaster. Cataclysm. Some kind of... Apocalypse.

Back in Egypt, after being rescued from having her hand cut off for shoplifting, a grateful Ororo brought Apocalypse to her home. He noticed a small picture of Mystique pinned to the wall - Ororo commented: "A great fighter. She's my hero. I want to be like her." As she gathered food, Apocalypse approached the TV - playing a subtitled broadcast of one episode from a popular American TV show -- Star Trek: Who Mourns for Adonais? (1967). When asked what he was doing, he slowly spoke: "Learning" - he gathered information from snippets of news broadcasts about world events and the current political superpowers. Upset by what he saw, Apocalypse realized that humanity had weakened, was worshipping false gods, and had suffered many disasters and conflicts through poor political leadership - but now, everyone would be saved upon his return:

Superpowers. The weak have taken the Earth. For this, I was betrayed. False gods. Idols. No more. I have returned.

He told Ororo about his world compared to the current world of the 80s: "A time before man lost his way...This world needs to be...cleansed....Saved." In the first step toward refashioning the world in his own image so that he could become its all powerful ruler, he made her the first incarnation of a modern Horsemen of Apocalypse. He placed his hand on her chin, imbued her with added strength - and called her "My goddess." Her hair turned white and she became his first Disciple -- representing Famine.

After Mystique rescued Nightcrawler from the underground fight club, they met with black marketeer or mutant broker Caliban (Tómas Lemarquis) to arrange Nightcrawler's transportation to the US, with the aid of a fake ID and passport. From Caliban, she learned distressing news of her old friend Erik Lehnsherr in Poland ("He left quite a few dead bodies in his wake, including his wife and daughter").

At Xavier's School, Hank McCoy fitted Scott with protective, specially-designed, red-tinted sunglasses - made with lenses of ruby quartz that would refract his optic beams and keep them contained within their own vector fields. Scott soon spoke with fellow student Jean Grey - and they both agreed that they had powers that needed control (Jean: "You're not the only one who can't full control your powers...Sorry to break it to you, but you are not the biggest freak of this school") - it was the start of an attraction and love relationship. Raven suddenly reappeared at Xavier's School with Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner.

In Caliban's underground hideout after closing hours, he was approached by Ororo/Storm and Apocalypse who were searching for powerful mutants. Although Caliban drew a gun, it was turned to dust by Apocalypse. When Caliban's mutant assistant/enforcer Elizabeth Braddock/Psylocke (Olivia Munn) came to his defense with a glowing metal sword (a psychic katana), Apocalypse was so impressed that he offered her upgraded power: "I want you to feel the full reach of your power. You've only had a taste of your true strength. Unlike others who seek to control you, I want to set you free." Psylocke agreed to help him locate mutants for his cause. She then became his second Horseman - Pestilence.

After meeting Kurt Wagner, Scott, Jubilee (Lana Condor), and Jean went as a foursome to the local mall in Westchester County, NY.

The group led by Apocalypse located their next recruit in the rafters of an abandoned warehouse in Berlin. Psylocke had led Apocalypse and Storm to mutant club fighter Angel with injured wings, who appeared drunk while listening to Metallica's music. Apocalypse noticed Angel's potential and turned his organic wings into metal-bladed feathers. Angel was renamed Archangel and became his third Horseman - Pestilence.

At Erik's place of work, he vengefully confronted his co-workers who had reported the incident of his saving of a colleague - that had tragic results. Prepared to kill all of them to avenge the deaths of his wife and daughter, the devastated Erik (now calling himself Magneto) was stopped by the emergence of Apocalypse, Storm, Psylocke, and Angel. Apocalypse intervened and sank the factory workers into the floor with some of their arms and legs sticking out. He asserted to Erik: "I'm here for you." The group was transported to the ruins of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz - the location of Erik's first manifestation of his powers ("This is where your power was born") where he lost his family ("And this is where your people were slaughtered"). Apocalypse then identified his origins and purpose:

Elohim, Shen, Ra. I've been called many names over many lifetimes. I am born of death. I was there to spark and fan the flame of man's awakening. To spin the wheel of civilization. And when the forest would grow rank and need clearing for new growth... I was there to set it ablaze.

He vowed to be there for Erik from now on - and help him to harness his tremendous mutant power to manipulate and control the metal in the Earth - anger would fuel his energy.

You don't know your own strength, but I do. Reach down. Feel the metal in the ground. Reach as deep as you can. You'll find you have the power to move the very Earth itself. Everything they've built will fall! And from the ashes of their world, we'll build a better one!

Persuaded, Magneto found some vengeful closure to past injustices by crumbling the buildings around them. He would become the fourth and final Horseman - War.

Meanwhile, a CNN News TV report described how Lehnsherr/Magneto had been identified the previous day in a small town in central Poland. Forces were being mobilized to prevent another deadly strike. In shock, Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver (Evan Peters) watched the report, and then pretended he was playing the arcade video game Ms. Pac-Man when his perceptive mother (Zehra Leverman) came into the downstairs, and asked: "You're going after him, aren't you?" She said that she couldn't stop him, and warned that it wouldn't end well. [Note: Quicksilver knew that Erik was his biological father.]

During the mall's theatrical showing of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) attended by Scott, Jean, Nightcrawler and Jubilation Lee, Moira was driven by Charles and Alex to the X-Mansion, where she was introduced to Raven and Hank. In private with an over-optimistic Charles, Raven discussed her fears about the treatment of mutants by the public: "Out there, mutants are still running, hiding, living in fear. Just because there's not a war doesn't mean there's peace. If you want to teach your kids something, teach them that. Teach them to fight. Otherwise, they might as well live in this house for the rest of their lives." She warned him that Erik had resurfaced. To locate Erik/Magneto, Charles assembled Raven, Hank, Alex and Moira inside Cerebro's dome, donned the helmet (to amplify his brain waves), and was able to locate him telepathically. Now wearing his Magneto outfit, Erik spoke to Charles and claimed that he had tried to live like a normal human, but it was a disaster and ended tragically with the deaths of his family members.

Sensing an opportunity to link his mind with Charles, Apocalypse exclaimed: "Extraordinary!...The answer...Thank you for letting me in" as he telepathically and remotely entered Cerebro, took over control, and overwhelmed Charles. He then connected with and manipulated political officials, world leaders and their weapons systems to threaten all of humanity:

It's always the same. And now all this. No more stones. No more spears. No more slings. No more swords. No more weapons! No more systems! No more! No more superpowers.

Through Charles, Apocalypse initiated the launch of nuclear missiles around the globe from numerous superpowers, sending the entire world's nuclear arsenal straight up into space to disarm the entire world of nuclear weapons. This would render them harmless against him and prevent any interference. Authorities were not sure if it was an act of peace or war. Frantically and in vain, Hank tried to disable and shut down Cerebro, while Alex was ordered to destroy Cerebro: "Wreak havoc!" As Alex released a powerfully-explosive blast, Apocalypse screamed back: "You can fire your arrows from the Tower of Babel. BUT YOU CAN NEVER STRIKE GOD!"

As the Cerebro dome was being evacuated, Apocalypse and his four Horsemen suddenly appeared in their presence. When Magneto pulled Charles' wheelchair toward him to kidnap him, Alex stepped forward to save him with another column of destructive fire. The massive blast caused the total devastation of Xavier's School - although Quicksilver's arrival (and speedy power-run through the collapsing school buildings to evacuate everyone) saved many lives (to the tune of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" performed by Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics). During the miraculous rescue and evacuation of the Mansion, Quicksilver paused briefly to drink a bottle of soda and eat an entire pizza, and even saved goldfish and a small dog.

The foursome that had gone to the mall returned to the completely ruined Mansion in their car, and pulled up to the large group of survivors assembled by Quicksilver on the lawn. It was revealed to Scott's dismay that his brother Alex had not been saved - according to Hank, he had been "closest to the blast."

At the same time, a helicopter landed in their midst, and Colonel William Stryker (Josh Helman) disembarked, to Moira's sudden shock. A sonic blast incapacitated everyone, except for Scott, Jean, and Nightcrawler who were hidden behind some rubble nearby. Hank/Beast, Mystique/Raven, Peter/Quicksilver, and Moira were singled out, captured, and taken away. Jean used her manipulative mind powers to avoid detection and save Scott and Nightcrawler from apprehension by a guard. With a combination of two powers: Nightcrawler's teleportation and Jean's mind manipulation, the same threesome covertly teleported into the chopper. However, once the chopper's doors were closed, Nightcrawler's attempt to get everyone out failed because of an activated electrical field.

With everyone onboard, the chopper was flown to Stryker's Weapon X facility in a mountainous area in Canada, to imprison the mutants in a secure cell before interrogation and experimentation. While awaiting their fate, Peter admitted to Raven that Magneto was his father.

Simultaneously, Apocalypse brought Charles and the four Horsemen to Cairo, Egypt, his homeland. He compelled Charles to send a message to every living mind on the planet: "You will tell them that this Earth will be laid waste. That it is I, En Sabah Nur, who wreak this upon them." Without Cerebro, Charles argued he was incapable. However, he did channel a threatening message to the world through Apocalypse ("The day of reckoning is here. All your buildings and temples will fall. And the dawn of a new age will rise. For there is nothing you can do to stop what is coming"). At the same time, he also sent a hidden distress call-message to Jean about his location ("Find us. Cairo").

The threesome of interlopers were identified as intruders in Quad Six of the Weapon X facility, forcing them to teleport to hide. When they did so, they entered a locked-up room from which angry, snarling and growling animalistic sounds emanated from a chamber. As guards approached, Jean released the chamber's door - and a metal-clawed Wolverine/Logan (Hugh Jackman) (aka Weapon X) emerged. [Note: Wolverine had been subjected to mind-control, brainwashing and an experimental, adamantium-bonding procedure, to make him Stryker's own personal weapon.] He mercilessly slaughtered dozens of guards as he rushed toward an exit. Colonel Stryker excused himself: "I'll be right back" - and was later seen fleeing in a helicopter.

Jean intervened to stop Wolverine - by tapping into his mind and calmly removing the brainwash device on his head before he wordlessly fled into the snowy woods. She explained to her friends that she had restored some of his memories: "I found a piece of his past and gave it back to him. Just the few memories I could reach." Then to free their other mutant friends, Scott/Havok blasted the cell door to release everyone. The X-Men group's next destination was Cairo - to stop and defeat Apocalypse and rescue Charles. On the flight deck of Stryker's base, they stole tactical flight suits and hijacked one of his jets to fly to Egypt. (Raven: "Let's go to war").

In Cairo, Apocalypse destroyed many of the city's stone buildings in order to reconstruct his own ancient Pyramid in the center of the metropolis. He also gifted Magneto with his helmet, and commanded him, using his mutant powers, to manipulate the Earth's magnetic elements and the poles - to cause global and planetary destruction: "You will reach down, my son, deep into the Earth. Rip everything they've built from the ground. Wipe clean this world. And we will lead those that survive into a better one." Shortly later, positioned in the center of the Pyramid, he told Charles about his "most important" role in the "madness" - he planned to conduct another transference ritual - to move his consciousness into Charles' body (in the astral plane), and use his power to enslave and control every mind in the world: "For all my gifts, I've yet to possess the one I needed most. To be everywhere. To be everyone."

The counter-plan of the X-Men was to have Nightcrawler teleport into the Pyramid to rescue Charles, while Mystique and Quicksilver faced off against Magneto. Mystique urged everyone to not hold back, but to "embrace" their powers. Various landmarks around the world were beginning to disintegrate - Sydney Australia's Opera House, a New York bridge, the Long Beach port, etc. Outside the Pyramid, Angel (with metal-bladed wings), Storm (with wind and lightning bolts), and Psylocke (with psychic swords and other weapons) battled against the group of X-Men while the transference process was occurring. Nightcrawler teleported himself into the Pyramid and also fought off Angel, while Mystique and Quicksilver begged with Magneto to change allegiances and embrace his real family: "I know you think you've lost everything. But, you haven't. You have me. You have Charles. You have more family than you know. You never had the chance to save your family before. But you do now." Quicksilver was tempted to reveal his parentage to Erik, but then hesitated.

Charles strained and resisted Apocalypse with his mind during the transference, and lost his hair during the excruciatingly painful process. At the last possible moment, Nightcrawler reached Charles and successfully teleported his body into the jet. He also rescued and retrieved Jean, Scott (combating Storm), and Beast (fighting Psylocke) outside the Pyramid. As Hank and Moira piloted the jet to flee, Psylocke and Angel counter-attacked the jet mid-air and broke into its shell. The jet was purposely crashed to the ground, but Nightcrawler transported everyone to safety. Although Angel was killed, Psylocke jumped and saved herself.

Mystique persuasively urged Magneto (who had also experienced his own memories of Charles) to reverse his course and turn on Apocalypse. Unfortunately, Apocalypse and Charles were still mentally-connected within a shared consciousness - but Charles refused to give up. Quicksilver was able to capitalize on his super-speed to brutally punch Apocalypse from many angles, but the infuriated super-villain trapped Quicksilver's foot in the ground and broke his leg. As Storm observed, Psylocke approached Apocalypse to slash Quicksilver across the throat with her katana and execute him - but instead, she slashed Apocalypse in the neck (he quickly healed) and revealed herself to be Mystique in disguise. He began to strangle Mystique with his powerful grip.

Both Storm and Erik/Magneto were distressed watching Raven's/Mystique's potential murder. Charles telepathically entered into Apocalypse's astral plane, and the two faced off against each other, causing Apocalypse to let go of Mystique's neck (afterwards, she was brought to safety by Beast). Although Charles initially was winning, Apocalypse turned the tables, crushed the bones in Charles' hand, grew in strength and stature, and overpowered him. In the physical world, Scott attempted to keep Apocalypse occupied.

Fortunately, Magneto decisively came to the rescue after turning away from fighting for Apocalypse - he claimed that he had finally realized that he had "betrayed" his own X-Men. Magneto propelled metal objects at Apocalypse (who defensively used a force field), while Charles begged for Jean's help. He encouraged her to tap into their mind battle in the astral plane (mirroring the physical plane), unleash the full extent of her Phoenix Force powers ("LET GO"), and overwhelm Apocalypse by dismantling his centuries-old armor. Storm, who also had changed sides, prevented the weakened and now-frail Apocalypse from attempting to escape by a flurry of lightning bolts. Finally in the physical world, Apocalypse disintegrated, incinerated or deteriorated, and was finished for good. After his defeat, Psylocke quietly walked away, knowing she had lost.

As he revived, Charles restored Moira's wiped-away memories of their close past relationship. He apologized: "I'm sorry. I should never have taken those from you."

In voice-over, news reports told how the global destruction had stopped - thankfully. CIA Special Agent Moira MacTaggert debriefed an investigative committee about how fugitive Erik Lehnsherr had aided in the defeat of the powerful forces. However, it was clear that the controversy over mutants would continue: "The potential destructive power of mutants is sure to fuel new controversy and debate at a time when mutants were becoming accepted around the world." Jean and Erik used their powers to reconstruct Xavier's School by reassembling the many pieces of rubble. Ororo/Storm and Quicksilver joined the X-Men team back in New York. Quicksilver was still contemplating whether he should speak to Erik about being his son.

Charles/Xavier (now bald) spoke to Erik - affirming their friendship and musing about future threats: "The world's already begun rebuilding its arsenals." Although Charles still had hope for humanity and the rebuilding of his school, Erik was worried about personal threats to himself as a mutant, and felt he must be on his own and depart. Erik couldn't be convinced to stay even though he was invited. In the Danger Room during a training session, Raven declared that Scott/Cyclops, Jean, Ororo, Hank, Nightcrawler and Quicksilver were no longer just kids or students but true "X-Men!" - with new uniforms created by Xavier. They were recruited to be teachers - and were preparing for a training session against a group of Sentinels, using confiscated robots.

------ Post-Credits Sequence ----------

Cleanup of blood, corpses and bullet casings was underway at Colonel Stryker's abandoned Weapon X facility, where mutant research and experimentation had been conducted. A restricted area was entered into by a paramilitary team of serious-minded, black-suited agents working on behalf of the Essex Corporation. They were there to retrieve a large test-tube sample (marked "Weapon X") of mutant Wolverine's blood, and one of his X-rays. Both were put into a briefcase that was closed and locked - marked Essex Corp.

Film Notables (Awards, Facts, etc.)

It was the ninth installment in the X-Men film series and a sequel to X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). It served as the final film in the X-Men: First Class story arc trilogy, which consisted of X-Men: First Class (2011) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). The story took place in a reset timeline, although it was also considered a sequel.

It was directed by Bryan Singer, his fourth X-Men film. With this film, Singer broke the record set by Sam Raimi and Christopher Nolan, who had each directed three superhero films in the same series (Spider-Man and Batman respectively).

The film's taglines were: "Prepare for the Apocalypse," and "Only the Strong Will Survive."

The film was budgeted at $178 million, and although it did poorly in the US (at $155.4 million), it was successful worldwide with a total of $543.9 million. At the end of 2017, it was the eighth-highest-grossing film in the X-Men series (of ten films, to date).

This was the first X-Men film to feature all of the major 'blue' mutants! Mystique, Beast, and Nightcrawler.

The superhero film was a carry-over of the brief post-credits sequence in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - in ancient Egypt, a crowd was chanting (in a foreign language) and bowing to a hooded figure wearing a striped robe - a bluish, skinny mutant named En Sabah Nur (aka Apocalypse, the very first mutant) (Brendan Pedder), who telekinetically elevated building blocks to forge ancient pyramids. Apocalypse's minions - the four Horsemen of Apocalypse (Death, Famine, Pestilence, and War), watched on horseback from afar on a sand-dune. In this installment, the renegade, villainous mutant En Sabah Nur awakened in the year 1983 and had take-over plans to destroy civilization. The X-Men assembled to deter and defeat him and his band of newly-assembled mutants as modern-day Horsemen.

Set-pieces: the opening transference of En Sabah Nur's spirit into his younger successor inside an ancient Egyptian Pyramid, Raven's rescue of Nightcrawler from a Berlin fight club, the sequence of the revival or resurrection of En Sabah Nur in an underground chamber - and reemergence as Apocalypse, the confrontation in the woods between Erik and Polish authorities ending with the death of his wife and daughter, the demonstration of Erik's/Magneto's destructive powers at Auschwitz, Apocalypse's attack upon Cerebro leading to the launch of the world's nuclear arsenals, the sequence of Quicksilver's power-run rescue of students, teachers and mutants as Xavier's School was destroyed, and the final showdown in Cairo between Apocalypse (and his four Horsemen) and the X-Men mutants.