WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Dark Ages #2, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
When the ancient, living machine known as the Unmaker awoke, it very nearly destroyed the entire planet. When the world's heroes quelled the threat, they did so at the expense of nearly every light on Earth. Humanity is nothing if not resilient, however, and even in the Dark Ages mankind has managed to soldier on without power. However, not everyone is content with their new lifestyle, and Apocalypse has just twisted two classic villains into a fearsome new source of energy.
The survivors of the Unmaker's onslaught were able to come together and rebuild society. While the likes of Professor Xavier, Jean Grey, and T'Challa were busy connecting one another telepathically and building new supercities, Apocalypse was taking over Europe as his own dark empire. It was a tragedy that those who remained could only watch unfold, compounded by the kidnapping of Tony Stark by the villain in Dark Ages #2 (by Tom Taylor, Iban Coello, Brian Reber, and VC's Joe Sabinoand).
Unlike the rest of the world, which was left relying on flickering flames to light their way, Apocalypse had found another way to illuminate the darkness, one that he brought Tony to help him improve upon. Unfortunately, employing his new power source involves inflicting great pain and suffering on Magneto, a fellow mutant, and now unwilling victim of the madman.
The second issue of the series reveals that the Master of Magnetism is trapped inside of a massive faraday cage surrounded by crackling bursts of electricity. It is fairly obvious from his contorted state that the powerful mutant is in a state of agony, and the length of his fingernails confirms that this has been his state of existence for quite some time. In spite of the powerful EMP still emanating from within the Earth, Apocalypse has managed to use Magneto's powers as a buffer to counteract the pulse within his vicinity. It is without question one of the most horrifying fates that could befall anyone, and it is one from which there is little hope of escape thanks to Apocalypse's other secret weapon - the Purple Man.
The Purple Man, or Zebediah Killgrave has become better known in recent years thanks to his portrayal by David Tennant on Netflix's Jessica Jones. First appearing in 1964's Daredevil #4 (by Stan Lee and Joe Orlando), Killgrave was a soviet spy who was accidentally exposed to a nerve gas that dyed his skin purple and gave him the ability to control the minds of others. Over the years there have been a select few heroes who have been able to resist the Purple Man's influence, but it appears that neither Magneto nor Tony Stark stand a chance.
Now that Apocalypse has Tony Stark under his control, there is no telling how far he could expand his empire. The stranglehold he has exerted over Europe has already left him with an untold amount of resources, and if anyone can turn those into something truly horrifying, it's Tony Stark.
As it currently stands, Apocalypse is poised to bring the Marvel Universe back into the light, and that may very well be an even worse fate than being stuck in the Dark Ages.