In this feature, I spotlight storylines that have been, well, left unresolved. Click here for an archive of all storylines featured so far.

Today, we look into what, exactly, was the deal with Apocalypse and the Celestials?

In X-Factor #24 (by Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson and Al Milgrom), we learn that Apocalypse is really, really old...





Apocalypse had control of a ship that once belonged to the Celestials. X-Factor took it over when they defeated him. They called the ship, well, Ship (X-Factor didn't have the most creative names, after all. One of them was just called her actual name).

In X-Force #37 (by Fabian Nicieza and Paul Pelletier), we see Apocalypse discover said ship...







This suggests that THIS was when Apocalypse first discovered Celestial technology, but however, in the first issue of the mini-series, Rise of Apocalypse (by Terry Kavanagh and Adam Pollina), we see that Apocalypse and his adopted father, Raal, found Celestial technology hidden in Egypt that they planned to use against the faux-Pharaoh Rama-Tut...











Apocalypse later uses this technology to make Ozymandias his servant for eternity...







So, sure seems like Apocalypse just found himself some Celestial technology and then just used it to make him badass, right?

Maybe not.

In the X-Men storyline, "Blood of Apocalypse," Apocalypse shows up in a giant flying Sphinx and when the X-Men defeat him, he seemingly kills himself in X-Men #186 (by Peter Milligan and Salvador Larroca)....







But not so fast! Go to the next page to see what happens next and how it throws everything for a loop (until it was, you know, left unresolved)!!

In a back-up story in X-Men #186 (by Peter Milligan, Casey Jones and Vince Russell), we see Apocalypse, as he awaits death, but instead of death, he's contacted by the Celestials, who reveal an unseen past...









And that's it. It's never been picked up again. Heck, we haven't even seen that version of Apocalypse in modern times SINCE he supposedly "died" in X-Men #186. So yeah, this is quite the unresolved little story. Maybe someday it'll be resolved!

If anyone else has a suggestion for a future edition of Left Unresolved, you can drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!