One of the X-Men's oldest and deadliest enemies Apocalypse has been a constant threat since the 1980s. From comics to TV shows such as X-Men The Animated Series to video games like X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse to the recent film adaptation X-Men: Apocalypse. He has immortality and total control over the molecules in his body which allow him to change his size and transform his limbs into weapons among other abilities.
In addition, his knowledge of Celestial technology often allows him to provide mutants with various enhancements. This is frequently seen in the form of his Horsemen: Death, Famine, Pestilence, and War. Apocalypse has a diverse roster of characters that he has drafted to be Horsemen.
10 Polaris When Her Powers Were Restored By Apocalypse
Daughter of Magneto, Lorna Dane has a similar control of magnetism and is a powerful mutant in her own right. Portrayed by Emma Dumont, she recently appeared in The Gifted as one of the main characters.
After the event of M-Day, Polaris lost her magnetism powers and hid it from the rest of her team. Her powers were restored at the hands of Apocalypse by technological means when she became one of his Horsemen, Pestilence. She eventually refused to follow fellow Horsemen Sunfire and Gambit but was knocked out by Iceman in battle. Following this, she was saved by Havok and completely healed of Apocalypse's control.
9 Gambit Became Death
Another mutant who joined the team at the same time as Polaris, Gambit did so much more willingly. Long time member of the X-Men, Remy LeBeau suffered from M-Day just like most other mutants. He sought out Apocalypse, agreeing to become Death and work with him from the inside, believing him to be the key to helping fix what M-Day did to the mutants.
Despite his plans, Apocalypse bent his will to him completely, taking away any shred of his personality. After launching a failed attack on the X-Men, he was freed from Apocalypse's control by Mister Sinister.
8 Banshee When He Was Resurrected By The Apocalypse Twins
Initially appeared as a villain coerced to fight the X-Men, Sean Cassidy soon joined the team and continued to appear as a supporting character throughout the years. He eventually went on to train the new generation of X-Men in Generation X. Following this, he was killed during Deadly Genesis while trying to stop a hijacked Blackbird from colliding with a commercial airliner.
Banshee remained dead for several years until resurrected by the Apocalypse Twins using the Celestial Death seed to become one of the Horsemen of Death. They further enhanced his powers and sonic scream, but he was under the X-Men's custody and care when they were defeated. Beast said it would take years to fully heal him and it was not specified how much success they had.
7 Ichisumi Became Pestilence
Originally from feudal Japan, Ichisumi was jealous of all the women in her village, having had a fear of being left alone and disappointing her family. It was then that she used her mutant powers to unleash a deadly swarm of beetles to disfigure every woman in the village. This slightly backfired as the beetles returned with the memories, pain, and fear of those they attacked, thus overwhelming her.
Apocalypse, impressed by her power, transformed her into Pestilence. She joined Archangel after Apocalypse's death, giving birth to Uriel and Eimin who were kidnapped by Kang the Conqueror and would later become the Apocalypse Twins.
6 Colossus Became War
Long time member of the X-Men, Piotr Rasputin came across Sugar Man in Tokyo when investigating new mutant signatures. Sugar Man planned to bring mutant embryos to the future to protect from M Pox. While pursuing him, the X-Men ended up stranded in the future in Omega World. Soon after, the Horsemen of Apocalypse found them and after buying the X-Men time to escape, Colossus was captured by them and transformed into War. He was eventually brought back to Earth and released from Apocalypse's control in exchange for his freedom.
5 Spider-Man As Pestilence Two Different Times
One of the more unlikely Horsemen of Apocalypse, Peter Parker was drafted into his service on two separate occasions, both times serving as Pestilence. The first time was a more brief appearance fighting the Avengers at the dawn of the Heroic Age as a result of Kang the Conqueror's meddling in the time stream.
In Earth-5701, Apocalypse transformed Spider-Man and charged him, alongside Archangel and Famine, with tracking Cable down throughout reality. Despite their supposed strength and increased power levels, they were defeated by Deadpool, Cannonball, and Siryn who were also searching for Cable.
4 Sentry Was Revived A Horseman Of Death
Initially framed as a lost Marvel Golden Age creation, Robert Reynolds became a mainstay in the Marvel Universe. He fought alongside the New Avengers and Dark Avengers, eventually killed by his darker half, The Void during the events of Siege.
He was revived alongside Banshee at the hands of the Apocalypse Twins as one of the four Horsemen of Death. Following their defeat, the Horsemen were captured or routed and he disappeared into space. Doctor Strange aided him in fully removing the Apocalypse programming, thus allowing him to resume his heroism.
3 Hulk After Apocalypse Shows Him Understanding
While a very brief run as Horsemen, Bruce Banner proves to be one of the more unexpected and fearsome ones. After battling the X-Men, the Hulk flees to Egypt where he is approached by Apocalypse who shows him understanding and enhances his powers greatly.
Already someone with nearly limitless power, the idea of the Hulk being further strengthened is scary to say the least. He is able to defeat the Absorbing Man and even bests Juggernaut. It is only because of Rick and Janis Jones that he returns to normal when he fears that he had hurt Rick Jones.
2 Thunderbird Was Experimented On & Turned Into War
Similar to Polaris, Thunderbird, portrayed by Blair Redford, appeared on The Gifted as one of the heads of the Mutant Underground. Like others on this list, John Proudstar died in the original timeline, but it is in Earth-1100 that he is under Apocalypse's control. In this Earth, he is experimented on by Apocalypse and turned into War. Despite this, he freed himself from his control, even managing to defeat his master afterward.
Thunderbird later tried going back to his old life as part of the X-Men. He was taken by the Timebroker and joined Blink's team in the Exiles. His enhancements, which he still possessed after breaking free, were so great that they allowed him to defeat the Hulk at his angriest.
1 Scarlet-Witch Was Brainwashed To Be Famine
Even Wanda Maximoff, one of the deadliest mutants able to warp reality and responsible for M-Day, was a Horsemen at one point. In an alternate timeline, she was brainwashed into becoming Famine and even fused with a horse-like creature. Kang the Conqueror damaged the time stream, resulting in a confrontation between the Horsemen of Apocalypse and the Avengers. Alongside Spider-Man, Red Hulk, and Wolverine, she battled them in the dawn of the Heroic Age. During this fight, Scarlet Witch's powers were not fully explored though it is assumed they were the same powers, just enhanced greatly.