One of Marvel's most popular alternate universes, Age of Apocalypse is a world where Charles Xavier was killed as an infant. Without the prominent X-Men leader to protect the world, Apocalypse came forth and took over. A resistance grew, and several humans and mutants stood up to fight back their oppressor.
In this universe many fan favorite characters where given unique twists. Some had different personalities, while others had different power sets. Here are the top five mutants more powerful in the Age of Apocalypse, and the top five that were weaker.
10 (Weaker) - Juggernaut
While traditionally known as a brute and a buffoon, the Age of Apocalypse version of Juggernaut turned out to be a monk. While he still had all of the power of the traditional Juggernaut, this version of Cain Marko decided to simply live a peaceful life as the silent guardian of Avalon.
A rage slowly built up in this version of Marko, and his lust for violence was quickly growing out of control. This happened when Avalon was under attack. Cain needed to protect Avalon, but also felt a duty to remain peaceful. The conflict inside of Juggernaut became too great and he suffered an aneurysm due to his conflicted feelings.
9 (Stronger) - Blob
Strong enough in his own right, this alternate version of the villainous mutant was given augmentations to his power. Originally imprisoned in the Breeding Pens, an encampment where Apocalypse's lieutenants ran mutant experiments, he was experimented on a number of times by both Dark Beast and Mister Sinister.
Blob's augmentations from the experiments gave him control over his own gravitational field. Using it on others, he is able to knock opponents off balance and push them back. He also received enhancements to his speed, allowing his to move his massive body around more efficiently.
8 (Weaker) - Weapon X
Logan will always be one of the fiercest killers alive. His Age of Apocalypse counterpart is much the same. Going by Weapon X instead of Wolverine, this version of the character has almost all of the advantages of the Wolverine from the main continuity. He just has one additional weakness.
In a battle with the evil Cyclops of this universe, Wolverine had his hand blasted off. Although three claws still come from his stump, having one less hand is a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to hand to hand combat.
7 (Stronger) - Shadowcat
The Kitty Pryde of Age of Apocalypse couldn't be more different than her mainstream counterpart. Raised during the tough times of Apocalypse's reign, this Shadowcat has more of an edge to her. She cute her hair short, smokes cigarettes and has a set of retractable claws.
Due to her training under Weapon X and set of retractable claws, this version of Kitty is a bit more powerful than the original.
6 (Weaker) - Mastermind
In the main marvel continuity, Mastermind's ability to cast illusions has made him one of the more powerful mutants in the world. At one time he even used these gifts to bring Jean Grey's Phoenix under his influence.
In Age of Apocalypse, Mastermind was experimented on extensively. One of Apocalypse's lead scientists, Sugar Man, ran most of these. In the end, Mastermind was left with diminished abilities and an inability to speak.
5 (Stronger) - Dark Beast
In this alternate reality, some villains turn out to be heroes. In a few other cases, some heroes turn out to be villains. One such example is Hank McCoy. McCoy was one of Apocalypse's foremost scientific minds, working alongside evil geniuses such as Mister Sinister and Sugar Man.
Dark Beast used the knowledge he gained from experimenting on mutants to enhance his own abilities. In terms of power, he's better than the traditional Beast in every conceivable way. He went on to escape his alternate reality and make it into the mainstream universe, where he quickly became one of the X-Men's biggest threats.
4 (Weaker) - Magik
We're used to seeing Illyana Rasputin as one of the fiercest mutant heroes. Her mystical powers mixed with her powerful Soulsword make for a deadly combination. In her many battles amongst the X-Men and New Mutants, Magik has proven to be a ringer.
In this new reality, Illyana never got the chance to develop her powers. While her mainstream counterpart has had years of training and developing new mystical abilities, the Age of Apocalypse version has been locked up her entire life. With know one to guide her to understanding her skills, all that's left is raw potential and no actual utility.
3 (Stronger) - Iceman
Its a well known fact among X-Men fans that Iceman has the potential to be one of the most powerful X-Men. Despite this, Bobby Drake rarely reaches the full extent of his power. Iceman of the main continuity has had a few occasions where he shows his true potential. In the Age of Apocalypse universe he fully reaches this potential.
During the Age of Apocalypse, Bobby turns himself into a massive ice giant. He also makes several ice clones of himself to aid him in battle. It was very nice to see Iceman show his true power. Hopefully the mainstream Bobby Drake will get there one day.
2 (Weaker) - Emma Frost
During the dark times of Apocalypse's rule, the Human High Council formed to stop him. Made up of many popular human characters from Marvel lore, the council also has one surprising member: Emma Frost. In main continuity Frost is one of the more formidable mutants, having spent time in the Hellfire Club and on the X-Men's roster.
It turns out that Frost was lobotomized. The part of her brain that gave her mutant abilities was removed. This makes her the weakest character in comparison to the version we are familiar with. She's fallen far since her days as the White Queen.
1 (Stronger) - Weapon Omega
Weapon X may have been slightly weaker than the Wolverine we are used to, but Weapon Omega is much stronger. To save Earth from the Celestials, Weapon X sacrificed himself. Celestial technology took over this version of Wolverine. He was transformed mentally and physically into the heir of Apocalypse.
Weapon X's healing abilities alone make him one of the strongest X-Men. Enhanced with Celestial technology as Weapon Omega, he then gains all of the powers of Apocalypse. Our Wolverine wouldn't stand a chance against him.