Published Jul 2, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for X-Men ‘97 season 2 episodes 1-3Apocalypse is one of the greatest villains in the entire Marvel Universe and one of the X-Men’s most dangerous foes. The world’s First Mutant, En Sabah Nur’s reign has lasted for eons, including in the canon of X-Men ‘97 and the original X-Men animated series. However, Apocalypse has never ruled alone.
Although En Sabah Nur possesses immense power in his own right, one of his greatest strengths has always been his Horsemen, elite mutant and/or enhanced warriors compelled to serve him as the embodiments of War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. Inspired by the original comics, all-new Horsemen have just been introduced in X-Men ‘97 season 2 (and even more are likely on the way).
Between familiar faces from the past and brand-new animated debuts in the future, here’s every confirmed member of Apocalypse’s Horsemen in the X-Men animated series canon explained (including X-Men ‘97 season 2 and its premiere episodes).
Inspired by the comics, the original X-Men: The Animated Series established Apocalypse’s Horsemen as the manifestation of his core “survival of the fittest” ideals. Recruiting and forcibly compelling carefully chosen mutants, Apocalypse has turned scores of warriors into his Four Horsemen since his rise in the days of Ancient Egypt.
In the present-day 90s, Apocalypse famously turned Warren Worthington III’s Angel into Archangel, complete with a dark new body with metal wings, becoming his Horseman of Death. However, Archangel eventually broke free of Apocalypse’s control thanks to the efforts of the X-Men, and particularly Rogue, who absorbed the corruption. Seeking to bring down his old master, X-Men ‘97 season 2’s premiere episodes have seen Archangel joining Cable and X-Force to bring Apocalypse and his remaining servants down.
The animated series also introduced Abraham Kieros as War, Autumn Rolfson as Famine, and Plague as Pestilence. There was also Fabian Cortez, whose body was repurposed for Apocalypse himself. While Caliban was also meant to become a host body for Apocalypse, he actually served as both Pestilence and Death at different times in the original comics continuity.
Looking ahead, there’s also the question of Gambit, who lost his life fighting the Wild Sentinels in Genosha as seen in *X-Men ‘97’s *first season. In X-Men ‘97 season 1’s post-credits, it was teased that Apocalypse has plans to both resurrect and corrupt Gambit, presumably as a new Death, as a parallel to the comics. Combined with Kieros being murdered by X-Force in the second episode of X-Men ‘97 season 2, it follows that Apocalypse is actively searching for a new roster of Horsemen in the present day.
As seen in the very first episode of X-Men ‘97 season 2, one of the biggest surprises is the introduction of Apocalypse’s Final Horsemen. In the distant future of 3960 AD, En Sabah Nur was at the height of his power, having conquered the vast majority of the world. In the comics, the Final Horsemen were Apocalypse’s contingency when all else failed. As such, it makes sense that they’re active in this distant future where Apocalypse’s rule is nearly absolute. Taken from various points in history, Apocalypse specifically chose each of his Final Horsemen with great care.
First is Ichisumi as Pestilence. Originating from the Edo period of Japan, Ichisumi possesses deadly control over insects, allowing her to overwhelm enemies through massive swarms. Decimus Furius is the Horseman of War, a mutant hailing from ancient Rome whose appearance saw him worshiped as the legendary Minotaur of legend. Possessing incredible strength as an “Omega-level monster”, Decimus could also instill a rage-filled desire for war when he struck his victims.
Jeb Lee was Famine, a drum-playing Confederate soldier from the American Civil War. Jeb’s horrifying mutant power allowed him to transmit various forms of cancer through sound with every beat of his drum. Lastly, there is Sanjar Javeed, serving as the Horseman of Death. Hailing from ancient Persia, Sanjar can induce terminal illnesses almost instantly.
Together, these four represent one of the more impressive comic references featured in X-Men ‘97 season 2 thus far. Rather than recycling characters seen before, the series embraces Apocalypse’s vast history in the comics with the debut of these Final Horsemen, reinforcing just how ancient (and impressively patient) the near-immortal First Mutant truly is.
Outside the animated X-Men series canon, the Horsemen of Apocalypse have constantly evolved throughout Marvel history as one of the oldest and most consistent villain teams, both on the page and in other media projects like Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse.
In the 2016 film, X-Men: Apocalypse featured an incredibly recognizable lineup of Horsemen. Played by Oscar Isaac, En Sabah Nur had four unnamed Horsemen during his reign in Ancient Egypt. When he was awoken in the 80s, Apocalypse chose Magneto, Storm, Psylocke, and Archangel to his cause as new Horsemen, convincing them all to join his cause (at least initially). Although the movie simplified much of the mythology, it was still a pretty cool roster.
However, comics have naturally gone much further over the years. On the page, several major Marvel mutants and more heroes have found themselves as Horsemen including Wolverine, Sunfire, Polaris, Banshee, Daken, and even Deadpool (depending on the reality). Even the Incredible Hulk was once briefly corrupted as the Horseman of War.
Without a doubt, the constant rotation is a large part of what makes Apocalypse’s most important followers so compelling and entertaining. The Horsemen of Apocalypse have never been fixed characters. It all depends on the particular point in time, and often the reality.
With X-Men ‘97 season 2 introducing both classic and new Horsemen to the animated series continuity, it’s going to be very exciting to see how the Horsemen continue to evolve, whether it’s in the past, present, or future. While Gambit becoming the new Horseman of Death feels practically inevitable, one has to wonder who else might find themselves an unwitting servant of the First Mutant.
New episodes of X-Men ‘97 season 2 release Wednesdays on Disney+ from Marvel Studios.
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