The name Apocalypse should strike fear into heroes, both mutant and human alike. En Sabah Nur has even been known to face down the gods themselves. His notoriety and abilities areboth biological and technological. The despotic shepherd of evolution has displayed extraordinary power on countless occasions, befitting of his ominous and intimidating title. Unlike other evolutionary fanatics like The High Evolutionary, Apocalypse is far more hands-on-- he's more than happy to force his view of how life should progress with an iron fist.

With En Sabah Nur, it all comes down to his belief in the "Survival of the Fittest" mindset. If something is weak, it does not deserve to live to see the strong futurehe envisions. Given his own powers, abilities and natural acumen for all sorts of things, he certainly practices what he preaches. So, what exactly is it about Apocalypse that makes his genetic makeup so unique?Here's a look at his anatomy, which may glean some information about the villain's staying power..

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One of the technologies he is seen using the most is the armor he was given by the Celestials. This gave Apocalypse an amazing power spike, making him strong enough to go toe-to-toe with gods. In one such battle, Apocalypse ran afoul of a young, pre-Mjolnir Thor. With one headbutt, he forced the young god into retreatand Thor said he could feel that the blow almost broke his neck.

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Even before the Celestials appointed En Sabah Nur as their evolutionary agent, Apocalypse was immortal. One of the longest living mutants, Apocalypse benefits from a seemingly infinite lifespan via his mutations. This is likely a largecomponent of his "Survival of the Fittest" school of thought, as he presumes he will live through everything that comes to pass. It is important to note, however, that his immortality does not mean he is invulnerable.

Luckily for Apocalypse, his appointment as the agent of evolutionary change on the Celestials' behalf has afforded him a way to bolster his immortality. Should the villain take a lot of damage, his augmented body can enter a stasis that allows him to heal from injuries that may have otherwise stayed with him. This ability coupled with his natural healing factor makes sure he can return at full power whenever he is defeated.

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Apocalypse has had an interesting relationship with the techno-organic virus over his existence. Most infamously, he infected Cable with the virus, which became a part of the character's lifelong struggle and the diminishing of his power. He has also instructed his underlings to utilize the virus in other ways, like taking over spaceships and other technology. When Apocalypse made Angel into Archangel, his metal wings were made from similar techno-organic means.

On one occasion, Apocalypse's understanding of the virus allowed him to step in and help cure Professor Xavier of the affliction. While uncharacteristic of the villain, both he and the X-Men were in conflict with Stryfe at the time, so it is likely he saw value in having Xavier live. The final and most intriguing relationship En Sabah Nur has with the techno-organic virus is that it appears to revitalize him. On the rare occasion Apocalypse is killed, the virus appears to bring him back to life.

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Apocalypse isvery hard to harm. His body is resistant to a plethora of damage types and his endurance is among the most formidable in the entire Marvel Universe. While there are certainly ways to defeat Apocalypse, simple brute force rarely works. His aforementioned healing factor, Celestial augmentations and his molecular makeup work in tandem to make him nigh-impervious.

Apocalypse isresistant to some of the most powerful energy sources in the Marvel Universe, including a shout from Black Bolt. Black Boltis able to crack planets in two with his sonic capabilities -- so knowing Apocalypse has endured one of his attacks is quite impressive. En Sabah Nur also holds the power to take in energy and absorb it to bolster his defensive capabilities, similar to other mutants like Bishop.

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Proving he is indeed the fittest for survival, Apocalypse is able to completely control his molecular structure. Using this power, he is able to grow to large heights, shrink his form, fashion his limbs into weapons and even constrict his foes with his body, similar tohow Mr. Fantastic often fights. This manipulation also affords him incredible defensive abilities, reinforcing body parts with extra mass if needed or contorting in unusual ways to dodge attacks.

In addition tousing his molecular structure manipulation for combat, Apocalypse can perform other extraordinary tasks like morphing himself into machinery -- most notably, Celestial technology. This allows him to merge with it and understand it better. When coupled with his Celestial technology, Apocalypse can also manipulate his body to grant himself additional superpowers or employ deceptive, shape-shifting tactics to infiltrate and blend into crowds.

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Gary is a writer on all things Marvel and hails from Newcastle, England. His favourite heroes are Nova, Moon Knight and Elixir of the X-Men. He also likes listening to Japan and brooding on balconies in old buildings.

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