It’s been 30 years since Marvel Comics premiered one of its more recognizable alternate realities, the Age of Apocalypse. This was a universe where Charles Xavier was killed, leading to the rise of En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse), who ruled the world. Now that Apocalypse has passed the torch to Doug Ramsey (formerly known as Cypher and now going as Revelation), it’s time for a new age of terror, and it started in X-Men: Age of Revelation No. 0.
X-Men: Age of Revelation No. 0 creative team
- Writer: Jed MacKay
- Artist: Humberto Ramos
- Colorist: Edgar Delgado
At the end of Jed MacKay’s X-Men No. 19, Doug, his wife Bei the Blood Moon, and his best friend Warlock, were attacked by a mutant hate group named Z.E.R.O. After defeating them using his new mind-hacking powers, Revelation decides it’s time to join the X-Men in Alaska and start his journey of “Survival of the fittest.” But first, he needed more power. To get it, he needed to break Fabian Cortez out of S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.
Cyclops thought this was a bad idea, so Revelation used his mind-hacking powers to force Scott to go along with it. The plan to break Fabian Cortez out of prison was successful, but it led to the death of Maria Hill and Illyana Rasputin (apparently, Magik stays dead, but Dark Child returns). After the victory, Cyclops steps down as leader, and Juggernaut and Xorn quit the team. Too bad it didn’t matter. Doug Ramsey had Cortez and the ability to control the minds of the X-Men.
Later, an illness called the X-Virus plagued Philadelphia and began to spread across all of Pennsylvania and beyond. Those who survived were transformed into mutants. Eventually, the illness became so aggressive that a nationwide state of emergency was declared, and guess who was there to help? Doug Ramsey and his X-Men, of course. Doug claims:
"This mutant land knows its own. This mutant land protects its own. And as one of our own, this mutant land will be protected."
With Fabian’s ability to enhance the power of mutants, Revelation could hack into more than the minds of humans. He could force the land to provide food, fresh water, and shelter. It was a mutant heaven. And though it wasn't said, it felt like Krakoa. And, like Krakoa, the humans attempted to destroy it. This time, the humans failed.
When the U.S. Government attempted to bomb the new mutant land, their weapon was teleported back to Washington, D.C., and it’s now called the D.C. Crater. Revelation protected his people from harm and was officially considered a messiah.
"If we live in heaven, it is a stolen one." - Shen Xorn
For a while, everything was going well, but, as the phrase goes: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Revelation removed the ability of language and communication from anyone who disobeyed him. He had telepathic spies (led by Quentin Quire) searching for anyone who defied him.
Now, the remaining X-Men (Cyclops, Xorn, Beast, Animalia, Psylocke, Glob, and someone who appears to be Ben Liu) will try to save the world. But first, they have to bring Scott Summers from the past to show him the future. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to see how that works out.
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