Famine. War. Pestilence. Death. The Four Horsemen of this Apocalypse were servants handpicked to usher in the beginning of the reign of Apocalypse himself. Skilly preying on the vulnerability of sick or injured mutants, Apocalypse offered the chosen few the physical redemption they so desperately sought in the return for their servitude as his Horsemen.
Apocalypse's first recruit was the Morlock named Plague, whom he rescued from being slaughtered by the Marauders. Apocalypse genetically altered Plague to become Pestilence. Next was Abraham Lincoln Kieros, a mutant whose severe injuries incurred as a soldier during the Vietnam War resulted in paralysis and continual confinement in an iron lung in a Veterans Administration hospital. Apocalypse restored the man to health and genetically altered him to become War. Apocalypse then recruited young anorexic mutant Autumn Rolfson and genetically altered her into Famine. And then there was death. The X-Man Archangel, despondent after losing his wings, attempted to commit suicide by crashing his plane. But Apocalypse rescued him from his doomed mission and offered to restore his wings if he would join his Horsemen and do Apocalypse's bidding. It was an offer Archangel could not turn away, no matter how loathsome the idea was.
After a number of defections and defeats at the hands of the X-Men and their allies, Apocalypse returned his remaining Horsemen to their original states. But he did not abandon the idea of the group entirely.
When the Avengers and Fantastic Four were thought to be dead, Apocalypse transformed the Hulk into War. He received armor, cybernetic implants, a whip, a power sword and a helmet that protected him from being haunted by his father's ghost. Yet, when he thought he'd killed Rick Jones, he broke free from Apocalypse's control.
Eventually, Apocalypse revived the concept with four new Horsemen: Wolverine became death; Deathbird became War; Caliban became Pestilence; and Rory Campbell, the man one day destined to become Ahab, became Famine. Wolverine ultimately overcame Apocalypse's programming and rejoined the X-Men. Following the death of Apocalypse, the three remaining Horsemen reverted to their former selves.
Leader:
Apocalypse
Scribe:
Ozymandias
Four Horsemen:
Death VI
War V
Pestilence IV
Famine IV
Equipment:
Apocalypse's Ship
War Horse
Former Horsemen:
Death III
War II
Famine II
Pestilence II
Death IV
War III
Death V
War IV
Famine III
Pestilence III
