History Fridge / XMenApocalypse

* The First Class trilogy explores three different aspects of Charles Xavier. In ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', he embodies serenity (which is a synonym for peace). In ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', his younger self is a lost soul who gradually finds hope again. In ''Apocalypse'', he wields an ability which is just as powerful (if not more so) than his telepathy--ThePowerOfLove. Peace, Hope and Love are Professor X in a nutshell. Furthermore, the climax of each movie is directly connected to a significant relationship in his life. In ''First Class'', he and his HeterosexualLifePartner Erik are "[[FanNickname divorced]]." In ''Days of Future Past'', Charles makes amends with his estranged foster sister Raven. In ''Apocalypse'', he strengthens his bond with his surrogate daughter Jean. Break, Repair and Strength are also what his character undergoes at the end of each entry.

** En Sabah Nur warps across the world and recruits his new 'horsemen' by appealing to their desires ("Traveled the world and the seven seas, everybody is looking for something").
** While En Sabah Nur's followers are willing to do anything for their "god," including [[GrandTheftMe losing their identity to serve as his physical vessel]] ("Some of them want to get used by you / Some of them want to be abused"), and to [[spoiler:Charles Xavier, who is {{Mind Rape}}d by Apocalypse]] ("Some of them want to use you / Some of them want to abuse you").

** Professor X and Apocalypse are obvious {{Foil}}s in the story, and someone who takes the time to compare them thoroughly will realize that on a fundamental level, Xavier actually isn't all that different from a cult leader. Because he's a very benevolent and sympathetic character, he is never labelled with that term and he avoids the negative connotations that come with it. But based on the way Charles recruits and manages the X-Men, it's clear that he wants to be ''adored'' and ''obeyed'' (albeit as a paternal figure, not as a god), and he converts the members of his team to his philosophy. He's both incredibly unselfish and selfish at the same time. The Professor gives all of his love to his followers, and in return, he hopes they will do the same and remain devoted to him for life. (Even Havok, who assimilates into human society after UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar and was unconnected to the school for 20 years, still carries UndyingLoyalty for his ex-mentor.) Apocalypse relies on his CultOfPersonality and perhaps MoreThanMindControl to convince mutants to join and fight for his cause. Xavier is the ultimate MagneticHero of the franchise, and even when it isn't his intention to form a paramilitary group ("Charles wants students, not soldiers"), his [[TheCharmer charm]] is so captivating that young mutants like Cyclops, Quicksilver and Nightcrawler are willing to risk their lives for him, a virtual stranger. Professor X even shares some of Apocalypse's arrogance and [[ErmineCapeEffect vanity]]--Charles is an AgentPeacock whose overconfidence is (or perhaps was in the AlternateTimeline) his FatalFlaw--and their egos crave reverence from a surrogate family that they've mentored personally. It's quite ironic that the BigGood of the film series functions in a similar fashion to the BigBad of this movie; the crucial difference between them is that Xavier is a NiceGuy with the ideals of TheHero who understands ThePowerOfLove and how to harness it. Because MachiavelliWasWrong in this universe, Professor X is a ''more successful cult leader'' than a self-proclaimed god. Creator/JamesMcAvoy himself had observed that his character wishes to be idolized in the June 2016 issue of ''F***'' magazine:

* Professor X and Apocalypse are obvious {{Foil}}s in the story, and someone who takes the time to compare them thoroughly will realize that on a fundamental level, Xavier actually isn't all that different from a cult leader. Because he's a very benevolent and sympathetic character, he is never labelled with that term and he avoids the negative connotations that come with it. But based on the way Charles recruits and manages the X-Men, it's clear that he wants to be ''adored'' and ''obeyed'' (albeit as a paternal figure, not as a god), and he converts the members of his team to his philosophy. He's both incredibly unselfish and selfish at the same time. The Professor gives all of his love to his followers, and in return, he hopes they will do the same and remain devoted to him for life. (Even Havok, who assimilates into human society after UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar and was unconnected to the school for 20 years, still carries UndyingLoyalty for his ex-mentor.) Apocalypse relies on his CultOfPersonality and perhaps MoreThanMindControl to convince mutants to join and fight for his cause. Xavier is the ultimate MagneticHero of the franchise, and even when it isn't his intention to form a paramilitary group ("Charles wants students, not soldiers"), his [[TheCharmer charm]] is so captivating that young mutants like Cyclops, Quicksilver and Nightcrawler are willing to risk their lives for him, a virtual stranger. Professor X even shares some of Apocalypse's arrogance and [[ErmineCapeEffect vanity]]--Charles is an AgentPeacock whose overconfidence is (or perhaps was in the AlternateTimeline) his FatalFlaw--and their egos crave reverence from a surrogate family that they've mentored personally. It's quite ironic that the BigGood of the film series functions in a similar fashion to the BigBad of this movie; the crucial difference between them is that Xavier is a NiceGuy with the ideals of TheHero who understands ThePowerOfLove and how to harness it. Because MachiavelliWasWrong in this universe, Professor X is a ''more successful cult leader'' than a self-proclaimed god. Creator/JamesMcAvoy himself had observed that his character wishes to be idolized in the June 2016 issue of ''F***'' magazine:
-->'''[=McAvoy=]''': That's partly why he's building a school and he wants that family that he never really had, and he wants to be the father. He's got that slight... he's a good man, but he's got a little bit of a god complex as well. He wants to be at the head of the table. It's a good thing, but it's his flaw as well.

* A few verses from the lyrics of the Music/{{Eurythmics}}' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" allude to En Sabah Nur's followers, who are willing to do anything for their "god," including [[GrandTheftMe losing their identity to serve as his physical vessel]] ("Some of them want to get used by you / Some of them want to be abused"), and to [[spoiler:Charles Xavier, who is {{Mind Rape}}d by Apocalypse]] ("Some of them want to use you / Some of them want to abuse you").

* The First Class trilogy explores three different aspects of Charles Xavier. In ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', he embodies serenity (which is a synonym for peace). In ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', his younger self is a lost soul who gradually finds hope again. In ''Apocalypse'', he wields an ability which is just as powerful (if not more so) than his telepathy--ThePowerOfLove. Peace, Hope and Love are Professor X in a nutshell. Furthermore, the climaxes of each movie are directly connected to the three most significant relationships in his life. In ''First Class'', he and his HeterosexualLifePartner Erik are "[[FanNickname divorced]]." In ''Days of Future Past'', Charles makes amends with his estranged foster sister Raven. In ''Apocalypse'', he strengthens his bond with surrogate daughter Jean. Break, Repair and Strength are also what his character undergoes at the end of each entry.

* Professor X and Apocalypse are obvious {{Foil}}s in the story, and someone who takes the time to compare them thoroughly will realize that on a fundamental level, Xavier actually isn't all that different from a cult leader. Because he's a very benevolent and sympathetic character, he is never labelled with that term and he avoids the negative connotations that come with it. But based on the way Charles recruits and manages the X-Men, it's clear that he wants to be ''adored'' and ''obeyed'' (albeit as a paternal figure, not as a god), and he converts the members of his team to his philosophy. He's both incredibly unselfish and selfish at the same time. The Professor gives all of his love to his followers, and in return, he hopes they will do the same and remain devoted to him for life. (Even Havok, who assimilates into human society after UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar and was unconnected to the school for 20 years, still carries UndyingLoyalty for his ex-mentor.) Apocalypse relies on his CultOfPersonality and perhaps MoreThanMindControl to convince mutants to join and fight for his cause. Xavier is the ultimate MagneticHero of the franchise, and even when it isn't his intention to form a paramilitary group ("Charles wants students, not soldiers"), his [[TheCharmer charm]] is so captivating that young mutants like Cyclops, Quicksilver and Nightcrawler are willing to risk their lives for him, a virtual stranger. Professor X even shares some of Apocalypse's arrogance and [[ErmineCapeEffect vanity]]--Charles is an AgentPeacock whose overconfidence is (or perhaps was in the AlternateTimeline) his FatalFlaw--and they both crave reverence from a surrogate family that they've mentored personally. It's quite ironic that the BigGood of the film series functions in a similar fashion to the BigBad of this movie; the crucial difference between them is that Xavier is a NiceGuy with the ideals of TheHero who understands ThePowerOfLove and how to harness it. Because MachiavelliWasWrong in this universe, Professor X is a ''more successful cult leader'' than a self-proclaimed god. Creator/JamesMcAvoy himself had observed that his character wishes to be idolized in the June 2016 issue of ''F***'' magazine:

* Professor X and Apocalypse are obvious {{Foil}}s in the story, and someone who takes the time to compare them thoroughly will realize that on a fundamental level, Xavier actually isn't all that different from a cult leader. Because he's a very benevolent and sympathetic character, he is never labelled with that term and he avoids the negative connotations that come with it. But based on the way Charles recruits and manages the X-Men, it's clear that he wants to be ''adored'' and ''obeyed'' (albeit as a paternal figure, not as a god), and he converts the members of his team to his philosophy. He's both incredibly unselfish and selfish at the same time. The Professor gives all of his love to his followers, and in return, he hopes they will do the same and remain devoted to him for life. (Even Havok, who assimilates into human society after UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar and was unconnected to the school for 20 years, still carries UndyingLoyalty for his ex-mentor.) Apocalypse relies on his CultOfPersonality and perhaps MoreThanMindControl to convince mutants to join and fight for his cause. Xavier is the ultimate MagneticHero of the franchise, and even when it isn't his intention to form a paramilitary group ("Charles wants students, not soldiers"), his [[TheCharmer charm]] is so captivating that young mutants like Cyclops, Quicksilver and Nightcrawler are willing to risk their lives for him, a virtual stranger. Professor X even shares some of Apocalypse's arrogance and [[ErmineCapeEffect vanity]]--Charles is an AgentPeacock whose overconfidence is (or perhaps was in the AlternateTimeline) his FatalFlaw--and they both crave reverence through a surrogate family. It's quite ironic that the BigGood of the film series functions in a similar fashion to the BigBad of this movie; the crucial difference between them is that Xavier is a NiceGuy with the ideals of TheHero who understands ThePowerOfLove and how to harness it. Creator/JamesMcAvoy himself had observed this about his character in the June 2016 issue of ''F***'' magazine:

* Professor X and Apocalypse are obvious {{Foil}}s in the story, and someone who takes the time to compare them thoroughly will realize that on a fundamental level, Xavier actually isn't all that different from a cult leader. Because he's a very benevolent and sympathetic character, he avoids the negative connotations that usually come with the term "cult leader," but based on the way Charles recruits and manages the X-Men, it's clear that he wants to be ''adored'' and ''obeyed'' (albeit as a paternal figure, not as a god), and he converts the members of his team to his philosophy. He's both incredibly unselfish and selfish at the same time. The Professor gives all of his love to his followers, and in return, he hopes they will do the same and be devoted to him for life. (Even Havok, who assimilates into human society after UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar and was unconnected to the school for 20 years, still carries UndyingLoyalty for his ex-mentor.) Apocalypse relies on his CultOfPersonality and perhaps MoreThanMindControl to convince mutants to join and fight for his cause. Xavier is the ultimate MagneticHero of the franchise, and even when it isn't his intention to form a paramilitary group ("Charles wants students, not soldiers"), his [[TheCharmer charm]] is so captivating that young mutants like Cyclops, Quicksilver and Nightcrawler are willing to risk their lives for him, a virtual stranger. Professor X even shares some of Apocalypse's arrogance and [[ErmineCapeEffect vanity]]--Charles is an AgentPeacock whose overconfidence is (or perhaps was in the AlternateTimeline) his FatalFlaw. It's quite ironic that the BigGood of the film series functions in a similar fashion to the BigBad of this movie; the crucial difference between them is that Xavier is a NiceGuy with the ideals of TheHero who understands ThePowerOfLove and how to harness it. Creator/JamesMcAvoy himself had observed this about his character in the June 2016 issue of ''F***'' magazine:

* There are strong {{Actor Allusion}}s to Creator/JamesMcAvoy's role as Leto Atreides II in ''Series/ChildrenOfDune'' throughout ''Apocalypse'', and some themes in the former overlap with the latter. During the OpeningMonologue, there are sand dunes that bring to mind the deserts of Arrakis, and it's only after Professor X finishes speaking that we learn that the scene is set in AncientEgypt. Leto in the mini-series is a 17-year-old (9 years old in [[Literature/ChildrenOfDune the book]], which coincidentally is the age that Charles' PsychicPowers first manifested) who is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnm5wdGMevU conflicted about his destiny]] as the Kwisatz Haderach son and heir of Muad'Dib ("...born with extraordinary abilities, and yet still, they are children, stumbling in the dark, searching for guidance"). Leto is cursed with the gift of prescience ("A gift can often be a curse"), and he's tormented by the knowledge that humanity is doomed unless he makes a terrible choice ("Give them the power of prophecy, and they may live in fear of the future"). By the end of ''Children of Dune'', he gains god-like powers and metamorphoses into a grotesque God Emperor, and the [[Literature/GodEmperorOfDune next novel]] shows that he becomes a brutal tyrant for 3500 years ("Give them the greatest gift of all, powers beyond imagination, and they may think they are meant to rule the world"). Xavier's and Jean Grey's shared telepathy leads them to develop a profound surrogate father-daughter relationship, which parallels the closeness between Leto and his twin sister Ghanima, who struggle with being pre-born because they fear being possessed by the ego-memories of their ancestors. After Leto attains godhood, he marries his sister[[note]]but they never consummate the marriage[[/note]] to evoke the pharaonic traditions of Ancient Egypt, so his blood-soaked "divine" reign of terror is not that different from En Sabah Nur's in the prologue, and Leto is betrayed by his followers. There is a direct ShoutOut to ''Children of Dune'' when Charles is abducted, [[spoiler:forced on to a slab and mentally assaulted in order to destroy his mind]], which is exactly what happens to Leto. Although Xavier's transformation into Professor X isn't nearly as drastic as the human-sandworm hybrid that Leto becomes, the former does, to paraphrase what Leto says, survive the crucible and arise from his own ashes in its changed form. Leto tells Stilgar, "A good ruler doesn't need to be a prophet, not even god-like. A good ruler has to be sensitive to the ones he rules," which describes Charles' leadership style perfectly. Xavier is a man who is InTouchWithHisFeminineSide and wields authority in a manner which is both firm (his friends and students readily obey him) and delicate (he employs his empathy to determine what kind of nurturing would work best on an individual). It's analogous to Leto's unique skill of being able to access the genetic memories of both his female and male ancestors.

* At the end we have the mutants [[spoiler: facing the Sentinels from ''DOFP'' in the Danger Room]]. Seems like just another training exercise, until you remember that Bolivar Trask, while incarcerated, is still alive and well, Stryker is still flying around somewhere, and with recent events being what they are, people may once more see mutants as a threat to be eradicated.

* There are strong {{Actor Allusion}}s to Creator/JamesMcAvoy's role as Leto Atreides II in ''Series/ChildrenOfDune'' throughout ''Apocalypse'', and some themes in the former overlap with the latter. During the OpeningMonologue, there are sand dunes that bring to mind the deserts of Arrakis, and it's only after Professor X finishes speaking that we learn that the scene is set in AncientEgypt. Leto in the mini-series is a 17-year-old (9 years old in [[Literature/ChildrenOfDune the book]], which coincidentally is the age that Charles' PsychicPowers first manifested) who is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnm5wdGMevU conflicted about his destiny]] as the Kwisatz Haderach son and heir of Muad'Dib ("...born with extraordinary abilities, and yet still, they are children, stumbling in the dark, searching for guidance"). Leto is cursed with the gift of prescience ("A gift can often be a curse"), and he's tormented by the knowledge that humanity is doomed unless he makes a terrible choice ("Give them the power of prophecy, and they may live in fear of the future"). By the end of ''Children of Dune'', he gains god-like powers and metamorphoses into a grotesque God Emperor, and the [[Literature/GodEmperorOfDune next novel]] shows that he becomes a brutal tyrant for 3500 years ("Give them the greatest gift of all, powers beyond imagination, and they may think they are meant to rule the world"). Xavier's and Jean Grey's shared telepathy leads them to develop a profound surrogate father-daughter relationship, which parallels the closeness between Leto and his twin sister Ghanima, who struggle with being pre-born because they fear being possessed by the ego-memories of their ancestors. After Leto attains godhood, he marries his sister[[note]]but they never consummate the marriage[[/note]] to evoke the pharaonic traditions of Ancient Egypt, so his blood-soaked "divine" reign of terror is not that different from En Sabah Nur's in the prologue, and Leto is betrayed by his followers. There is a direct ShoutOut to ''Children of Dune'' when Charles is abducted, [[spoiler:forced on to a slab and mentally assaulted in order to destroy his mind]], which is exactly what happens to Leto. Although Xavier's transformation into Professor X isn't nearly as drastic as the human-sandworm hybrid that Leto becomes, the former does, to paraphrase what Leto says, survive the crucible and arise from his own ashes in its changed form.

* At the end we have the mutants [[spoiler: facing the Sentinels from ''DOFP'' in the Danger Room]]. Seems like just another training exercise, until you remember that Bolivar Trask, while incarcerated, is still alive and well, Stryker is still flying around somewhere, and with recent events being what they are, people may once more seen mutants as a threat.

* There are strong {{Actor Allusion}}s to Creator/JamesMcAvoy's role as Leto Atreides II in ''Series/ChildrenOfDune'' throughout ''Apocalypse'', and some themes in the former overlap with the latter. During the OpeningMonologue, there are sand dunes that bring to mind the deserts of Arrakis, and it's only after Professor X finishes speaking that we learn that the scene is set in AncientEgypt. Leto in the mini-series is a 17-year-old (9 years old in [[Literature/ChildrenOfDune the book]], which coincidentally is the age that Charles' PsychicPowers first manifested) who is conflicted about his destiny as the Kwisatz Haderach son and heir of Muad'Dib ("...born with extraordinary abilities, and yet still, they are children, stumbling in the dark, searching for guidance"). Leto is cursed with the gift of prescience ("A gift can often be a curse"), and he's tormented by the knowledge that humanity is doomed unless he makes a terrible choice ("Give them the power of prophecy, and they may live in fear of the future"). By the end of ''Children of Dune'', he gains god-like powers and metamorphoses into a grotesque God Emperor, and the [[Literature/GodEmperorOfDune next novel]] shows that he becomes a brutal tyrant for 3500 years ("Give them the greatest gift of all, powers beyond imagination, and they may think they are meant to rule the world"). Xavier's and Jean Grey's shared telepathy leads them to develop a profound surrogate father-daughter relationship, which parallels the closeness between Leto and his twin sister Ghanima, who struggle with being pre-born because they fear being possessed by the ego-memories of their ancestors. After Leto attains godhood, he marries his sister[[note]]but they never consummate the marriage[[/note]] to evoke the pharaonic traditions of Ancient Egypt, so Leto's blood-soaked "divine" reign of terror is not that different from En Sabah Nur's in the prologue. There is a direct ShoutOut to ''Children of Dune'' when Charles is abducted, [[spoiler:forced on to a slab and mentally assaulted in order to destroy his mind]], which is exactly what happens to Leto. Although Xavier's transformation into Professor X isn't nearly as drastic as the human-sandworm hybrid that Leto becomes, the former does, to paraphrase what Leto says, survive the crucible and arise from his own ashes in its changed form.

* When Ororo brings Apocalypse to her home, the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?" is playing on the TV. The episode itself discusses the concept of [[OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions humans having outgrown the need to worship gods]], and ultimately a god-like figure is rejected in favor of rational humanism.
** It also calls back to the last movie where Hank was watching ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' as he recorded "all three networks, plus PBS."

* There are strong {{Actor Allusion}}s to Creator/JamesMcAvoy's role as Leto Atreides II in ''Series/ChildrenOfDune'' throughout ''Apocalypse'', and some themes in the former overlap with the latter. During the OpeningMonologue, there are sand dunes that bring to mind the deserts of Arrakis, and it's only after Professor X finishes speaking that we learn that the scene is set in AncientEgypt. Leto is cursed with the gift of prescience, and he's tormented by the knowledge that humanity is doomed unless he makes a terrible choice ("Give them the power of prophecy, and they may live in fear of the future"). By the end of ''Children of Dune'', he gains god-like powers and metamorphoses into a grotesque God Emperor, and the [[Literature/GodEmperorOfDune next novel]] shows that he becomes a brutal tyrant ("Give them the greatest gift of all, powers beyond imagination, and they may think they are meant to rule the world"). Xavier's and Jean Grey's shared telepathy leads them to develop a profound surrogate father-daughter relationship, which parallels the closeness between Leto and his twin sister Ghanima, who struggle with being pre-born because they fear being possessed by the ego-memories of their ancestors. After Leto attains godhood, he marries his sister[[note]]but they never consummate the marriage[[/note]] to evoke the pharaonic traditions of Ancient Egypt, so Leto's blood-soaked "divine" reign of fear is not that different from En Sabah Nur's in the prologue. There is a direct ShoutOut to ''Children of Dune'' when Charles is abducted, [[spoiler:forced on to a slab and mentally assaulted in order to destroy his mind]], which is exactly what happens to Leto. Although Xavier's transformation into Professor X isn't nearly as drastic as the human-sandworm hybrid that Leto becomes, the former does, to paraphrase what Leto says, survive the crucible and arise from his own ashes in its changed form.

* The events of the previous movies firmly take place in the 60's and 70's. So why do none of the recurring characters seem to be any older? The rebooted movies take place in Main/ComicBookTime! Like Deadpool said, "These timelines are so confusing..."

* Peter and Charles foils:

* [[spoiler: Angel, The Horseman Of Death, is the only one of the four [[CharacterDeath who dies]].]]

* There are several catalysts for Storm's HeelFaceTurn in the final battle. Her confidence in the side she chose is shaken when she sees Apocalypse abandon Warren as useless. She realizes that he ''doesn't'' truly care for any of them, and is just using them for their powers. Mystique sacrificing herself in an effort to save Quicksilver is the final straw. However it's ''not'' the fact that the X-Men stand by and die for each other. It's the fact that ''Mystique'' — the woman she calls her hero, and whom she wishes she could be like — is standing against him.

* Just how many millions of people did Apocalypse kill when he razed the entire city of Cairo to the ground and built his new pyramids in the ruins of the city? In 1983, the city center of Cairo alone had a population of more then 5 million people.....
* As noted under Brilliance above, Apocalypse is strangely happy about being destroyed, smiling and remarking "[[ArcWords All is revealed]]" just before he's obliterated. [[spoiler: Then you remember, Jean has just unleashed ''the Phoenix'' to do it, which in the books is the fundamental force of destruction and rebirth in the Marvel universe. Apocalypse is reveling in the fact that a power that can carry out his philosophy on a ''cosmic'' scale has just been released]].
* Quicksilver mentioned that, when he was told that Magneto was his father, he headed to that small village he was living in, but it was too late, he was not there anymore. He was too late to talk to Magneto before Apocalypse recruited him, but also for something else: he was too late to save the sister he didn't knew he had.

* Quicksilver thinking that Moira is a MILF when he rescues her is PlayedForLaughs, but it's actually a subtle and clever clue to the audience that he's a {{Foil}} to Professor X,[[note]]you can read their entry for that trope on the [[Film/XMenApocalypse main page]][[/note]] and the two men actually share several personality traits in common. Maximoff and Xavier don't have any scenes in ''Apocalypse'' where they interact directly, yet Peter chooses to stay with Charles and be mentored by him even though he barely knows the telepath. This may seem odd at first, but when you notice their similarities, it makes sense that Quicksilver feels comfortable with the idea of building a surrogate father-son relationship with the Professor. Back in [[Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast 1973]], Xavier had offered Maximoff a small glimpse of his paternal side, and Peter's warm smile showed that he had truly appreciated it--Charles was a stranger to him, yet he still made the effort to be friendly to Maximoff before they went on their separate ways. During the FinalBattle against Apocalypse, Xavier had formed a telepathic link to Quicksilver even though they hadn't spoken in a decade, and Charles is close to tears when [[spoiler:Peter is severely injured]]. In these small moments, Professor X has already demonstrated his willingness to be a father figure to Maximoff, and when you have as many daddy issues as Quicksilver does, it's natural that he would gravitate towards Xavier.
** Here's another way the filmmakers have set up Charles and Peter as {{Foil}}s for each other: after Professor X is snatched by Apocalypse (and is therefore taken away from the other heroes), Quicksilver arrives at the X-Mansion ''seconds'' later and becomes an active character in the plot. In a sense, Maximoff substitutes for Xavier as the "cute, confident, charming guy" within the X-Men with abandonment issues caused by Erik ''immediately'' after Charles is captured by the villains. Their sameness is also represented visually when they both experience a PunchPunchPunchUhOh situation against Apocalypse.

* As noted under Brilliance above, Apocalypse is strangely happy about being destroyed, smiling and remarking "[[ArcWords All is revealed]]" just before he's obliterated. [[spoiler: Then you remember, Jean has just unleashed ''the Phoenix'' to do it, which in the books is the fundamental force of destruction and rebirth in the Marvel universe. Apocalypse is reveling in the fact that a power that can carry out his philosophy on a ''cosmic'' scale has just been released!]]
* If Quicksilver didn't decide to visit Xavier's school or if he arrived just a little later, dozens of students and three main characters would be vaporized on spot, leaving noone to stop Apocalypse later.

** Here's another way the filmmakers have set up Charles and Peter as {{Foil}}s for each other: seconds after Professor X is snatched by Apocalypse (and is therefore taken away from the other heroes), Quicksilver arrives at the X-Mansion and becomes an active character in the plot. In a sense, Maximoff substitutes for Xavier as the "cute, confident, charming guy" within the X-Men with abandonment issues caused by Erik ''immediately'' after Charles is captured by the villains.

* Magneto has the privilege of saying the F-bomb in this movie (only one is permitted for a PG-13 rating), so for the First Class trilogy, the rare F-bombs are reserved solely for the SpotlightStealingSquad of the franchise--namely Wolverine (''First Class''), Professor X (''Days of Future Past'') and the aforementioned Magneto. Hogging precious screen time isn't the only thing they're good at.
* Right before he's destroyed, Apocalypse seems oddly happy about his defeat. However, Apocalypse's schtick has ''always'' been survival of the fittest. He smiles because his defeat at the hands of the X-Men means he's leaving the world ''in the hands of the strongest''. He was only incensed by mankind's ascendancy because of their reliance on their technology. [[spoiler:Jean's power is her own.]] However, see below under Horror...

** It also calls back to the last movie where Hank was watching ''StarTrek'' as he recorded "all 3 networks, plus PBS."
* The horsemen's backstory in the movie fits the theme of the biblical horsemen:

** Magneto represents War because he has suffered from manmade conflicts since WorldWarTwo. The Rider of the Red Horse is also described as "empire division," and if there's anything Magneto represents, it's division. Not to mention that he's often seen in various shades of red.

* The movie continues the franchise's trend of representing the current state of gay rights. While the movie is set in the 80s, it seems like a fairly accurate reflection of gay rights at its time of release, when there's been heavy concern that LGBT rights are extremely piecemeal worldwide. In this film we see Nightcrawler walk around in public in the US, while being forced to fight to the death for public amusement in Berlin. The police in Poland seem uncomfortable with Magneto's daughter, but show absolute horror when they accidentally cause her death. It's left ambiguous whether the merchants in Egypt hate mutants, or are just pissed at Storm stealing from them.

* As noted under Brilliance above, Apocalypse is strangely happy about being destroyed, smiling and remarking "[[ArcWords All has been revealed]]" just before he's obliterated. [[spoiler: Then you remember, Jean has just unleashed ''the Phoenix'' to do it, which in the books is the fundamental force of destruction and rebirth in the Marvel universe. Apocalypse is reveling in the fact that a power that can carry out his philosophy on a ''cosmic'' scale has just been released!]]

* The movie continues the franchise's trend of representing the current state of gay rights. While the movie is set in the 80s, it seems like a fairly accurate reflection of gay rights at it's time of release, when there's been heavy concern that LGBT rights are extremely piecemeal worldwide. In this film we see Nightcrawler walk around in public in the US, while being forced to fight to the death for public amusement in Berlin. The police in Poland seem uncomfortable with Magneto's daughter, but show absolute horror when they accidentally cause her death. It's left ambiguous whether the merchants in Egypt hate mutants, or are just pissed at Storm stealing from them.

* For most of his life, Quicksilver has wasted his awesome powers and chose to be a BasementDweller. What would have happened if he kept playing Ms. Pacman, or if he had hesitated about going to the Xavier's mansion and arrived just one minute later?