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Clan Akkaba is a fictional cult appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The cult appears in X-Men comic books and was created by Frank Tieri and Clayton Henry. Members of the cult are the descendants of the mutant supervillain Apocalypse and first appeared in the X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula miniseries.
| Clan Akkaba | |
|---|---|
 Clan Akkaba Symbol | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula #1 (April 2006) |
| Created by | Frank Tieri Clayton Henry |
| In-story information | |
| Type of organization | Religious Cult; Terrorist |
| Base(s) | Various |
| Leader(s) | Apocalypse |
| Agent(s) | Ozymandias Kabar Brashir Margaret Slade Hamilton Slade Frederick Slade Jack Starsmore Blink Chamber |
History
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2010) |
Origins
editAkkaba was originally a small settlement in ancient Egypt located near the Valley of the Kings. Its residents were highly superstitious, which led them to cast out one of their own: a newborn with grey skin. Baal and the Sandstormers later massacred the entire village while searching for the child. Baal took the child in, naming him En Sabah Nur.[1][2][3]
Domination
editAs an adult, En Sabah Nur became known as Apocalypse, overthrew Pharaoh Rama-Tut, and took control of Egypt. He founded Clan Akkaba, named after his birthplace. At this point, the clan began forming customs, most notably living by the mentality of survival of the fittest. Members would deceive, betray and even kill their own kin to get closer to Apocalypse.[4] Following a series of attacks by Alexander the Great and his armies, the clan migrated to Ancient Rome.[5]
19th century
edit
For thousands of years, Clan Akkaba safeguards the legacies and mantras of their lord and ancestor. Once in the new world, they accumulate wealth and acquire influential positions to better influence and control the world. The clan's members formally adopt the custom of marking themselves with a tattoo of their clan's sigil. The more powerful the individual member's level of mutant power, the larger their tattoo is.
Dracula
edit.JPG)
During the Victorian era, the clan is attacked by Dracula and nearly exterminated.[6] In 1897, Clan Akkaba's leader Hamilton Slade disappears, forcing them to summon Apocalypse to combat Dracula. Unbeknownst to the members of the clan, Dracula had been turning some of them into vampires to battle Apocalypse. As punishment for being weak in requesting a boon from him, Apocalypse kills one of the members of the Akkaba.
In the ensuing battle, all of Clan Akkaba's members are killed except for Jack Starsmore and Frederick Slade. The group then disbands by decree of Apocalypse. With help from Apocalypse and Abraham Van Helsing, they manage to kill Dracula, who would later return. The continuation of the Akkaba line is secured by Ozymandias through Frederick Slade having a child with a woman referred to as Miss Ferguson, who is implied to be an ancestor of Blink.[7] Ozymandias, realizing an opportunity to get revenge on Apocalypse, secretly plans to reshape the clan in his image for use against his lord eventually.
Re-Birth
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The new Clan Akkaba assembles in modern times under Ozymandias and an elderly Fredrick Slade. It is revealed that Chamber is a member of their bloodline and a descendant of Jack Starsmore. Chamber had recently lost his powers during M-Day, leaving him near death without his powers to sustain his body. Chamber is rejuvenated after being infused with Apocalypse's blood, which transforms him into a grey-skinned form resembling Apocalypse. Chamber's transformation also restores his chest and mouth, which were destroyed when his powers first activated.[8][9][6][10] As a descendant of Jack Starsmore, Chamber is considered to join Clan Akkaba, but refuses.[11][12]
The Apocalypse Solution
editAfter Apocalypse is taken away by the Celestials, Clan Akkaba creates a young clone of him named Evan Sabahnur.[13] Evan is raised by Clan Akkaba, who tells him that the X-Men are tyrants and Apocalypse is a savior. Psylocke and Archangel both attempt to kill Evan, but decide against doing so. They agree to take Evan in and train him, only for Fantomex to shoot and kill him.[14]
Dark Angel Saga
editThe Death Seed in Archangel's body activates, causing him to take control of Clan Akkaba and attempt to become Apocalypse's successor.[15] He and Dark Beast travel to Akkaba Metropolis, a city located underneath the North Pole and established by Clan Akkaba. After taking the Life Seed, Archangel attempts to start a new evolutionary line in an isolated location. After this plan fails and Angel is cured of the Death Seed, Dark Beast takes control of Clan Akkaba.
The Apocalypse Twins, the children of Archangel and Pestilence, later travel to the Metropolis and destroy the city, killing most of Clan Akkaba's members.[16]
Powers and abilities
editEach member of Clan Akkaba possesses a degree of Apocalypse's shapeshifting ability. Several members possess unique abilities, such as fire breath (Jack Starsmore) and spatial displacement (Blink and Frederick Slade). Starsmore's descendant Jonothon has similar fire-based abilities, which are psionic in nature.[6]
References
edit- ↑ Rise of Apocalypse #1 (October 1996)
- ↑ Webber, Tim (January 1, 2020). "X-Men: Apocalypse's Most Devastating Achievement Is Ending An Entire Era". CBR. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
As one of the first mutants in the world, Apocalypse's gray skin and blue features made him an outcast until he was taken in by the roving Sandstormers. As he grew into adulthood, Apocalypse rose to power in Ancient Egypt, began using Celestial technology and united his loyal followers in Clan Akkaba.
- ↑ Caballero, David (September 26, 2021). "X-Men: 10 Things Only Comic Book Fans Know About Apocalypse". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
Because of his unusual appearance - gray skin, blue lines across his face and lips, etc. - [Apocalypse] inspired fear from the villagers, who left him to die in the scorching desert. The villagers soon died at the hands of the Sandstormers, a roaming group of raiders. The leader of the raiders, Baal of the Crimson Sands, found and rescued Apocalypse, giving him the name En Sabah Nur, meaning "the morning light."...Throughout the years, Apocalypse had multiple children who served as his enforcers. They made up his personal army, Clan Akkaba, an organization that survived all the way to modern times, acting as a cult to Apocalypse.
- ↑ X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula #3 (June 2006)
- ↑ X-Men: The Search for Cyclops #1 (December 2000)
- 1 2 3 Steinberg, Alexandra (May 2, 2020). "Apocalypse: Marvel's DEADLIEST Mutant Dynasty, Explained". CBR. Archived from the original on May 2, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ Lune, Matt (January 9, 2018). "She's Gifted: 15 Secrets About Blink". CBR. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
Frederick Slade was a member of Clan Akkaba, the group of genetic descendants to Apocalypse around the turn of the 20th Century. He was depicted with pink hair and green eyes and had the ability to teleport (sound familiar?) and in an effort to continue the Clan Akkaba line and therefore secure the genetic lineage of Apocalypse himself, he sired a child with a woman called Miss Ferguson. Seeing as Blink's real name is Clarice Ferguson, it's not a stretch to conclude that she's a descendant of Apocalypse.
- ↑ New Excalibur #9 (September 2006)
- ↑ Zachary, Brandon (January 21, 2023). "X-Men: A Fan Favorite Mutant Has a Hidden Connection to Apocalypse". CBR. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
Left on the brink of death, Chamber was given a new lease on life when he was found by the members of Clan Akkaba in New Excalibur #9 (by Frank Tieri, Scott Kolins, Wil Quintana, and Tom Orzechowski).
- ↑ Richards, Dave (September 13, 2006). "Defending the Realm: Tieri Talks "New Excalibur"". CBR. Archived from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
Chamber's loss of his powers resulted in a crippling, near fatal injury. In issue #9, Chamber was abducted from his hospital bed by the sinister Clan Akkaba, a secret society fanatically devoted to protecting the legacy of the villain Apocalypse. The clan healed Chamber, altered his appearance to make him look like "Apocalypse Jr." and might even have restored his mutant powers.
- ↑ Walker, Gary (May 21, 2020). "X-Men: How Marvel's Mutants Got Their Powers Back After House of M". CBR. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
Not long after his arrival in England, [Chamber] was abducted by Clan Akkaba, who used the blood of Apocalypse to repair his body and change his appearance. Despite now looking like Apocalypse, he refused to join the clan and left to be on his own.
- ↑ White, Brett (October 23, 2016). "Generation X: 22 Years Later, Where Are They Now?". CBR. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
Chamber lost his powers on M-Day (like Jubilee), leaving him a human with no jaw or chest -- and then followers of Apocalypse restored him back to health because Chamber's actually a descendant of the immortal mutant. He ditched the Clan Akkaba and joined Jubilee's all-human New Warriors squad for a time -- and then after that, his powers exploded again.
- ↑ Uncanny X-Force #1 (December 2010)
- ↑ Uncanny X-Force #4 (March 2011)
- ↑ Yang, Paul (October 9, 2020). "X-Force: Archangel Was a Deadlier Apocalypse Than En Sabah Nur Ever Was". CBR. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
With Apocalypse felled, the Death Seed within Archangel began to sprout, transforming him into the leader of Clan Akkaba and the head of the Final Horsemen, which included another child of Apocalypse.
- ↑ Uncanny Avengers #8 (July 2013)