X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Related: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: First Class (2011), X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

This movie is essentially a profane and blasphemous mockery of God and the Bible. The title of the film and name of its preeminent antagonist, Apocalypse, is taken from the biblical book of John bearing the same title, also called Revelation. Yet, instead of Christ (of whom John's book testifies), we have a mutant who calls himself YHWH and Elohim, who is considered to be "all-powerful," who aspires to be omnipresent, and who says he has returned to cleanse and save the world. The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ is to be reverently believed, not profaned as source material for the creation of blasphemous comic book fiction.

For this and the following reasons, this movie should be avoided. It is filled with profanity (over 14 instances, including many biblical references), blasphemy (God's name is taken in vain at least 6 times), defiance against God, disdain for authority, immodesty, sexual immorality, and evolution. Satanic sorcery is promoted under the guise of "special mutant powers," for the superhuman, miraculous abilities the characters are depicted as having can only be attributed to the devil. Since its heroes practice sin, this movie conditions viewers to substitute evil for good and good for evil (Isa. 5:20) by praising evildoers who ought to be despised (Ps. 15:4; Pro. 28:4).

Violations of God's Law

Defiance against God

This movie violates the First Commandment.

• Sorcery:
  • Xavier, called "the world's most powerful psychic," is depicted as being able to read people's minds, remove and restore memories therein, freeze people in time, and force people to make decisions against their will.
  • Jean is depicted as having the power of telekinesis and telepathy, who reads people's minds and moves things with her mind
  • Magneto is depicted as having the power to levitate and control metal and magnetism
  • Storm is depicted as having the power to create and control weather and lightning (this is but a blasphemous usurpation of God's prerogative, who alone possesses such power)
  • Magneto's daughter Nina is depicted as having the power to control wild animals, causing them to attack people
  • Apocalypse is depicted as having the ability to transfer his consciousness into other people, to cause things to levitate, and to telekinetically sever men's heads, disintegrate and construct materials and buildings
• Apocalypse is repeatedly referred to as divine
  • He repeatedly refers to himself as God, even calling himself YHWH and Elohim, and refers to all other religions, including Christianity, as having false gods
  • He insinuates that he is the ruler of the world
  • He claims to have the ability to acquire the power of omnipresence
  • He is said to have a specific set of powers "greater than any man could possess," and is described as an "all-powerful" mutant
  • Many men are shown bowing down and worshiping him
• Reincarnation: Apocalypse and his men partake in a religious ritual in which he and his sacrificial subject exchange bodies through the transference of their consciousnesses. Apocalypse is portrayed as having lived for thousands of years due his ability to transfer his consciousness into younger bodies whenever his current body nears death.
• Storm is referred to as a goddess
• Evolution is referenced and promoted
• At least 2 appeals to luck

Idolatry

This movie violates the Second Commandment, which forbids any visual representation of the Godhead, including the Son, who is both human and divine.

• A prominent statue of Jesus carrying his cross is briefly shown as a timeline marker between Apocalypse's burial to present day. A crucifix atop a staff held by the Pope is shown as well.
• Nightcrawler is portrayed as a devout Roman Catholic (Roman Catholicism officially condemns the Protestant faith), crossing himself in one scene and praying in another

Blasphemy and Profanity

This movie violates the Third Commandment. God has warned that he will not hold guiltless those who take his name in vain (Ex. 20:7).

• Apocalypse calls himself God, even YHWH and Elohim
• Xavier takes God's name in vain at least once
• Cyclops utters "Jesus" in vain
• Moira takes God's name in vain at least once, and also suggests that the Bible got its idea of the four horsemen in the book of Revelation from the mutant Apocalypse
• Magneto angrily looks up at the sky and screams, "Is this what you want from me?"
• A US general takes God's name in vain at least once
• Profane references: hell (4), damn (1), devil (1), among others

Disdain for Authority

This movie promotes violations of the Fifth Commandment. Those who despise government are likened to brute beasts who will be condemned (2Pe. 2:10-12; Jude 1:8-10).

• Magneto assumes a false identity as a fugitive murderer
• Magneto's daughter Nina, ignoring the pleas of her parents, uses her mutant powers to cause wild animals to attack police officers
• Feminism
  • Mystique and Moira are shown fighting men
  • Moira admits she got divorced from her husband because "it's hard to do this job and make it home in time for dinner," to which Xavier, seeing her as a love interest, approvingly responded, "Good, good."

Abuse, Violence, and Murder

This movie promotes violations of the Sixth Commandment. God hates those who love violence (Ps. 11:5). The Bible says those who hate are murderers, and no murderer has eternal life (1Jo. 3:15), and warns that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (1Co. 6:9-10).

• After Magneto murders a large number of police officers, who were sent to arrest him after his identity was revealed to his coworkers at the metal plant he worked at, he proceeds to the metal plant to murder all of his coworkers for contacting the authorities, but is stopped short because Apocalypse ends up preemptively killing them, instead.
  • Toward the end of the film, Magneto is depicted as turning "good" in helping to fight against Apocalypse. This is recognized by government officials, and Xavier repeatedly confirms that there is "good" in Magneto, ultimately inviting him to stay at his mansion. All of this whitewashes the fact that Magneto is a brutal fugitive and a serial killer.
• Wolverine slaughters many men with his claws
• Angel is shown drinking alcohol to excess

Immodesty and Sexual Immorality

This movie violates and promotes violations of the Seventh Commandment. The Bible warns that those who do not repent of sexual immorality will not inherit the kingdom of God (1Co. 6:9-10), but will be judged by God (Heb. 13:4). We are commanded to "flee fornication" (1Co. 6:18).

• Magneto (Michael Fassbender, unmarried) and the actress portraying his wife (Carolina Bartczak) are shown embracing and kissing
• Xavier (James McAvoy, married) and Moira (Rose Byrne, unmarried) are shown kissing in a flashback from the movie X-Men: First Class
• Mystique is shown seducing a guard, rubbing his body
• Quicksilver reveals that he was born out of wedlock from Magneto and his mother
• Mystique is repeatedly nude, with her body fully exposed, apart from being painted blue. In her human form, she is repeatedly shown immodestly dressed, wearing minidresses, low-cut shirts, a V-neck down to her stomach, revealing large portions of her breasts, breast cleavage, and bared legs
• A woman is shown holding up a sign "KAMPFII" and her back and buttocks are fully exposed
• Psylocke is repeatedly shown immodestly dressed, wearing revealing body suit
• Jubilee is shown wearing a miniskirt, exposed legs
• Magneto's wife shows breast cleavage
• Storm is shown wearing an immodest shirt with an exposed bra strap
• Many men, including Angel, are shown shirtless
• A man is shown wearing only a loin cloth
• Quicksilver's leg cast has an illustration of an immodestly dressed woman in a crop top, showing cleavage, stomach

Deceit

This movie promotes violations of the Ninth Commandment. The Bible warns that all liars, whom God hates (Pro. 6:16-19; 12:22), shall have their part in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8).

• As a murderous fugitive, Magneto lies about his identity in order to hide from authorities
• Xavier lies about meeting Moira for the first time (with his psychic powers, he previously erased her memories of their time together). He also confesses to Alex that he has abused his Cerebro machine to spy on her (his love interest) on several occasions, even admitting that doing so makes him "some kind of pervert"
• When his mother asks him what he is doing, Quicksilver lies to her face

Sinful Content in X-Men: Apocalypse

Warning! The following table contains direct quotations from the film, which include instances of blasphemy, profanity, and other vices.