Apocalypse Why 1983?

[Super Jim]

Ok, now that we know that the movie will take place in the year 1983 I think it's fair to try to determine why that year was chosen.

We know from First Class and DOFP that they like to wrap these movies around real life events. For example, First Class used the Cuba Missile Crisis and DOFP used both Kennedy's assasination and the Paris Peace Accords.

In fact, I wrote in a thread a while back that I expected the Paris Peace Accord to be part of the movie, though I also expected them to use something from 1973 called the X Envelope (what a missed opportunity).

The point is that we should be able to look at major world events from 1983 and determine some possibilities of what might be incorporated in this movie...

With that, let's talk about 1983...

- There was a riot in Sing Sing prison. Although I could see that being included, would this be worth forcing 1983? Likely not. A prison riot could be done in any year.

- Red rain falls in the UK, caused by sand from the Sahara Desert in the droplets. Some call this "blood rain". This one is actually interesting because of Apocalypse and where he comes from. Could be worth investigating more...

- High ranking Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie is arrested in Bolivia & officially charged with war crimes. Can't see how this pertains, afterall, this isn't Captain America. Maybe I could see Erik involved in this, but would this be worth forcing 1983 for the movie year?

- U.S. President Ronald Reagan calls the Soviet Union an "evil empire." This is the kind of thing that I could see being incorporated. We've seen the focus of the year in these stories being focused in relation to specific Presidents, and Ronald Reagan would be a great one to have incorporated.

- U.S. President Ronald Reagan makes his initial proposal to develop technology to intercept enemy missiles. The media dub this plan "Star Wars." Again, perfect. The idea of a new space located system could easily be incorporated.

- The National Economic Summit is held in Canberra, Australia. Maybe... Similar to the Peace Accords, I guess. But is this one big enough?

- The US Embassy in bombed in Beirut, killing 63 people. Now this one is right in the ballpark of what we're lookink for. Imagine Apocalypse being behind this attack. Hmm...

- Powerful earthquake and tsunami hit northern Honshu, Japan, killed 104, injured 163. Maybe, but likely not. Something like this could be any year.

- Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space, on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Maybe... It's big enough, but I'm liking the Presidential related ones more.

- Gulf Air Flight 771 crashes in the United Arab Emirates after a bomb exploded in the baggage compartment, killing 117. I only include it because of Arab and Apocalypse. I don't think this is the reason why 1983 was chosen.

- Hooters opens in Clearwater, Fl. As important as this is, I don't think it's the one.

- US troops invade Grenada. Hmm... Maybe. Similar to the whole Cuba Missile Crisis with First Class. This was a big thing, so it could be the one.

So these are the main ones. My opinion is that it's likely one of the Ronald Reagan ones and/or Beirut or Grenada.

Or the other possibility is they just wanted to go with 10 years (or so) later, and they won't include real world events. But again, my best guess is that these types of real world events are what they use to integrate these X stories, so it's very likely that at least one, if not some of these will be part of it.

Have I missed anything? Any thoughts?

 

[GuestStar2004]

I'd say 1983 was chosen purely because... FC was 1963, DOFP was 1973 so logically you take another 10 years and go to 1983

 

[BeholdMe]

^^Exactly or maybe just because they wanted that time period.

 

[Mariah]

I'd say 1983 was chosen purely because... FC was 1963, DOFP was 1973 so logically you take another 10 years and go to 1983

Mainly this. It was the order of the films.

 

[Duran Man]

Another 10 year jump may have been the main motivation, but I'm sure the movie will make use of the historical events of 1983.

 

[Mr.M]

The aging needs to look convincing for Xavier and Lensherr. Not sure what to do with Hoult, as he is even younger than me. But, hopefully they get a good makeup and CGI team to make them look 20 years older. As far as the Reagan tibits, they could incorporate some of his ET speech to the UN, as an effort to unite humanity, and edit parts as pertaining to the mutant phenomenon. But nothing really major was occurring then, and it is a completely different timeline than the OT, which incorporated real events through out the decades leading up to the Sentinel future, via the viral campaign. Being that this is a brand new timeline, anything goes. But I could see Reagan still being President.

 

[GuestStar2004]

Funny enough everyone kept saying mcavoy still looks to young in DOFP but mcavoy is 35 years old and that's presumably around the age xavier would be in DOFP so they don't really need to age him 20 years for apocalypse and if they did at this point be over aging him

I don't think they need to go overboard on his appearance as they won't be THAT old but people are assuming they should be grey and have have lots of wrinkles or they won't look older but Hollywood have been doing stuff like this for decades and they have their tricks

I think it will be similar to how they aged Ewan mcgreger in the Star Wars prequels, shaven and short hair, then longer hair and beard, then lighter short hair and beard

 

[marvelrobbins]

I think It's mostly due to in this trilogy each film jumps 10 years.

It remains to be soon how much they would incorporate reagan.would they
be willing to paint reagan In negative light.

With it based on part of age of apocalypse i think this part of trilogy will depart the most from real history.

 

[psylockolussus]

I was kinda hoping that they would set it up in 1989 because that was the year that I was born.

But 1983 is a good choice, 10 years from the last film, just like with Fc/DOFP.

 

[Super Jim]

Been thinking about this more and here are some things I could see them using, and why:

- The whole Star Wars thing. What if the purpose behind it isn't to "intercept enermy missiles" but instead to enable the United States to defend themselves again Magneto (or other mutant threats).

- I could see Magneto, after having created Asteroid M and bringing his people into space, destroying the Star Wars satelytes.

- What if it was the Horseman War or Horseman Death who causes the Beruit bombing.

- What if the final battle ends up taking place in Grenada. Maybe Apocalypse set up his base of operations there.

 

[kasjan]

Why age Hoult? He should be in Beast form the whole time in Apocalypse movie.
Xavier and Magneto will be 50 in 1982, Fassbender doens't need makeup just some gray hair, but McAvoy have to look older.

PS
FC was in 1962!

 

[hoy-small-fry]

Equally, if Apocalypse waking is the direct result of Wolverine's actions in DOFP, why has it taken him a decade to get up? Those events are history now

 

[Super Jim]

^ Hopefully they will have the story show this, but it could be real simple...

Wolverine's action has changed the timeline. This means that what some characters may have done in the OT they may or may not have done in this new timeline. For example, in the first timeline obviously Nightcrawler became ultra-religious to the point where he was willing to disfigure his body with tatoos for his sins. It is quite possible that whatever led to him doing that in the OT does not happen in this new timeline. And this wouldn't be something that happened the moment that the OT diverged into the current timeline. It could have happened (or in this case not happened) many years later.

So imagine Ororo or Gambit (or any of the characters that would have been around in the 1973 timeline) and what may have changed in their lives. It's quite possible that in this new timeline Ororo became a street thief in Cairo, while in the first timeline she didn't. Or maybe in this new timeline Gambit ends up working for Sinister while in the OT he didn't. And the writers wouldn't even have to specifically explain that this is now different. And if these type of changes ends up waking Apocalypse earlier than he did in the OT then it all makes sense.

For example, in the storyline I threw together and posted under my Wolverine is the Horseman Death thread I have Ororo as a thief in Ciaro and Gambit being there and Ororo trying to steel from him (which would be funny). When she sees that he is a mutant she follows him to the great pyramid and follows him in. They end up in the main antichamber where Apocalyose's sarcoghagus is located. After a few events he is mistakenly awoken. The assumption would be that this didn't happen in the OT. And this would all take place in 1983, not in 1973, though this happens in this timeline due to the changes started by Wolverine in DOFP.

Does this make sense and possibly explain why it may have taken a decade for Apocalypse to have awoken?

 

[hoy-small-fry]

Kinda, but I was under the impression Apoc awoke directly because of Wolverine's actions as opposed to "some stuff and some things happen and hey presto, he's awake"

 

[Super Jim]

What was it that gave you that impression? I can't recall seeing anything, or reading anything that would give off that impression.

 

[Mr.M]

Maybe Apocalypse had the Sentinels in mind all along, and wanted to start with a blank slate to begin a creation of a new race. Maybe he saw the Sentinels as a genetically superior race and had grand designs for a super race beginning with Sentinel type beings. That's the only leap in logic I would make as to why Wolverine's actions may have caused him to arise earlier than expected.

 

[ciscostudent561]

Maybe Apocalypse had the Sentinels in mind all along, and wanted to start with a blank slate to begin a creation of a new race. Maybe he saw the Sentinels as a genetically superior race and had grand designs for a super race beginning with Sentinel type beings. That's the only leap in logic I would make as to why Wolverine's actions may have caused him to arise earlier than expected.

That's an excellent idea. Works perfectly with both Apocalypse skill at manipulation and his true goal.

 

[Mace Dolex]

We get to see the X-Men attend the premiere of Return Of The Jedi.

 

[psylockolussus]

I don't see that happening but who knows.

 

[danoyse]

We get to see the X-Men attend the premiere of Return Of The Jedi.

Watching Wolverine stand on line for two hours to see it like I did that day should be pretty wild in 3D.

I don't see that happening but who knows.

 

[Duran Man]

We get to see the X-Men attend the premiere of Return Of The Jedi.

I don't see that happening but who knows.

Dude, seriously?

 

[ciscostudent561]

Duran- I liked your old act way better

 

[Spider-Fan83]

looking through some history timelines of events that happen that year, a few that stood out for me that could be usable..

that was the year the oldest human skeleton remains were found in Egypt
(could be linked to Apocalypse) maybe the digging/excavation work was woke him, also the decovery of how old the remains were could be a transition to a flashback of Apocalypse's past/or origin, (it be a good way of connecting present day and past)

you had the Anti-Apartheid Movement going on in South Africa (could be part of storms origin)

a Russian satellite fell from space, into the ocean
(it would make for a pretty cool action scene if they some how linked the satellite falling as a result of the battle/or maybe Apocalypse pulls it down, something like that, idk)... Magneto having use his powers to guide/control the falling debri, safely into the ocean away from heavily populated area

I don't if they are events that they can really build the pilot of the story around, but, some interesting real live events that they could use... at the very least, maybe if they did another one of the "25 moments" viral campaigns

We get to see the X-Men attend the premiere of Return Of The Jedi.

Beast colors his fur brown, an goes as Chewie lol

 

[Super Jim]

I do like the idea of the oldest human skeleton remains in Egypt being worked into the story. Good find, I didn't see these when I researched 1983 historical events.

I'm still banking on Star Wars and/or Beruit being the main historical events.

At the same time it would be cool to see Ronald Reagan say "I urge you to beware the temptation of pride -- the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire" while talking about Genosha or Asteroid M and Magneto and his Acolytes!

 

[Slushy]

Apocalypse debuted in 1986 so close enough, lol.