Marvel Rivals may have solved season 9’s Apocalypse murder mystery

After teasing his arrival for weeks, NetEase Games officially showed off Apocalypse in the Marvel Rivals season 9 announcement trailer on Tuesday. But the first mutant’s appearance seems short-lived. At the end of the trailer, Apocalypse is suddenly run through with a sword by a mysterious attacker. This is supposed to set the stage for a season-long murder mystery, but fans think they already know whodunnit.

A big clue comes directly from the trailer itself, which is largely narrated by Apocalypse in a lengthy monologue. He chronicles his rise to power through a “survival of the fittest” mentality that should be familiar to anyone who knows the X-Men villain’s ethos. This seemingly includes fighting the gods themselves to steal their strength. This will allow Apocalypse to “acquire the power to transcend,” thus becoming a god himself. His sudden death occurs in the middle of ascension, meaning the assailant is likely someone who has a bone to pick with the gods. While the trailer suggests The Hood may be involved, fans point out that another Marvel character fits that description perfectly: Gorr the God Butcher.

Who is Gorr the God Butcher?

Created by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic in 2013, Gorr the God Butcher is exactly what his name suggests. He is a warrior with a vendetta against all gods, which originally put him in conflict with Thor. Christian Bale portrayed Gorr the God Butcher on the big screen in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder.

Gorr’s weapon of choice is All-Black the Necrosword. Fans noted that the blade thrust through Apocalypse appears to be an all-black sword. All-Black originally belonged to Knull, the creator of the symbiote race (which includes Venom and Carnage), who appeared as the overarching villain in season 3 of Marvel Rivals.

Gorr being Apocalypse’s assassin also falls in line with current leaks for season 10 of Marvel Rivals. Both Gorr the God Butcher and Nightcrawler are expected to be the next playable characters after season 9 ends. Using a murder mystery story to set up the arrival of Gorr makes a lot of sense, it just seems players have solved it a little too quickly. It is likely Gorr will be further teased through gallery cards throughout season 9 in a similar manner to how Apocalypse was teased in season 8.

For now, players can look forward to playing as the explosive (and vampiric) Jubilee when Marvel Rivals season 9 is released on July 10.