As the lesser Ethereals made their analysis of Apocalypse, they would discover the truth behind Apocalypse's vast power. A complex inter-cellular network, capable of rebuilding itself rapidly. This inter-cellular network was the secret behind Apocalypse's immense feats of physical strength and speed, as his entire body was a massive muscle. The cells rapidly multiplied, regenerating and reforming, using an ever-evolving set of blueprints to rebuild his body. Even as his brain was destroyed it was being recreated, at quite a fast pace. A solid mass of regenerating cells capable of forming intercellular movement. It also appeared to be a violation of the second law of thermodynamics so gross it could not be overlooked. The creature seemed to generate energy on a cellular level, every cell having the potential to provide the energy of an anti-matter reactor, and yet functioning at less than a tenth of it's total power.

The ethereals were able to extract the creature's DNA, which eagerly began adapting and cloning itself. Kept in stasis, this string of information might be used to create clones of Apocalypse, something that seemed surprisingly easy to do despite the creatures inherent complexity. However, to perfectly recreate this marvel of science was nigh impossible. The other thing they discovered was that this creature was currently at only a fragment of it's full potential, capable of growing a thousand times in power. It was perhaps the most complex piece of genetic engineering the ethereals had ever come across, far outdoing their own mutons. However, perhaps now that they were aware of this creature, attempts could be made to rectify that.