Apocalypse 3 (Littmann P. 102) by Keith Haring confronts the nuclear anxieties of the late Cold War period through a chaotic tableau of destruction and survival and is part of the 10 work Apocalypse portfolio.

Created in 1988, the work responds directly to the heightened tensions of the Reagan era, when nuclear warfare remained a persistent cultural fear despite emerging diplomatic thaw between superpowers.

The image centres on a yellow stepped pyramid, rendered in Haring's distinctive but here functioning as both ancient monument and modern bunker. Atop this structure, a photographic insert depicts what appears to be a military or scientific figure, the only realistic element within Haring's otherwise purely linear universe. This jarring collision of photographic documentation with cartoon-like imagery reinforces the work's engagement with contemporary media representations of conflict and authority. Surrounding this central architecture, black-outlined figures enact scenes of panic and flight. Serpentine blue forms writhe across the upper portion of the work, while smaller figures scramble across the stepped surfaces below.

The work's title explicitly references the biblical Book of Revelation, yet Haring's apocalypse remains decidedly secular, rooted in contemporary rather than spiritual anxieties. The stepped pyramid recalls both Mayan temples and modern architectural forms, suggesting that cycles of civilisation and collapse transcend historical periods. In Apocalypse 3, Haring transforms his familiar into a vehicle for examining humanity's capacity for self-destruction, creating a work that functions as political commentary and deeply personal artistic statement.

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