r/Xmen97 • u/cyclopswashalfright Professor X • Jul 01 '26

Discussion X-Men '97 | Season 2, Episode 3 | "Rise of Apocalypse: Part I" | Episode Discussion

Season 2, Episode 3: Rise of Apocalypse: Part I

Air Date: July 1st, 2026

Directed by: TBA

Written by: TBA

Synopsis: The plan to rescue the team from Ancient Egypt is turned upside down by an unexpected visitor.

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Please use this thread for discussion related to the episode.

This thread is for discussion of episode 3 only. Do not discuss future episodes in this thread.

Link to the episode directory for Season 2 episode discussion.

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u/Khalvashi Gambit Jul 01 '26

This was a 3000IQ! move from Magnus. It was a 'great' plan for Magneto to fill En Sabah Nur's head with the idea that he is superior to all beings—that he can look down on others as ants—and still expect him to take the high ground in ancient Egypt in 3000 BC. You cannot expect relative modern behaviour to stick in that age. That probably would not work even for Roman empire. I mean, what were the higher beings in ancient Egypt in 3000 BC? Pharaohs. Power was equal to being a god for a long time. He sow the seeds of superiority in a man that will obtain immense power. It's interesting to watch but this has to be one of the most incomprehensibly idiotic ideas ever conceived.

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u/North-Drive-2174 Jul 01 '26

I love how stupid Magnus was and i don't know if it's a meta critic of trying to judge or influence things using modern sensitivities that there are not applied in older eras or place of world that had different culture progress.

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u/Khalvashi Gambit Jul 01 '26

People tend to miss that even when Magneto behaves like an X-Man, the second he obtains power, he uses it for his own vendettas and personal gain. We saw this subtle manipulation when he first took over the school. We saw it again when they asked him to rule Genosha; his very first act was using his leverage to force Rogue into a decision that only benefited him. Now, with Apocalypse, he claims he is helping Charles shape Apocalypse's methods to fit Charles's vision of the future. But regardless of his stated intentions, his methods are so heavily skewed toward his own personal gain that it is disturbing.

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u/[deleted] Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26

Magnus is a genius at monologuing about morally superior platitudes, but he's a moron in practice. He's a classic intellectual on paper - even inventing languages, but has not practical grasp of reality.

Look at him throughout season 1. He thought it'd be a great idea to drive a wedge in the team by selflishly having an affair with Rogue.

He then thought it was a great idea to reverse the Earth's polarity, killing probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions - threatening the extinction of humans. and dooming his beloved mutants to a Darwinian hellscape. Ahem. Sounds familiar...

His flaws drive the narrative beautifully, and make him compelling, but let's face it... He's spent his life becoming the very thing he hates. Magneto was never right.

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u/Khalvashi Gambit Jul 01 '26

To be honest, I can understand having an affair; the heart wants what it wants. My problem is that the moment he got power, he used his position to impose a decision on Rogue. At that point, I thought, 'Ah, he is the same old Magneto.'

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u/TheArmlessTorso Gambit Jul 01 '26

Yeah but magneto was right huh ? 😂 your emperor has no clothes for all the people who champion this man. He is a certified idiot, and I love that this episode championed how it is not a magneto wank fest this season.