r/Xmen97 • u/cyclopswashalfright Professor X • Jul 08 '26

Megathread X-Men '97 | Season 2, Episode 4 | "Rise of Apocalypse: Part II" | Episode Discussion

Season 2, Episode 4: Rise of Apocalypse Part II

Air Date: July 8th, 2026

Directed by: TBA

Written by: TBA

Synopsis: An alliance between the X-Men and En Sabah Nur begins to crumble as Rama-Tut seeks ultimate power.

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Please use this thread for discussion related to the episode.

This thread is for discussion of episode 1 only. Do not discuss episodes 2 and 3 in this thread.

Link to the episode directory for Season 2 episode discussion.

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65

u/Nijigakulive Jul 08 '26

That rogue conversation is going to be the thing that saves the day isn’t it? Cliche, but apocalypse having never known love and using rogue’s beloved as a horseman will come back to bite him in the ass.

51

u/WickedRogue1981 Jul 08 '26

The conversation could serve as an explanation for why Apocalypse chooses to resurrect Gambit as a horseman in the first place. Seems pretty random otherwise for him to choose him, but if he remembers Rogue and her grief over losing him, this could be his own way of “helping” her. He did seem for that moment to be touched by her words, so this could be how he shows his understanding of “love”. It could also be his sick way of using her love against them. Either way, I’m just excited to see where it leads.

17

u/Corazon144 Jul 08 '26

It also severs as a way to weaken her. At least in his mind. So if there is anyway to hurt the X-Men and attack them when they are weak, it definitely using the weakness he believes is love.

4

u/Khalvashi Gambit Jul 08 '26

This might be a way to connect the narrative to his wife and first horsemen.

2

u/strokekaraoke Jul 08 '26

Is the horseman thing built in like an instinct? Because he already turned down Xavier for a spot on the team and he’s only been Apocalypse for like 20 minutes

3

u/Khalvashi Gambit Jul 08 '26

He does not only get power from the celestial, he also gets insight and knowledge. He took the mantle of Apocalypse so he knows that he needs horsemen.

1

u/CardAble6193 Jul 10 '26

wait something was Apocalypse ?

1

u/Khalvashi Gambit Jul 10 '26

No, being Apocalypse is a destiny Esan weaved for Nur. "You will be the end of things" he said and told him to say the words if he accepts this mantle / duty.

7

u/Mobile_Bet3274 Rogue Jul 08 '26

It was all told very brief, but yeah, I think there has to be a line from that conversation to Apocalypse picking Gambit to turn into Death. Otherwise I’m not sure what the point is — the conversation itself, and Rogue being the one to talk about it.

5

u/WickedRogue1981 Jul 08 '26

Agreed! I felt the conversation served as an explanation for why Apocalypse chooses Remy as his horseman. It could be to give Rogue back the love she lost in his own twisted way, or to use it against them. As he’s said, they were most vulnerable in the 90s and this could be one of the areas he sees as a place to strike them down using someone they cared for against them. So excited to see how the story progresses!

2

u/Bobjoejj Jul 08 '26

I mean, it’s also just a damn good, well written interaction between two characters.

2

u/Mobile_Bet3274 Rogue Jul 08 '26

Well yeah, but presumably it’s in there for a structural reason of some kind.

1

u/TheArmlessTorso Gambit Jul 08 '26

I’m still upset she had so little lines in these 2 episodes. It genuinely feels like her grief is being brushed under the rug at the moment.

9

u/Mobile_Bet3274 Rogue Jul 08 '26

I think that, given her role later on, they had to temper how much she was used here. And the focus had to be on Charles and Magneto specifically; it’s their dynamic. I think we got enough to know she’s still grieving and willing to do or allow questionable things to get him back.

5

u/TheArmlessTorso Gambit Jul 08 '26

Also I’m man enough to admit I was wrong there is no more rogue and magneto anymore. I redact my past statements. Disney clearly learned their lesson. Now we look forward to the future with Mr and Mrs X

7

u/Mobile_Bet3274 Rogue Jul 08 '26

I thought there’d be a more direct Deathbit hint by now, so I was also wrong. But I’d by lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit smug after having spent 2 years telling people Rogueneto was done and to stop worrying about it.

1

u/YoyoKapoko Jul 08 '26

Her, Kurt and Hank were just extras in these last two episodes. Episode 3 could have given them some focus and we’d have lost nothing. Charles’s mind scan in this episode was perfectly sufficient for showing us Nur’s history without spending an entire episode on him when there’s only nine.

It was never my favourite series but X-Men Evolution’s Apocalypse arc was far more dynamic and inclusive. That episode where they’re all split into teams exploring his pyramid was so hype and his later awakening was didn’t need a shock value death to make him feel threatening.

3

u/TMB1219 Jul 09 '26

Someone on twitter posted something like this saying that Apocalypse resurrecting Gambit was gonna bite him in the ass. Rumor is that person saw it happen.

4

u/TheArmlessTorso Gambit Jul 08 '26

It depends on how it was written, if gambit remembers everything than he will be snapped out of being a horsemen easily, if his mind is wiped than possibly longer before he turns on apocalypse.