Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for X-Men ’97 Season 2 episode 4. Read at your own risk, obviously. It looks like Marvel has finally outdone themselves in terms of heartbreaking character deaths. And, of course, it’s coming to audiences courtesy of X-Men ’97, the show that previously wrecked us all with Gambit’s gut-wrenching sacrifice that ultimately led to his death. While his return seems all but inevitable at this point, though not as the Ragin’ Cajun that we know and love, it’s little consolation in the face of this most recent death—one that broke the heart of Charles Xavier in particular, and may even lead to the introduction of a far more dangerous threat.
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Fans are losing their minds online over the death of Magneto at the hands of Apocalypse, with Charles Xavier forced to watch helplessly as he’s essentially atomized. And as per usual, fans can’t agree on whether the death was the right call (though everyone agrees that a Tweet filled with spoilers and no warning, only a few hours after the episode airs, is not the move). Honing in on the inherent tragedy of the moment, which is interestingly framed in an incredibly tender way, one fan viewer said, “I can’t believe they actually had Apocalypse kill Magneto, and watching Xavier witness it in front of his eyes shattered me.” Another, however, disagreed and went on to highlight a big issue with the moment: “Apocalypse is mainly a cyborg. Meaning Magneto could just undo him.”
This Death Could Mean Big Things for the X-Men ’97 Future
Namely, Magneto joining Gambit as a potential addition to the Horsemen. There’s also speculation that this could be the ultimate setup for Onslaught to be brought into the story. “This better activate Onslaught,” said one fan. There’s also another theory that’s making the rounds—that Eric will return, but not as a Horseman. “This will just have him brought back, but not as an ally to them. He’ll be back to his old extremist ways, status quo sh*t. I love him being their ally, but the writers are done with that sh*t,” one fan is theorizing. And it makes sense. While it’s great to see Magneto as an ally to the X-Men, and there are thousands of fan fics written about him and Charles being on the same side, Eric does his best work as an antagonist.
No matter what, though, this completely turns the Age of Apocalypse Event on its head, with Magneto meeting his end at the hands of Apocalypse instead of the other way around. And what it means next is really anyone’s guess, despite the theories floating around. Despite personal opinions on his death, the fact is that it was incredibly well done, and it opens the story up to not only more tragedy, but more depth, nuance, and an insane new threat.
What are your thoughts on Magneto’s demise? Is he returning as a Horseman beside Gambit, as his old self, or not at all? What would be the best way for this story to continue? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out what’s going on over at the ComicBook forum.
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Courtesy of 20th Television Animation -
Courtesy of 20th Television Animation
