The Marvel franchise continues to make fans feel all the emotions. It's a never-ending cycle of highs and lows, regardless if we're talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise or any other series. project, or film based on a Marvel Comics character. It's an emotional rollercoaster being a Marvel fan.
That goes double for X-Men '97. The sequel series to the critically-acclaimed X-Men: The Animated Series of the 1990s, it's darker and more mature than its predecessor, and it certainly isn't afraid to leave viewers in a state of disbelief. That is clearer than ever in the Disney Plus series' second season.
The show did something that many never thought it would (for real, this time) and killed off one of the most popular characters in X-Men history. Needless to say, fans felt all of the motions during this one.
X-Men '97 season 2 definitively kills Magneto in brutal fashion
Bet you didn't see this coming! Yes, somehow, someway X-Men '97 season 2 worked up the courage to actually kill of Magneto; one of the biggest fan-favorites in the history of Marvel Comics, the X-Men, and the animated shows in general. Magneto is so popular, in fact, that every time he has been defeated as a villain, he is never fully killed off, always returning as an adversary - and, eventually, ally - of the X-Men's. So the creative choice to bring that to an end in the second season of the sequel series was unexpected.
It all went down in the fourth episode of season 2, titled "Rise of Apocalypse - Part II", and it saw the X-Men attempt to stop that titular event from happening. Having befriended En Sabah Nur back when he was simply the first mutant, they thought that they could appeal to his better nature. But fate is funny like that, as it was actually his interactions with the X-Men that led to his rise. And, despite Bishop's attempts to save them and return them to the present, Magneto stayed behind to attempt to stop him.
Professor Charles Xavier - his longtime friend and enemy (but mostly friend) - stayed with him. Despite their combined strength, they couldn't defeat the villain when he realized what his destiny was - and, right before their eyes, En Sabah Nur transformed into Apocalypse. Although Magneto saved the surrounding area from his wrath and destroyed his best chance to destroying anything else in the immediate future, the toll that it took on him left him spent - and Apocalypse capitalized on that.
In front of Charles, Apocalypse listed the wounded mutant up and vaporized him into thin air, leaving behind only the Omega-level mutant's iconic helmet. And with that, Charles was left alive to grieve his fallen friend - before Bishop returned and safely took him back to the '90s.
It was a haunting violent moment that reiterated how dangerous Apocalypse is. In brutally slaying Magneto, he took away one of the X-Men's best chances of defeating him. He also made a definitive statement, saying that no matter which timeline the X-Men confront him in, he will win. And yet, we can rest assured that Marvel's Mightiest Mutants will be ready and waiting to return the favor, taking him down as soon as they can.
But the moment is a powerful reminder that nobody is safe in X-Men '97. Although it appeared as if Magneto died in the previous season, he was quickly revealed to be alive and captured by Bastion. It's hard to believe that Marvel Animation would do another fakeout so soon to the previous one - especially with the same character - but it's even harder to believe that Magneto is really gone.
We wouldn't be surprised if the time travel shenanigans that unfold this season eventually lead to the Master of Magnetism's return, or if the series finds some other way for the character to return (Gambit's comeback as one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen, despite the character's death in season 1, is imminent) but for the time being, there is simply no undoing this. Marvel went where many never thought they would. To say that the show already misses Magneto would be a major, major understatement.
X-Men '97 season 2 airs new episodes weekly on Disney Plus each Wednesday.
Add us as a preferred source on Google