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Warning: Spoilers follow for X-Men ’97 Season 2, Episode 4!

The fourth episode of X-Men ‘97 Season 2 has arrived, and it’s certainly a doozy. The second half of the “Rise of Apocalypse” two-parter doesn’t just feature En Sabah Nur (Adetokumboh M'Cormack) taking up the mantle of Apocalypse for the first time, but also the reveal that Professor Xavier (Ross Marquand) and Magneto (Matthew Waterson) had a direct hand in his ascension. Add on the appearance of the Celestials, Rama-Tut (John de Lancie) ducking out after once again becoming Kang the Conqueror, and the apparent death of a major character in the finale, and “Rise of Apocalypse Part II” is shaping up to be the equivalent of last season’s “Remember It” in terms of gut-punch episodes that completely change the direction of the show.

Yet one of the most important aspects of Episode 4 is how it seals the deal on X-Men ‘97 finally giving Apocalypse a truly great adaptation outside of the comics. Despite being one of the most popular X-Men villains, versions of Apocalypse in film and television have never quite compared to his iteration in the source material. 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse featured Oscar Isaac playing the titular villain, but it failed to give him much of a character to play. Wolverine and the X-Men teased a second season about Apocalypse we sadly never got to see. The original X-Men: The Animated Series didn’t do a bad job with him, but ‘97 is delving into his personality and backstory to a far greater level than that show ever did. Let’s dig into how X-Men ‘97 is finally doing justice to this iconic Marvel character.

The Comic History of Apocalypse

If you’re watching X-Men ‘97 without knowing much about Apocalypse from the comics, a brief overview is in order. Created by Louise Simonson and Jackson Guice, Apocalypse first appeared in shadow at the very end of X-Factor #5 in 1986. Apocalypse showed up in full the very next issue, revealing himself as a tall mutant with shapeshifting powers whose body was merged with what was later revealed to be technology left behind by the Celestials – those would be the giant space gods in Marvel lore you might remember from MCU films like Guardians of the Galaxy or Eternals. Apocalypse employed a team of villains known as the Alliance of Evil to fight X-Factor, which at the time was a team of mutants composed of original X-Men members Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Iceman and Angel.

From his first appearance, Apocalypse was one of the most striking Marvel villains to debut in years. He had a great look, a fantastic name, and an easily identifiable goal: survival of the fittest. He pushes humanity and mutants to evolve by destroying anyone he considers to be weak, fully believing that only the strong should survive. Apocalypse would become X-Factor’s most recurring nemesis, repeatedly battling the team and also transforming Angel into his Horseman of Death, forever altering that character’s life. Although Apocalypse appeared to die in battle with X-Factor in issue #68, the villain would be revived shortly after in the "X-Cutioner’s Song" storyline, where he would become more of an antagonist to the X-Men part of the Marvel universe as a whole, a role he’s fulfilled ever since.

Apocalypse would only grow in prominence during the 1990s as more of his history was revealed. He would be identified as the first mutant, originally born a slave in Ancient Egypt as a man named En Sabah Nur (translated as “The Seven Lights” or "The Morning Light"). He ruled the dark future timeline where Nathan Summers aka Cable heralds from, has a long history of working with fellow X-Men nemesis Mister Sinister, and was also the main antagonist of the fan favorite 1995 crossover event Age of Apocalypse. Yet even with all this pedigree, Apocalypse’s best adaptation up to this point was in the original X-Men: The Animated Series, with later cartoons and films failing to give him the platform he deserves. Thankfully, X-Men ‘97 Season 2 is changing this in a big way, and it all starts by pulling from the same comics we’ve discussed.

How X-Men ‘97 Changes the Game for Apocalypse

The setup for Season 2 of X-Men ‘97 splits the eponymous team into factions sent across time, with one group of mutants arriving in the 40th century where Apocalypse rules all, and another landing in Ancient Egypt before En Sabah Nur has become Apocalypse in the first place. The latter group includes Magneto, who sees an opportunity to change Nur’s destiny by mentoring him so he embraces Xavier’s ideology of human-mutant collaboration. That winds up being a dangerous game when Nur learns that the X-Men are from the future, and although he goes along with their plan to seek out the Celestial temple also sought by Rama-Tut, the inside reveals that Nur’s dark destiny cannot be avoided. The temple is Ship – the same Ship that Apocalypse uses in the future – and the walls are adorned with artwork depicting the X-Men’s role in Apocalypse’s origin.

That Xavier and Magneto tried so hard to avoid this, that Magneto hoped to finally live up to Xavier’s dream by helping the worst X-Men villain of all see the value in it, is what gives “Rise of Apocalypse: Part II” such tragic pathos. The comic that the episode is based on, The Rise of Apocalypse miniseries, was a mostly expository affair, fleshing out Nur’s origin by adding elements like Baal of the Sandstormers and Nur’s connection to Rama-Tut. X-Men ‘97 improves on the comic by turning it into a story with emotional weight, which starts by including the time-traveling X-Men. By having Xavier and Magneto be not just witnesses to Apocalypse’s rise to power but unwitting participants in it upgrades this particular incarnation of the villain into the most meaningful antagonist to the X-Men’s ideals since Magneto himself.

Although he’s always presented himself as a teacher, Xavier is, at his core, an interventionist: he seeks out mutants and tries to mold them to fit his personal philosophy. That said philosophy is benevolent in nature doesn’t change that Xavier meddles in the affairs of others to suit his own ends, and this tendency comes back to bite him here. By refusing to tell Nur the whole truth, that he will become (in his words) “the X-Men’s most diabolical foe,” Xavier hardens Nur to hearing his pleas when he needs them most, pushing Nur towards the exact fate Xavier was hoping to avoid. Xavier being partially responsible for Apocalypse becoming who he is means that he also bears responsibility for all the tragedies and victims he leaves in his wake, including his own best friend when Apocalypse ends the episode by vaporizing Magneto.

Xavier being partially responsible for Apocalypse becoming who he is means that he also bears responsibility for all the tragedies and victims he leaves in his wake.

Thus, X-Men ‘97’s take on Apocalypse stands as a direct foil to Xavier: both seek to change the world in their own image, and will manipulate others in order to do so. The ends may be different, but the means are closer than Xavier would like to admit, if far less lethal. This kind of thematic depth is what was missing from the depiction of Apocalypse in X-Men: The Animated Series, where he was powerful and charismatic, but we didn’t fully understand why he was the way he was. Now we do: we see Nur abandoned as a baby, shunned by his peers, shackled by Rama-Tut’s troops. We understand why Nur rebukes Xavier’s ideology and why he cannot resist the call of the Celestials. As he said: “That is your destiny. Mine is to evolve, so I will never be powerless again.” From now on, all future appearances by Apocalypse in this continuity will be strengthened by the backstory presented here, a backstory that makes this adaptation of the character the best we’ve seen yet.

For more on X-Men '97, read IGN's review of the first four episodes and learn about Season 2's release schedule .

Carlos Morales writes novels, articles, and Mass Effect essays. You can follow his fixations on Twitter .

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The original Mortal Shell played and performed fine enough – that is, fine enough to give Cold Symmetry space to make a much more ambitious sequel that, so far, actually feels a lot better. The open beta (really, the demo) for Mortal Shell 2 is still available on Steam, and I was quite taken with it when I gave it a shot. The best demo experience is one that makes you hungry for the full game, and I was certainly disappointed when I remembered I was only playing a vertical slice.

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