X-Men ’97 Season 2 is going from strength to strength. The story may not be perfect, but episode 4 ended in the most dramatic way; the time-traveling X-Men failed to prevent Apocalypse’s ascension, and the so-called “First Mutant” was transformed by the Celestial known as Eson the Searcher. Even more shocking, though, Apocalypse demonstrated his true power by killing Magneto, a death scene that’s shocked the fandom. X-Men comics have often been compared to superhero soap operas, and this arc is absolutely stunning.
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X-Men ’97 is a loving homage to the comics that inspired it, but it has also established a much wider universe; Season 1 revealed all the ’90s animations are part of the same universe, meaning heroes like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four exist in X-Men ’97‘s timeline. Episode 4’s post-credits scene capitalized on this, with Wolverine meeting with Captain America and Black Widow. And yet, for all that’s the case, this same episode also effectively erased one major Fantastic Four story from the timeline.
X-Men ’97’s Kang Subplot Should Have Featured the Fantastic Four
The X-Men’s ancient Egypt story was remarkably comic book accurate. It even featured a character known as Rama-Tut, a self-appointed pharaoh who ruled Egypt and was eventually confirmed to be a time traveler. Rama-Tut had been known by many names – Nathaniel, Victor, and so many others – but viewers quickly learned he was actually an incarnation of Kang the Conqueror, tying X-Men ’97‘s timeline into the Multiverse Saga’s (aborted) story. As exciting as this was, though, it didn’t really come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the comics; X-Men ’97 played the whole story straight.
Except for one important detail, of course. In Marvel, Rama-Tut made his debut in Fantastic Four #19, an iconic issue where Marvel’s First Family headed back in time to learn ancient Egypt had been conquered by a time traveler. A brutal warlord, Rama-Tut had grown bored by the Earth of his time, and he’d established a power base in Egypt before tricking the Fantastic Four into heading back in time so he could defeat them. He failed, of course, and the Fantastic Four successfully led a rebellion to overthrow Rama-Tut. He fled back into the timeline.
The Fantastic Four are entirely absent from X-Men ’97 Season 2 (or, at least, they are so far). One of the most famous Fantastic Four time travel stories has effectively been erased from the X-Men ’97 timeline, with Rama-Tut shown fleeing after Apocalypse’s ascension rather than because of the Fantastic Four. Not only does this rewrite Fantastic Four #19, it even erases a major subplot from the Rise of Apocalypse comics, which deliberately exploited this classic Marvel story as a background subplot.
Why Marvel Made Such a Major Change to the Marvel Timeline
Marvel’s decision seems rather surprising at first glance, simply because the X-Men show uses so much of the iconic Fantastic Four story. But the focus lies entirely on Apocalypse, and adding the FF into the mix would have effectively diluted the story. What’s more, I think it would have effectively removed a key theme in episode 4; the power of Apocalypse. Notice that, in X-Men ’97, Kang doesn’t stop to face Apocalypse. He clearly fears Apocalypse’s power, choosing to abandon Egypt as soon as he realizes he’s failed to prevent En Sabah Nur’s ascension.
It’s easy to forget, but the original X-Men comics never portrayed Apocalypse as some sort of force of nature. No, Apocalypse was originally more a manipulator who strove to outmaneuver his foes, and he often chose to flee battles rather than wage war. Apocalypse’s reputation was bolstered by the iconic “Age of Apocalypse” event, and the modern Apocalypse is often shown as one of the most powerful mutants who’s ever lived. That’s the approach X-Men ’97 is taking, and everything in episode 4 – from Rama-Tut’s escape to Magneto’s death – underscores this.
That’s the real reason the Fantastic Four story here has been erased; not just because it would add yet another idea into an already busy couple of episodes, but because X-Men ’97‘s storyline is so much more focused. This may not (apparently) be the “Age of Apocalypse” story viewers expected, but it’s still one that portrays Apocalypse as a being who can kill Omega level mutants, who can make Kang the Conqueror flee, and who is destined to one day conquer the entire world. Sometimes, retcons and rewrites work; and that’s most certainly the case here.
The first four episodes of X-Men ’97 are streaming now on Disney+, and new episodes will be released weekly. Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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