A fascinating X-Men '97 theory explains how Apocalypse will survive his recent brush with death. Villains are dropping like flies on Disney+. Just a few weeks ago, Magneto met an untimely end in X-Men '97 after saving Ancient Egypt from a black hole started by Apocalypse. The monster formerly known as En Sabah Nur didn't take kindly to his plan being thwarted, so he vaporized the Master of Magnetism as Professor X watched on in horror.
Back in the present, mutantkind isn't taking Magneto's death well. Season 2, Episode 7, "Strange Land, Savage Heart," introduces the Acolytes of Magneto, a group led by Exodus that wishes to keep its namesake's vision for the future alive. Their first big move is to kidnap Graydon Creed, a known mutant hater, and put him on trial for his crimes. However, while the newly formed X-Corp is focused on rescuing Creed, another threat grows ever stronger.
The end of "Strange Land, Savage Heart" sees X-Force travel to Apocalypse's hideout in Greece, where he just recently resurrected Gambit and turned him into the Horsemen, Death. Rather than coming face-to-face with an old friend, though, all Cable and Co. find is a husk. And it isn't just any husk; it belongs to their target, Apocalypse.
X-Men '97 wants X-Force and its audience to believe that Gambit had something to do with Apocalypse's demise, as it has Jubilee stumble upon one of his cards at the scene of the crime. There's certainly precedent for one of Apocalypse's Horsemen going rogue. But it's hard to imagine Death going toe-to-toe with his creator.
The more likely explanation for Apocalypse's "death" is that it's all part of a larger plan. Reddit user Mobile_Bet3274 puts stock in the "Two Apocalypse" theory, which suggets that the titular team is facing off against more than one version of their greatest enemy in the present day.
The meat and potatoes of the idea is that the Apocalypse who tormented the X-Men in the original series and used Fabian Cortez's body as a vessel to retain his power is still active. He might have even been the Apocalypse who showed up on Genosha at the end of X-Men '97 Season 1 and retrieved Gambit's body.
As for his counterpart, he started causing trouble at the start of the sophomore outing. In Season 2, Episode 1, "Days of Past Future," the X-Men who were marooned in the future traveled with Clan Askani to get Nathan Summers a much-needed upgrade. The road wasn't all that perilous because Apocalypse had already deserted the period after making his intention to strike the X-Men in the '90s known.
X-Men '97 has yet to pick up on that plot thread, despite showing Apocalypse a few times in the present day since its premiere. It's possible that, behind the scenes, one of the Apocalypses plotted to take the other one out, likely in an attempt to gain ultimate power. But his master plan may not just be about getting more powerful, as there's another major benefit of the forces of good believing he's gone.
Apocalypse's Fake-Out Will Make The X-Men Let Their Guard Down
X-Men '97 can't be accused of being born. Every week, it puts the titular team through the wringer. And Season 2 especially hasn't pulled its punches. When it kicked off, the X-Men were scattered through time following the battle on Asteroid M.
Bishop and Forge put their heads together and traveled to the past and future, respectively, to bring their friends home. While they did their jobs, they couldn't predict what they would find when they got home. The government greenlit its own mutant team, X-Factor, which spent all its time rounding up mutants and locking them up. The Danger Room also picked the worst time to throw a fit and nearly killed Professor X.
With the odds stacked against him, the X-Men's leader decided to pack up his toys and head elsewhere. He set up shop on Genosha and founded X-Corp, a new business whose bottom line is keeping mutants safe. Obviously, that's a lot to juggle. And figures like Val Cooper are only making X-Corp's job harder by threatening to shut the team down.
But it's starting to feel like Professor X is taking his eye off the ball. Watching Magneto die did a number on him, enough for him to tell Apocalypse that he wished he had died as a baby. That fire isn't present anymore, and it's unlikely to return if Cable spreads the news of Apocalypse's end.
The only hope that the X-Men have is that Gambit's reemergence as one of the Four Horsemen kicks them into gear. Rogue will surely drop everything she's doing and get to the bottom of the situation. Her friends must follow suit if they want any chance of taking down Apocalypse once and for all.
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