By Chris Snellgrove | Published
X-Men ’97 It remains the best Marvel show ever made, and Season 2 managed to maintain the show’s highest quality. There are many ingredients to this cartoon’s success, including jaw-dropping animation and writing that weaves together well over half a century of a convoluted story. Tying everything together is the killer voice that brings all these colorful characters to life. In addition to the regular cast (all of whom are top notch), this show also brought in some top-notch voice actors. This includes InfatuationMichael Johnston as the voice of a young Apocalypse.
When Apocalypse (then going by En Sabah Nur) was still a boy, he and his people were enslaved by Rama-Tut. The latest episode ofX-Men ’97 (“Rise of the Apocalypse, Part II”) was a big deal for Rama-Tut, confirming that he is secretly Kang, a time-traveling tyrant who threatens the past, present, and future. This episode also had a scene where the villain had a heart-to-heart with Charles Xavier. It’s a great scene, but what many fans don’t realize is that it was also a secret homage to Star Trek. You see, Rama-Tut is voiced by Trek villain John de Lancie, and he talks verbally to the character once played by Patrick Stewart!
Playing a God-Like Cosmic Villain (Again)
In the fourth episode of X-Men ’97 Season 2, team members stuck in the past play a dangerous game with the future. At Magneto’s insistence, they try to instill Xavier’s values in young Apocalypse, hoping he won’t grow up to be a dangerous tyrant. Unfortunately, they simply push the mutant to embrace evil, which is made easier when he discovers a ship, a spaceship of unimaginable power. With it, he attacks Rama-Tut and his people. However, Rama-Tut makes his escape, but not before having a mental conversation with Xavier about the Apocalypse.
During the conversation, Rama-Tut proposes a negotiation with the devil, asking for Xavier’s help to enter the Celestial Temple to stop the Apocalypse. Xavier refuses, both because he supports Apocalypse’s transformation and is rightly hesitant to give a villain so much raw power. Finally, the argument is interpreted as: Apocalypse collapses and reaches the temple, which is actually the aforementioned spaceship. However, whether or not, their conversation is interesting for fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Why is that? It’s simple: it’s basically a bonus showdown between the cosmic saloon, Q, and his longtime nemesis, Jean-Luc Picard!
The Case Never Ends, Jean-Luc
In Star Trek: The Next GenerationJohn de Lancie voiced Q, a god-like villain based on Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard. Notably, X-Men ’97 he has de Lancie voicing Rama-Tut, which is already very funny: after all, this leaping villain is like a god, especially to the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt. Although he doesn’t sound like a dynamic lead on the show, Stewart plays Charles Xavier a lot in the live-action X-Men movies. Because of this, it is practically impossible to watch Xavier and Rama-Tut argue X-Men ’97 not to mention the many, many spirited battles between Q and Picard.
Another reason for this is that, in the midst of the supervillain’s speech, Rama-Tut finds time to fire sarcasm, such as Q. When Xavier accuses the villain of seeking the technology of the heavenly temple for himself, Rama-Tut replies, “A+, Charles! I see the professor’s mind fits the legend.” In Trek, Q was very much like this version of Rama-Tut, walking between dangerous seriousness and funny snake. We get another hint of irony when he retreats to this time, telling his second-in-command that Apocalypse can be defeated by “something outside.” When he asks what he means, he just laughs and says “only time will tell” as he is proud of the future.
Rama-Tut doesn’t take much screen time X-Men ’97. In fact, Kang (who reveals himself before he left) is coming out of this new series, much sooner than Jonathan Majors’ Kang left the MCU. In fact, we probably won’t hear John de Lancie in this game for a long time, if at all. However, fans will always appreciate “The Rise of Apocalypse, Part II” for giving us the final showdown between Q and Jean-Luc Picard. That makes this the second best X-Men/Star Trek crossover, after Planet X. Trust me: when Q asks Worf if he’s eaten any good books lately, the Klingon never at risk of naming that piece of targ sh*t!
