'X-Men '97's' Rama-Tut, Explained (& Does He Connect To The MCU?)
X-Men ‘97 (2024) Season 2 is most famous, so far, for focusing heavily on Apocalypse and the narrative surrounding his origin and attempts to take over the world. But that doesn’t mean the series hasn’t had moments nodding to the larger Marvel universe, whether through characters or technology.
In the third episode of Season 2, “Rise of Apocalypse Part 1,” we see a young En Sabah Nur fighting against the pharaoh for his people. But what we also see is that the pharaoh is none other than Rama-Tut. A variant of Kang the Conqueror, it’s a fun addition to the series, but does it connect to his MCU counterpart?
Does ‘X-Men ‘97’s Rama-Tut Connect To The MCU’s Version?
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Rama-Tut in a modern Marvel setting. He first appeared in an after-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) as part of an ensemble with other Kang variants.
Of course, this led to the now-scrapped Avengers sequel, The Kang Dynasty, which came following the poor performance of Quantumania and the legal issues of Kang actor Jonathan Majors. But with Rama-Tut returning to a series that has connected to the MCU through a cameo from The Watcher, it makes us wonder if this show is a genuine connection or a fluke.
The short answer is: yes and no, but mostly no. There are many variants of characters in the Marvel multiverse, and to that effect, it would stand to reason that the Rama-Tut from X-Men ‘97 is simply another version of him. He could connect to the variants played by Majors, but realistically, probably not. That Rama-Tut also had mechanical legs, which the animated version didn’t have.
Nevertheless, for a narrative that was shifted so fast to Doctor Doom that it was essentially forgotten, it’s nice that one show is bringing a degree of closure. We don’t need to see Kang or his variants return in a big way, but knowing there are variants in the first place still feels right and further enhances the universe X-Men ‘97 inhabits.
Rama-Tut’s Comic Origins Are Also Tied To Apocalypse
Introduced in the pages of The Fantastic Four, Rama-Tut was the name Kang the Conqueror took as he traveled to the year 2960 BCE. While there, he ruled with an iron fist and was very aware of the coming of En Sabah Nur. With a hope to make him his heir, Rama did what he could to put En Sabah Nur on the path he was meant to be on.
As time went on and Rama-Tut tried to make his dreams a reality with En Sabah Nur, this ultimately didn’t pan out the way he hoped. Yes, Nur embraced his fate and enhanced himself to become Apocalypse, but he didn’t become Rama-Tut’s heir, outright rejecting the offer.
In the end, Rama left as his kingdom fell apart, and Apocalypse went his own way, but it's through the comics that we see just how connected the Marvel Universe really is. Granted, X-Men ‘97 didn’t focus on appearances from the Fantastic Four or the West Coast Avengers to tell its story, but it still covered the most important parts from the comics.
Rama-Tut Plays A Major Role In ‘X-Men ‘97’
As a natural enemy of En Sabah Nur in X-Men ‘97, we see just enough of the character to create an air of mystery. For those who grew up with Marvel Comics, Rama-Tut is a name that is very familiar and greatly expands the universe, even if it’s not obvious. For starters, there’s the fact that Beast can’t make sense of the advanced but also primitive tech that permeates the pharaoh’s kingdom.
Second, there are constant mentions of time that Rama-Tut makes to tease his roots without giving it away. In many ways, the series sets him up as a threat that we aren’t supposed to face yet, but he’s still very much someone the X-Men should be afraid of.
More than anything, Rama-Tut is a narrative tool in X-Men ‘97 designed to help push En Sabah Nur to his fate and make him Apocalypse, even if it’s not entirely what he wants. It’s more about how he disrupts history and puts it on a new path that has to happen, and the scariest part is that none of it seems new to him, especially Apocalypse.
