‘X-Men ‘97’: Rogue and Magneto’s relationship, explained

Warning: This articles gets into X-Men ’97 episode 1-2 spoilers.

X-Men ’97 is one of the most exciting Marvel projects to be released in recent times. The sequel series takes place after the events of the iconic X-Men: The Animated Series which aired from 1992 to 1997 and remains a beloved classic. X-Men ’97 features a lot of the original cast from The Animated Series and picks up the plot from its shocking end when Professor Charles Xavier was fatally wounded. 

The first two episodes were released on March 20 to positive reviews and have already begun to set the stage for a season full of twists. One of the most shocking revelations that came in episode 2, “Mutant Liberation Begins,” was the insinuation that Rogue and Magneto had a relationship in the past. So, what was that all about, and what is the relationship between Rogue and Magneto? Here’s everything you need to know. 

Magneto and Rogue’s relationship in X-Men ‘97

Magneto and Rogue have a long and complicated history in the comic books that wasn’t touched on in X-Men: The Animated Series. It seems that this history is going to be brought to the forefront in X-Men ’97 as episode 2 had two big revelations tied to this history. The first was that Rogue’s powers don’t affect Magneto and the second was that she and Magneto had some sort of secret relationship, though they didn’t speak on its nature or when it happened.   

Magneto was made the head of the X-Men at the end of episode 1 when it was revealed that Professor X left everything to him. This caused discord within the group since they found it difficult to trust Magneto after his villainous actions in the original show. However, episode 2 showed a few tender moments between him and Rogue. The first was in his office where she came to speak to him after he officially took his place as the new leader of the X-Men. He reflected on his relationship with Xavier and how the X-Men are right to not trust him but Rogue was quick to reassure him. When he brought up their shared past, she sharply countered that what happened between them was, “a long time ago, and that cat’s got to stay in its bag.” 

The final scenes showed them holding hands in his office with only a small spark lighting between their palms to indicate that her powers were active but ineffective. As a result, this opens the door for a few different options for exploring the past relationship between these two characters. 

Magneto and Rogue’s comic book history  

While Rogue is best known for being paired up with Gambit, there are a few storylines that have matched her up with Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto. One of the most popular plotlines including these two was the Savage Land arc from 1991’s Uncanny X-Men #274. This story saw Rogue joining Magneto in the Savage Land after she loses her powers, allowing her to touch him without draining him. When he saves her life, the two start a tentative relationship that is soon dissolved when Magneto kills Zaladane, reminding Rogue that he is a villain indeed. 

Another popular but infamous romantic storyline between the two took place in the Age of Apocalypse event. This was an alternate reality where Charles Xavier died as a child and therefore, Magneto formed the X-Men. The team, which included Rogue, Magneto, and Gambit faced off against Apocalypse and Wolverine who was evil in this timeline. Rogue saved Magneto’s life, ending her relationship with Gambit and officially partnering with Magneto. Their relationship in the Age of Apocalypse even led to the birth of a child whom they named after Charles Xavier. In this plot, Rogue could touch Magneto because she had absorbed the magnetic powers of Polaris, allowing her and Magneto’s powers to cancel each other out. 

Again, in X-Men: Legacy, Rogue, and Magneto received another romantic storyline, the first to exist in the canon 616 timeline. These comics follow the Avengers vs. X-Men event and sees Magneto trying to make amends for his past mistakes. In X-Men: Legacy #249 Magneto takes Rogue to the Holocaust Museum to share more about his past and tries to convince her to stay with Gambit but she ultimately chooses Magneto and they consummate their relationship with the issue ending in them kissing. This eventually falls apart by issue #274 when Rogue once again realizes that she and Magneto can never be together when his priorities will always be the creation of a mutant supremacist world. 

Conclusion 

So, while Rogue and Magneto have had many romantic plots in the comics, they usually end badly. The romance between Rogue and Gambit was a big part of the original X-Men animated show, and episode 2 of X-Men ’97 saw Gambit watching with a broken heart as Rogue left Magneto’s office. Future episodes will hopefully reveal the extent of Rogue and Magneto’s history and how it will affect their relationships in the present.