What Does 'Magneto Was Right' Mean? The X-Men '97 Slogan And Its Memes Explained

The eighth episode of the X-Men: The Animated Series revival, titled "X-Men '97,"is going viral on Twitter (X) and Reddit, as it featured the famous slogan: Magneto Was Right.

The Disney+ revival of the iconic series has been receiving positive reviews from both new and old fans of the Marvel comic series, by breathing new life into a beloved classic, offering fans "a thrilling continuation of the iconic animated series," as an IMDB review explains.

Throughout the series lore, friends and enemies constantly change places depending on what's at stake, and the moral debate between friends-turned-to-enemies Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), have represented two sides of the mutant acceptance debate.

But what does this have to do with the slogan-turned-meme "Magneto Was Right"? Let's explain!

Warning: Major X-men '97 spoilers ahead!

What Does 'Magneto Was Right' Slogan Mean?

"Magneto Was Right" is a slogan used to describe the views of the X-Men villain Magneto, namely his extremist position that war is the only way to achieve equality for the fictional mutant race, as opposed to the X-Men's pacifist approach. The precursor to the phrase first appeared in the 2001 X-Men storyline "Eve of Destruction," when Magneto is believed to be killed protecting Genosha, a mutant utopia destroyed by sentinels.

Where 'Magneto Was Right' Slogan Come From?

In the 2003 X-Men series, written by Grant Morrison, a rebellious student at Xavier's School For Gifted Mutants named Quentin Quire, wore a T-shirt with the phrase "Magneto Was Right," similar in design to that of the famous Che Guevara T-shirts.

How Did 'Magneto Was Right' Became A Viral Meme?

Fans of the series have been debating whether Magneto truly is correct on comic book forums and message boards since early the 2010s. On March 6th, 2013, YouTube user @awarrockmixtape even posted a video featuring some "Magneto Was Right" slogans.

The slogan resurfaced in May 2024, after "X-Men '97" eighth episode premiered, titled "Tolerance is Extinction – Part 1," which featured an emotional speech from the character Dr. Valerie Cooper. YouTube user @SkystarAG posted a clip showing the moment Dr. Val says the "Magneto Was Right" line (shown below).

The episode became a viral topic on X and Reddit, as Magneto fans posted memes and jokes featuring the slogan. For instance, @justpatt2 posted an updated "Magneto Was Right" slogan artwork (shown below, left) and X user @blurayangel compared the slogan with another popular Marvel comics debate, the "Thanos Was Right" debate (shown below, right).

What Does 'Cyclops Was Right' Slogan Mean?

"Cyclops Was Right" is an offshoot of "Magneto Was Right" that first appeared in the crossover event Avengers vs X-Men (AvX), in which Cyclops argues with Captain America, causing a divide between the 2 superhero groups. Scott Summers changes to a much darker and more aggressive action towards mutant rights, similar to Magneto. In another tie-in comic, Cyclops is talking to Wolverine about how he considers himself a martyr and says that one day kids will wear a "Cyclops Was Right" t-shirt. This new phrase caused people to nickname this mode of Cyclops "Rightclops," and he proceeded to inspire similar fan art to "Magneto Was Right."

For the full history of "Magneto Was Right," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.