Hmm, I would argue that Charles has been standing up to Erik and calling him on his bullshit all the way through. I had this discussion with my friend the other day. Charles has always been willing to fight Erik when it matters enough - for example when he very deliberately kicks Erik in his injured leg in Part Three - but it might seem like he doesn't follow through because Erik has always bailed on their arguments before, leaving them unfinished, and in fact does so again here. It's not so much that Charles chickens out as that Erik does.

I didn't see it as Erik asking for praise myself, but I know your view on him is different, and that's fine :) More that he's trying to demonstrate to Charles that despite his personal feelings about humans he has been trying, and Charles is accusing him of following through on them when in fact he's been doing quite the opposite. So far he hasn't done anything anti-human other than take over the country (chronologically) and step in when mutants were being murdered and brutalised in South America. He's really trying hard to be a good person, and fair, and gets no thanks for it from the humans.

I'm glad you're still enjoying it, I hope you continue to!