The plot thickens as we near the end of the season.

Episode 7 has set the tone for what is going to be a very intense last three episodes of Season One of X-Men ’97. Villians have been revealed, heroes are losing their will to fight and an unexpected ally reappears and this is all only leading up to the last few episodes. It’s becoming difficult to predict just where this season might take us. Take a second to listen to our full reactions episode to Episode 7, out now on your listening platform of choice or live in the blog post.

Rogue is Going Rogue

Rogue has always been one of the X-Men that fits into the category of very unfortunate powers. While she is unlike the Morlocks in the sense that she does pass as human when out and about, her inability to touch others at all hinders her passing abilities, as she always has to be covered. Additionally, it clearly hinders her in her personal life and has been an ongoing struggle for the character. Take all of this, all this anger she already holds, and multiply it by 100 as Rogue now has lost the two men that she loved, along with being a survivor of the worst mutant attack to ever take place. It makes complete sense that she would begin to take matters into her own hands and would be entirely justified if she went on a villain arc.

This episode has proven she’s toeing the line of arguably both of these. We first see Rogue go off when she attacks the military base, looking for Gyrick. She continues her rampage until she finds him, yet shockingly she doesn’t kill him. Her journey does eventually have her meet up with the X-Men again, where they find Trask. Rogue makes the most drastic decision yet when she lets go of Trask, who falls to his ‘death’. All of the X-Men stand in shock, with Morph even making a comment about whether this is who they are now.

This all circles into a larger conversation that has been an ongoing debate in any good old story about good versus evil. The bad guys don’t tend to play by the rules and they even go out of their way to break them many times, while the stereotypical good guys will always be stuck with the parameters of law and order. Of course, there are plenty of heroes who either toe the line or simply cross it and they’re usually considered our anti-heroes, like Elektra, Moon Knight, and the Winter Soldier (not just in movies but comic stories as well). For our X-Men, it seems Rogue is pushing them to pick whether they are going to keep playing by the rules, or if they are going to start to get their hands dirty. After the attack on Genosha, who can blame her for wanting to throw out the rule book? If the enemy keeps getting stronger and more willing to go big or go home, then the heroes need to up their game too, or they will start to lose.

Here Come Prime Sentinels

As previously mentioned, Trask is dropped to his ‘death’ by Rogue, yet there is a very important reason as to why death keeps showing up in quotes. Trask didn’t quite reach the final destination that many anticipated, as his body returned in a very zombie-like way with the intent to neutralize the X-Men. He has become the first of the Prime Sentinels to be activated, yet how he became one is still in question. There are a few options, although all of them seem like they would not have been fun getting there.

We have to remember that Mister Sinister is involved in all of this, who has played the role of the mad scientist for far too long. Keeping this in mind, it’s possible Trask has actually been dead for a little while or missing and the Prime Sentinel just has his likeness and is acting like him. For those who are Agents of SHIElD fans, think of the entire storyline built around the LMDs. As the X-Men saw when they first arrived to find Trask, there clearly are quite a few of these Prime Sentinel bodies being built, so it’s possible they might be replacing real people with the Prime Sentinels that share their likeness. The more grotesque option is that they replaced Trask’s skeleton with this Prime Sentinels skeleton instead, actually affecting his real body. This theory has two powerful reasons why it might actually be right. The first is that Beast mentions that Trask is actually still alive in the Prime Sentinel, which makes us wonder whether they somehow did something science never should do. The second is that it has comic precedence.

The Prime Sentinels in the comics are actually humans that have had cybernetic nanotech implanted in their bodies. When these implants are activated, they turn the human into a Sentinel with powerful weapon systems. The worst part is that these Prime Sentinels were sleeper agents, just like Trask, who might not even know this technology is inside of them. Upon his ‘death,’ the tech was activated, although moving forward, it’s more likely that someone has control over when activation takes place. In the comics, our new villain uses his Prime Sentinels to capture Professor X and wreak havoc on mutants before the X-Men, with the help of SHIELD, put a stop to it. This very easily could be the direction we’re going but it will be interesting to see if the Prime Sentinels stick around, or meet their end in Episode 10.

A New Villian Emerges

Shocking to many viewers, a new and scarier villain has emerged from Episode 7 and it’s exposed that Mister Sinister is actually working for him. Bastian, also known as Sebastian Gilberti is an influential figure in the U.S. government who mans the creation of Operation: No Tolerance (ONT, as seen in Ep 7). He is also responsible for the Prime Sentinels mentioned above. Now, keeping this simple, a critical thing to know about Bastian is that he is actually the combination of two beings: Master Mold and Nimrod. This is fairly important, as a strong theory coming out of Episode 7 is that Bastian doesn’t belong in this time, and if half of him is Nimrod, that would confirm this theory. For those who don’t remember, Nimrod if the future Sentinel that the X-Men interact with in one of their time travelling adventures in the OG series. As for Bastian not being from this time, the other supporting factor is that Cable once again has appeared, seemingly aware of the issue. This likely means his future has once again gone up in flames due to a change in the past, such as Bastian traveling or existing in a time in which he shouldn’t. Another small thing to note is that at one point, Bastian is beheaded by Apocalypse’s Horseman of Death, who happens to be a resurrected Gambit.

An Ally Makes a Return but What Does It Mean?

The final moments of Episode 7 left us gasping for air as it was revealed that Magneto has in fact survived. Now, back to Episode 6, we did theorize that he hadn’t died, as Professor X sees Gambit’s skeleton, but not Magneto’s. With the relationship the two share, it seemed strange that he didn’t have a psychic connection to him that would show he was no longer alive. Besides all of this, he is alive and in the clutches of Bastian. There are various theories flying around all of this, so let’s get into them.

The first theory is as simple as Bastian needs Magneto as bait for Professor X. While this doesn’t explain how exactly he lived, it does make sense as to why he was the one taken. Professor X would do a lot for any of his X-Men, but we’ve seen various times how he is willing to bend the world to help Magnus. Bastian knows Professor X has lived and is not only angry, but ready to use it to his advantage. The quickest way to draw a soon to arrive on Earth Professor X to him is letting him chase after Magneto. Additionally, Bastian may have also taken Magneto as his power of magnetism could pose a threat to his Prime Sentinels.

Now be warned, as we go on, the theories get worse and more out of the box. The next theory is that Magneto in some way has been involved in all of this. Understandably, it seems strange to say Magneto would allow all these mutants to die and also allow himself to be captured and held hostage. However, it can’t be forgotten that Magneto is a villain playing dress up as a hero. All season, we’ve been waiting for him to snap back to his original way of thinking and lose his hold on acting as Professor X. Throughout everything that has happened this season, it’s possible he got himself involved in hopes of trying to win the X-Men and world over and things went horribly out of control. It’s likely a long shot to say Magneto, if involved, knew the entire plan and was okay with everything that went down. Yet it would help explain why he wasn’t actually killed, if he is still needed by Bastian even if he tried to step away from the plan and play the hero or end up a martyr, like Professor X.

The final and really off the wall theory is that Magneto has actually been replaced by a Prime Sentinel long ago and the Magneto seen at the end of Episode 7 is the real one, held hostage all this time. This obviously has holes in it, but it would help to explain how he was killed along with all the Morlocks, but is somehow alive when they do not appear to be. If his Prime Sentinel version was killed, it would allow for the real version to still clearly be alive. Naturally, the biggest hole is if the Prime Sentinels work by implant, then there is absolutely no reason there should be a lookalike of Magneto. I do believe I have PTSD from the LMD Agents of SHIELD season, so this could just be coming from a place surrounding that.

Regardless, the best theory is likely the first one, even though it does leave Magneto’s death scene difficult to explain. However, if the first theory is accurate, it means we will likely in some way see how he survived, filling in the hole that leaves that theory difficult to fully back up. No matter what direction it goes, Magneto’s reasoning for being with Bastian will likely leave all of us floored, whether he’s been captured, is part of this, or was actually replaced. Let’s just say, X-Men ’97 is reaching crazy theory territory and we’re living for it.

Image: “X-Men ’97 Episode 7”, Sideshow

This episode felt like a lead-up to something bigger, and we’re ready.

Episode 6 was successfully split between Storm and Professor X, both of whom are technically AWOL from the X-Men at the moment. For Storm’s part of the episode, we see her live through a fraction of the Lifedeath storyline, before regaining her powers. During the other half of the episode, we surprisingly see Professor X with Lilandra, living his life until he realizes that something terrible has happened on Earth. Both of these stories are leading to Storm and Xaviar’s return to the X-Men, coming likely within the next episode or two. With all this, check out our podcast reactions to Episode 6, out now on your platform of choice or live in the blog post.

Some sort of Lifedeath

Titled Lifedeath Part 2, part of this episode’s plot handled the second half of what Episode 4 set up. In a slightly confusing turn of events, the episode only half told the rest of what was supposed to be a fairly iconic Storm storyline. It was actually pretty weird that the writers hadn’t just chosen to do Lifedeath in one episode, as the story was not only cut drastically short, but it seemed to be shoved in among other storylines, decreasing its prominence. While it was expected that Storm’s storyline wouldn’t be a full A-plot due to the nature of some of the other episodes, it was shocking how little time it felt that she really had.

As previously discussed in the Episode 5 reactions blog post, the Lifedeath storyline has quite a few layers, with the final layer ending with the X-Men sacrificing themselves and then getting resurrected. While it was highly unlikely this was the route the show would go, especially with the events of Episode 5, the rest of the story helps form Forge and Storm’s relationship, and returns Storm to her full caliber of power. While Episode 6 did have the same ending, it did lack the foundational building of Storm and Forge’s relationship, making it seem rushed and out of place. As it is unlikely we will see this storyline ever come back around, it’s a little upsetting that this is the direction they went with Lifedeath, as it doesn’t feel like it truly was told.

Storm to Make Her Return

While the rest of the Lifedeath storyline didn’t follow much of the comic precedence, one thing did successfully happen: Storm regained her powers. Originally, Forge is the one who, while in the alternate dimension that Adversary takes them both to, finds a solution and is able to build a machine that returns Storm’s abilities. With the knowledge of this background, and the fact that Episode 6 played it out that Storm herself had a mental block that was stopping her from using her powers, it’s possible that Forge’s machine in Episode 4 actually did heal Storm. The comic storyline might be married in with the idea that Forge did help her gain her powers, but the final piece of the puzzle came down to Storm realizing she was holding herself back. A part of her did wonder about being human, and it seems that part of her enjoyed not having the extra responsibility of constantly saving the world.

All this changes when she not only regains her powers but witnesses the attack on Genosha, along with the clear stress put on the mutant/human relationship because of it on TV. For clear reasons, Storm is likely going to be going home to the X-Men. As of right now, she knows very little about the attack, and quite frankly, anything that has happened since the end of Episode 2. This includes the whole Jean/Madelyne clone debacle. Yet it also means she isn’t aware of what friends might have been on Genosha or how the X-Men plan to handle the situation. Either way, her return home is imminent, with the possibility of Forge joining her as she returns to her Omega-level threat status and regains the title of X-Man.

Professor X, Back Again

The most shocking part of the episode is the fact that it began with Professor X. As of the final episode of the OG series, Xavier, with Lilandra, was taken back to her planet for treatment after being attacked. That was meant to be the end of the story, as that concluded the original show. However, with the return of the X-Men show, the largest question going into it revolved around Xavier and whether he would return. Episode 6 not only showed us what he was up to this past year but answered that very question.

Poor Xavier never can quite seal the deal with a marriage, as Lilandra’s sister quickly makes sure that he stands no chance of closing the deal and becoming royalty. All because she wants him to completely leave behind the life he had on Earth and the relationships that he spent his entire life building. This all culminates in Xavier using his powers again for the first time in what sounds like a while, causing him to see flashes of everything that has transpired on Earth since he left. In doing so, Xavier quickly realizes he’s not just needed at home, but he might be the only man who can help fix whatever disasters are taking place after the Genosha genocide.

The most interesting aspect is going to be how Xavier is welcomed back to Earth. To the world, he’s dead and made into a mutant martyr, his legacy being what ushered in the slight peace that was happening prior to Genosha. Yet to the X-Men, his leaving has only seemingly led to one terrible thing after another. Nearly nothing truly positive has happened since Xavier has left and it might be interesting to see how his return, especially in the wake of Gambit and Magento’s death, goes over with the X-Men that are left. Pretty much, this is setting up for a stressful Episode 7.

The Culprit Behind Genosha

The final few moments of the episode exposed the implied culprit behind the Genosha attacks and no one should be too shocked. As theorized after Episode 5, Mister Sinister is seemingly behind the attack after getting DNA from the scientist who originally helped build Master Mold and the Sentinels. While it seems the scientist truly had no idea of Sinister’s plans with Genosha, the audience is currently left in the dark about what Sinister’s intentions are across the board. Why destroy Genosha? Why kill a bunch of mutants? And what else is he planning, as he mentions that Genosha was only the beginning?

Usually, Sinister’s plans revolve around creating the next step in evolution, the next level of mutant, even though he himself is not actually a mutant. Is it possible this fact finally caused him to turn his attacks against them? Or is it all in some way in the name of science and evolution? Think of how wildfires, while destructive, leave forests with nutrients that allow new plants and trees to grow back quicker and stronger. It’s possible Sinister is hoping that with the fall of mutants, more second-generation mutants will be born in an attempt to repopulate the mutant population, which would reach his goal of finding the next stage of evolution. Otherwise, the other possibility is that our friend Apocolypse has made a return and Sinister is working for him. Although, again, Sinister was named Season One’s main villain, not Apocolypse, so this seems more unlikely.

Image: “X-Men ’97 Episode 6”, Nick Cimarusti, Sideshow

There wasn’t a dry eye here at Sisters Assembled.

After a sort of ‘meh’ Episode 4, Episode 5 came with a vengeance. I would argue it actually is one of the best pieces of TV I’ve ever seen, nevermind the fact that it’s animated. The storytelling was amazing the entire episode but the last 5-10 minutes is where they get you, leaving the audience holding their breath as one horrible thing happens after another. While it’s difficult to form words to describe our feelings, we try our best during our full reactions episode, out now on your listening platform of choice or live in this blog post.

Scott and Jean – Trouble in Paradise

Episode 5 gave us an update on all our favorite love triangles. Scott and Jean continue to struggle to rebuild after finding out that Madelyne had replaced Jean and Scott had built an entire life with her. In the meantime, it appears Jean is becoming confused about some of her own feelings. Could X-Men’ 97 be gearing up to destroy one of the most iconic X-Men couples?

Let’s start by saying, both are in the wrong about different things. On Scott’s end, Jean discovers he shares a telepathic link with Madelyne and that he has continued to use it to talk with her. So while Jean definitely reacted to a few things out of Scott’s control, this was probably not one of his smarter moments. Not disclosing that he was still talking to the clone of her, the one he had a baby with and married, is definitely not going to help rebuild their relationship and Jean was rightfully upset.

Yet on the other end, Jean can’t continue to hold it against Scott that he was with Madelyne when she was quite literally a clone of her. Of course, our good friend Logan likely didn’t help this, as we see him tell Jean how he would always have just chosen her, implying Scott chose whatever version of her he could get and never cared if it was not actually her. After sharing a kiss with Logan, Jean sort of loses at Scott with this being part of the crux of her argument. Now the question from earlier is raised again on what is their fate? Could we actually see Logan get the girl? I think it’s unlikely, as Logan never actually ends up with Jean at any point in the comics. However, I wouldn’t be entirely shocked to see Logan used as a partial pawn in this until he and Scott go at, as Scott is bound to realize he, either purposefully or not, has been whispering a little in Jean’s ear. I don’t think fans should expect to see Scott and Jean on any sort of okay terms for the rest of this season, but I do expect to see more blowouts, with some involving Logan, as Scott discovers the possibility of Jean’s feelings changing.

Gambit x Rogue x Magneto Takes Center Stage

While so much happened throughout this episode, the main b-plot that drove a good portion of the episode was the love triangle between Gambit, Rogue, and Magneto. Naturally, you know I adore talking about this drama and this episode did clear some things up regarding not just where Rogue stands, but the history she and Magneto share.

Rogue shares with Gambit that she met Magneto originally when she had only just gotten her powers and was with Mystique. She was young and impressionable, and as far as I gathered, it seemed like there was a little bit of a strange power dynamic between the two. The two began to see each other, yet she left Magneto when she realized they both had too many demons to share together. Later, whenever they would see each other or interact, Magneto pretended the two of them never had shared a past. They were a fire that burned until they snuffed each other out.

While we all knew the strange vibes the two of them were giving off, it was still quite a shock to have Magneto ask her to be his queen on Genosha, essentially asking her to choose him permanently and leave Gambit and the X-Men in the dust. And with the way she talks to Gambit about her and Magneto’s history and the entire first part of the dance scene, you really do think she’s going to do it, all because she can touch him and can never touch Gambit. Yet, when she kisses Magneto and to summarize this in the nicest of ways, she realizes she doesn’t actually feel anything for him, she was just blinded by being able to have skin-on-skin contact. Now, that should be a win for us Gambit girls, as it implies Remy is the man she will choose because she has real feelings for him that go deeper than skin level. Of course, the episode had other ideas.

Cable Makes His Return

By now, Cable is arguably one of the most interesting characters we have seen in the show. We have seen his birth and his growth, along with being a parent of his own. And with the way this season has been going, it’s not too much of a surprise that he showed up right before a massive genecide. Cable should be seen as equal to time travel, just like Bishop, so when his character appears, you know there’s a strong likelihood that the events unfolding will either by undone or altered. Or at least if you’re me who is still mourning the loss of my favorite character in the show, it’s the biggest hope I have at the moment.

Cable’s appearance is important for not just the possiblity of this tragic event being undone, but also because he interacts directly with Madelyne, his mother. In what may be the final few moments of her life, Cable tries to warn her of the attack and she recognizes him, realizing her son Nathan does in fact live. It’s important this happens because it helps us see that the likelihood of Cable knowing his mother isn’t actually Jean Grey is much higher, but also that Madelyne gets closure regarding the fate of her son. If Madelyne is to perish, she did so knowing that Bishop taking her son into the future was the right call, which has to have been extremely validating for her, as the rest of her life fell apart.

The Fall of Genosha and the Perpetrator

At the end of this episode, beyond just the pain and sadness felt by viewers, another critical question began to rise: Who attacked Genosha? Who would do such a horrible thing and kill so many innocent people? There are three possibilities, each with their own reasons and all genuine possibilities.

The first is Gyrick, arguably one of the most anti-mutant characters that exists in the X-Men universe. He has used the Sentinels before to attack the mutants, so it wouldn’t be entirely shocking to see him do it once again. Gyrick hasn’t yet been in the reboot of the show, so it’s possible this is his way of making his official entrance. Every time he would use the Sentinels to attack, they would be upgraded with a new feature that makes them more difficult for the X-Men to destroy them. He may have finally hit the motherload with the mega-Sentinel that we saw drive the mutant genecide on Genosha.

The second is another mutant. As shocking as this sounds, another mutant might be trying to make a martyr out of the mutant race, just as Professor X’s ‘death’ did before. After he died, the mutant/human relationship shifted more positively, as the largest voice in the room for mutants was attacked and, to the public, later died from it. However, we see it even at the beginning of X-Men ’97, that not only is not everyone happy about it, but that this time of somewhat peace isn’t going to last. A martyr can only last for so long before something else happens. So could another mutant have decided to take the mutant cause into his own hands? Originally, there was no telling what exact mutant could have done this. But since the episode has been out, one user commented an interesting theory on one of our vidoes. Shoutout to brandonweary28 for suggesting Magneto might have been behind this attack, which could check out considering he’s trying so hard to play the hero. Let’s just say if this pans out, it would be actually insane.

The final possibility ties us back to what we know about the season as a whole. Mister Sinister is on paper as the villain of the season and so far, he has only appeared once in Episode 3. He also slightly fits into the bucket of a mutant who did this because although he isn’t officially a mutant, he believes in furthering the mutants scientifically, creating the next generation of mutant race. This is his whole driver behind constantly kidnapping Jean and Scott and also creating Madelyne. It’s possible he thinks the only way to further the mutants is by murdering a large number of them and starting again.

Those Final, Heartbreaking Moments

Words can’t describe the horror of the genecide on Genosha, but then the show had to go and twist the knife. We have lost two of our best, and yes, Magneto is one of the best. He is an omega level threat, who went out giving his life by trying to protect the Morlocks. While we always discuss the possiblity of Magneto switching back to his usual way of thinking, it was nothing but heartbreaking to see him do everything he could to save not just all the mutants, but then Gambit and Rogue when he knew he couldn’t do anything else. Our hearts broke to watch this villain turned hero, who was doing nothing but trying to fulfill his best friend’s wishes, perish. In all of this, though, we have to realize that someone has consistently been trying to take down Magneto, as we can’t forget that he was the target of the blast that stole Storm’s powers. While currently successful, as mentioned before, there’s a very low likelihood that the events of this episode will stick entirely, as it would be bold to kill off Magneto in a series where you already don’t have Xavier. It’s with true belief in which I say he will make his return and it will be with a vengeance.

Then we move onto one of the worst heartbreaks for me personally after coming out of Episode 5. You could say Gambit truly went out with a bang, as his sacrifice is what took down the mega Sentinal that had been attacking Genosha and had just killed Magneto. And while it already hurt so much, then the last few moments of the episode leaves us with Rogue holding Gambit’s body, telling him she can’t feel him and calling back to WandaVision with that horrible line. But as with Magneto, I strongly don’t believe this is the end for Gambit. For one, he is an original X-Man (in this series) and it would be quite bold of the show to kill him off 5 episodes into the reboot. The second point is that this attack as a whole has left the series without quite a few of their important characters, including Gambit. With all the directions they might want to go in the future, it would be quite shoehorning to leave all these characters completely sidelined. I do believe Gambit will return, although rumor has it he might come back as one of Apocalypse’s four horsemen. With this, we’ll get a Gambit back, just not quite the way I think we all expected. We’ll just have to keep an eye out in the next few episodes to see how this plays out.

The Watcher

The final thing I want to touch on is the fact the Watcher appeared throughout the episode. It is said that the Watcher appears when a univese is going through a Nexus event or is about to perish. While I don’t believe this specific universe is going to perish, the Nexus event portion should be the most concering for all viewers. I have spoken this entire blog post about undoing this event. However, if the Nexus event portion is played out, then it’s very possible it could never be undone. For reference, think about the fact that in What If? Season One, Dr. Strange could never avoid losing Christine, no matter what he did. New episodes will only either confirm or deny, but it’s important to keep this in mind as we continue to watch and also keep an eye on that sky to see if our buddy the Watcher appears again.

Image: “X-Men ’97 Episode 5”, Christian Bone, We Got This Covered

A split episode dealing with two very different storylines.

Episode 4 of X-Men explored two polar opposite ends of the X-Men universe. The first returned us to the world of Mojo, our slightly psychopathic TV producer in space. In a strange turn of events, Jubilee and Roberto traveled into his newfound passion for video games. On the other end, we finally saw a little bit more of Storm and her journey to restoring her powers. Both contained important character growth for both Jubilee and Storm, leaving more to come for them, hopefully. Before we get into the full details of the episode, take some time to listen to our reactions podcast episode, either on your platform of choice or live in the blog post.

Jubilee and Her Powers Are Getting an Upgrade

The first half of Episode 4 shoved us back into the Mojoverse. For those who don’t remember Mojo from the original series, he’s a big alien who kidnaps people for entertainment purposes. And when I say entertainment purposes, I mean he genuinely broadcasts them across the universe for entertainment. In this episode, we only see Jubilee and Roberto transported into the Mojoverse through a gaming console, but considering it was Jubilee’s birthday, the end result seems quite fitting.

As Jubilee celebrates part of her 18th birthday inside the Mojoverse, she also meets a different version of herself, created to test the game. As this older version of Jubilee has spent quite a lot of time in the code of the game, she has honed her powers and grown stronger. In doing so, Jubilee was able to get a glimpse of some of the cool things she could do with her abilities other than just shooting pyrotechnics. In the comics, Jubilee could use her abilities to shoot fireworks, yes, but in various ways, with varying degrees of intensity. The fireworks could be arranged in different shapes and would follow Jubilee’s mind control to detonate where and when she wants them to. The strength of the explosion could range from being fairly minor to a fairly large bomb size. So far in the show, we’ve seen her continue to struggle to just control her powers, but after this episode, we will likely see Jubilee start experimenting more and trying to wrestle control over her abilities. Now that she’s 18 and has seen her potential, get ready to maybe see more and more of Jubilee when the X-Men go out on missions.

The Lifedeath Storyline

The Lifedeath story, which we saw in the second half of Episode 4, is an intense story that primarily revolves around Storm. As we will be seeing the second half of the story play out in Episode 6, let’s explore the Lifedeath storyline in more detail.

After Storm is shot with an energy burst that neutralizes mutant power, which played out in Episode 2, she is left powerless. Storm ends up at the home of Forge to recover, but unfortunately discovers he is actually behind the technology that stole her gifts (Episode 3). Yet, it all goes much deeper than this. In the comics, the two spend quite a bit of time together, becoming quite close. They share intimate details of their lives with one another and do eventually share an attraction as well. However, Storm finding out that Forge played a part in stealing her abilities destroys everything they had built during their time together. Storm flees Forge’s home in disgust but it doesn’t end there, as seen in the final moments of Episode 4.

The Adversary is introduced in the last few seconds, and this is where the Lifedeath storyline gets pretty intense. It all begins with Forge, who was raised a member of the Cheyenne tribe. He was trained to be a Cheyenne shaman and learned magic, which he neglected in favor of technology. However, the shaman is destined to fight the Adversary and keep the demon out of their universe, as he is bent on destroying it. In the comics, the Adversary’s demons attack through an open portal from his universe and Storm and Forge fall through, ending up the only humans in this parallel dimension. Then it starts to get really weird.

The Adversary is captured by Roma, a goddess who oversees the known dimensions. During this time, Forge restores Storm’s powers, but they both fall prisoner and are held in the same location as the Adversary, at the Starlight Citadel. Back in our dimension, the X-Men, along with Madelyne Pryor, are transported to the other dimension where they free Forge and Storm. The X-Men and Pryor then willingly sacrifice themselves to allow Forge to banish the Adversary and close the portal forever. In the end, Roma brings them all back to life, as she claims the Adversary cannot be banished forever due to the chaos he brings, but he remains confined by Forge’s spell for the next age of time.

Could We See Avengers Make Appearances?

Forge is not the only relationship that Storm has within the comics. Another relatively famous relationship she has is with Black Panther, yes, T’Challa himself. Now seeing Avengers in the X-Men animated show isn’t new, as both Carol Danvers and Captain America have made appearances in the OG series. Yet, as we see Storm embark on a possible relationship with one suitor from the comics, the possibility of another showing up should be explored further in the future. While Storm and T’Challa aren’t together for too long, they do end up married, which only ends in disaster for them. During their marriage, the X-Men and Avengers go to war against each other, with the two of them being caught in the crosshair and their marriage falling apart.

On top of all this, the head director of X-Men ’97 has also shared that fans should keep an eye out for Avenger cameos in the series. This being said, a cameo does not mean that a character is going to pop up and be part of the whole storyline of either that episode or season. On the other hand, a cameo could lead to them reappearing in Season 2 or 3 of the show, both of which have been confirmed to be made in the future.

Image: “X-Men ’97 Episode 4”, Brittany Frederick, CBR

https://x-men.fandom.com/wiki/Jubilee#Powers_and_Abilities

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Adversary_(Earth-616)

Nightmares for the X-Men, but amazing TV for us.

Episode 3 of X-Men ’97 played out one of the best storylines the X-Men have (in my opinion). We have finally gotten the Goblin Queen, the clone of Jean Grey, and while it probably did deserve a two-part episode event, this might just be one of the most amazing episodes of TV ever put out by Marvel. Before getting into the details, take a minute to explore our full reactions podcast episode, using the button below to find your podcast platform of choice or listen live with the link provided.

Battle of the Clones

In the final few moments of Episode 2, a second Jean Grey showed up at the door, confusing both the X-Men and the audience. For fans of the X-Men or just those who are doing their research, everyone knew at that moment that Marvel was finally doing the Madelyne Pryor/Jean Grey clone storyline. By the start of Episode 3, I think many of us were going in already assuming that Madelyne had been the Jean we saw give birth to Nathan, but I commend the show for giving us a few moments where they hinted at the possibility of that not being true. Yet confusion and peace didn’t last long, as we saw how quickly we devolved into chaos once Beast confirmed that Madelyne wasn’t the actual Jean.

I have to say I was shocked at how much truly happened in this episode, with Madelyne becoming the Goblin Queen after it was revealed that Mister Sinister was behind her creation (called it). Not only do we see her become, well, sinister, but she and Jean battle it out within each other’s minds, a visually amazing scene. So much was jam-packed into this episode, that it left me with partial whiplash at the end when I realized they had played out the Goblin Queen storyline already. As mentioned above, the fact this didn’t make a two-part story in the show was shocking but it only means we will likely see Madelyne again. She still has Jean’s powers and abilities, meaning she can easily be a strong ally or a dangerous foe once again down the road.

Unanswered Questions

Bringing Mister Sinister in as the mad scientist who created Madelyne was a great call, as we already know Mister Sinister has been named the main villain of the season. But his involvement and the details of the switch have left various unanswered questions that I hope will be answered as we go about the season. I think I speak for many when I say the largest question still unanswered is: when did he switch them? However, I’d like to second that one with: why?

My initial theory regarding the first question was that the clones were switched somewhere during the time of the Phoenix storyline, as Jean is actually supposed to die during that. There was a time in the OG show in which she disappeared, so it seemed possible that was the setup for switching her and Madelyne. While I won’t throw that theory out, one thing sticks out like a sore thumb and I’m not sure it gives us answers more than it gives us additional questions. If Sinister had the real Jean since halfway through Season 3 of the OG series, why did he continue to kidnap Madelyne later on? He had the original that he wanted, so why kidnap the clone? To keep up appearances? This all wraps into my why question, as again, he had what he wanted, he had the original Jean. Obviously, we saw that Madelyne, unknowingly, was there as an inside agent for Sinister and when he needed her, turned quickly to his side with her child. The real Jean would have never, so it does work out why Sinister would want Madelyne in general, but I think the long-term plan is still very much unclear.

Where Nathan Goes from Here

Another loose end that somewhat remains is Nathan, the baby of Scott and Madelyne. Separated now from his parents, we know he grows up to become Cable. Yet before I get to Cable, I want to keep the focus on the present, where Bishop took baby Nathan to the future to help cure him of the disease Mister Sinister gave him. Will this be the last time we ever see Nathan as a child? From an action-show perspective, I can see how it would be easiest to write the baby out at this point. With Madelyne going on her own and Scott remaining with the X-Men with a returned Jean, I’m not sure there’s room to try and throw a newborn in there. Yet from a storyline view, it’s hard to imagine them bringing Nathan in just for us to never see him really be with his parents, or at least Scott. We’ve always known his future but I think it’s important for us to know his past/our present too.

As for Cable, the OG show never has him explicitly say Scott and Jean are his parents, but there are a few times it’s heavily implied they are, during one of the various time-traveling episodes. But I’m left wondering if Cable is aware that Jean isn’t actually his mother but Madelyne is. Obviously, with where the OG show ended, there was no storyline revolving around the clones, so they may have never anticipated telling that story. Now that we are, though, it’s interesting to look back and see that it doesn’t appear that Cable is truly aware he isn’t Jean’s real son. I suppose biologically he is, but we all now know Madelyne is the one who conceived and gave birth to him. I believe this question wraps right into the one above of whether Nathan will ever return to our present time and be exposed to his parents, or at least his dad and perceived mother Jean, or stay with Bishop in the future where he is only being told who his parents are. Regardless, Bishop knows the truth about who his real mother is, which means Bishop will have to either lie to Nathan or Nathan will come back later either this season or in future seasons, and learn the truth himself.

Storm’s B-Plot Return

Episode 2 also left us with the cliffhanger regarding Storm losing her mutant abilities. While we know Storm won’t forever be off the board, it appears we have gotten a hint at how she might make her powerful return. In what could be considered an end-credit scene, Rogue is found in Texas by our good friend Forge. Forge, who has been featured in the OG series, is best known for his mutant abilities that allow him enhanced technological prowess and inventiveness. That being said, if anyone can find a technological cure for Storm’s issue, it would be him, as it appears from the second episode that Beast is unsure how to solve the problem biologically.

As mentioned in the reactions episode, it would also be interesting if Storm, in her journey to restore her powers, also is found by our good friend Madelyne. Keep in mind that Storm is still unaware of the Jean/Madelyne debacle, meaning if Madelyne wanted to, she could continue to act as Jean with Storm. As Storm continues her journey through being human and maybe finding her mutant self again, she shares a similar storyline to Madelyne who is now trying to find who she is outside of being ‘Jean Grey’. It’s possible Forge could also aid Madelyne in figuring out her memories, so she and Storm could make a solid pair for a B-plot story as we continue to follow our other X-Men through the fallout of Episode 3.

Image: “X-Men ’97 Episode 3”, Colin Leggett, GameRant

The X-Men are back!

We are so excited to have the iconic X-Men animated show return and it came back with a vengeance. Between Magneto’s new leadership and ‘turning over a new leaf’ and the crazy storyline they may be introducing already, Episodes 1 and 2 have already been wild. It makes us even more excited to know we get 8 more weeks of this! Before I get into breaking down the most prominent pieces of Episodes 1 and 2, take a second to listen to our podcast reactions episode, whether on your listening platform of choice or live in the blog.

Magneto and his X-Men

As the trailer told u before the debut of Episodes 1 and 2 of X-Men ’97, Xavier made the interesting call to put Magneto in charge of just about everything he owned, including his X-Men. While Cyclops clearly thought he would take on that leadership role, the ending of Episode 1 left us instead with not only an unlikely hero but an unlikely villain. Episode 2 then had us watching Magento closely as he worked to gain the trust of the X-Men and really the entire world, considering he is notoriously a pro-mutant extremist. Yet all of this leaves us with the largest question, will it stick?

At this point, Magneto’s future has three paths. The first is that he actually does continue to honor Xavier by leading his X-Men in the noble cause of mutants and humans co-existing peacefully. The second is something gets in his way of redemption and Magneto reverts to his usual way of thinking. The final option goes to something we discussed in the predictions episode, which is the possibility of Xavier’s return. The original series ended with Xavier being taken by Lilandra to her home planet for treatment, where he would have to stay. However, that doesn’t necessarily have to be as permanent as it was originally, now that the series has returned. It’s possible that Xavier could make a comeback and in doing so, Magneto would revert to his role as Xavier’s equal but perfect antithesis. Quite frankly, all three of these are highly possible, so it’s hard to choose which one is more likely, but I would put my money on the last one, as it seems unlikely that Professor X will never make a return.

Storm’s Future

So far, Episodes 1 and 2 told us Storm is arguably one of the most powerful mutants to exist while then simultaneously stripping her completely of her powers. It was a whiplash of emotions, as we saw Storm completely lose her abilities to control the atmospheric weather and for lack of words, become human. On top of this upsetting moment, she also leaves the X-Men, adventuring out on her own for the first time possibly since she was a teenager.

Now, to level-set, the show didn’t just completely take Storm away forever, and if they did, they’d be making a huge mistake. The likelihood of her never regaining her powers seems nearly impossible, especially when she has been compared to a goddess several times already in the new series. The strike of energy that stole her power from her either will have to learn to be reversed or the mutant gene will turn out to be stronger than it, allowing the powers to be taken completely for longer periods, but not gone permanently. It does still raise the question of Storm’s future, specifically for this season, as it looks like the X-Men have their hands full with two Jean Greys. However, don’t be shocked if Storm makes a grand entrance towards the back end of this season, powerful as ever. If there’s one thing this show has always done very well, it creates pivotal storylines that while sometimes lost for a while, are always seen to the end, eventually.

Gambit x Rogue x Magneto?

One of the more strange parts of the first two episodes is the possible love triangle that Marvel has chosen to create in the show. Fully comic-accurate, Rogue and Magneto do actually have a brief relationship in the comics, resulting in the birth of a child. Considering we just saw the birth of Jean and Scott’s son (well maybe Jean), I don’t think we’re going to be seeing another child popping up anytime soon but it is crucial to understand the relationship Rogue and Magneto share. To first answer how he can touch her, he uses a thin magnetic shield to layer around his body, technically being fully protected by her at all times as his skin never actually touches hers. To Rogue, whether she’s aware of it or not, she can’t feel the shield, which allows her to think this one and only person in the world can actually touch her. It makes sense for her to then feel attraction to him, as to her, he’s her only option if she wants to have ‘skin-on-skin’ contact.

Let’s not ignore my man Gambit over here though, the third member of this possibly messy love triangle. For those who are comic readers, he and Rogue also share a relationship and more than that. They struggle with an again off-again type of thing but are currently married, Rogue even taking his last name of LeBeau. These two don’t quite get the same peace of mind regarding Rogue’s power, and instead, she either wears a power inhibitor to be with him physically or, later in the comics, she learns to better control her power by facing her fears and anxiety about it. While we are clearly nowhere near that yet, as these two are both in the OG series and also the beginning of this one still seems to have them in their flirty will they, won’t they stage, it seems Rogue very quickly has allowed another suitor into this story. Gambit already clearly has his suspicions, as seen towards the end of the episode, so Magento’s whole trust crusade will likely be in danger as Gambit is not always known to stay calm and collected. This could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for Magneto’s new hero lifestyle as mentioned before.

Jean Grey vs Madelyne Pryor

The final scene of Episode 2 is the beginning of one of the most crazy storylines ever, or at least to me, since the comics are a little wild. If you haven’t listened to our predictions episode for X-Men ’97 that gave the summary already, here it is. After Dark Phoenix takes place, Jean actually dies. She is replaced by a clone named Madelyne Pryor, who takes Jean’s place on the X-Men team without anyone knowing the difference, including herself. Madelyne has no clue she isn’t actually Jean Grey and she and Scott have a child together, as we see in Episode 2 of X-Men ’97, who grows up to become Cable. Upon finding out that she isn’t who she thinks she is, Madelyne sort of loses it, which concludes in her becoming the villain known as the Goblin Queen.

With this knowledge, it’s clear this is the direction X-Men ’97 is going right off the bat, but I think everyone’s question since the episode premiered is: who is the real Jean Grey? For the most dramatic storytelling, it most likely is the one who showed up at the end of the show, rather than the one who had the baby. However, I have a more important question, which is: when were they switched? My working theory is all of this connects to Mr. Sinister in some way, who also has been named the prime villain of Season One of X-Men ’97. Whether he found Jean after Dark Phoenix or one of the nine million times he kidnapped her, I have a hunch that he’s behind the clone creation. As for why, I think that’s a little too far out of my ballpark for now with the information at hand, but I can’t wait until we can watch Episode 3 to see the drama unfold around this.

Image: “X-Men 97”, Colin Leggett, GameRant