Joel Medina (he/him) is a proud LGBTQ+ person of color who spent his life devouring all things horror. Studying media and its intersections with social issues in college led him to understand that the television, books, and films that he spent his childhood consuming had huge impacts on the societies that created them.
The Big Picture With the X-Men being one of comics’ most legendary teams and the MCU taking an unbearable amount of time to introduce them into its universe, fans were thrilled when X-Men '97 was announced for Disney+.
A continuation of the legendary X-Men: The Animated Series, created by Mark Edward Edens, Sidney Iwanter, and Eric Lewald, which is still remembered more than two decades later for its giant-sized presentation of this superhero team. Fans were thrilled to have this narrative continue, and beyond the actual plot, were excited to see if there would be any subtle callbacks to other live-action adaptations or the comics that initially hosted these iconic characters. Well, with the premiere finally happening earlier this week, viewers finally got to see two episodes filled with the fantastic adventures they’ve been longing for — plus a ton of Easter eggs! Let’s break them down and see how many hints at the past these two episodes managed to squeeze in. X-Men '97 AnimationActionAdventureSuperhero A band of mutants use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them; they're challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future. Release Date March 20, 2024 Cast Jennifer Hale , Cal Dodd , Chris Potter , Catherine Disher , Adrian Hough , Ray Chase , Lenore Zann Main Genre Animation Streaming Service Disney+ Seasons 2 Number of Episodes 10 ‘X-Men '97’ Introduces Audiences to Some Familiar Faces One of X-Men '97’s best changes is including more of the character Morph , a wise-cracking, shapeshifting mutant who uses their power for combat and pleasure alike. Through their fight against anti-mutant terrorists in Episode 2, audiences get glimpses of famous mutants Colossus, Psylocke, and Lady Deathstryke; later on, they turn into Wolverine’s longtime nemesis Sabretooth to join the Canadian for some post-battle drinks. Episode 1’s mission against Sentinels also sees them turn into Archangel, the twisted form of earlier X-Men team member Angel — though this isn’t the only time we see this ethereal mutant in this premiere. In a painting at the X-Manor, audiences see the original five X-Men that Charles Xavier first recruited to the team: younger versions of Cyclops and Jean Grey, the historic Iceman, Angel before he developed his Archangel persona, and even Beast before unstable experimentation gave him the blue color and fur he’s known for today. Morph isn’t the only way this premiere introduced audiences to some of the X-Men’s most celebrated characters. A Daily Bugle newspaper in the pilot’s opening displays an ad for a mutant fashion show featuring some of the series’ most historic mutants; it shows Maggot and Banshee, all-around cool characters , Stacy X, the first X-Men member who is also a sex worker, and Dust, the team’s first niqab-wearing member. We also see the mutants Nature Girl and Squid Boy in the corner, a random inclusion — though if Nature Girl in the show is like her TV counterpart, the X-Men should be wary of just how far she’s willing to go to save the earth. The top corner of the newspaper also interestingly asks if Spider-Man is a mutant. Finally, in a comment to Roberto De Costa , Jubilee jokingly asks if he can shoot "Gold Balls" from his body, a dig at famously strange mutant Fabio Medina, who has that exact power . Finally, no X-Men project would be complete without the Morlocks, a society of mutants who can’t pass as "regular humans." Led by their tough leader, Callisto , this group’s episodes in the original series were some of its best. Hopefully, this isn’t the last time they show up in X-Men ‘97 — especially because, as Magneto rightfully observes, their treatment by the team points out how cruelly Charles Xavier viewed mutants not "normal" enough for modern society. The X-Men Have No Shortage of Super-Horrible Villains Along with X-Men '97 flashing to fan-favorite characters, it also put some of the series’ most infamous villains at the forefront of its premiere. The first episode sees the team trying to track down anti-mutant technology, questioning the imprisoned Henry Peter Gyrich , a former government employee who despised the X-Men. He was essential in helping Bolivar Trask create the Sentinels that began hunting down mutants. Speaking of which, his interactions with the team lead them to fight Trask in the desert; there, they encounter the Master Mold, an "ultimate" Sentinel who creates more of these lethal robots on behalf of Trask. The comics see this machine taking on a mind of its own . The second episode introduces viewers to the FoH through a logo on the back of a protester’s jacket outside the UN. This is a reference to the "Friends of Humanity," an anti-mutant terrorist group the X-Men come to blows with many times in the comics. It’s at that UN meeting that they clash with the X-Cutioner, , and while his TV counterpart seems associated with the group, readers know his hatred for mutants comes from a messy history of dead mentors and misplaced blame instead of toxic groupthink. It’s unclear if we’ll get any of that in the show, but it was great to see such an epitome of anti-mutant rhetoric get ruthlessly handled by Magneto in the premiere. One of the new characters who wowed in their few moments onscreen was Valerie Cooper , the X-Men’s adversary and sometimes ally. Despite originally supporting the Mutant Registration Act that fueled the discrimination of mutants, her long history saw the government official leading a few different teams of mutants, attempting to utilize their massive power to do good worldwide. Despite this, Cooper’s alignment was always with her government, meaning that as the mutants began to realize their country wasn’t fighting for them as much as they were for it, she constantly found herself at odds with the X-Men. Valerie has a long, storied history with the team — and depending on what storylines X-Men '97 chooses to pursue, the one we’ve seen so far may not be who she seems… Related What Happened to 's Powers in 'X-Men '97'? Here's hoping she hasn't given her last forecast. ‘X-Men ’97’ Expands on the World ‘X-Men: The Animated Series’ Built Close While it featured many subtle character references and introductions, X-Men '97 makes it clear: it’s here to show parts of the main team that viewers have never seen before. It does this constantly through subtle references to their activities off-screen; from Wolverine referencing Magneto’s space station Asteroid M to the Morlocks being sent to Genosha, a mutant haven island that the "villain" made with his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the series is making an active effort to flesh out its world and the hand these characters had in shaping it. One development it displayed is the tension between Magneto and Rogue in the second episode. Non-comic readers may be shocked to discover that this pair had a controversial romantic relationship in the comics — something that the onscreen Magneto definitely remembers, though Rogue and her new love interest Gambit surely want to forget. The premiere of X-Men '97 is an astonishing return for this iconic team, one that that grants audiences all that they’ve been wanting since the X-Men: The Animated Series ended: more. And it did that in spades, with various Easter eggs showing just how knowledgeable this series’ creators are about the source material and how committed they are to bringing it to life. This is only the beginning of what’s sure to be an astonishing Season 1, and audiences will have to see if these callbacks are one-off winks, or if some of them have the chance of altering the entire story going forward.
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