This heartbreaking episode has a lot more references than first meets the eye.
The Big Picture
- Heartbreaking events in
X-Men ’97
have left viewers rattled, longing for more from this captivating Marvel series on Disney+. - Comic book callbacks and emotional moments in the latest episode bring tears as relationships unravel on the mutant island of Genosha.
- There are Easter eggs and cameos galore in the tragic finale of
X-Men ’97
Episode 5 as the series pays tribute to iconic moments while devastating viewers.
Only the best television series can create genuinely jaw-dropping, tragic moments that linger with audiences long after the credits have rolled, and their screens have faded to black. X-Men ’97, the Marvel series created by Beau DeMayo for Disney+, has proven itself to be one of those programs by creating an episode that has left audiences rattled, heartbroken, and hungry for the next one. This continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series, created by Larry Houston, Eric Lewald, and Julia Lewald, has truly impressed viewers with its latest installment, a dazzling story that sees members of the X-Men traveling to the mutant island nation of Genosha.
This plot offered kinship, beauty, and hope for a future where all mutants can thrive — before a painful ending that comic fans expected but were still distressed to watch play out. While this episode’s events were taken almost directly from the comics, no one was prepared for its terrifying finale and how the show utilized its impeccable voice-acting and engrossing animation to stress how devastating the final few minutes were. The show featured a ton of amazing Easter eggs throughout this rollercoaster of a story, so let’s try to hold back our tears and break them down, hopefully figuring out where this series could possibly go next.
X-Men ’97
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(s)
- Disney+
- Seasons
- 2
- Number of Episodes
- 10
‘X-Men ’97’ Loves a Good Cameo!
Before its devastating climax, the early part of X-Men ’97’s fifth episode had the mutants who stayed back at the X-Mansion get interviewed by a news team in celebration of Genosha being recognized officially as a nation by the UN. It introduces audiences to Trish Tilby (Donna Jay Fulks), an investigative reporter and occasional romantic partner to the big blue doctor, Beast (George Buza), in the comics. There’s a hint at their relationship beginning in the animation with Tilby making the hero blush, but that isn’t the only romantic reference that occurs in this episode. Audiences see this romance seem to spark, with the reporter flattering the big blue man — and that’s not the only affection viewers get to see.
In a mind-bending scene, Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale) tries to disentangle her memories from that of her clone, Madelyn Pryor, giving watchers a glimpse at her and Scott Summers (Ray Chase) first physical foray in the desert from X-Men #132, a romantic moment for the pair amidst the chaos of the Dark Phoenix Saga. This isn’t the only comic callback, as Jean’s discovery of Scott and Madelyne Pryor (Jennifer Hale) having a telepathic affair is an exact mirror to her experience catching Scott and Emma Frost (Martha Marion) committing a telepathic act of adultery in New X-Men #139. It was amazing to see so many iconic moments from Jean’s comic past, it’s just unfortunate they were both used to stress how much her and Scott’s relationship has deteriorated.
Away from this relatively tame plot, the episode takes Rogue (Lenore Zann), Gambit (AJ LoCascio), and Magneto (Matthew Waterson) away from domesticity for a trip to the mutant island of Genosha. We see some great comic references as they fly in, like signs proclaiming, “Magneto IS Right!” (Magneto Was Right is a common mantra in the comics) and a comic-accurate Genoshan flag. But where this portion of the episode really thrives is in its bounty of cameos; viewers are introduced to the island through the bubbly escapades of a group of mutant kids, featuring Megan Gwynn aka Pixie, Glob Herman, and the morlock Leech!
When our main trio touch down, they meet up with Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough) — Rogue’s brother in the comics — who mentions their adventures in the alps with some deadly monks, a reference to X-Men: The Animated Series Season 3, Episode 18, aptly titled “Nightcrawler.” They then visit a local show in the town square that sees singing and dancing from the likes of legendary mutants Multiple Man, Exodus, Cipher, and Dazzler. Rogue enjoys this and, after some happy cajoling from the always trendy Boom Boom, the group gets ready for that night’s welcome gala.
Not Even Krakoa References or The Watcher Can Save Genosha
X-Men ’97 foreshadows two iconic aspects of modern comics in the latter half of this episode: The Hellfire Gala and Krakoa’s Quiet Council. The Hellfire Gala is a yearly event hosted by Emma Frost to show off the best of mutant culture, and this episode saw her and the rest of Genosha’s ruling council hosting one to welcome the X-Men and celebrate their entry into the UN. The council — a clear homage to “The Quiet Council” from the modern era of the X-Men — featured some of the franchise’s most impactful characters: Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw (Todd Haberkorn) of the Hellfire Trading Company (a mutant-run business), the X-Man Banshee (David Errigo Jr.) and steadfast human ally Moira MacTaggert (Martha Marion), leader of the Morlocks Callisto (Courtenay Taylor), Nightcrawler, Madelyn Pryor, and, after some negotiations, new recruits Magneto and Rogue.
With this body established, the group gets ready for the Gala, where audiences get a glimpse of Archangel flying, the bony morlock Sarah dressed to impress, and…Uatu the Watcher. Star of Disney’s other animated series, What If?, this character watches over the most atrocious acts committed throughout the cosmos — which means he’s tuned in when Wild Sentinels descend on Genosha and begin massacring the mutant population. Interestingly, though the series is distinctly set outside the MCU Sacred Timeline, the inclusion of The Watcher and a brief Captain America cameo in a promotional teaser for the rest of the season, seem to hint at a potential crossover between the franchises in the future.
The end of this episode is the series’ most terrifying, as the amazing cameos audiences clocked earlier begin to fall under the Sentinel’s death rays. There are even more in these moments, with glimpses of the Morlocks Tommy and Erg hiding with a frightened Leech and an animated version of series creator Beau DeMayo watching this destruction in horror, but the best — and most devastating — Easter egg comes from Magneto’s final moments. The man vows to protect the often ignored Morlocks, creating a magnetic force field for them against the Sentinel’s lethal blasts that begins to fracture under this brutal attack. His last words are to the child Leech who he holds in his lap, telling the scared boy in German, “Do not be afraid.”
Most fans don’t know that in the comics, before Polaris, Magneto had another daughter: the human Anya Eisenhardt. This poor girl is shown only in flashbacks but is revealed to be one of Magneto’s greatest shames, as an angry mob and a housefire prevented him from saving her life, a loss that irreparably scarred the man and furthered his hatred for humanity. Seeing him with Leech is a devastating Easter egg as, finally, Magneto gets to be there for a scared child on the brink of death, like he was unable to for his own.
Former ‘X-Men ’97’ Showrunner Addresses the Significance of Episode 5’s Tragedy
Beau DeMayo says that the events of the episode were in his original pitch.
‘X-Men ’97’ Isn’t Afraid To Recreate Devastating Comic Storylines
The latest episode of X-Men ’97 is one that has left audiences stunned, not only for its large amount of references, but for its unflinching showcase of Genosha’s destruction. This is where the series’ knowledge of its long history excels in the worst way, as almost this entire episode is a portrayal of the comic storyline E for Extinction, which also saw this nation and most of its inhabitants perish. There were numerous other Easter eggs that got overshadowed in this episode — namely Rogue’s mention of her “Evil Mother” and Valerie Cooper’s (Catherine Disher) reaction to her getting on the council, potentially foreshadowing a great comic storyline. But in the end, no matter what Easter egg or plot point made audiences gasp the most, one thing is for sure: This series is attempting to adapt the comics as faithfully as possible — for better, and for so, so much worse.
X-Men ’97 is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
This article was originally published on collider.com