Episode three of X-Men ’97 dropped that bombshell twist we’ve all been waiting for, with the tattered, weary Jean Grey that showed up at the X-Mansion in the last episode turning out to be the real Jean Grey, while the Jean Grey we’ve been with up until now was revealed as a clone.
Strife both emotional and physiological ensued, ultimately ending with the clone taking on the name Madelyne Pryor (surprise surprise) and departing the X-Mansion in search of a new life. But the culprit behind this whole ordeal, Mister Sinister, still remains at large, and if history is any indicator, this is far from the last the X-Men have seen of Nathaniel Essex.
For the uninitiated, here’s the lowdown on the vile mad scientist that’s been tormenting the team for years.
Who is Mister Sinister?
Mister Sinister is the alias of one Nathaniel Essex, a biologist hailing from Victorian-era London who conducts experiments on mutants in hopes of creating the perfect species, as well as enhancing his own abilities. His ventures have allowed him to cheat death on numerous occasions, having survived well into the late 20th century.
X-Men ’97 saw him take a special interest in Nathan Summers, the child of Cyclops and Jean Grey, due to the child being a product of two powerful mutants. But Sinister’s history with the X-Men in this canon goes way back; the villain kidnapped the aforementioned mutants in the original series, but was thwarted by the X-Men before he could violate the Hippocratic Oath in an unforgivable way.
He was also later revealed to be the ruler of the Savage Land, where he enslaved the inhabitants and captured a depowered Professor X, Magneto, and Jean Grey (as part of a scheme that was again thwarted by the X-Men), and also made an ally of the ancient mutant Apocalypse at one time.
His villain track record isn’t spotless, however; Sinister also teamed up with some of Earth’s heroes, including Beast, at one point in order to defeat the Phalanx alien race, who sought to assimilate all life on Earth. Nevertheless, it looks like he’s back to his old ways as of ’97, where his attack on the X-Mansion was surely only the beginning for this round of the heinous scientist’s antics.
(featured image: Marvel Animation)
