We’re now two-thirds of the way through X-Men ’97, where the fallout of the Genoshan genocide continues to consume the world, threatens to turn many a hero to their dark side, and continues to create some of the most devastatingly palpable tension to ever come out of Marvel Studios.
Appropriately enough, up next is the first episode of season one’s three-part finale, “Tolerance Is Extinction,” in case there’s any lingering doubts about the themes that X-Men ’97 is aiming to tackle. So, when exactly will this event happen?
When does X-Men ’97 episode 8 release?
While we’ll find out for sure when episode 8 releases on May 1, it’s safe to assume that “Tolerance Is Extinction” will draw most heavily from the “Operation: Zero Tolerance” comic arc, in which the villain Bastion assembles an army of new-and-improved Sentinels to eliminate mutants all over Earth. Bastion, of course, was confirmed to be the mastermind of the attack on Genosha in the latest episode, and we also know his Prime Sentinels are preparing for takeoff, presumably to wipe out the survivors of said attack. We furthermore know that a group known as OZT is in play now, and there’s no prizes for guessing what that acronym stands for.
The only other domino that may have yet to fall is Cassandra Nova, who has historically made it her life’s mission to wipe out all of mutantkind. That’s an unlikely reveal, however, as a villain of Cassandra’s caliber could never reasonably be introduced at this point and given the treatment she needs before the season wraps up. Who’s to say what’s in store for season two, though? After all, Charles Xavier still needs to find his way back to Earth from the Shi’ar Empire, and Cassandra’s species, the mummudrai, are a significant part of Shi’ar mythology, to say nothing of the fact that she’s the anti-self of Xavier himself.
(featured image: Disney+)
