And just like that, the first season of X-Men ’97 has come and gone, wasting no time in raising the bar on all the mutant-specific Marvel Studios affairs that will come after it.
Indeed, hardly at any point throughout its 10 inaugural episodes did X-Men ’97 show any signs of artistic weakness, instead taking every opportunity to show off its pristinely stylized animation, superhero combat that was both subversive and bombastic, and steadfast, steely support of every idea that has made up X-Men stories since day one.
Speaking of day one, the finale saw Rogue, Nightcrawler, Magneto, Charles Xavier, and Beast all get transported back in time to 3000 B.C., where they came across one En Sabah Nur. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a pretty big deal.
Who is En Sabah Nur in X-Men ’97?
En Sabah Nur is the true name of Apocalypse, who veteran X-Men fans already know as one of the nastiest villains ever faced by the X-Men, and also one of the first mutants to ever exist in recorded history. Magneto, Charles, and company met a younger version of him, before he took on the moniker of Apocalypse.
Of course, Apocalypse is getting busy in the present day, too, given his trip to a ruined Genosha in the post-credits scene of the finale. For him to be playing a role in the coming seasons while a sect of the X-Men are engaging with his past self brings with it dizzying implications, not the least of which is the possibility that we could be getting DeMayo’s vision of the X-Factor team next season, since they’ve historically been the number one opponent of Apocalypse.
X-Men ’97 is now available to stream in full on Disney+, with a second season on the way.
Published: May 16, 2024 11:48 am