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Nostalgia has been kicked into overdrive for many Marvel fans who grew up in the ’90s since the first trailer forX-Men ‘97debuted.X-Men ‘97is an animated series coming to Disney+ using the same cast of characters from the oldX-Menanimated series of the ’90s. The original animatedX-Menseries ran from 1992 to 1997 on the Fox channel, serving as many fans’ introduction to the mutant-centric comics by Marvel. This wildly popular and influential Saturday morning cartoon brought the mutant characters into the mainstream.
TheX-Men ‘97trailerhas the internet talking. One of the biggest topics on anxious minds, which is common for anything Marvel-related, is whether fans need to watch the original ’90s series to understand what’s happening in the new one. Should they? Yes. Do they have to? No. While 1997 was nearly three decades ago, the original series was great at recapping what previously occurred, and it’s likelyX-Men ‘97will follow suit. However, a little refresher never hurts. The original series ended on quite a cliffhanger, so here’s a recap.
How X-Men: The Animated Series Ended
While there was a good amount of mutant vs. mutant combat throughout the originalX-Menseries, the bulk of the show followed their struggles to be seen as equals with the rest of humanity. There were a number of antagonists staunchly against mutants even existing, with Henry Peter Gyrich being one of the most outspoken. Gyrich’s goal throughout the series was to get humans to see mutants as the enemy.
In the final episode of the animated series, “Graduation Day,” Gyrich uses a device againstProfessor Charles Xavierin the middle of a speech at the United Nations. The device overloads Xavier’s telepathic powers, outing him to the world as a mutant and turning many against him in the process. Authorities apprehend Gyrich, but the damage is already done. Tensions between humans and mutants are at an all-time high, with both sides preparing for war, and Xavier falls into a coma. Not only that, the psychic damage done to Xavier begins to kill him slowly, and nothing on Earth can save him.
Magneto starts gathering angry mutants to Genosha to defend themselves against the potential civil war. As he does,Cyclops, Jean Gray, and Wolverinemeet with the master of magnetism. They determine that the only way to save their dying mentor is to get him to the Shi’ar Empire in space, where they may have the technology to heal him. Unfortunately, without the Professor, they have no means of contacting Empress Lilandra unless Magneto helps. He can use his control over magnetism to enhance Xavier’s telepathy with magnetic waves.
While Xavier’s oldest friend is reluctant at first, the team appeals to the leader in him, who ultimately wants to do what’s best for mutantkind. They manage to contact Lilandra, who assures the team that her technology could indeed save Charles. Unfortunately, he would need to remain on the Shi’ar Throneworld. This leads to an emotional farewell from Charles to the entire team, which can be partially seen in theX-Men ‘97trailer. The finale ends with the implication thatMagneto, taking after his longtime friend, would be more diplomatic in his methods for supporting mutant rights.
Is X-Men ‘97 a Reboot?
One of the many questions at the forefront of every fan’s mind when Marvel announcedX-Men ‘97was whether it was a reboot of the series or not. Luckily, the newX-Men ‘97series is picking up right where the animated series left off. It’s a continuation of the old ’90s cartoon, which is why the production crew put in the effort to bring back as many of the original voice actors as they could.
Cal Dodd returns as Wolverine along with Lenore Zann (Rogue), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), and George Buza (Beast). According to IMDb, Jennifer Hale is in the role of Jean Grey, but the original voice actor, Catherine Disher, also returns for the role. This could be a credit to the actor for flashbacks in the new series, or it could be a hint that the pregnant Jean fans see in the trailer, who will presumably play a significant role, isn’t Jean at all but Madelyne Pryor, Jean Grey’s clone. If true, this hints at a significant role forMister Sinister, who created Madelyne Pryor in the comics.
WithX-Men ‘97being a continuation of the animated series, the story can tie up some of the show’s loose ends. Audiences might even see Xavier return to Earth fully healed, or he might return differently with an “onslaught” on his mind.
What Does the Trailer for X-Men ‘97 Show?
As seen in theX-Men ‘97trailer, Magneto may need more convincing to fully undertake Xavier’s methods for peace. Any implication fans inferred from the original series appears to go right out the window, as the trailer shows anti-mutant protests rampant in the streets. This is understandable, since things wouldn’t realistically improve the minute that Xavier left the planet.
The trailer shows the return of the sentinels as well, but that could simply be a scenario the team practices with in the holographic Danger Room. What wasn’t a hologram was the giant sentinel hand hidden underneath a tarp in a warehouse. It seems the sentinel program will be reinitiated. An interesting detail in that frame is the person uncovering the hand. It’s difficult to get a clear image, but judging by the way they’re hunched over and their arms are exposed, it could be Wolverine, perhaps a future iteration of him.
X-Men ‘97also bringsBishop onto the team permanently. Bishop was a mutant from the future who traveled back in time to kill Gambit, thinking he was responsible for assassinating Senator Robert Kelly, which turned Bishop’s timeline into a dystopic future. Also joining the team is Morph, who appeared in the original series but seemingly died in its premiere. Unbeknownst to the X-Men, Mister Sinister saved Morph but also brainwashed him. Morph eventually broke free of Sinister’s control. Morph is back inX-Men ‘97and he sports a whole new look that’s in line with his shapeshifting powers.
The trailer also reveals thatX-Men ‘97keeps its shared universe intact, thanks to a little Spider-Man Easter egg. As a newspaper page from the Daily Bugle passes by the screen, there’s aheadline asking if “Spiderman” is a mutant. There was a two-part crossover storyline with theX-MenandSpider-Mananimated series when Peter’s mutation transformed him into Man-Spider.
