Story & Setup
This review is of the first four episodes of the season (Days Of Past Future, A Force To Be Reckoned With, Rise of Apocalypse – Part 1, and Rise of Apocalypse – Part II)
X-Men ’97 was already a revelation when it released in 2024 on Disney+. The series brought back the feelings of X-Men: The Animated Series and updated the animation style with a beautiful new coat of paint. Most of the voice cast returned for the sequel series and now we’re here with a second season. The first season left off with the human-mutant alliance going down in flames and the Genosha Massacre happening. The X-Men were splintered with part of the group being transported back in time, part of the group being transported into the future, and part of them staying put to pick up the pieces.
Professor Xavier, Magneto, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Beast are in Ancient Egypt in 3000 BC. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, and Morph are in 3960 AD. Finally, Bishop and Forge are in the 1990s, trying to get everyone back. There’s also X-Force, and plenty of other mutants throughout these first four episodes.
Oh and Apocalypse is here and his reign of terror has already begun with the mutants in the future fighting to keep Nathan Summers alive and away from his grasp. There’s a lot to this second season.
Apocalypse Is Terrifying In Both Past And Present
The Age of Apocalypse is already upon us for part of these episodes. The mutants in the future have to contend with the ramifications of a future that has been lost. Our heroes in the past have to deal with trying to stop Apocalypse from even becoming a thing. To me, that portion of the storyline was much more interesting to see how Xavier and Magneto both try to maneuver En Sabah Nur away from evil and villainy.
The storyline with Scott, Jean, and Nathan is really the only spot where these episodes “falter” and even then, it’s still fantastic. We get a little preview of just how powerful the son of Cyclops and Jean Grey is when he gains some confidence. There’s a lot to keep track of when it comes to the various locales, timelines, and even versions of Apocalypse that are on display. That could keep viewers from getting the full amount out of X-Men ’97 season two.
The real main event of this run of episodes though, is in the fourth episode.
My Jaw Was On The Floor
The entire fourth episode is a masterclass in storytelling. By the end of it, I was simultaneously mad that I would have to wait to see more episodes and just crestfallen at what I’d seen on screen. If this were just the season or a self-contained story, it would be great, but knowing there’s more to this story is even better. Without spoiling anything, it’s safe to say that Apocalypse means business and it also showcases the awe-inspiring powers of other mutants.
Overall, X-Men ’97 Season Two is something that any kind of comic fan can enjoy. In a time where the movies might be faltering a bit, animation shows that its the best frontier for adapting comic-book storylines. With some majestic character work, and a fourth episode that’s up there with the best of anything from Marvel TV or movies, this is a major triumph.
X-Men ’97 releases its first three episodes on Disney+ on July 1st and then a new episode each Wednesday after that until August 12th for the finale.
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