X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 9 has finally made its Disney+ debut. and, while it packs way too much into its 25-minute runtime to deliver a satisfying end to the Marvel TV show’s latest season, tsome big questions remain unanswered after its final end credits roll.
So, what happens to the titular team? Is there an end credits scene to stick around for? And how does this season’s finale, titled ‘Survival of the Fittest’, set up the Disney+ show’s next installment? I’ll provide — or, at the very least, try to provide — answers to those queries below.
Be advised, full spoilers immediately follow for X-Men ’97 season 2. Do not proceed past this point until you’ve watched it.
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Does Eson the Searcher kill Nightcrawler in X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 9?
It would appear so, but we don’t actually see him perish on-screen, so there’s every chance that he’s still alive.
But, let’s back up a bit first to explain how we got to this point. In a bit to stop Apocalypse from fully taking over the mind and body of the resurrect Gambit, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Beast travel to the deep ocean to track down Ship. That’s the sentient, Celestial-built vessel that created Apocalypse in the first place.
Anyway, after the trio make their way inside, Rogue enters the Celestial Shrine and meets the Celestial known as Eson the Searcher. After a tense back and forth, Rogue convinces Eson that Gambit’s life is worth saving. Accepting her argument that life can advance through love, and not just struggle as Eson claims, the latter imbues Rogue with Celestial power to battle Apocalypse one final time.
There is a caveat, though: if Rogue succeeds in her attempt to remove Apocalypse from Gambit’s mind and, by proxy, saves her lover, she’ll have to sacrifice her life for Gambit’s, which Rogue agrees to.
Fast-forward to the finale’s third act, and Apocalypse ends up taking full control of Gambit. Using the revived mutant’s brainwashing powers, he brings the combined forces of the X-Men and X-Force — everyone except Professor X, anyway — under his spell.
Just as all hope seems lost, Rogue shows up. Using her gifted abilities, she cleanses her fellow mutants before tackling Apoc-Gambit, who she defeats by using her famous involuntary superpower — i.e., her skin-to-skin contact ability — to wrest Apocalypse from Gambit’s mind and seal him in a Celestrial crystal, which she hands to Cable.
With the day saved, and Gambit alive and well, Rogue kisses Gambit in what she expects to be a final goodbye. However, as her temporary Celestial powers dissipate, she soon realizes something’s wrong because, as per her deal with Eson, she hasn’t lost her life.
As it happens, as soon as Rogue left Beast and Nightcrawler on Ship to save Gambit, Nightcrawler enters the Celestial Shrine. There, he makes a new deal with Eson: spare Rogue’s life and take Nightcrawler’s instead, which Eson agrees to do.
Is this the last we’ve seen of the teleporting mutant in X-Men ’97? I doubt it. After all, if Gambit’s resurrection proved anything, it’s that popular characters don’t stay dead in this universe for long. Furthermore, we didn’t actually see Eson take Nightcrawler’s life so, if we take the ‘no body, no death’ trope into account, there’s no reason to believe that the Marvel Phase 6 TV show won’t reunite us with Nightcrawler at some point.
Is there a mid-credits scene or post-credits scene in the X-Men ’97 season 2 finale?
Yes, there’s a mid-credits scene that lays the foundations for the X-Men animated series’ third season.
In it, we’re reunited with who we think is United Nations official and X-Force founder Valerie Cooper. As she thumbs through a top-secret file, we see a news bulletin state that prominent anti-mutant politician Greydon Creed has won the race to be the next US President. It’s a moment that makes Nightcrawler’s sacrifice all the more hurtful, to, because Creed is Nightcrawler’s half-brother.
But, I digress. As Cooper tuts, she opens the aforementioned file, which contains information on the shapeshifting mutant called Mystique. It also shows her known associates, including Blob, Toad, and Pyro — all of whom are members of the Brotherhood of Mutants, of which Mystique is also a part of.
Then, the door of Cooper’s office is opens — and in walks the real Valerie Cooper. Startled, she asks who the impersonator is. Before the real Cooper can finish her question, though, she’s shot in the stomach.
Falling to the floor, Cooper watches in horror as the fake Cooper reveals her true identity: it’s none other than Mystique. Smiling, she says she’s “just catching up on some light reading” and then reveals that her files says Mystique wants to attack the United States. Transforming back into Cooper, Mystique adds “I’ll say” before she fires again at the real Cooper as the screen cuts to black.
How does X-Men ’97’s season 2 finale set up its third season? And will it feature Onslaught?
There’s no official plot brief to speak of, but that doesn’t mean we can’t predict what’ll happen in season 3 following the events of ‘Survival of the Fittest’.
For one, it seems Mystique and the Brotherhood of Mutants will commit to terrorizing the United States with a guerrilla warfare campaign, especially with Creed now at the helm of the western world’s most powerful nation. It’ll be interesting, then, to see how the X-Men approach tackling the Brotherhood and, by proxy, defending democracy and a staunch anti-mutant US President.
Speaking of the X-Men, it’ll be similarly intriguing to see how they now operate. Will they continue to exist under their X-Corp rebrand, or return to being known as the X-Men? Additionally, will they learn to live alongside other mutant groups like the government-funded X-Factor and Cable-led X-Force, or can we expect to see these three teams butt heads again over how to handle threats against their kind and/or humanity as a whole?
Then there’s the small matter of Onslaught. In the comics, Onslaught is a giant, sentient psionic being born from the combined subconsciouses of Professor X and Magneto, who also goes on to be one of not only the X-Men’s most challenging foes, but the Marvel universe’s entire hero roster.
Onslaught’s debut has been tentatively teased throughout this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adjacent TV show’s first two seasons, so it’s possible that it’ll finally make its bow in X-Men ’97 season 3. That said, I’d expect more teases before Onslaught is formally introduced as the series’ Big Bad further down the line. I guess we’ll have to see what Marvel’s got up its sleeve for next season first.
Does X-Men ’97 season 3 have an official release date yet?
No, but it’ll arrive sometime in 2027. Brad Winderbaum, who oversees Marvel’s TV, animation, streaming, and comic book divisions, separately told Collider and comicbook.com that season 3 will premiere next year.
So, when is it likely to air? Currently, Daredevil: Born Again season 3 is the only other Marvel TV show slated to drop next year. The live-action series is reportedly eyeing a March 2027 launch, too, so it’s incredibly unlikely that we’ll see X-Men ’97 season 3 before mid-2027.
My best guess? It’ll follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and come out next July. MCU fans will need something to tide them over until Avengers: Secret Wars wraps up the Marvel Multiverse Saga when it hits theaters next December, so releasing X-Men ’97 season 3 between Daredevil: Born Again‘s next chapter and the aforementioned film would cover that base.
For more Marvel coverage, find out what we know so far about Daredevil: Born Again season 3 and get the full lowdown on Avengers: Secret Wars. While you’re here, learn all there is to know about Avengers: Doomsday and everything that’s been revealed about VisionQuest, too.
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