X-Men ’97 Season 2, Episodes 1-4 Review & Recap

Season 2 is divided along three parallel points in time, all linked by a connection to the tyrannical villain Apocalypse (voiced in different eras by Ross Marquand and Adetokumboh M’Cormack). Half of the X-Men have been dragged into the future, where Apocalypse reigns over mankind and the nomadic Clan Askani is the only resistance left. The other half find themselves in Ancient Egypt, a time when Apocalypse is still a young mutant waging war on Rama-Tut (John de Lancie). As those twin conflicts play out, it falls on a haphazard band of mutant heroes like Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith), Forge (Gil Birmingham), Jubilee (Holly Chou), and Cable (Chris Potter) to fill the void left by the missing X-Men and continue the fight for human/mutant coexistence in the present.

These first four episodes juggle those conflicts with grace. It helps that the writers don’t attempt to keep all these plates spinning simultaneously, but rather break each storyline into its own dedicated episode (or episodes). This gives each group of characters room to breathe while still maintaining a brisk overall sense of pacing and progression. Unlike Season 1, it’s clear from the outset what the overarching conflict is and who the main villain is this time, and Season 2 is quick to build on that foundation.

If anything, the series can be a little too quick in that regard. That was one of the few drawbacks of Season 1 – that relentless pacing that sometimes caused the series to blow through classic X-Men source material in the span of a single episode. For example, “Fire Made Flesh” gave us a very stripped-down version of Inferno, and “Remember It” abruptly cut short all that fascinating potential on Genosha. There are times here, particularly in Episode 1, where it seems the series is still pushing forward a little too rapidly and not giving the material full breathing room. At some point, X-Men ‘97 is going to run out of vintage X-Men stories to adapt, so what happens then?

Still, you have to admire the writers’ ambition, and there’s a lot of great material for classic X-fans to sink their teeth into. These episodes adapt elements of classic ‘90s storylines like The Rise of Apocalypse and The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, while also including nods to more contemporary X-Men comics for good measure. But it hardly matters if you’re not familiar with the material that inspired the series. Like its parent series, X-Men ‘97’s greatest strength lies in its ability to make you care deeply for these characters and the madcap soap opera that is their lives.

Season 2 really leans into that quality. Beneath all the colorful trappings and the time travel spectacle, the series is really concerned with the very real and personal struggles our heroes face. Cyclops (Ray Chase) and Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale) have reunited with their time-displaced son Nathan (Michael Johnston). But how long can this reunion last, and can they put their responsibilities as parents over the needs of the world at large? As Jubilee is drawn into Cable’s war, how much is she willing to compromise for the sake of the survival of her people? And perhaps most pivotal of all, Professor Xavier (Marquand) and Magneto (Matthew Waterson) find themselves locked in another ideological battle, this time over the fate of the man who will be Apocalypse. All of this is tied together by that age-old question – is the future written in stone, or can fate be altered?

That Xavier/Magneto storyline is easily the highlight of these early episodes. They, along with Rogue (Lenore Zann), Beast (George Buza), and Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough), find themselves stranded in the past amid En Sabah Nur’s first great war. The series thrives here when it comes to exploring Magneto’s complex moral code and worldview. He’s no longer a villain in the strict sense of the word, but there’s still a vast gulf separating his actions from that of his old friend. And by setting part of the series during Apocalypse’s early years, the writers have a valuable chance to explore a very different side of the character. He’s no longer the pompous mutant overlord, but a man who is still malleable and capable of great good. All of this culminates beautifully in Episode 4’s climax, one which rivals “Remember It” in terms of emotional impact.

The Cable/Jubilee storyline also proves surprisingly entertaining. It serves as a bit of a fun palate cleanser amid all the time travel melodrama, while also highlighting just how grim the situation in 1997 has become. Defeating Bastion and Operation: Zero Tolerance was hardly the end of mutantkind’s woes. This material leans into some of the more colorful trappings of the ‘90s X-Men milieu and gives the series a chance to flesh out several characters who were basically glorified cameos in the original series.

Naturally, X-Men ‘97 doesn’t have room to give every character the attention they deserve. Morph (J. P. Karliak) and Nightcrawler are fairly underutilized here, and Rama-Tut is far less a focus than a character so devilishly voiced by de Lancie deserves. Even the ever-popular Wolverine (Cal Dodd) remains a bit of a lower priority for the series. Those hoping for Season 2 to immediately launch into exploring the ramifications of losing his adamantium will come away disappointed, though I have little doubt we’ll be getting an episode dedicated to that subplot at some point.