Summary
- Season 1 finale of
X-Men ’97
included cameos from iconic Marvel characters, fueling speculation for potential crossovers like “Avengers vs. X-Men.” - Marvel’s head of streaming, Brad Winderbaum, expressed a desire to replicate the legacy of Larry Houston by incorporating numerous cameos in
X-Men ’97
. - The 90s setting of
X-Men ’97
allowed for more creative character development and narrative arcs compared to contemporary MCU settings.
WARNING! This article contains X-Men ’97 spoiler.
X-Men ’97 Season 1 finale brought in cameos of iconic Marvel characters like Captain America, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, and many more. These surprising appearances sparked speculation about the potential for an “Avengers vs. X-Men” adaptation.
Speaking with ComicBook, Brad Winderbaum, Marvel’s head of streaming, shed light on the final episode’s noteworthy guest spots and the hints at future plot developments. Looking back on the legacy of Larry Houston—who famously incorporated numerous cameos in X-Men: The Animated Series—Winderbaum expressed a desire to mirror that success in X-Men ’97.
The path is laid out for us from that. Larry Houston was famous for adding cameos to the original show, [X-Men: The Animated Series]. In our goal to try to emulate that original series, we were trying to do the same.
According to Winderbaum, for every cameo that made it to the screen, there are dozens more that were considered but ultimately not included. “We had all these great ideas. Every cameo idea you see on screen, there’s 50 more that didn’t make it,” he said.
“It’s fun to look at the ’90s universe through this X-Men lens and to think about the greater Marvel universe of that period. I don’t want to close the door on anything. But for now, the X-Men are going to be our window into the ’90s. But we’ll see, we’ll see what happens.”
Winderbaum pointed out the unique benefits of the retro setting, which he believes opened up creative avenues otherwise restricted in more contemporary settings like the MCU.
“The choice to set ‘X-Men ’97’ in the 90s was somewhat freeing. It allowed us to explore directions and introduce elements in ways we couldn’t have if we were tied closely to the modern MCU framework, as seen in series like ‘What If…?’.
He noted that the 90s setting facilitated a more inventive approach to character development and narrative arcs. For instance, the inclusion of Bill Foster as Giant Man in the upcoming second season represents a novel twist that might have been more complicated in a series closely mirroring the current MCU timeline.
X-Men ’97 Finale Brings Catastrophic Confrontation and Time-Scattered Heroes
In the X-Men ’97 Season 1 finale titled “Tolerance is Extinction – Part 3,” the X-Men face dire circumstances as they attempt to thwart Operation Zero Tolerance and its leader, Bastion, from wreaking catastrophic destruction with Magneto’s Asteroid M. With the aid of Magneto himself, the team succeeds, but not without significant repercussions—they are pulled into the timestream and scattered across various epochs.
While the majority of the team finds themselves in either ancient Egypt or a dystopian future, Forge, along with a few others, remains in the present day. He’s tasked with a monumental endeavor: to assemble a new team of X-Men. It’s during these efforts that Bishop returns from the future with news that the original X-Men are not deceased but dispersed through time, setting up an urgent rescue mission.
The Fan-Favorite Surprise Characters in X-Men ’97’s Finale, Explained
X-Men ’97 featured two major surprise character reveals setting up Season 2, as well as a host of candidates who could join the X-Men.
Amid these developments, a less conspicuous moment in the episode hints at significant political turmoil brewing within the series. As Forge tunes into a radio broadcast, it’s revealed that President Robert Kelly’s political tenure is being challenged by Graydon Creed, a fringe anti-mutant candidate and the leader of the hate group “Friends of Humanity.”
Creed’s reintroduction into the storyline rekindles old conflicts and suggests that X-Men ’97 will continue exploring complex themes of identity and prejudice.
