X-Men `97 is a return to greatness with the series filled with favorite characters (voiced by some returning voice actors) and given a smooth animation! The X-Men: Animated Series ran for five seasons (1992-1997) and adapted many of the storylines from across the run of the comic books. It used the stories from writer, Chris Claremont, and the Jim Lee designs from X-Men #1 (1991). Re:cap - “Graduation Day”; Henry Gyrich warns the world about mutants and wants the Mutant Containment Bill passed. Charles Xavier argues with him while coughing and Gyrich blasts him with an energy disrupter that makes his telepathic powers go out of control!
He is taken prisoner by guards. Cyclops, Beast, and Wolverine find Xavier has collapsed and later they need Lilandra from the Shi’ar to save him. At Genosha, mutants are rallying to have Magneto lead them against humans, and uprisings occur around the world. Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Wolverine travel to Genosha to stop Magneto. The Blackbird jet is destroyed by Magneto and the trio make it to the island and infiltrate the mutant camp. Magneto announces that he will lead the mutant revolution. The three X-Men find the secret entrance to reach Magneto and Cyclops tells him that Xavier is dying.
Jean Grey says that Magneto can boost Xavier electromagnetic brain waves to reach Lilandra. Magneto goes to the X-Mansion and sends the message across space. Xavier revives and says farewell to each X-Man. He says “I am proud of you all my X-Men” and his eyes close. Lilandra appears and takes him away. He will never return, but telepathically says that his spirit will always be with the X-Men. The X-Men `97 show is created by Beau DeMayo who wrote the screenplay for the animated special, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (2021). A prelude comic was published by Marvel Comics with the creative team of Steve Foxe and Salva Espin.
Two episodes have begun streaming on Disney+. The opening animation captures the original style of the show, but sleek and more consistent, with touches of anime. The animation is by Studio Mir who also worked on The Witcher special. The episode was written by DeMayo. It is night in New York, a news report comes in on the death of Professor Charles Xavier, reports of his death may be exaggerated. This has caused sympathy towards mutants. A young mutant, Roberto Da Costa (Gui Agustini) with an inhibitor collar is taken out of a car. Roberto appeared in X-Men: Evolution and made his debut in Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants (1982).
He is taken to the warehouse of FOH (Friends of Humanity) who are capturing mutants for what one member says is target practice! The group was introduced in Uncanny X-Men #291 (1992). Roberto says his family is wealthy, but the leader, Denti (Lawrence Bayne), takes out his Sentinel blaster which attaches on an arm. Then, there is a storm overhead. They arm themselves with Sentinel blasters and Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith) announces herself bursting through the glass ceiling with her lightning! Sealy-Smith returns to voice Ororo Munroe. She is surrounded by winds and asks for them to tun over the boy. Denti turns his Sentinel blaster on her.
She strikes him with lightning and then the others open fire. This brings Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith) sliding down stairs with his XSE guns. The FOH members blast him, but this just charges up his mutant power and he sends the blasts back! An explosion knocks out the X-Men! Roberto is able to slip away from Denti and his men and then the wall is shattered. This is from the optic blast of Cyclops (Ray Chase). Etrigan in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020) was voiced by Chase. He takes hold of Roberto and uses his blast to move them away. Then, he engages the FOH members in hand to hand to optic blast combat. Great action. The FOH go to uncover the hand of a Sentinel!
Cyclops pulls Roberto away as the Sentinel hand controlled by an FOH member sends out a blast! The Sentinel hand then sends out bolos that bring Cyclops down. Denti orders another to take Scott Summer’s visor. He opens his eyes that sends out an optic blast that fills the warehouse! I like the Easter eggs of a Daily Bugle page including one announcing the Hellfire Gala. At the X-Mansion, Scott chastizes Gambit (A.J. LoCascio) for staying behind, then brings up the FOH using Sentinel tech. He was busy making beignets. Rogue (Lenore Zann) enters the kitchen and speaks up for Gambit. Zann is also back as Rogue. She helps set out plates of beignets. Cyclops says they have to be on guard with Xavier gone. Rogue says it has been months.
Xavier (Ross Marquand) walks in and then after his then Morph (JP Karliak) shifts back to usual form after his joke. Another X-Men: The Animated Series actor returns with Karliak voicing Morph. Gambit charges up a beignet with energy and tosses it to Cyclops, it is captured in a telekinetic globe, and taken outside to explode! A pregnant Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale) has used her mental powers to send out the charged dessert. In the comics, her son is Nathan, who becomes Cable. She reminds them that it is a school. Scott says their guest is the only connection to the Sentinel tech. Roberto walks up in a bed listening to the opera played by Beast (George Buza). Hank McCoy has his voice back with the return of Buza.
He is hanging upside down in his lab coat and then goes to greet Roberto. Beast also introduces Jubliee (Holly Chou) who is familiar with an awkward introduction to the X-Men. Storm and Cyclops join them in the lab to check on Roberto. They want to know about the Sentinel tech. Cyclops says Roberto can stay a day before he leaves. Jubliee pops her bubble gum. This moves to a ruined city where Roberto faces Magneto (Matthew Waterson) floating above him. Magneto declares a new age of mutantkind.
Jubliee explains about the danger room simulation. She wonders about his mutant power and Magneto sends a girder that Roberto just manages to dodge. He is knocked down by Wolverine (Cal Dodd) and pops his adamantium claws pinning Roberto’s head! Dodd is another returning actor from the original show. Wolverine ends the program and then pops his claws to scare Roberto. Val Cooper (Catherine Disher) reports via a giant screen about anti-mutant groups using Sentinel weaponry. Disher voiced Jean Grey in X-Men: The Animated Series.
Cyclops has Val confirm that the UN destroyed the Sentinels. She also notes that Bolivar Trask is missing and would need a Master Mold factory to create Sentinels, but the last one was leveled by the X-Men. Cyclops shuts off the screen and looks out the window to see X-Men playing basketball. Jean sees Xavier’s death certificate on a desk. They see a photo of the original X-Men including themselves including Professor X. This is the team from X-Men #1 (1963) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby! They reflect back on their early days at the mansion. A very dramatic moment for an animated show. X-Men `97 brings in some familiar characters, the style of the original series, and some excellent animation!
Five Sentinel Blasters out of Five!
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