X-Men `97 #1 is a great companion to the Disney+ cartoon that fills in characters and a must read for the animated show's fans! The return of the X-Men `97 animated show is also accompanied by the Marvel Comic by Steve Foxe and Salva Espin. Foxe worked with Espin on X-Men `92: House of XCII (2022). Todd Nauck provides the regular cover with the X-Men heading to battle with Wolverine leading the charge! In Times Square, Magneto hovers above the street with panicking citizens using his powers to raise several cars. An optic blast strikes his magnetic force bubble. It is Cyclops with the rest of the X-Men; Wolverine, Storm, Bishop, and Jubilee. Espin’s artwork is clean like the animation. Wolverine pops his claws leaping at Magneto, but of course thrown into the air.
Storm sends up winds to cushion his fall. She reminds him this is why Cyclops develops strategies. Next, Magneto sends a car crashing by Jubliee and Bishop, he boasts the X-Men are useless without Xavier. Then, sends up girders to send Cyclops flying backwards! The Danger Room is always a great way to start an X-Men story. It gives a good sense of the characters and their powers. We hear Jean Grey’s telepathic “Enough!” as she ends the Danger Room session. The team starts to exit the Dagner Room when Wolverine challenging Cyclops’ leadership. They are separated by Storm’s gust. Bishop, from the future, is surprised that there is arguments that were not in his holo-vids. Beast contacts them on a screen tlling thm about some news.
At a computer station, Beast is watching reporter, Trish Tilby, and Jubilee is surprised that Dazzler is featured. Trish updates the situation where Dazzler has been captued by FOH. She was set to perform at the Charles Xavier Memorial Concert. Jubilee agonizes over her tickets, great expression, and Beast notes that the news footage allowed him to track the route of FOH. Cyclops is ready to leave in the Blackbird and Jubilee asks if she can pilot the jet. This was something brought up in the premiere. Jean says she will stay behind due to an upset stomach. Beast says he will also be at the X-Mansion to repair Bishop’s time travel equipment. He mentions other help which we see with Gambit and Rogue clothes shopping. They seem to wander away from the team more than a few times.
Storm cuts into their flirting via hologram to send them coordinates. The Blackbird hovers by a warehouse and Rogue smashes though a wall dragging along two FOH members. Gambit greets them through the gap in the wall. The X-Men charge in while a FOH soldier has his rifle zapped by Storm’s lightning. This is interesting to see the full team in action with Rogue, Gambit, and Jubilee missing from the first episode's action. Jubilee heads over to the restrained Dazzler guarded by three FOH gunmen. She leaps, throws her fireworks, and kicks them! Jubilee frees Dazzler and she in turn brings up the last meeting with Cyclops. This was in the third season episode, “Dazzled” (1994). Dazzler made her debut in Uncanny X-Men #130 (1980).
Val Cooper arrives with agents to take the FOH men into custody. She introduces herself and that they are to help out the X-Men sent by President Kelly. Robert Kelly was a senator who had an anti-mutant stance when he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #135 (1980). One FOH member calls the agents “gene traitors.” The scarred face of Agent Carl Denti tells him that he will free him if he goes quietly. A government agent turned FOH! As Denti passes, Wolverine seems to recall his scent. Later, the Blackbird lands at the X-Mansion, and Jean walks over to talk to Scott. He says he is busy debriefing with Beast. We see in a large panel of Jean looking sad as we see Wolverine and Cyclops walk on. In a closeup we see Jean holding a pregnancy test stick.
A close up of Jubilee’s shocked expression, this is another large panel of Storm with her new faux hawk, her look was more punk in Uncanny X-Men #173 (1983). Here it is Storm getting ready for the Dazzler concert and in the comic it was Storm becoming more aggressive. Beast is at his lab working on Bishop’s time travel tech with not much luck. Bishop is impressed by Storm’s new look. He was introduced eight years after Storm changed her hairstyle, but he is a time traveler. Jubilee is impatient to get to the concert. Jean is trying to look for Cyclops and Bishop says he went to the Danger Room. Storm gives her ticket to Bishop. She sees the Blackbird leave with Jean. Storm gives her support to Jean who is worried that Cyclops is too focused on leading the team. There are some great background to characters in the new show that makes X-Men `97 #1 required reading for fans of the show!
Five Sentinel Blasters out of Five!
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