SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the new X-Men ‘97 and its older counterpart, X-Men: The Animated Series, as well as many other X-Men media types.
The new X-Men ‘97 show on Disney+ may seem familiar to some. With a catchy intro song and recognizable characters from the X-Men comics and movies, many fans may be curious about where the show came from or why it feels like there’s missing context.
Disney made the show a continuation of the original X-Men series, which ended in 1996, which is why they named the new one X-Men ‘97. The high-quality animation and sound, as well as the use of better-known songs, add an extra bonus to watching the TV-14 series and give viewers another reason to pick up the recent install. The show’s only downfall comes from its quick start-up that goes straight into a heavy plot. So to help new audiences understand what’s happening now, here’s a look back to the past show’s most significant episodes.
Typically, pilot episodes introduce a show’s setting, characters and general themes; X-Men is no different, starting with loads of action and introducing the series’ main characters. In “Night of the Sentinels: Part I,” introduces us to a teenage girl named Jubilee who has a genetic mutation that causes her to produce sparks, or “fireworks,” from her hands. She finds herself running from giant robots called sentinels, designed to eliminate any mutants. She then meets the X-Men, who ultimately save her and destroy the Sentinel. Jubilee is kidnapped, leaving the episode on a cliffhanger, giving viewers a reason to continue watching the show.
Episode three, “Enter Magneto,” introduces us to the team’s main antagonist, Magneto. In the comics, Magneto has gone through many traumatic events that bring him to his breaking point, including a forceful purging from his parents and witnessing the death of his daughter (confirmed by marvel.fandom.com). He believes that mutants should have superiority over humans and that the human race should be exterminated because of their treatment toward himself and other mutants.
Although he is one of the more sinister villains, Magneto is still highly loved by many fans, most likely due to his portrayal in the live-action movies by actors Sir Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender. McKellen brought Magneto to life with his phenomenal acting and ability to bring together all of what makes the character. Including his performance alongside fellow actor Patrick Stewart (Professor X) and the chemistry their characters share.
Another important episode in the first season is “Slave Island,” which introduces Genosha, an island made for mutants to live on.
Season 2 focuses on many characters’ pasts, including Storm, Wolverine, Rogue and Gambit, while also going slightly into the future with a time traveler named Bishop.
Season 3 spends the majority of its episodes discussing Jean Grey’s “Phoenix” arc and how that impacted the team.
In the episode “Lotus and the Steel,” Wolverine leaves the team to work in Japan and attempts to find himself. People may be more familiar with this plot from the second Wolverine movie, The Wolverine, where Logan (Hugh Jackman) goes to Japan in search of an old friend.
Season 4 then finishes with the X-Men going through the Apocalypse arc, which is the focus of another movie, X-Men: Apocalypse.
The most central episode to understanding the new show comes at the end of season 5 (“Graduation Day”), where Professor X reportedly dies and cannot be saved.
Overall, X-Men ‘97 is worth watching because all the episodes and the good continuation of the plot make the show very enjoyable. If you didn’t want to watch the show because you didn’t know what was happening, hopefully, this inspires you to watch.