X-Men '97 Prequel Series Announced by Marvel

Marvel Comics is launching a prequel series to the hotly anticipated X-Men '97 animated series. Fans are going back to the '90s for the upcoming Disney+ series, which takes place after the conclusion of the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series. Marvel Studios confirmed X-Men '97 will release in 2024, along with the freshly-retitled Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and the newly-announced Eyes of Wakanda. All of your favorite X-Men return for the animated series, and the X-Men '97 prequel comic will fill readers in on their whereabouts to gear them up for their small screen reunion.

The X-Men '97 comic is a four-issue limited series written by Steve Foxe (Dead X-Men, Dark X-Men) with art by Salva Espín (X-Men '92: House of XCII). The series is created in close collaboration with the showrunners of X-Men '97, and serves as a companion story to the television show.

"There's a very good chance I wouldn't be writing comics today if not for the impact X-Men: The Animated Series had on me as a kid--heck, the voice actors from the show are still the voices I hear when I read the comics today!" Steve Foxe told Marvel.com, "Getting to reunite with my X-Men '92: House of XCII collaborator Salva Espín on this official prelude to X-Men '97 has felt like a bucket-list project a lifetime in the making, and Beau [DeMayo] and the rest of the '97 team gave us a fantastic runway to come up with our own original tale that feeds right into what viewers will get to experience in the new season."

What is the X-Men '97 prequel series about?

The description of the X-Men '97 prequel series reads, "In this official prelude, discover what Storm, Jubilee, Wolverine and the rest of the beloved '90s X-Men cast have been up to in the time before their return! Startling revelations here lead directly into the hotly anticipated new series – fans won't want to miss out!"

The cover by Todd Nauck features Wolverine, Cyclops, Gambit, Bishop, Rogue, Beast, Jubilee, Storm, and Jean Grey, all dressed in their iconic costumes from X-Men: The Animated Series. The first issue is scheduled for March 27, 2024.

X-Men '97 is 1 of 4 Marvel shows confirmed for Disney+ in 2024

Marvel Studios is taking a scaled-down approach to its streaming content on Disney+. Instead of fans getting to tune in to multiple shows taking place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 2024 is shaping up to only have at least four confirmed Marvel series available on Disney+. Joining X-Men '97 are Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Echo, and Agatha: Darkhold Diaries.

Shows without an announced release window are Ironheart, a Kingdom of Wakanda series from Black Panther director Ryan Coogler, Wonder Man, What If...? season 3, and Daredevil: Born Again. The latter, a revival of the mature series that ran for three seasons on Netflix, is undergoing a creative overhaul after replacing the showrunner and writers and tapping Loki co-directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.