Wait, Did Marvel’s X-Men Relaunch Just Make the ’90s’ Biggest X-Villain Impossible?

X-Men ’97 may have just made the X-Men’s biggest villains from the ’90s impossible. As much as modern fans like to think otherwise, the ’90s was a strange time for the X-Men comics. Things started out well, only to head in a disappointing direction after the so-called “X-Odus” – when a group of top X-Men creatives left to found Image Comics. Then, in 1996, the comic book bubble burst and Marvel declared bankruptcy. It all led to a time of intense behind-the-scenes drama, with constant changes among the editors.

Looking back, then, the ’90s were both the golden age of X-Men comics and its nadir. It all came to a head in what should have been Marvel’s biggest ever X-Men story, which instead became an oddly mismatched tale. “Onslaught” introduced a powerful psychic being, initially teased as Professor Xavier’s own dark side. But the entity’s true origin was much more complex – and appears to have just become impossible in the X-Men ’97 timeline.

Onslaught Was the Brain-Child of Professor X & Magneto

Previously, in X-Men: In the epic “Fatal Attractions” story, Professor X used his psychic powers to wipe Magneto’s mind. He didn’t know it, though, but a fraction of Magneto’s psyche took root in Xavier’s consciousness. It grew and festered there, feeding on all Professor X’s darkest thoughts and hidden secrets, gradually becoming a psychic force in its own right. The result was Onslaught, a meld of Xavier and Magneto who possessed all of the Professor’s powers and none of his restraint. Onslaught launched a devastating attempt to take over the world, using the reality-warping powers of Franklin Richards and the template of the Age of Apocalypse.

“Onslaught” is one of several X-Men ’90s ideas that sounds cool, but lacked something in the execution. That was largely because of behind-the-scenes drama, which meant not all the writers were on the same page; you got subtly different portrayals of Onslaught’s origin, and readers had to brush past the inconsistencies. It all worked, if you were willing to suspend disbelief and squint, but the “Onslaught” event feels pretty rambling on a reread.

X-Men ’97 Just Made Onslaught Impossible

X-Men ’97‘s latest episode, “Danger.exe,” confronts Onslaught head-on. The show’s “Fatal Attractions” adaptation has taken an even darker turn after Magneto was killed by Apocalypse, and a grieving Professor X and Polaris bond in the ruins of Genosha. Naturally, this being a superhero story, they do so by combining their powers against a rampaging, semi-sentient artificial intelligence. The entire story basically wrestles with the question of whether a piece of Magneto still lingers inside Professor X, with Xavier desperate to uncover it.

In the end, both Polaris and Professor X feel they sense Magneto’s presence as they combine their powers. Crucially, this isn’t played out as ominous; no, it’s something they celebrate, relieved to sense that something of Magneto remains. X-Men ’97 has doubled down on a more sympathetic portrayal of Magneto; it’s anybody’s guess whether the Master of Magnetism will return from the dead, but if he does, it won’t be as a straightforward force for evil. The unsubtle, nuance-less portrayal of Magneto that led to Onslaught? It’s well and truly gone.

X-Men ’97 Gives Professor X One of Emma Frost’s Darkest Moments

The odd thing is, though, that this story comes alongside one of Professor X’s darkest moments in the animated series so far – a scene so dark, it’s lifted straight from another psychic. Welcoming students to the re-established Xavier’s School, Professor X institutes a Danger Room simulation of Sentinels attacking to teach the new students they will always be feared and need to be ready for action at any second. It’s a moment ripped straight from the comics, but it wasn’t done by Xavier; it was done by Emma Frost.

I can’t help considering that a smart scene from a fan perspective. It shocked me to see Professor X literally acting more like Emma Frost (who X-Men ’97 hasn’t handled well). It felt like grief, but also made me suspect something more was in play; then, as lines of dialogue built it, I started to think Onslaught was on the cards. In the end, though, “Danger.exe” takes the story in such a different direction – and, I have to say, a better one. It feels like the right call, honoring both Professor X and Magneto more effectively.

The first five episodes of X-Men ’97 are streaming now on Disney+, and new episodes will be released weekly. Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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