X-Men ’97 Premiere References One of Marvel’s Weirdest Mutants

The first season of X-Men ’97 has now begun airing on Disney+, with the two-episode series premiere making its debut earlier this week. The animated series, which continues the events and canon of X-Men: The Animated Series, is jam-packed with references that Marvel fans will recognize. That included, albeit briefly, a reference to one of Marvel’s odder mutants in the series premiere.

Early on in the episode, as Roberto da Costa / Sunspot (Gui Agustini) gets used to the status quo of the X-Men, Jubilee (Holly Chou) begins to ask him about his mutant powers. Jubilee rattles off a number of potential powers, asking if he can fly, teleport, or “shoot gold balls from his body,” before remarking that the third option would be weird. This, of course, is a reference to Fabio Medina / Goldballs.

Who Is Marvel’s Goldballs?

Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Chris Bachalo in 2013’s Uncanny X-Men #1, Goldballs has the ability to literally emit gold bouncing balls from his chest. After he is targeted by the authorities and rescued by the X-Men, he becomes a staple of the team for several years. In 2016, he started attending the same school as Miles Morales / Spider-Man, with both heroes ending up in each other’s orbits.

Goldballs’ status quo was reinvigorated by the Dawn of X relaunch, as he was dubbed one of the most significant mutants in the new world of Krakoa. As part of The Five, Goldballs could use his powers to help resurrect dead mutants, who would be born out of his spheres. He then rebranded his superhero name to Egg.

What Is X-Men ’97 About?

Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.

The voice cast of X-Men ’97 includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler. Beau DeMayo served as head writer; episodes are directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura, and the series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and DeMayo.

What did you think of X-Men ’97‘s two-episode premiere? How do you feel about its reference to Goldballs? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

New episodes of X-Men ’97 debut on Wednesdays exclusively on Disney+. If you haven’t signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

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