A new age of mutantdom is upon us, now that X-Men ’97 has made its debut on Disney+. The Marvel show, which continues the events of X-Men: The Animated Series, premiered two episodes on Wednesday morning, and delivered a lot of surprises for fans right out of the gate. If you need help breaking down the events of X-Men ’97‘s two-episode premiere, we’ve got you covered.
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Obviously, major spoilers for the first two episodes of X-Men ’97 lurk below! Only look if you want to know!
What Happens in X-Men ’97 Episode 1?
A young mutant named Roberto da Costa is kidnapped by the Friends of Humanity, who are rounding up mutants in exchange for a massive bounty. Roberto is saved by Storm, Bishop, and Cyclops, and once he wakes up in the X-Men’s mansion, Jubilee attempts to befriend him, but is reluctant to join the team in any significant way.
As the X-Men work to uncover more about the FOH and the stolen Sentinel technology they have acquired, Cyclops continues to have doubts about his abilities to lead the team in the wake of Charles’ death. A very pregnant Jean Grey suggests that, once their baby is born, they leave the team altogether and start a new life.
Roberto runs away from the mansion, with some of the team — Wolverine, Morph, Rogue, Gambit, and Jubilee — tracking him down to a nightclub. While at the club, Morph pokes fun at Wolverine’s insecurities over Jean having a baby with Cyclops instead of him. Meanwhile, Cyclops and Storm track down Bolivar Trask and interrogate him about the newer Sentinel technology, with Jean using Cerebro to comb his mind to find out the location of the facility. In the process, Cerebro goes haywire and forces Jean to experience a vision involving her infant son, a new Master Mold, and a carnage for mutants.
Jean’s visions send the rest of the team to the Sahara desert, where they fight a horde of Sentinels and ultimately save the day. Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Roberto admits that the X-Men aren’t the right place for him at the moment, leaving a business card with Jubilee so they can keep in touch. The team then prepares to have a rematch of their infamous basketball game, only to discover that the mansion’s sensors have detected an intruder. It turns out to be Magneto, who has been left Charles’ entire empire — including the X-Men — in the wake of his death.
What Happens in X-Men ’97 Episode 2?
In the aftermath of Charles’ death, Magneto has taken it upon himself to act more heroically, using his abilities to save humans across the globe, as well as rescue the Morlocks from the FOH. Despite this, parts of the human world want to put Magneto on trial for his past crimes, and the X-Men are divided on whether or not to trust him.
Now that Magneto has arrived, Cyclops and Jean are uncertain about whether or not to leave the team. Jean privately tells Storm that she is anxious about their baby being born a mutant. Storm understands her worries, and remarks that she has wondered what it would be like to be a human, but is happy about the family she acquired as a mutant. Meanwhile, Magneto and Rogue grow closer, in part because Magneto insists she can use her powers without harming him.
The government arrives to transport Magneto to his trial, with some of the X-Men joining his side as backup. Among the anti-mutant protestors outside of the trial is a FOH member who dons a mask and supersuit as X-Cutioner. In front of the trial, Magneto gives a speech about his history as a man and a mutant, but is interrupted when protestors breach the facility. The X-Men try to deescalate the situation, fighting off X-Cutioner, while Storm and Magneto protect the judges. Storm gets hit by X-Cutioner’s dart, which is later revealed to be filled with enough radiation to completely depower a mutant. This angers Magneto, who transports X-Cutioner and the judges into the atmosphere, threatening to kill them but ultimately showing them mercy. This convinces the United Nations to give Magneto a full pardon, as well as begin conversation to fold Genosha into their jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, Wolverine and Jean stay at home — which gets complicated when Jean goes into labor. They drive to the hospital, where a doctor refuses to treat her because she’s a mutant. Cyclops and Rogue arrive, and Rogue siphons the doctor’s medical expertise to help perform the delivery herself. The birth is a success, and the baby is named Nathan Charles Summers.
Back at the mansion, Beast confirms that Storm is depowered for the foreseeable future. She decides to leave the mansion, writing a goodbye letter to the team. We see flashes of the team — Cyclops watching over Nathan, Rogue and Magneto touching without her gloves (to the chagrin of Gambit), and Morph and Wolverine bonding. As Jean finishes reading the letter to the team, they refuse to accept that she’s really gone. Just then, the doorbell rings — but it’s not Storm. It’s another Jean, who desperately needs the X-Men’s help.
What did you think of the two episode premiere of X-Men ’97? 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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