Disney+'s X-Men '97 is a twisted soap opera on fire — a radical break from the MCU and return to comic roots
Well sugah, that was a ride indeed. I was almost hesitant to watch Disney+'s X-Men animated revival, even the lure of that theme song bursting through like it was a Saturday morning in the 1990s wasn't enough, at first. After the letdowns of Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix , I figured it was safest to let my memories of the original '90s series and Evolution rest undisturbed. But then Sadie Sink…
Disney+ has released a twisted soap opera called X-Men 97, a radical break from the MCU and a return to comic roots. This animated revival of the X-Men franchise is stuffed with drama, featuring marital fractures, infidelity, death, and characters leaving and coming back to the party. The first season revolves around Madelyne Pryor, Jean Grey's clone, and the complexities of her relationships with Scott Summers and Wolverine.
Madelyne's storyline is a soap-opera favorite, with Mr. Sinister puppeteering her and creating chaos. Cyclops faces an unusual dilemma as he grapples with the reality of his marriage to a clone. The show's version of mutant life, as seen in Genosha, is a utopian vision, but it is shattered when the party is attacked by Sentinels, resulting in the deaths of Madelyne Pryor, Callisto, Sebastian Shaw, and Moira MacTaggart.
Season two takes the show's plot to new heights with time travel, grief, and an ambitious structure involving three timelines. Scott, Jean, Wolverine, Storm, and baby Nathan land in a future ruled by Apocalypse, while Professor X, Magneto, Beast, Rogue, and Nightcrawler find themselves in ancient Egypt. Cable, Jubilee, and Sunspot are left in the 1990s, taking care of the X-Men.
Despite the show's messy and dramatic nature, it brings closure to the Scott and Jean storyline by having them raise their son Nathan. However, the final season shifts gears to a darker tone as the team is scattered across time, facing new challenges and ultimately facing the consequences of their actions.
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