Summary
Marvel Studios showed the world it knows what to do with the mutants, asX-Men ‘97saw several characters shine bright — some for the first time outside the comics. FollowingDeadpool & Wolverine’s release, Marvel now has two major X-Men-related hits this year, one in theMarvel Cinematic Universeand one not.The animatedX-Men ‘97is the first major project for the team since the end of Fox’s X-Men movies, and withX-Men ‘97seasons 2 and 3 confirmed, fans of the series are in for a long ride.
X-Men ‘97did a great job of making many important X-Men characters from Marvel Comics matter, something that Fox’s X-Men films had not been able to do for multiple mutants.The animated series made its characters complex, with questions of morality increasing with every episode untilX-Men ‘97season 1’s ending. Here are the 10 best characters inX-Men ‘97season 1.
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10Charles Xavier
The Founder Of The X-Men
Charles Xavier ranks the lowest on the list due to how much screen time he had in the season. For most ofX-Men ‘97season 1,Professor X was either believed to be dead or away from his X-Men. As Charles normally takes a lot of the spotlight for himself in X-Men stories, the move was interesting, as it led to more members of the team getting their time to shine.
Ultimately, when Charles Xavier appeared, the character was used effectively. It was interesting to see how Charles cared for Lilandra and tried to unite his new position among the Shi’ar with his dedication to the X-Men. However, the moment he felt a major disturbance in the universe through his powers, Xavier left everything to go to his X-Men. Charles showed immense power andwas part of some ofX-Men ‘97season 1’s most interesting conversations with Magneto and Rogue.
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9Cable
A Key Character In Season 1
Cable’s story inX-Men ‘97is quite tragic. The Marvel Studios series decided to focus on the character’s backstory, starting with a young Nathaniel Summers being kidnapped by Mister Sinister. The villain poisoned the baby with the Techno-Organic Virus. As there was no cure in the present, Nathan had to be sent to the future with Bishop to give the boy a chance to survive. That meanthe would grow up without Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor, his parents.
That tragic backstory endeared the character, who usually appears with a hardened exterior that does not invite much emotion, to audiences. When Nathan returned, now as Cable, the heartbreak only continued.Cable had been trying desperately to save his mother and Genosha from being slaughtered, but the timeline kept sending him back. Cable’s losing fight and later attempt to build a relationship with Cyclops, as well as meeting Jean Grey, made him one of the focal points ofX-Men ‘97’s most emotional stories.
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8Wolverine
The Most Popular X-Men Member
It is a surprise that Wolverine ends up ranking so low on the list, as the character has become the most popular member of the X-Men outside the comics. That is due to Hugh Jackman’s long tenure in the role, with his latest turn as Logan,Deadpool & Wolverine, projected to comfortably pass the $1 billion mark worldwide. As forX-Men ‘97,Wolverine was not really one of the characters the show focused on the most.
That wasapremeditated choice by showrunner Beau DeMayo, who wanted to give other X-Men members their time to shineafter Wolverine had taken the spotlight in all ofFox’s X-Men movies. Still, Logan had some interesting scenes in the season, sparing no effort to help his friends the moment they needed him. Wolverine also had a very mature moment after Jean Grey kissed him, as well as some of the show’s best action sequences.
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7Bastion
The Season’s Villain Was Intense
While Mister Sinister was initially believed to be the main villain ofX-Men ‘97season 1, it was slowly revealed that Bastion was behind everything. The character was a menacing foe for the X-Men, with a tragic origin of his own. Despite the team’s efforts to make him see things clearly,Bastion’s plan to incite a war between mutants and humansshowed that the villain was never really going to back down.
Bastion even mocked Cyclops for trying to convince Bastion to escape Asteroid M with the X-Men before it exploded, showinghe had no problem with the genocide committed in Genosha. Bastion weaponized humans, including his own mother, which upped the stakes for the final stretch of the season. Finally, Theo James voiced Bastion, turning in an utterly evil but delightful performance that gave the villain an electric presence.
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6Storm
The Hero Was On A Journey Of Her Own
Storm had easily one of the season’s most nuanced storylines. After gettingshot by the X-Cutioner with the inhibitor gun early in the season, Storm loses her powersfor a good chunk ofX-Men ‘97’s runtime. Before that, the animated series had shown the full scope of Ororo Munroe’s weather-related powers, making quick work of several Sentries, which classified her as an Omega-Level Mutant.
Losing her powers meant a major loss for the X-Men, who were down a powerhouse, but an even greater loss for Storm. It was interesting to see the character go on a journey of self-discovery, asStorm’s powers were not just special abilities she used to fight villains but an extension of her very being, and without them, she felt lost. Storm’s relationship with Forge, who she fell for but later discovered created the weapon that took her powers, was complex. Storm getting her powers back and helping the X-Men crowned her journey beautifully.
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5Jean Grey/Madelyne Pryor
The Duo Moved The Season’s Plot Forward
Jean Grey and Madelyne Pryor appear in the same entry because it is impossible to talk about one of the characters’ journeys without mentioning the other.X-Men ‘97season 1 established early on that Mister Sinister had createda Jean Grey clone, Madelyne Pryor, who was the mother of Cyclops’ child. The animated series never really revealed when Jean was swapped for Madelyne, which means many moments inX-Men: The Animated Seriescould have featured the Goblin Queen instead of Jean.
Both characters had a crucial role to play in the season, with their peculiar situation leading to some exciting, classic X-Men drama. Sadly,Madelyne Pryor would be one of the first deaths in the Genosha massacre, at least meeting Cable, her now grown-up son, before dying. Jean Grey continued to play a major role in the series, showing the full scope of her powers and exploring her connections with Cyclops and others after her return, which led to intriguing conversations and reveals.
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4Rogue
A Surprise Standout
Rogue is one of the most surprising characters inX-Men ‘97. The show brought forth the best version of the character outside the comics, a trend that starts to repeat itself from this entry onward. If there is a member of the main X-Men team that really dealt with questions of morality this season, it was Rogue.Her past with Magneto and how it informed her present was the source of shocking moments.
Rogue’s relationships with Gambit and Magneto were two major aspects of the season. Despite it being interesting to see how both characters complemented different sides of Rogue, Anna Marie was a great character in her own right. Rogue exposed Charles Xavier’s flaws, fought for what she felt was right no matter what side that put her on, stood up to Captain America, and was part of the season’s saddest moment witha tour de force performance from actress Lenore Zann.
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3Cyclops
X-Men ‘97 Redeemed The Hero
X-Men ‘97’s first episode did more for Cyclops than any single live-action Fox X-Men movie ever did. It was established from the get-go that fans were in for a comic book-accurate version of Scott Summers, withCyclops firmly in the role of the X-Men’s field leader.Cyclops was a major player throughout the season, with his Madelyne Pryor/Jean Grey arc informing many of the season’s events.
X-Men ‘97also got Cyclops’ optic blasts right, not making them heat beams. That led tosome of the most creative fighting scenes the X-Men have seen in animation or live-action, with the show doing wonders to make Cyclops cool again to a non-comic book audience. Cyclops meeting Cable and building a relationship with his son was quite emotional, and his “farewell” message alongside Jean to Cable left not a dry eye in the audience.
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2Gambit
His Name Will Be Remembered
Channing Tatum finally managed to play Gambit inDeadpool & Wolverineafter his solo movie spent years in development hell before being ultimately canceled. The MCU movie continues the best year for Gambit outside the comics, which has led to fans dubbing 2024 “The Year of Gambit.” That description is accurate, as A.J. LoCascio’s Remy LeBeau was one ofX-Men ‘97’s most important characters.Gambit’s personality was every bit as delightful as it is in the comics, with the character having several fun and action-packed scenes early on in the season.
The only negative aspect of Gambit’s role inX-Men ‘97was that it was cut short.Gambit was season 1’s biggest death, with the mutant having an epic send-off that showed how powerful Gambit could be as he sacrificed himself to take out the tri-headed Sentinel. After a heartbreaking conversation with Rogue about her not being able to touch him, she finally did, but Gambit was dead, and the series’ saddest moment showed the giant impact he had.
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1Magneto
Season 1’s Best Character
X-Men ‘97showed that Magneto is much more than just a villain. Trying to honor Charles Xavier’s memory and will,Magneto was tasked with leading the X-Men. That plot led to many conflicts as the team and the world dealt with the villain attempting to show that he was reformed. Magneto’s thoughts on the morality of his actions and the humans’ created a complex world for the series, which helped make it more adult thanX-Men: The Animated Series.
Magneto had an incredible arc, slowly being led back to his thoughts that humans and mutants could not co-exist due to humans’ actions, as well as those of Bastion.X-Men ‘97presented a multi-layered Magnetothat kept viewers on their toes with his immense power and rage due to the Genosha massacre. Magneto stands asX-Men ‘97’s best character because he had the perfect mix of impactful character moments, thought-provoking dialogue, and thrilling action scenes.
X-Men ‘97
Cast
X-Men ‘97 is the direct continuation of the popular 1990s animated series X-Men: The Animated Series. Taking up where the third season left off, Marvel’s revival brings back famous mutants such as Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Cyclops, Beast, Magneto, and Nightcrawler, who fight villains like Mr. Sinister, the Sentinels, and the Hellfire Club.
