Top 10 HUGE Revelations from X-Men '97

Following the tragedy of Storm losing her powers, Forge (the mutant inventor) makes it his goal to restore her goddess-like abilities. Along the way, the two start to form a romantic relationship, which becomes strained when he reveals a dark secret of his past. You see, the government hired him to design anti-mutant weapons –like the Inhibitor Collars. While he may not have actually built them, his designs gave aggressors like the Friends of Humanity the tools to terrorize mutants. In a way, he inadvertently caused Storm’s crisis. Determined to atone for his role in all this, helping Storm regain her powers was definitely a great start.

The monstrous Sentinel's attack on Genosha was undeniably one of the biggest tragedies of all time – one that resulted in countless mutant deaths. We’re still mourning Gambit’s demise. Who could have created such a destructive monster? Was it Boliver Trask, the man who made the original Sentinels? Nope - it turns out the real mastermind behind the massacre was classic X-Men baddie Mr. Sinister. After using Trask’s DNA to create the abomination, the dire destruction was inevitable. However, according to Sinister, this was just a prelude to a greater atrocity to come. He also makes it clear that he’s not bluffing.

While the X-Men struggle to save Earth, several citizens bear witness to the frightening news reports. Among the viewers are “Spider-Man: The Animated Series’” Peter Parker and… Mary Jane? Fans will recall that the 90s Spidey series ended on a cliffhanger with Peter searching for a missing Mary Jane. We never got to see how Peter’s journey ended. However, this quick cameo in “X-Men ‘97” confirmed what we were all hoping for: Peter succeeded in his mission and reunited with the love of his life. While it would’ve been nice to see the actual reunion, it’s heartwarming to know that Spidey and MJ are together again.

After enjoying some post-battle basketball, the X-Men are greeted by a nasty surprise: Magneto in Professor X’s office. If that wasn’t shocking enough, it’s revealed in Xavier’s last will and testament that he left everything to Magneto, including the X-Men. Considering he’s been their greatest enemy and is openly opposed to Professor X’s vision of peace between humans and mutants, having Magneto take over the team was quite surreal. While Magneto actually tried to fulfill his friend’s wishes, learning to coexist with humans proved difficult - especially when they kept giving him a reason to go back to his old ways.

Bastion is undeniably one of the X-Men's most terrifying foes, but where did he come from? While investigating his childhood home, Jean has a vision of Bastion’s past – a frightened mutant child with a connection to machines. Throughout the vision, one notable face pops up: Nimrod. Nimrod was a futuristic sentinel sent back in time to kill Professor X in the original series. While Nimrod was eventually destroyed, remnants of him infected Bastion’s father, which resulted in the boy’s mutant abilities. So even though it failed in its original mission, Nimrod still plagued our heroes by inadvertently planting the seeds to create a true monster.

To save his newborn son Nathan, Cyclops was forced to send the child into the future to be cured of Mister Sinister’s virus. Having to abandon his newborn baby was nothing short of heartbreaking. However, halfway through the season, Cyclops makes an unexpected discovery. Not only was Nathan cured of his sickness, but he eventually grew up to be Cable, the time-traveling mutant vigilante seen in the original series. Fans of the Marvel Comics already knew Cable's parentage, but the 90s series only vaguely hinted at their connection. It was definitely a welcome treat to once and for all reveal Cable and Scott’s relationship!

The last time we saw Professor X, he was barely clinging to life following an assassination attempt. After that, he was taken into Space by the Shi'ar empire to heal him. But, after that, no one knew what became of him. While the rest of the world believed him to be dead, the X-Men held out hope that the Shi’ar could save him. Halfway through the revival’s first season, we’re happy to say that the mystery is finally solved. Turns out Professor X is alive and well - not to mention engaged to the Shi’ar Empress, Majestrix Lilandra. In the wake of the tragedy in Genosha, Xavier doesn’t hesitate to return to Earth and reunite with his students.

It was supposed to be the happiest day of Jean’s life when she gave birth to her and Scott’s son, Nathan. Instead, her entire world was turned upside down when another Jean shows up at the X-Men's doorstep. In a cruel twist of fate, this turns out to be the real Jean Grey. Having been abducted by Mister Sinister, Jean was replaced with a clone. Realizing that she’s been living a lie, the clone Jean becomes emotionally vulnerable, enabling her transformation into the Goblin Queen. Thankfully, Jean brings her back to her senses and her clone leaves to make a life of her. But not before adopting a new name for herself - Madelyn Pryor.

Once Magneto joins up with the X-Men, we notice him growing particularly close to Rogue. Gambit especially takes notice of this, becoming increasingly jealous of their connection. It is soon revealed that before becoming an X-Man, Rogue was trained by Magneto. Eventually, this bond blossomed into a romance. We also learn Rogue is able to touch Magneto without harming him. However, Rogue becomes caught between two loves. There’s a physical affection with Magneto, but her love for Gambit runs deeper. Sadly, Rogue’s decision is too little too late, as a tragic event takes the “swamp rat” of her dreams away from her.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

The Second Coming of Apocalypse
Apocalypse Returns in the Finale & Has Big Plans for Next Season.


Magneto Lives
Magneto Survives Genosha & Is Abducted by Bastion.

Unexpected Meetups
Displaced in Time, The X-Men Meet Young Cable & Young Apocalypse.

The X-Men managed to save the world from Asteroid M but mysteriously vanished. Presumed dead, Forge is left to find and recruit other scattered mutants on his own. Fortunately for Forge, Bishop arrives and delivers some hopeful news – the X-Men aren’t dead, but are instead scattered through time. With this revelation, the mission for the duo becomes clear – rally a team and locate their friends. This signals either a new lineup of X-Men, or even the formation of X-Force! Only time will tell which mutant heroes join their team and, more importantly, if they will be successful.


Which X-revelation threw you for a loop? Let us know in the comments.