While Marvel’s mutants have had their ups and downs over the many decades they’ve existed, one thing remains constant: the X Men are timeless. This is not due to the cool costumes or the inventiveness of the actors. That’s because they are, at the core X MenThe themes of Prejudice and man’s ability to hate as much as, if not more than, his ability to love are always relevant. For what reason X Men ’97the sequel to X-Men: The Animated Seriesdelivers a stunning debut in its two-part premiere, now streaming on Disney+. It’s classic X Menand that will always work.
Within a few seconds X Men ’97 gives the impression that no time has passed since its predecessor went off the air almost three decades ago. The iconic original theme song begins and the intro scene plays out just like it always does. Well, not quite. It plays out just as you remember it. The crisp animation is more vibrant and expressive and there are a few new characters who get the spotlight in the intro. This is an ongoing topic for X Men ’97: it is that X Men Cartoon not as it was, but as you remember it.
That starts with the animation. Although the original’s 2D animation is popular, it can’t quite keep up with new watches. Instead, X Men ’97
But enough about how good the show looks. What has our lovable band of mutants been up to since we last saw them? A year after the death of mentor and leader Charles Xavier, Cyclops (now admirably voiced by Ray Chase) struggles to fill the shoes of Professor Cyclops and Wolverine (voiced by Cal Dodd, one of several recurring voices from the original series) are still dull heads. Jean and Scott are expecting a son. Jubilee is still pretty damn cool. Despite some progress in relations between mutants and humans, there are still many people who hate mutants and want them eradicated, such as the Friends of Humanity. It is a mix of familiar and new elements.
The first episode, “To Me, My X-Men,” doesn’t do anything narratively ambitious. It tells a simple story X Men Story about rescuing a young mutant (Hey, that’s Sunspot!) and fighting some evil people, ending with the aforementioned spectacle of a fight. It’s comfort food and an easy return to the series that’s perfect for anyone, regardless of how familiar they are with it The cartoon. Of course, everything goes topsy-turvy in the final moments of the episode when none other than Magneto (you know, the X-Men’s nemesis) shows up to deliver the news that Xavier’s last will and testament gives him everything.
This is the real star of X Men ’97is the two-part premiere: the second episode, “Mutant Liberation Begins.” Xavier has left the school and the to imagine a more peaceful path forward for mutants and humans. This includes making amends for his past crimes against humanity, for which he is willingly brought to trial at the UN. As he stands trial, angry people protesting outside the UN break in and launch a violent attack, targeting Magento and the three judges. “What the hell did we do?” shouts a judge. “You gave a monster a test,” Magneto replies. “Now you are traitors to your kind.”
What shocked me most about the scenes at the United Nations is how much they feel like a clear reference to the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol in 2021. But this story wasn’t completely made up X Men ’97it adapts a lot The Magento way out of Uncanny X-Men #200 by Chris Claremont. This came out in 1985, but like so many of the best X-Men stories, they always seem to speak to the current cultural moment. X Men ’97 makes this story its own, but the parallels are already there, which is why – even though the current state of the X-Men in the comics is mostly bleak (with a shiny one). Ray of hope)—X Men ’97 is able to present the characters at their best. How The cartoon, X Men ’97 is able to draw on decades of stories and select the best to repackage and optimize them for new audiences.
While Magneto is on trial, Jean deals with her pregnancy. It’s a quieter act than the UN attack, but just as important. Jean admits to Storm that she is afraid to give birth to a mutant for fear that her child will have to endure the pain she is in. Storm admits that she has often struggled with what life would have been like if she had been born human, but that she is happy as a mutant because of the family she has found. This conversation, and another between Sunspot and Jubilee about hatred of one’s identity in the first episode, make the X-Men’s ability to advocate for marginalized groups as clear as ever. The episode ends with a stunning monologue from Magneto, cementing “Mutant Liberation Begins” as a take-all story X Men History should.
Like the first episode, “Mutant Liberation Begins” ends with a pretty dramatic cliffhanger. As a long-time fan of the X-Men, I’m excited to see how the series will put its own stamp on this iconic story. X Men ’97 I feel like I’m falling in love with the characters again for the first time. The show deftly balances superhero action and personal stories as well as nostalgia with fresh insights into the characters. It is X Men through and through. What else do you want?