X-Men 97

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X-Men 97 : 2 x 9 – Survival of the Fittest

Posted by John Klein III on August 17, 2026
Posted in: Cartoon. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

31 Minutes

“X-Men are pushed to their limits as their past comes back to haunt them.”

Storm says the Previously On the X-Men.

Sunspot was added to the opening credits.

X-Men vs X-Factor instead of vs Magneto.

Aw, Cable and his uncle Havok are working together. But do they know that?

Cable sums it up, Gambit has to die.

Beast, Rogue, and Nightcrawler found Apocalypse’s ship, Ship, on the ocean’s floor.

If the X-Men destroy Apocalypse, might suffer Celestial wrath.

Rogue goes into the chamber for the knowledge, and starts losing her skin. It is pretty intense.

Gambit is sleeping, they could have at least put a blanket on him.

Val Cooper confronts Xavier through a video call.

Val Cooper thinks she can take down the X-Men.

Alex warns Val that this would be declaring war on Xavier, but I’m pretty sure they’ve been at a cold war this entire season.

X-Men know they are up against both X-Factor and X-Force.

There’s definitely tension between Bishop and Polaris.

Rogue asks a Celestial for help. I thought she was a speck on my phone.

Oh Rogue, trying to punch a Celestial.

I really don’t want to lose Rogue for Gambit.

Rogue is going to get a power up. I can only imagine this costume will be an action figure or a Funko eventually.

Aw, Rogue and Kurt get a great hug.

Strong Guy gets a moment in the battle.

Siryn?! Was she always there?!

Cable gets confronted by Scott and Jean.

Logan vs Psylocke AND Archangel.

Actually Morph and Logan. Morph morphed into Doctor Octopus.

Psylocke can’t scramble Logan’s brain, as it is already scrambled.

Blue Jet vs Red Jet. Havok being weird against Jubilee. I guess he’s trying to be friendly. Jubilee shows off some impressive moves.

Doesn’t Bishop only absorb energy attacks? And Sebastian Shaw absorbs physical attacks?

Gambit is up. He fights Multiple Man.

Gambit is at 86% from beig taken over by Apocalypse.

Cable takes Cyclops’ visor, and for once, Scott remembers to simply close his eyes. He’s learning.

Cable has made his way to Polaris, Bishop, and Gambit.

Did Cable actually kill Gambit, or is Xavier playing games?

I love how silent this scene is, no music.

Gambit woke up.

Gambit has become Apocalypse, and all of the mutants are present for it. Where is Rogue?

Apocalypse body, but Gambit’s grey head, and jacket. Expect this to be a two pack with New Rogue.

Instead of a bo staff, but he has a red energy sycthe.

He has Apocalypse’s voice too.

Is Jean getting the Phoenix? Oh, Apocalypse took over everyone, except Xavier.

They clearly were not trained to RESIST.

Rogue is here, ya’ll!

Light Rogue vs Dark Gambit.

Did Rogue simply take the Death Seed?!

That was very fast.

Rogue gave Cable the Death Seed.

Rogue’s head band looks like the Wonder Woman WW.

Rogue and Gambit kiss!

Unfortuantely, a kiss goodbye.

Rogue lost her power upgrade.

Rogue and Beast making intense eye contact from a distance.

No! I was worried Kurt was going to sacrifice himself for Rogue. I rather still lose Gambit.

Get Beak, Nature Girl, Wing, Jubilee, and Sunspot.

Xavier teaching Quentin Quire, Artie, the gal from Marvels, maybe Oya? Bishop and Polaris are having a cute picnic. Right next to the outdoor lesson, that’s awkward.

Colossus is painting Illyana and himself.

Rogue got a new casual outfit, and she’s with Gambit.

Kurt does have faith.

Credits.

Post credit scene! Still have four minutes left.

Are we about to get the Mystique is Val Cooper reveal?

What?! President Kelly lost the election to Crayton Creed. This can’t be good.

Val Cooper is reading a Mystique file, and then is confronted by . . . Val Cooper?!

Mystique IS determined to attack the United States!

I say, indeed!

I’m already looking forward to a more grounded season three.

Such a great episode!

. . .

No Kitty Pryde, dang.

No more Nightcrawler, and now Mystique is even more motivated to attack Xavier.

No Magneto resurrection either.

Thanks to disney fandom for the image above.

Survival of the Fittest | Disney Wiki | Fandom

X-Men 97 : 2 x 8 – The Dead Man’s Hand

Posted by John Klein III on August 10, 2026
Posted in: Cartoon. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

33 minute long episode.

Rogue says the “Previously On X-Men.”

Gambit, we remembered your name.

Penultimate episode.  We only got nine episodes this season.

Did Gambit kill Apocalypse or did Apocalypse take over Gambit’s body?

I need to get the Psylocke Funko Pop that was announced recently.  I’m good on Sabretooth, Bishop, and Archangel. 

Will Magik be a Horsewoman?

Rogue looked so nice at the gala.

Aw, she’s all by herself. 

Gambit is there! 

Kissing!

Dancing!

So cute they are holding their hands. 

Rogue wakes up from this nightmare, as she’s being plagued.  Odd she’ll see Gambit in his current phase.

X-Men are playing poker, in their Quitely suits.  This is very Star Trek : The Next Generation.  Except Xavier is there. 

Beast playing The Dead Man’s Hand.  Aces and Eights.

A whole team wrote this episode, including Beau DeMayo.

A jet with jammers is coming to the island.

Can’t Rogue fly up there?

Cable!

Jubilee too.

I would buy a Forge Funko Pop, odd he wasn’t one of the four.

They brought Apocalypse’s skeleton!  In a tube.

“There’s been a murder.”

Jubilee gives Rogue Gambit’s Queen of Hearts card.

Ship confirmed Apocalypse is dead, and Gambit is uncontrollable. 

Psylocke with her British accent.

Aw, Nightcrawler believes in Gambit’s soul still being there.

Xavier wants to confirm this is a rescue mission.

I love Rogue and Kurt spending time together.  They are so close.

Rogue’s daddy spent so much time with Rogue.

Rogue can hug Kurt because everyone is decked out in full costumes. 

They did make a Xavier Quitely suited Funko Pop, I saw it at Walmart.

Xavier used Cerebro to locate Gambit in New Orleans, and then Gambit found him.

“Gambit’s gone home” with a very dramatic close up on Rogue.  Is Rogue his home?

The Tees Guild!

Belladonna, and a classic Parent Trap, er, trap.

Gambit’s Death persona, is just him with white hair, and covered in gray hues.  He also has a fun echo voice.

Are all of his cards the Death card?

Wha?!  Gambit just transformed the Tees Guild!

Is that glass Candra?

I like Jubilee checking in on Rogue. 

Are we going to get X-Factor teaming up with X-Force and the X-Men?

Aw, Jean and Scott checking in with Cable.

Cable didn’t get to kill Apocalypse. 

Cyclops is tired of all of this time nonsense. 

Is X-Factor using Mech-Sentinels?  Are Sentinels not already mechs?  Maybe they are piloted by people like the O*N*E* Sentinels?

Gambit and his goons found them!

Rogue is surprised to see them, but Cyclops wants to skip the shock and awe.

Jean saved Sunspot, but I’m sure he would have figured out he could fly eventually.

Rogue attempts to talk to Gambit. 

That’s right, Gambit died thinking Rogue chose Magneto over him. 

Rogue can’t absorb Death Gambit!

No!  Did Gambit give Rogue a Death Seed? 

I love so much Nightcrawler coming to Rogue’s defense. 

We don’t get nearly enough of Gambit and Kurt together. 

Psylocke using her butterfly effect, Evil Jeff of Comic Book Queers is going to love that.

X-Force’s ship crashed, but did it crash safely?

Morph, Logan, Storm, and Forge stayed behind, because of all of the students.  Storm is trusting the students with Colossus as they roll out.  We didn’t see Colossus. 

Oh no, Kurt was taken over!  But not Rogue. 

Rogue and Gambit are going to have drinks with their dinner. 

Gambit isn’t wasting this second chance at life. 

We see Apocalypse make Candra, who immediately betrayed Apocalypse. 

Gambit wants Rogue to be X-ternal, so they can finally get married. 

Rogue got dressed up, in her gala red dress.  Or a blacker red version of it. 

They are the Assassins Guild.  I really need to pick up my Assassins Creed III playthrough.

Candra came in hot, but then was surprised by New Gambit.

Whoa, Gambit just killed Candra!

Rogue does NOT find this at all romantic. 

Can Rogue say, no, if she wanted to?  Or is the implication it is Gambit or Death?  Or Death Gambit.

X-Jet, Storm got both X-Men and X-Force.  This should be cute as we see Assassins Guild hold their own against the X-Men. 

Oh, that’s right, they have Nightcrawler, thus, a chance.

No!  Gambit forced Rogue to wear Candra’s pendant. 

Xavier took down Gambit, and now they are fighting within Gambit’s mind.  So, maybe Xavier has a chance?

Xavier was in space during Genosha.  That’s why he wasn’t there, Gambit.

Giant Xavier turned into his Anti-Shadow King armor.  Still doesn’t stand a chance against Gambit.  Wait, he is winning now, and old Gambit is returning.  We found his soul. 

Psylocke has a psi-knife to Cyclops’ neck. 

X-Force is going to kill Gambit while he’s knocked out.  Not knowing about Xavier’s attempt. 

Wait, so Death was Apocalypse in Gambit’s body.  Xavier is holding Good Gambit. 

Jean should probably jump into this battle. 

Apocalypse is taking over Xavier too. 

Apocalypse re-absorbed Gambit!

Is the power of love saving him?!  It is!  Rogue is here!  Rogue saved Gambit’s soul! 

Rogue’s love for Gambit killed mental-Apocalypse. 

Gambit is back to his pink fleshy self. 

Xavier tells the X-Men to retreat, and Cable hesitates to kill Gambit. 

What is the final episode going to be?  Maybe set up for Season Three?  We know we’re getting Seasons Three and Four, and we don’t have to wait two years between seasons, which is outstanding.

We have five minutes left.

Beast confirms Gambit should be okay, but his brain scan shows Apocalypse is still in there. 

Rogue won’t lose Gambit again. 

Archangel called Rogue Cable’s honeypot.  Gross.

Jubilee went back to the X-Men. 

X-Factor! 

Val Cooper! 

X-Factor and X-Force are teaming up to storm the castle!  Which I can only imagine is the Genosha X-Men base. 

No post credit scene. 

Such a great episode!  Definitely top three of this season.  2, 6, and 7. 

Thanks to Disney Fandom for the cover image.

The Dead Man’s Hand | Disney Wiki | Fandom

X-Men 97 : 2 x 7 – Strange Land, Savage Heart

Posted by John Klein III on August 3, 2026
Posted in: Cartoon. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

30 minute episode

Rogue says, Previously On the X-Men.

Polaris is part of the team, and the main credits. 

Mystique almost dropped baby Kurt into the river!

Ooof, reliving the Genosha massacre. 

Magik!

Magik attempted to attack the Omega Sentinel. 

Colossus couldn’t even put a dent into it. 

Dang, we actually see her dead body.

But at least we got Magik. 

Crayton Creed being so beloved, so gross. 

Creed is running for president.  Will Iceman and Cannonball show up?

Does he address the Sabretooth connection, or will that be part of his undoing?

Beau DeMayo co-wrote the episode.

Acolytes!

Random, Frenzy, and Colossus.

Colossus looks good with a cape.

Exodus!  Maybe I’ll have a better understanding of his character now?  I got to know him better during Krakoa, but his whole deal before that is still beyond me. 

4621 seconds is the attack of Genosha. 

Rogue and Nightcrawler look great in the Frank Quitely outfits.

Oh, Rogue & Nightcrawler’s half sibling, I see what the show is doing here.

Did Xavier move the X-Men to Genosha to avoid American oversight?  That’s pretty clever.

Forearm is a prisoner of X-Factor.  The only shadow I recognized. 

Episode 7, so we only have the three part finale after this.  Dang, this season went fast. 

Bishop, Kurt, Polaris, Rogue, and Beast are going to Savage Land.

Kurt’s costume incorporated his priest collar. 

Polaris and Bishop are chatting here, because they became fast friends last episode.

Bishop and Polaris also look great in Quitely uniforms. 

Are we going to get Zaladane? 

Rogue doesn’t have her powers, none of their powers work.  Classic Savage Land.  Probably why Logan isn’t on this mission.

Is that why Bishop immediately noticed the radiation? His power defaults absorbs it?

T-Rex almost got Polaris and Bishop.

Poor Bishop, he’s absorbing so much power, but he can’t release it.  There’s probably a joke in there somewhere. 

Classic X-Men, they get split into groups. 

Colossus rescued Rogue and Kurt.  Poor Rogue, feeling pain for the first time.  

Is that Amelia Voight?  Who is the guy with the white hair?

Creed and Kurt share Mystique. 

Nice plotting with including Colossus in a story involving siblings, with him losing his beloved sister. 

Kurt working Colossus. 

That’s definitely Amelia Voight. 

I don’t know the big guy either. 

I like the Acolytes rescuing mutants, AND not making them be child soldiers.  Well, I assume they’re not turning them around to then work for them.

Beast is bold claiming Magik wouldn’t want Colossus working with the Acolytes.  Did he know her? Morph knew her enough to morph into her in episode 3 of season one.

Aw, the Illyana shrine!  With Marrow, and Magneto was added later, I guess?

Illyana was wearing a New Mutants costume. 

Colossus painted all of the photos.  Or paintings.  All of the photos seen, are actually paintings Colossus created. 

Colossus brought the X-Men to Clayton Creed. 

Kurt greeted Creed as a brother.  Hey, they can relate to each other with scripture. 

Exodus with his giant wing thingies. 

I like Rogue not wearing a Quitely jacket, even though everyone else is wearing a jacket, and one would think, with her powerset, that she would be inclined to wear a jacket. 

Would Creed do well in a mutant run trial?  A Savage Land trial is better than a kangaroo trial.

Kurt wants to proof Creed can be redeemed.  Oh, Kurt.

Colossus is brokering a deal.  If Exodus wins the trial, Kurt will join the Acolyte.  Colossus will be the judge. 

Bishop and Polaris are slowing working their way to the X-Men.  They think the X-Men are being held prisoners. 

Polaris doesn’t have bright ideas, only fun ones.  She’s so great in this series. 

Was that Tempo?!

Senyaka, I always have to look up how to spell his name.  He’s like a beatable Omega Red, with his power whips.

How much of a trial are we going to be able to see?

I don’t recognize many of these mutants. 

Kurt skips the opening remarks to get straight into questioning Creed.  Kurt tells everyone Mystique is their mother.  Creed is quick to mention how she threw Kurt off a waterfall.  Comics have since rewritten that.

Kurt telling all of Creed’s business with the Sabretooth reveal, which upsets Creed.  Apparently at one point, Sabretooth scared Creed’s face.  Did we see that in the show?

I like Creed acknowledging Mystique is his mother, but Sabretooth is too much for him. 

Kurt doesn’t have an idea who is father is. 

Mystique booted Creed as a baby, and Sabretooth wanted a cub. 

Aw, Creed thought he was going to get powers at 13.  He couldn’t become a hunter, or did he?

Like most racists, he had a bad interaction with someone, and has made it everybody’s problem. 

So, was Exodus opening his entire case?  Fictional trials are rarely like the real thing, but that makes sense with the time limitation.

ESPN Jeopardy.  We’re playing pretty fast and loose with the Jeopardy brand.  I still need to watch the Tini Howard episode. 

Whoa, Exodus wants to jump to the end, and behead Creed. 

Colossus finds Creed, and with too long of a pause, Exodus attacks.  Dang, Exodus is going to kill Colossus! 

Bishop and Polaris on Pterodactylus.  So cool. 

Exodus is very powerful. 

X-Men have their powers back! 

Bishop wants to end this with a bang.  Probably a joke in there as well. 

Is Colossus going to join the X-Men after this?

Exodus and Nightcrawler in a s-word off! With powers. 

Beast bounced off the big guy after Rogue got him on the ground, so silly. 

Exodus’ line about Kurt truly being a demon.  Hits harder knowing Exodus’ religious background. 

Whoa!  Creed killed Exodus!  Wha?!

Creed wants Kurt to get him out of this mess. 

Kurt teleported his half brother to the snowy part of the Savage Land.

Kurt is choking Creed out with his tail.  His blue tail. 

Kurt isn’t going to kill Creed, right?  Right?!

Kurt lets Creed live, but with the knowledge that he is truly his parents’ son. 

X-Factor found Creed in the snow, alive. 

Val Cooper threatens to take away Xavier’s school. 

Colossus is at the X-Mansion.  So the school is under American control, but not the X-Men. 

Colossus was going to find Creed , and claims Illyana would have been convinced.  I guess because she loves redemption arcs so much?

Back at Athens.  X-Force!  Doing some stealth.  Whoa, Apocalypse is dead!  Wha?!

Jubilee found Gambit’s Queen of Hearts card, as the episode ends. 

Probably my favorite episode, and yes, because of all of the sweet Magik references.  RIP Queen of Limbo. 

Next episode is, The Dead Man’s Hand. 

Thanks to Disney fandom for the cover image.

Strange Land, Savage Heart | Disney Wiki | Fandom

X-Men 97 : 2 x 6 – Danger.exe

Posted by John Klein III on July 27, 2026
Posted in: Reviews, Television. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Danger voice saying “Previously on X-Men” ?

RIP Magneto

Are we going to get the Polaris grieving episode?  Maybe it was Polaris saying the “Previously On”?

Quinten Quire was added to the mutants grabbing fence part of the title sequence, and we got a X-Factor shot as well.

33 Minute long episode.

Oooof, we have to see Magneto die again.

Oh dman, Apocalypse literally put his foot on Xavier’s head. 

Oooof, Xavier has been having the Danger Room repeat Magneto’s death sequence.  That should mess up the programming. 

Are we going to get a montage of Danger watching Morph and Wolverine’s workouts.

Danger Room is playing fast and loose with safety protocols.

Xavier wishes he can feel Magneto one last time, the show knows what it is doing.

X-Cutioner is Stryker, did we know that in season one?

Polaris is messing with Stryker’s squad.

Polaris is so cool, as she takes out all of the goons. 

“Polar Opposite,” how often does Polaris work this into a line?

Val Cooper! 

I don’t love Val telling Polaris that she’s out of control. 

Stryker’s goons are the Purifiers. 

We get all of X-Factor.  They have a Red Blackbird.  A Redbird.

X-Factor works out of a SHIELD Helicarrier.

I think it is okay to come down hard on terrorists.

Polaris is considered the next Magneto, oh, we get a hint they share more than a powerset.

The President and Val Cooper are permanently dismissing Polaris.  Whoa.

Shirtless Havok in a towel, a green towel. Wolfsbane was in a white towel, so they have co-ed locker rooms. 

Polaris has a “Salem Moving Company” box.

Polaris is at a clean up X-Mansion.

We get a new class of mutants!  Eyeboy, Martha, Chamber, Shark Girl, Monet, Doop, Beak, Quinten Quire, and Dusk.  Is that Sync?  I’m not sure who is sitting behind Monet?

Is that Wing?  Ruh oh, he’s not going to make it.

Storm is the new Headmistress!

Hey, a Sentinel breaking into the X-Mansion, so we’re going full Gifted. 

Boom Boom!

Polaris sees a picture of her two dads.

Jean welcomes Polaris to her old room.  Beast is wearing a Howard the Duck shirt!

Polaris has quite a punk room.

Pixie and Danger Girl are at the X-Mansion.

Xavier doesn’t sense Magneto in his own mind, but odd to mention.  Are we getting Onslaught in Season Three?

Polaris does know Magneto is her father.

Morph morphed into Reed Richards to use his arms as jump ropes, that’s fun.

Polaris isn’t sure if a school drop out is a good example for kids, and Xavier jokes that they have met Wolverine.  That’s pretty fun.

I guess this show as done a pretty great job with showing other heroes, so maybe they can do a proper Onslaught season?  Might explain why the other heroes don’t show up.  Well, explains future reasons.

There’s Danger in the Danger Room!

Oh no, Wing got hurt. 

Storm lightning charges Bishop.

Oh no, Wing isn’t coming back.

Is that Oya?

Monet is Penance.

Oh, Wing isn’t dead.

They are locked into the Danger Room.

Quintin is wearing a Magneto was Right shirt.  Classic.

Danger is having fun with Polaris and Bishop, too much fun.

Storm is in a very nice orange suit, now that she is Headmistress.

Danger Room turned into Bishop’s future. 

I like that we get to see that Polaris would have handled the Prime Sentinels very easily.

The Danger Room has evolved.

Danger Room knows all of their weaknesses, both power and personality.

Bishop reaches Polaris, that’s nice.

Oh no, Polaris overcharged the room, and now we have, Danger!

I like Bishop’s “there’s always a dman killing machine.”  He’s not wrong.

Danger is heading toward Genosha in a mini jet, to confront Xavier, so we’re going full Danger.

Bishop needs a partner who isn’t going to hold back?  Who could that be?  It is Polaris. 

Is Xavier just talking aloud?

Oh, Beast, Jean and Scott are in their Morrison – Quitely suits.  That’s cool. 

No Cat Beast.  

Why are they in these suits?  Maybe because they are not on X-Men duty?

Beast’s sensor tells him the Danger Room is on its way, and Xavier looks very concern.

Cyclops is annoyed Danger knows all of their moves, so Jean makes telepathic Wolverine claws. 

It is a shame we didn’t at least get a Kitty Pryde cameo here.  I would have been annoyed if she was a new recruit, but at least she would have been on the show.

Xavier tries to destroy Danger with a jet!

Danger has an axe to Xavier’s head, but Polaris showed up in time to save him.

That’s fun, we get Magneto’s kid versus Xavier’s kid.  A bit of a walk, but sure.

They are drawn together, like magnets.  Okay, show.

Are we getting the super Sentinel?

Danger says, “Survival of the fittest.”

Xavier encourages Polaris to go full power, and Bishop offers to balance her.

I like Xavier trying to be a father to Polaris, that’s nice.  He’s going to pour all of Magneto that is inside him, into her.  Okay, show.

Magneto does have a legacy, and that legacy is Lorna Dane.

Danger got too powered.

Lorna and Xavier both felt Magneto.

What is Xavier going to do next? 

Xavier is going to evolve the X-Men. 

Xavier is starting X-Corp! 

Val Cooper has her own press conference with X-Factor. 

Xavier is in his grey Quitely suit from the Danger arc.

Rogue is in a grey outfit.

Xavier senses Apocalypse.

Athens.  Is that the Watcher?!

Apocalypse is bringing someone back alive.  Gambit?  Magneto?

Gambit!

So silly Apocalypse makes clanky sounds when he walks.  Just like Laura Kinney, the Wolverine.

Great episode!  Possibly my second favorite of the season.  Time will tell.

Next episode is Strange Land, Savage Heart, so is Xavier going to the Savage Land where he and Magneto spent their honeymoon? 

Thanks to Disney Wiki for the cover image.

Danger.Exe | Disney Wiki | Fandom

X-Men 97 : 2 x 5 – Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs

Posted by John Klein III on July 20, 2026
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Don’t’ recognize the voice for the Previously on.

30 minute episode.

Full team credits!

Forge was added.

Weapon X clips, oh that’s right, Mariko is Lady Deathstrike here.  Good reminder.

Maverick, Kane, Sabretooth, and Lady Deathstrike is the gang that is back together. 

Morph is the pilot.

Logan & Victor do have a Will They, Won’t They?

Runt’s ex-pet, oh Morph, that might be what you are.

I love Wolverine being in his brown and tan suit.

Ooof, Kane is through a tree.  Or, a tree is through him.

Some sort of mutated birds?

Mutated polar bear?!

Morph morphed into Sasquatch.

Logan has his bone claws, and nose, so is that why he is looking for Weapon X?

Sabretooth wants all of Wolverine’s business.

I like Morph having a Weapon X inspired suit himself, that’s nice, he’s part of the gang.

Is Logan always this hunched over, or is that just how he is now, post-adamantium?

I like Morph being the only one who is freaked out at being at the base.

They are looking for Doctor Corniulius.

Makes sense to concentrate on the job, rather than how they’ll get home.  That’ll happen.

Something has killed the scientists. 

Morph references Clayton Creed, which I feel like is the first time we’ve gotten Sabretooth’s opinion of him.  He wishes he had killed the guy.

Queen?

Doctor Cornilius is a Brood!  Whoa?!  Are we getting Lockheed?!

Is this why we’re getting Alien vs X-Men?  Odd how it isn’t Aliens vs X-Men.

Is this is the Brood’s debut?

Oh yeah, Lady Deathstrike’s 92 debut was also a crashed alien story.  Nice reference.

They have to go through to get out, classic.

Oh, is this a John Carpenter’s Thing homage episode? 

Exiles’ Morph also has a history of the Brood.

We get teams.  Maverick & Wolverine is one team, Lady Deathstrike, Sabretooth, and Morph are the other team.

Tomo is a magical shape shifting fox, that’s good to know.  A classic sidekick character to the main character.

Sabretooth is over 200 years old.  That’s new.

We get an entire row of DVDs – X-23, Ajax, Aurora, Fantomex, Wolverine, Side, Xurn, Psi-Borg, Mastodon, Winter Soldier, Weapon VI, Ant, Garrison Kane, Sabretooth, Agent Zero, Kimura, Worm, Sluggo, Kestrel, Marvel?

The Brood get named, so that’s cool.

Is that Maggot?!  Or was Maggot?

Sabretooth is such a big boy. 

Which of these characters can be affected that we can spare? 

I’m glad Kane, a character I don’t have much history with, at least got a fun character moment in the beginning of the episode, so we care a bit that we lost him.

The Brood have caught up to them!

Morph believes the Brood want to breed with Logan.

Omega Red in a tube.

I hadn’t realized Brood and Breed are so similar, and that’s what the Brood does.  That’s clever.

Maverick gets the “Game over” Aliens line.

Whoa, Logan is a Broodling, AND we get Uncanny X-Men 234 cover homage.  So cool.

Can we spare Logan?

The one time Sabretooth isn’t great at killing Wolverine, and it has to be this day.  Of course.

Omega Red’s chamber was broken, so now we have another threat.

Morph changed into Deadpool.

And we’re down to three.

The mission is done, Logan is lost, and Sabretooth & Lady Deathstrike just start walking away.

Morph changed into Silver Samurai.  Is the sword a part of Morph’s body?  Which part?

This feels like a walk to get Wolverine’s adamantium back, to put it in him, so that the Brood will escape.

Morph changed into Cyclops, and begins taunting Logan with smooches.

Broodverine vs Sabretooth!

Broodverine clawed Morph!

Lady Deathstrike got Broodverine into a chamber.  Sabretooth starts the adamantium process. 

Who is banging against the giant security wall?

So many Brood!  Omega Red killed them, don’t worry.

Whoa, Morph morphed into Spider-Man!  Synergy!

Logan has his adamantium back.  He’s back, baby.

Poor Omega Red, always being left behind.

We shouldn’t have to worry about this Brood colony, they got all burned up.

Aw, Maverick’s body was left behind.  That’s sad.

Aw, Logan is the best at being an animal with claws.  That is sad, me too, Morph.

That’s weird to have your claws out while looking at Morph sad.

No midcredit scene.

Danger.exe should be next. 

Thanks to disney.fandom for the cover image.

Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs | Disney Wiki | Fandom

X-Men 97 : 2 x 3 – Rise of Apocalypse, Part 2

Posted by John Klein III on July 13, 2026
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Xavier says Previously on the X-Men.

34 minute long episode.

Cast credits still the Past X-Men.

En Sabah Nur lost his lieutenant.

Beau DeMayo still co-writing.

Magneto with his lies of omission.

Is Xavier going to explain time travel?

I like Magneto comparing his current mission with Bishop’s original mission.

Could they time travel to save Genosha?

Whoa, Magneto destroyed the time bands?!

Xavier is explaining the future, and the X-Men, to Nur.  This is surely going to work out okay.

Aw, Baby Nur was born with those lips.

Nice telling of Apocalypse’s origins.

The X-Men and the Lost Temple.

Bishop hasn’t adopted a past outfit.

Rogue having a special relationship with Nur, and all potential villains.

Aw, Nur hasn’t ever known love.  He considers it a weakness.

Ram Tut is making a connection with Xavier.  We got names for him, Nathaniel, Victor, and Kang.

Xavier got to say the word, conquest, that’s fun.

We got some Celestials.

Did Magneto need to destroy the time bands?  Seems like he could have just asked for 48 hours.

The Lost Temple is actually Ship, Apocalypse’s future ship.

The X-Men are cravings on the wall.

Xavier is trying to communicate telepathically with Magneto, but he’s wearing his helmet.

Ruh oh, Nur knows what his destiny is, and does NOT appreciate having the X-Men take it from him.

Nur saying, he’s always been the fittest to survive.

Nur vs X-Men.  It doesn’t last that long.

Yeah, Magneto probably shouldn’t have broken those time bands.

Celestial giving Nur his mission statement.

Nur receiving his Sailor Moon moment to become Apocalypse. 

Beast fixed the time bands.

I love Bishop being so angry and disappointed that the X-Men want to stay behind. 

Magneto forces the time bands on everyone.

Wait, is Magneto is staying behind?

Is Magneto the first Horseman?  He was Nate Grey’s Horsemen of Salvation, he was Peace. 

Did Xavier stay behind?

No nice of Ship to apologize to Xavier.

Rama Tut is escaping.  He put on his Kang outfit!

That gal friend of Kang is an Eternal!

Apocalypse wasted no time learning how to use his shape changing powers.

Apocalypse told Xavier he lacks a spine to be a Horseman.  That’s pretty cutting.

Is Magneto going to die closing a black hole?!  The Black Hole Apocalypse created to destroy the city.

If Magneto destroys Ship, that would change the future.

Magneto tossed Xavier to super safety.

Maybe the black hole will collapse, and somehow, Magneto will end up in the present?

Nope.

Aw, Xavier having to belly crawl to Magneto.

Apocalypse came back to make sure a lesson is learned.

Aw, they said sorry to each other as their final farewells.

Xavier going low with Apocalypse momma references.

Ouch, Xavier doesn’t even deserve to be stepped on.

How does he make it home?

Oh, Bishop stayed behind too.

They never stop Apocalypse.

So, what does Apocalypse do now?  Write all of their names down, and start trying to kill them as babies?

Mid credit scene?!

Whoa!  Madripoor Knights!  Black Widow in her classic gray outfit.  Captain America is there.  They almost stood in their iconic Uncanny X-Men 268 cover pose. 

Logan is getting the band back together for Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs. 

Has there been mid credits before?  I don’t think so.

I think episode 2 is still my favorite, but this ended in such a stellar fashion. 

Thanks Disney Wiki for the title image.

Rise of Apocalypse | Disney Wiki | Fandom

X-Men 97 : 2 x 3 – Rise of Apocalypse, Part 1

Posted by John Klein III on July 8, 2026
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

We catch up to the Past X-Men! 

Credits are just this team of X-Men, just like the first episode.  I love that they can have fun with the credits.

The X-Men are in the present!  They just need the other half of the team.

Beau DeMayo co-wrote this episode.  I thought he was fired?  Or maybe he had written all of Season Two, then was fired?  That sounds maybe right?

Is Magneto going to give Apocalypse his mission statement?

A pharaoh from a foreign land?  Rama Tut?!  Kang?!

En Sabah Nur, is what I should be calling him, I suppose.

Makes sense to end the three episode premiere with a part one, to get people hyped for part two.

Magneto and Xavier arguing about what is the right thing to do.

Is Apocalypse the season villain, or just the first half?

Maybe Magneto can fix En Sabah Nur?

I guess if the MCU isn’t going to use Kang, the Animated-Verse will?  Are we still expecting Spider-Man 97? 

Desert rat, ooof!

Who is this mid level boss fight guy?

Why would he look like Apocalypse in that dust cloud?  I mean, I get it for us viewers, but why the mid level boss guy?

Are they really going to call him, Nur?

Bishop hasn’t caught up to these X-Men yet.

X-Men need the android parts to get them back to the future.

Xavier has an ancient wheelchair.

I like these past tunics they are wearing.

Beast is getting pretty frustrated.  Beast must be feeling pretty low, if he’s at the point of giving up on science, and just praying his way out of this.

Oooof, Magneto IS giving Nur leadership skills.

Xavier can’t just take the information out of Nur’s mind, he’s worried the most he uses his powers, the more the future will be rewritten.  Unless, of course, this has all happened before.

Nur’s lieutenant is not happy with the X-Men.

Oooof, Magneto has been filling Nur’s head with talk of destiny.

Magneto has both his exes in the room, Rogue & Xavier.  That can’t be easy.

Nur could be the first X-Man?

Magneto rocking a beard like his Rivals and Fortnite counterparts.

Bishop must be getting here as fast as he can.

Xavier has inspired Magneto to be more like him, and maybe that’ll work on Nur?

Nur has to let his slave owner live, that couldn’t be easy.

I’m surprised Xavier isn’t better at reading people’s minds, he must be out of practice.

They need to find a Lost Temple.

Ruh oh, Nur and his peeps know the X-Men are up to some weapon crafting.

OH!  Nur did get to kill his slave owner. 

Hey, Bishop finally arrives!  A gun would be very useful in ancient Egypt.

Rama Tut saying, conqueror, that’s fun.

Bishop has to get them back to the 1990s.

Episode ends with Rama Tut blowing the heck out of Nur’s base. 

What a cliffhanger!

I think the second episode has been my favorite thus far. 

Thanks to Disney Wiki for the title card!

Rise of Apocalypse | Disney Wiki | Fandom

X-Men 97 : 2 x 2 – A Force to Be Reckon With

Posted by John Klein III on July 7, 2026
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Cable says “Previously on the X-Men”

1997. 

Quintin Quire, I recognized.

Penance?!  Is that Monet?!

X-Factor!  Strong Guy, Havok (saying “We’re the good guys, like his brother did in the first episode!), Polaris, Wolfsbane, and Multiple Man (three of them).

Chamber on the news, being detained by X-Factor.

Jubilee has not attempted to repair the X-Mansion.

Trish’s face has scars from her Sentinel Prime situation.

Where are Jubilee and Sunspot living?  Cable found them!

Cable wants to find the Horseman, War. 

I guess the X-Men are at their weakest here, as they are not there.

Are we going to get X-Force vs X-Factor?

X-Force opening credits!  Wha?!  I love this so much!

Sunspot in his early X-Force uniform.

X-Force 97!  This was well worth the wait.

Brazil!

Psylocke says, “Duck Shoot,” which has to be British, right?

Psylocke is awesome, and I need her Funko.

Jubilee has let her hair grow out.

Psylocke has her butterflies!  Is this Kwannon?

Jubilee hasn’t gotten fully on board with the X-Force method.  Oh, a Force to be Reckon with, I get it now.  X-Force.  Pretty clever.

Cable wants Archangel to kill War, which is intense.  Weird Cable couldn’t do it himself, but Warren is Death. 

Zuru Bunch O Balloons must love they were the ad after this.

London, England.  Emma Frost!

Evil Jeff of Comic Book Queers is going to love this episode.  Diamonds and Butterflies!

Emma is going to make Cable bark!  I love Emma.

Jubilee is in an Asian outfit, that’s nice.

Emma is a great matchmaker.

Switzerland.  Emma came with them!  And Psylocke is there too!

Emma taking the time to do her nails.  Whoa, she lured them into an X-Factor trap!

Jubilee was going to call Emma a total something.

X-Force vs X-Factor!  We got it so quickly.  Interesting match ups. 

Strong Guy vs Cable

Multiple Man vs Psylocke

Havok vs Sunspot (this is where the app crashed on me, had to rewatch all of the ads, fast forward to where I left off, and watched more ads)

Shame Peter David didn’t get to see this happen. 

Havok vs Jubilee

Emma can still turn diamond, she’s so bored.

Polaris vs Archangel, she’s taking everyone down.  Polaris literally wrapped them up.

Havok took Jubilee!  Psylocke took Sunspot down, so he couldn’t rescue her. 

Awkward as Havok just told Jubilee she isn’t an X-Man.  Ugh, she even has a power inhibitor on.  Gross.

Polaris is the good cop.  Just gals talking.  Polaris is the only other X-Man around.

X-Factor’s Detainees.  I recognized Quintin Quire, Dusk, the Cuckoos (three of them, one in one room, and two in another, which seems messed up), and Artie.  Hey, the little girl from Marvels, that Angel saved!  What a deep cut!

I was hoping X-Factor was detaining mutants, but then, you know, treating them nicely, as if they were secretly rescuing mutants, instead, they are gross government goons.

Sunspot has a red Ninja Turtle bandana. 

Marvel is really pushing the Magic the Gathering collab.  I watched all of X-Men 97 Season One, and saw this ad so much.

Chamber is there too.

Jubilee takes down a bunch of guard goons.  I thought she was going to rescue a bunch of mutants too.  She can make fireworks with her feet?!

Jubilee did rescue the mutants.  Was that Synch?

The song Jubilee is listening to is Veruca Salt’s Volcano Girls.  Thanks MSN.  Apparently they have a Spider-Man 79 song too. 

What’s the song Jubilee plays in X-Men ’97 season 2?

Jubilee has roller blades!

Glob Herman!

X-Factor has a flying base?

Pixie!

Val Cooper is there too!  She has an X-Factor uniform too.  I guess she’s on the team.

Jubilee has gotten a power boost, and I love it.

Havok and Val Cooper are not pleased with Polaris.

Jubilee is the Ms. Marvel of the Inglorious X-Force team.

Back to the Future.  Teen Cable gets his computer in his arm.  X-Men have to get back to the present.  Timeslide the X-Men!  I was expecting a Timeslide by five.

I missed the credits on the first episode, but they definitely had them for the second episode. 

Thanks to Disney Wiki for the title card!

A Force to be Reckoned With | Disney Wiki | Fandom

X-Men 97 : 2 x 1 – Days of Past Future

Posted by John Klein III on July 6, 2026
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Mother Askani says “Previously on the X-Men”

Six Months Later.  Trish Tilby back as a reporter. 

Ancient Egypt (3000 BC) Nile Delta – Xavier, Magneto, Beast, Nightcrawler, Rogue (Apocalypse Begins)

Future (3960 AD) Atlantic Basin – Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Morph, Wolverine (Apocalypse Height)

Cool seeing Forge working on his time travel cube that we saw in the original series. 

Beau DeMayo still an Executive Producer. 

So silly Bishop’s “get the X-Men back . . . to the 90s”

Somehow Forge is still alive in the future. 

Wolverine is bad arse, with his bone claws, and no nose. 

Forge says, “oh my stars and garters”

Storm & Forge are together. 

Wait, did Bishop go back in time, and Forge went to the future?

Scott & Jean want to stay, which makes sense.

So many dead mutants, but I didn’t recognize any of them in the big pile.

Ozymandias!

  Jean training a Young Nathan, aw!

Aw, the hugs!

Mother Askani, I wonder if we’ll ever get Excalibur Rachel Summers?

Do I want all of these Funkos?  Sorta.

Poor Mother Askani, it must have hurt her to not say hello to her parents.

“Thanks for today, please for tomorrow” that’s an odd expression.

Nathan’s baby blanket is a scared item!

Scott is a summer, Nathan is a spring, together they can fight off winter.  Which is coming.

Storm and Forge haven’t missed a step.  I like these two together.

Oh no, Scott & Jean are taking their own son!   They can’t keep their secret plan from Nathan, so silly that they thought they could.

Of Apocalypse’s Horsemen, I recognized Mastermind.  Maybe.

Are we going to get Stryfe?!

I like this Progressive ad with all of the friends, they found each other.  That’s nice.  Full Disclosure : We’re a Geico family.

This Old Navy ad, with the newscaster ladies who like shopping, but the guy doesn’t get it.  Are we still doing this?

Storm about to go full omega with channeling the cosmic solar flares. 

Mother Askani has a 80s Rachel hair style!  But with a long rat tail.  She even has the face markings!

Mother Askani is speaking very plainly.

Nathan has a power inhibitor, but can still control some of his powers?

Scott is wearing his X-Factor White X uniform, modified for the future, that’s fun.  Jean is wearing here red uniform, with a yellow X, modified. 

Scott tells Nathan the truth!  Jean is repeating Madelyne’s speech, which I don’t love that she has Maddy’s memories. 

Nathan empowered by love and encouragement!

I love seeing how powerful Mother Askani is!  She can lift the entire Ship.

Storm truly is the Omega of Omegas!

Did they not make a Forge Funko?  That’s the one I want. 

Mother Askani has the Phoenix!  Which makes sense as she’s the best Phoenix host.

Apocalypse is going to attack the X-Men when they are at their weakest, the 1990s!

I don’t recognize any of these freed mutants.  Which makes sense, they are future mutants. 

I love Storm, and need more Storm in my life. 

Nathan receives his arm computer thingie!  Now he can body slide by one!

Cut to Old Man Cable, and his X-Force with Psylocke and Archangel!  Who I really like together.  She has a British accent.  Cable wants to recruit Jubilee & Sunspot.  This is going to be fun! 

Thanks to Disney Wiki for the title card!

Days of Past Future | Disney Wiki | Fandom