X-Men ‘97 S2 was able to give us a slight break after we witnessed the death of Magneto (Matthew Waterson) by the hands of Apocalypse (Ross Marquand). It took us on a journey with Team X as Wolverine (Cal Dodd) aimed to regain his adamantium claws as they dealt with the Brood and Omega Red (Darin de Paul). What’s brilliant about the writers’ structuring of this season is that it aligns with exactly how the characters are currently feeling and behaving. Even if what they’ve done is not intentional, it’s pure accidental genius that allows for this episode to feel more impactful.
The episode doesn’t waste any time as we’re thrown back into a loop, watching Apocalypse kill Magneto, again and again. This specific start is why the side adventure works so well. It’s a strong example of how grief affects different people and how trauma can come back and bite harder than it has before.
The Danger Room is being put in use, but Xavier (Ross Marquand) isn’t using it to learn what could’ve been done better or improve his survival chances in the fight against Apocalypse, but it’s a therapeutic session for him. He’s hopeless without Magneto and is “less worried about surviving Apocalypse right now…” than he is about “surviving without Magnus”. He spends his time constantly apologising to Magneto in the simulation, and from this one scene, you can see how his death eats at him.
Danger Alert in X-Men ’97
The major storyline of this episode is that the Danger Room gains sentience and begins making its way to Genosha to attack Xavier and the X-Men. There’s nothing worse than fighting an enemy that knows all of your weaknesses. Despite Danger believing that it’s doing the right thing to help Xavier survive in a world without Magneto, it has lost all its safety measures.
Throughout the episode, the Danger Room is focusing on all the key things people are saying around it, and after being given enough power by an out-of-control Polaris (Carolina Ravassa), it gains enough power to have its own mind. “I’m just a product of what I am moulded from. As are you, destined to repeat the sins of the ones who made us. Bound to our creators, like magnets” is what Danger says to Polaris, and this line here is one of the best pieces of dialogue because it encapsulates everything this episode is about, being held back by the past.
Danger is an excellent villain, as she’s able to manipulate the X-Men and have them exactly where she wants them. As Danger finds herself defeated, she still succeeds in her goal as Polaris shows a grand showcase of her strength and what she’s capable of. The animation for this episode is once again outstanding with its excellent use of greens and blues throughout the entire episode.
X-Men ’97’s Family Business
Xavier is dealing with the trauma of Magneto’s death and what that means for his future and the future of mutants, but Polaris is held back by the trauma that her father has left on this planet. Despite having correct morals, she’s let go from X-Factor after receiving bad press and being called the “next Magneto”. She’s unable to escape her father’s past despite not ever being able to have a relationship with him. It’s a touching moment and a highlight of the episode when Xavier is able to help Polaris unleash her powers to her full capability, embracing herself, including the good her father brought to the world.
In respect of Magneto, Xavier announces that his X-Men must also evolve like Magnus if they’re to continue their quest to protect a world that hates and fears them, so he reveals X-Corp, which is situated in Genosha. At this point, X-Factor seems to currently feel more like the villains of the season as they put their focus on Xavier, who they believe is trying to escape federal laws.
Enter X-Corp!
The real villain of the season is Apocalypse, and while X-Factor has their crosshairs on the wrong target, Xavier has yet to forget about the looming threat, and as the end of the episode highlights, back in Athens, Apocalypse has resurrected Gambit as a horseman of death.
X-Men ’97 Season 2 Episode 5 is a standout episode for Polaris, as she gets to showcase what she’s capable of, breaking free from the chains of her father and accepting the best parts of him and the best parts of herself. It’s a touching episode that sees the foundation of X-Corp, which may play a factor into how Xavier and his team will be able to take down Apocalypse despite X-Factor being right behind them.
The animation is a great test of what Marvel Animation is capable of and what’s genuinely expected from other animated series that struggle to keep a consistent level of animation throughout. This episode is a lesson that trauma shouldn’t be seen as a weakness but as a strength.
