Previously On X-Men: ‘X-Men ’97’ Episodes Eight And Nine

The last two episodes of X-Men ’97 Season 2 are light on direct comics inspirations (there’s a little bit of 1999’s The Twelve in the Gambit/Apocalypse plotline, but not much), but they still have plenty of Easter Eggs. Find the notes on the rest of the season’s episodes here, here, and here.

X-Men ’97 2×08: “The Dead Man’s Hand”

Written by Brian Ford Sullivan, JB Ballard, Beau DeMayo, & Anthony Sellitti. Directed by Chase Conley & Emmett Yonemura.

• The opening credits are heavy with Rogue and Gambit material, along with some Apocalypse/Archangel stuff and a repeated bit of X-Force training.
• Rogue and Gambit did not dance together in last season’s “Remember It” (she danced with Magneto), a quick indication that Rogue’s dream is off.
• The titular Dead Man’s Hand (which Nightcrawler shows during the X-Men’s poker game) is so-called because it is reportedly the hand Wild Bill Hickock was holding when he was shot and killed (though it is generally considered to be all black aces and eights, and Nightcrawler has a red ace).
• When X-Force first showed up with the desiccated husk of Apocalypse, I bumped against them all assuming he was dead (as opposed to in a new host body). But then in the course of the episode it’s revealed X-Force is well aware of that and are just duping the X-Men.
• The updated Cerebro, Cerebra, dates to Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run.
• Animated Candra first appeared in “X-Ternally Yours”, season two’s Gambit showcase episode. She was also the priestess of Rama-Tut who appeared earlier this season. The idea of romance between her and Apocalypse (fake or not) is new (and feels especially tacked on).
• Gambit’s ex-wife Belladonna also debuted in “X-Ternally Yours.”
• I’m not sure where Gambit (even evil Gambit) got flying motorcycles on such short notice. But that should have been the first clue to Rogue that Gambit was back.
• I appreciate this season continuing the comic book tradition of crashing every jet the X-Men fly in.
• Morph transforms into Earthquake from the Imperial Guard.
• The visual of Nightcrawler attacking the X-Men from his perspective is pretty cool. Also, given how easily he wipes the floor with the X-Men, it sure feels like he’s holding back when he’s not possessed by Apocalypse.
• Xavier’s psychic armor is based on his typical astral armor from the comics, which first appeared in X-Men ##117.
• The heartrate monitor connected to the unconscious Gambit reads “XM 266,” a reference to his first comic book appearance (Uncanny X-Men #266, though technically X-Men Annual #14 came out first).
• Also, it seems like maybe the X-Men could have taken off Gambit’s trench coat before putting him in a hospital bed?

As with much of this season, “The Dead Man’s Hands” once again rushes X-Men ’97 to its seasonal finish line

X-Men ’97 Episode 2×09: “Survival of the Fittest”

Written by Brian Ford Sullivan, JB Ballard and Anthony Sellitti. Directed by Chase Conley & Emmett Yonemura.

• In opening credits watch, Jubilee and Sunspot are back with the X-Men, while X-Factor and Val Cooper have taken the place of Magneto and random bad guys in the “running toward each other” segment.
• The idea of human-piloted Mech Sentinels dates to the Decimation Era (specifically The 198 miniseries) when the government sent them to “guard” the X-Mansion where a majority of the remaining 198 mutants at the time had gathered.
• Like most of X-Factor, she isn’t named, but their new member with the sonic scream is Siryn, Banshee’s daughter.
• Psylocke and Archangel receive Cable’s musical sting when they enter. It feels like Psylocke should have known (telepathically) that Wolverine was Morph.
• Morph turns into the ’90s Spider-Man cartoon version of Doctor Octopus while battling Archangel. Later, he briefly turns into Flatman, one of the Great Lakes Avengers.
• Gambit is able to charge up and detonate Madrox’ dupes, even though his power doesn’t allow him to charge organic matter.
• Polaris not being able to block the large rocks thrown at her by Strong Guy (because they’re not magnetic) might be the first time ever a magnetic shield failed to repulse something non-magnetic.
• Trapping Apocalypse in a gem but not destroying it seems like a pretty obvious way to keep his return on the board for future seasons.
• I don’t know if it was intentional, but Nightcrawler having the Dead Man’s hand in the episode before he died is notable.
• Nature Girl, Beak and Artie can be seen amongst the students in the episode’s closing montage.
• In a story that is clearly inspiring the post-credits scene, Graydon Creed did run for president in the comics, but was assassinated by Mystique before getting elected.

A largely disappointing finale. The middle act, with the big X-Men/X-Force/X-Factor fight, has its moments, but Apocalypse-in-a-Gambit-shaped trench coat (and a literal trench coat) isn’t the satisfying payoff to the season long arc its clearly intended to be. And ending the season on the note of Nightcrawler’s sacrifice (in which he says the world would be better off without him, and the space god agrees) is just … an awful note on which to end.