Editor’s Note: The below contains spoilers for X-Men ‘97 Episode 6.
How do you follow up on one of the most beautiful, devastating episodes of a series viewers have ever seen? Go galactic. At least, that seems to be the course series creatorBeau DeMayotook for the sixth episode of the Disney+ seriesX-Men ‘97. A continuation of the historicX-Men: The Animated Series, created byEric Lewald,Sidney Iwanter, andMark Edens, this Marvel program has been shocking audiences since its premiere, but really shook viewers to their core with the destruction of mutant haven Genosha atthe end of Episode 5.
Despite the jaw-dropping heights of that episode, this one cemented itself as a worthy follow-up by putting two of the franchise’s most iconic characters at its forefront. It was a riveting storyline that brought watchersfrom the depths of space to the inside of a Goddess’ mind, astounding them every step of the way with the amazing Easter eggs and references on display. It was a complex plot with a ton of callbacks, so let’s break them down and learn about the expansive history that madeX-Men ‘97Episode 6, “Lifedeath - Part 2,“possible!
A band of mutants use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them; they’re challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
‘X-Men ‘97’ Explores Marvel’s Shi’ar Empire
X-Men ‘97gave fans a much-awaited glimpse of the legendary team’s founder for the first time this season: Dr. Charles Xavier (Ross Marquand). Half of this episode takes place in space, continuing from theX-Men: The Animated Series’finale which saw Charles fatally woundedand whisked away to space by his alien lover,Empress Lilandra Neramani (Morla Gorrondona), to heal. It featured some references that even MCU-only fans may be aware of, with Lilandra being the Empress of the Shi’ar Empirewho are at war with the Kree, an alien species dealt with in projects likeCaptain Marvel,Secret Invasion, and more recently,The Marvels.
The opening saw numerous cameos from comics and movies; Lilandra’s sister Deathbird (Cari Kabinoff) squares off with a version of Ronan the Accuser (Todd Haberkorn),Guardians of the Galaxy’sbig blue baddie, and is accompanied by the Shi’ar Imperial Guard.This team of superpowered fighters are niche comic characters who also showed up during the original series’ “Phoenix Saga” episodes, with members including Starbolt, Titan, Manta, and Vulcan — a lost brother toX-Man Cyclops(Ray Chase) who has been twisted by his time stuck in space, possibly hinting at some familial drama later in the show.
While feuding with Deathbird, Lilandra also references her maniacal brother D’Ken, a call back to her original introduction inX-Men: The Animated Seriesthat saw her seek help as her power-hungry sibling searched the cosmos for the mythic M’Kraan Crystal. He was dethroned by the X-Men, but the show didn’t give viewers a full look at this avian-esque race of aliens like this one does, bringing the empire’s rich history from the comics to life by portraying their regalia and pomp in some beautifully animated scenes.
Another great cameo is the super-strong guard Gladiator (David Errigo Jr.), another return from the animated series (his last appearance saw this titanic alien winagainst the likes of Juggernautand Rogue).This portion of the episode is filled with Easter eggs, but one of the most shocking is Professor Xavier’s reference toRudyard Kiplingin a conversation with Gladiator about the privilege of idealism.DeMayo hinted on X (formerly Twitter)that Xavier was specifically referencingThe White Man’s Burden,a profound piece having to do with imperialism and furthering the “mutant metaphor” ofthe X-men representing the experiences of real-world marginalized communities.
‘X-Men ‘97’ Gives Subtle Nods to Storm’s Backstory
While stories of space travel are amazing, whatX-Men ‘97fans were really excited to see was the culmination of Storm’s (Alison Sealy-Smith) story that began two episodes ago in “Motendo/Lifedeath - Part 1.” The episode sees hercontinue fighting The Adversary(Alison Sealy-Smith), a terrifying demon that is tied closely to Forge’s (Gil Birmingham) origin in the comics. Despite his mutant ability to craft any technological invention,his supernatural confrontation with the creature references the innate magic ability he’s spent most of his comic tenure denying.
His written origin reveals that he was born with an immense amount of magical energy, a mysticism he shirked for most of his life in favor of technology, before summoning the demon while fighting in the Vietnam War. His sudden magical ability was a reference to that written past, though that wasn’t the only Easter egg;glowing circles of complex designs appeared around his hands while he fought, extremely similar to those that show up on another famous spellcaster’s palms, the MCU’s Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).
As Storm tries to find a version of the real-life Cholla cactus to cure the supernatural infection The Adversary left Forge with,X-Men ‘97references an often forgotten aspect of this Omega-Level Mutant: her claustrophobia. While it doesn’t delve into the source of this traumatizing Easter egg — the comics saw a plane fly into a young Storm’s childhood home, trapping her under the rubble next to her dead parents’ bodies — it shows the series’ understanding of the material by featuring one of this ultra-powerful characters’ few weaknesses.
This episode caps off with a series of Easter eggs that fans have been wantingever since Storm first lost her powers earlier in the season. Overcoming her own fears about who she is without the ability to manipulate the weather, Storm regains her powers in a beautifully animated sequence that sees the heroinesoar through the sky in her classic black and gold costume from the comics.It’s an empowering moment, the previously struggling woman giddily utilizing every aspect of her power, showing just how strong she is inside and out — which is a strength the team will need very soon if the last scene is any indication.
New ‘X-Men ‘97’ Poster States What Everyone Is Already Thinking
Magneto does make some good points.
Mister Sinister Shows He Didn’t Come To Play in ‘X-Men ‘97’ Episode 6
X-Men ‘97’ssixth episode is a display of how powerful one’s own mind can be, though it doesn’t forget about the horrific series of events that preceded this beautiful chapter. In a final pair of Easter eggs, we see Bolivar Trask (Gavin Hammon) running down a city street crying that he’d given someone his DNA for the Master Mold, a theater in the background showing the classicThe War of the Worlds, directed byByron Haskin. Certain comic stories required Trask’s DNA for the Master Mold — a method of creating sentinels — to function, though this final scene implies that even this rampant mutant-hater thought the attack on Genosha was too much.It definitely wasn’t for Mister Sinister,though, who ends the episode by terrifyingly showing audiences that he was the mastermind behind the last episode’s tear-jerking end. This episode gave fans some amazing references to some of the best parts of its history, though it’s clear those uplifting callbacks won’t last for very much longer.
