Marvel Animation’s X-Men ‘97 Discussion Thread.

[Saul]

From the looks of it Cable failed to stop whatever was going to happen and we'll have some flash forward/back episode seeing what he was trying to do and why he failed. I'm guessing it's possible "What IF..?" will deal with the consequences of this either from the perspective that he succeeded or he failed....

 

[Christopher]

Yes, but it's called "X-Men 97". Professor X died last season, not 27 years ago. "Previously on..." and all that.

It's bizarre that you'd argue that an obviously fictitious in-story conceit is more real than the actual reality that the shows' respective creators are operating in.

And again, no bets are off when you have Bishop and Cable as part of the main story. Their whole point is to travel through time and change things.

No. The whole point is to use time travel as a plot device to serve the needs of the narrative. Time travelers can only successfully change things if it's the storytellers' intention to let them do so. Indeed, you're forgetting that a key part of Bishop's story arc in the original show was that he failed to prevent his dystopian future. He made several tries and altered a few specifics every time, but the big thing he was trying to change still happened. For that matter, Cable's various time travels didn't enable him to undo Apocalypse's rise in the far future, at least not until season 4. So it's already a built-in part of the series continuity that time travel is not a guaranteed magic cure-all.

Of course the writers could use time travel to undo all this if they wanted. But I think it's disingenuous to assume these new writers would settle for something as shallow and cliched as a time-travel fix. It would be an irritating cop-out and a disservice to the power of this episode. It astonishes me that you'd want such a thing.

 

[YLu]

I’ll point out that one of the comic runs this episode drew heavily on (Morrison’s) revealed that Magneto had indeed secretly survived the razing of Genosha. And another run it drew heavily on, the current Krakoa era, had a scene of a lot of major characters killed by anti-mutant forces, only to bring them back an issue later. Both those reveals were generally received positively by readers. So it can be done and done well.

 

[David cgc]

Honestly, since we didn't even come close to seeing a body, I haven't considered that Magneto might've died in that explosion.

 

[YLu]

The Sentinel did no longer detect him, but he was literally right next to a kid with the power to negate mutant powers when we last saw him.

 

[Christopher]

I’ll point out that one of the comic runs this episode drew heavily on (Morrison’s) revealed that Magneto had indeed secretly survived the razing of Genosha. And another run it drew heavily on, the current Krakoa era, had a scene of a lot of major characters killed by anti-mutant forces, only to bring them back an issue later. Both those reveals were generally received positively by readers. So it can be done and done well.

It can be, but that doesn't mean it automatically should. Character resurrection is such an overused trope that when audiences see a death scene these days, they don't allow themselves to experience the emotion of it because they're too busy gaming out ways it could be undone or revealed to be fake. Death should be allowed to stick most of the time, or it loses all meaning.

The thing about comics is that they run for decades, and so a character can remain dead for a long time yet eventually be brought back. Everything repeats itself eventually, when you get new writers who want to bring back the characters and story elements they read when they were kids, or whatever. But in series TV or movies, it can be a different matter. Character death and other changes can be permanent, and thus have real weight. I'd hope that '97 won't shy away from that.

 

[Wingcommanderdarkwolf01]

I have finally gotten to watch 1x05.
What the fuck?!!?

 

[Samurai8472]

Beau DeMayo has reactivated his X account and broken his silence regarding episode five. HIs post does contain spoilers

Spoiler

 

[Tuskin38]

Mid season trailer

Spoiler

Captain America's shield shows up in a shot

 

[Nerys Myk]

Mid season trailer

Spoiler

Captain America's shield shows up in a shot

Spoiler

Was there any yielding?

 

[Saul]

Beau DeMayo has reactivated his X account and broken his silence regarding episode five. HIs post does contain spoilers

Spoiler

I think that answers our questions as to whether or not this is permanent.

 

[Admiral Archer]

Hey guys so I'm late to the chatter. I have a friend who wants to watch X-Men '97 but she's never seen any marvel shows (not sure about movies but I doubt it, since she didn't know who the different X-Men were before I mentioned I was a fan). I was telling her about the different X-Men characters and she really liked Jean Grey, and asked me where she should begin watching. I have a feeling she will be lost starting with X-Men '97, so I want to introduce her to the original animated show first. I face the same issue as introducing friends to Star Trek: which episodes of the original animated series are required viewing to understand the gist of X-Men '97? I'd prefer a shorter list as I'm not trying to overwhelm her, maybe just a handful of episodes of only the most crucial storylines, as she is a restaurant server who works a ton of hours and also has a six month old baby. Any help you guys can provide would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[UssGlenn]

Hey guys so I'm late to the chatter. I have a friend who wants to watch X-Men '97 but she's never seen any marvel shows (not sure about movies but I doubt it, since she didn't know who the different X-Men were before I mentioned I was a fan). I was telling her about the different X-Men characters and she really liked Jean Grey, and asked me where she should begin watching. I have a feeling she will be lost starting with X-Men '97, so I want to introduce her to the original animated show first. I face the same issue as introducing friends to Star Trek: which episodes of the original animated series are required viewing to understand the gist of X-Men '97? I'd prefer a shorter list as I'm not trying to overwhelm her, maybe just a handful of episodes of only the most crucial storylines, as she is a restaurant server who works a ton of hours and also has a six month old baby. Any help you guys can provide would be appreciated. Thanks!

The series has Previously On segments, to bring you up to speed. I never watched the original series (X-Men: Evolution was my series), but I haven't had trouble following the story. However, I have a general working knowledge of the X-Men.

 

[JD]

Episode 5.... Oh my gods.....
Did anyone else notice a certain Marvel character showing up in the sky at the 20 minute mark?

I saw something in the sky, but I couldn't tell what it was. I guess this confirms it's part of the MCU multiverse.

And this is the middle of the season...

If they were determined to remind everyone - or explain to younger generations - why X-Men was THE comic book of the 80's-90's, mission already accomplished and then some. The bar has now been set so ridiculously high for the live-action MCU version that I truly don't know how they can even come close. And the parallel to current real-world events... well, no politics here, but IYKYK. (And speaking of knowing, we still don't even know why the showrunner got fired. For putting himself in this episode as a cameo?!? )

He already has a reputation of being an asshole from his time on The Witcher, so I'm assuming that he hasn't changed since then and that was why he was fired.

I’ll point out that one of the comic runs this episode drew heavily on (Morrison’s) revealed that Magneto had indeed secretly survived the razing of Genosha. And another run it drew heavily on, the current Krakoa era, had a scene of a lot of major characters killed by anti-mutant forces, only to bring them back an issue later. Both those reveals were generally received positively by readers. So it can be done and done well.

Characters dying and being resurrected was a major part of the set up for the Krakoan era in the comics, so that's kind of a special case.
Wow, I did not expect the show to go in this kind of a direction. Definitely some huge shocks in this one.

Spoiler: Events of Episode 1x05

The whole Gambit/Rogue/Magneto triangle was a pretty good. Scott & Madelyn communicating telepathically behind Jean's back is kinda messed up. I understand they have kid together, but she left and he's with Jean now.
The whole attack on Genosha was a lot more intense than anything I expected to get from this show, and was incredibly well done. Gambit and Maneto's deaths were a big shock, though I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of them survived or comes back somehow.

 

[Christopher]

I saw something in the sky, but I couldn't tell what it was. I guess this confirms it's part of the MCU multiverse.

Not necessarily, since the Watcher did cameo in the original series (IIRC, we saw reaction shots of him and other psychic or cosmic beings when the Phoenix emerged, or something like that). Now, if they used the same character design for the Watcher as What If...?, that might confirm it.

 

[David cgc]

Now, if they used the same character design for the Watcher as What If...?, that might confirm it.

It's hard to tell. His appearance is much more subtle than the other times he appears in the sky in What If...?, and the contours of his head seems to be more painterly and gradually shaded than his appearances in that show (as well as the X-Men characters), but that could just be a function of him being a painted background rather than a more solid-colored animated foreground element.

Spoiler: X-Men 97's Watcher in the Sky

Spoiler: What If...?'s Watcher in the sky

 

[Saul]

X-men producer Jake Castorena confirmed that

Spoiler: the fate of certain characters

Gambit and Magneto are no more.

 

[YLu]

X-men producer Jake Castorena confirmed that

Spoiler: the fate of certain characters

Gambit and Magneto are no more.

Surely, even if it wasn't true, they'd still say that. Wouldn't want to give away any twists.

 

[kirk55555]

X-men producer Jake Castorena confirmed that

Spoiler: the fate of certain characters

Gambit and Magneto are no more.

Spoiler

And he'd have no reason to lie, right?

Also, in the comics Gambit literally became Apocalypse's Horseman of Death, which gives him a very easy road to coming back in some form. Sure it would have to be for a different reason then in the comics, but '97 has shown that they'll take interesting elements from newer comics and make them fit in the '97 world.

Now I don't know if either of them will come back, but I do know that this is the X-Men and very few characters stay dead, especially major ones.

 

[aquova]

I never watched the original X-Men show (although I knew the theme song), but decided to pick this up after hearing the great reviews for episode 5. I agree, it's an excellent episode, and I'm interested in continuing with it.

Can someone fill me in though, was Cable in the original show? Did he know of his lineage, or is this only now coming up? I'm sure comic book readers knew the whole time, but as someone who has only seen some of the live action X-Men films, I honestly didn't know anything about Cable until this episode, and was surprised by the reveal.