They’re back Sugar! X-Men 97 season 2 ups the stakes from season 1 for an exciting, harrowing, and amazing race to stop Apocalypse across time and space.
X-Men 97 Season 2 Review
Two years after Marvel Studios gave all us 90s kids what we have been begging for, X-Men 97 has finally returned with an explosive and thrilling new season. It manages to up the stakes from season 1 for an exciting and harrowing adventure across time and space. I only got to preview the first four episodes (cries in fangirl) but what I was more X-Men perfection. After season 1 I wasn’t sure if it could get any better but I’m happy to report I was wrong. From the storytelling to the animation, X-Men 97 proves once again it isn’t some nostalgic cash grab or bland adaptation for the sake of adaptation.
While Bastion was a worthy adversary for the mutants in season 1, Apocalypse is far more formidable. So much so the team was cast across timelines in order to prevent him from gaining his power. They are fighting not only to get back to the 90s but to stop an inevitable Armageddon. The character development and themes that pushed them in season 1 are just as important here as ever. The sly comedy, soap opera drama are all present as well while the sense of urgency about the impending doom never takes a back seat. Once again this show deftly balances all the spinning pieces for a story that never sacrifices one for the sake of another.
Picking up right where that insane cliffhanger left off, X-Men 97 season 2 starts out full throttle and doesn’t let up. One group of X-Men find themselves in Ancient Egypt around 3000 B.C. while another has landed in the future, in 3690 A.D. A few are left in the 90s as well just for good measure. The first four episodes focus on the eras one at a time, all while deepening character arcs and introducing new factions as the fight for survival rages on. It’s a thrill ride of comic-accurate moments, melodrama, snark, and battles that blow away previous Marvel animation like they are nothing more than feathers from Angel’s wings.
Season 2 opens by showing the teams in their various points in the timeline. In the future aka the height of Apocalypse’s power, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, and Morph have united with Nathan (Cable). The boy has now been dubbed a messiah of sorts by those who took him in. He’s meant to beat Apocalypse and save the world but will his parents being around somehow disrupt this destiny? In the past Magneto, Professor X, Rogue, Beast, and Nightcrawler are also facing the dilemma of altering events to suit their needs. They have been transported to before Apocalypse turned into the megalomaniac we know him to be. For now he is just a former slave named En Sabah Nur. Magento, wanting to make good on his previous actions, takes it upon himself to attempt to steer En Sabah Nur in the “right” direction. Ironically, it puts he and Charles at odds again over how best to handle the situation.
The stakes of the past and future are exciting heavy, even devastating in some regards. But the show knows this and will pivot to the present for some time with Jubilee, Sunspot, Cable, and some other X-Factions as they deal with the aftermath of Genosha and the missing mutants. Of course we all want to see them reunited and fighting as a team but splitting them up gives each character a moment to shine. Cable, the tough guy who barely talks (like the prototype for John Wick) has a scene this season that finally gives him some relatability. For the first time ever, I actually liked Cable enough to care about what could happen to him. Even Jubilee gets to prove she’s more than just some sparkly teen who likes video games.
It goes without saying the voice performances are fantastic. Ross Marquand pulls double duty as Xavier and En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse. Rogue might not be the big focal point this season but Lenore Zann makes sure you feel every emotion she has as she deals with the loss of Gambit and this fight for salvation. I’m sad to report Gambit is not in the first 4 episodes but I still hold out hope that a certain storyline comes into play. My comic readers know what I’m talking about! As I mentioned above, the animation is stellar, maintaining its roots while pushing the limits of how it shows fights to the max. Oh how I wish I could watch these on an IMAX screen.
Verdict
X-Men 97 aka the race to stop Apocalypse is one helluva ride from start to finish of episode 4. I have zero doubt the rest of the season won’t be just as exhilarating. I mean look at season 1, it never disappointed and this one is somehow better?! Once again the team behind this show proves that they know their comics, they know these characters, and they know how to put out the greatest X-Men content since the 90s. Buckle up bub, the episodes breeze by, with action, easter eggs, and sneaky hints thrown in left, right, and center. There is plenty for fans to theorize and gush over, while dealing with some emotional beats that hit just as hard as the ones in season 1. I have an idea where it’s headed this season, but that doesn’t dull my excitement to see it one bit. To me my X-Men friends, we are in for another fantastic treat.
X-Men 97 Season 2 debuts on Disney+ July, 1, 2026.
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