MANILA, PHILIPPINES — X-Men ’97 Season 1 has come and gone, yet fans and critics alike laud the season finale for sticking the landing. The X-Men seemingly die saving the world from arch-nemesis Bastion when it turns out that the team has been scattered across various time periods while an old foe threatens the present.
Based on the finale, here are the stories that will most likely be used in the next season:
Note: Spoilers ahead!
The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix: During their honeymoon, Scott Summers and Jean Grey find themselves in a future where Apocalypse rules over all. While things seem grim, the couple are reunited with their son Nathan Summers (who will grow up to become the man they know as Cable in their present). Together with Clan Askani, they spend decades trying to end the rule of Apocalypse while raising Nathan.
Fatal Attractions: After Magneto removes all the adamantium from Logan’s body, he is heavily injured. Fortunately, he recovers in time to save the X-Men from destruction. As he tries to recover from the loss and trauma, he discovers that he now has bone claws. Logan originally assumed that they were part of the adamantium grafted to his skeleton. This leads him on a search to discover the truth.
Dissolution and Rebirth: During a period when the X-Men are presumed dead, Forge discovers clues that prove that they are still alive. Together with Banshee, they go on a journey to find their missing teammates. At the same time, they form an interim team to help stop threats while the X-Men are not around.
Onslaught: For months, the X-Men have been encountering a mysterious psychic entity called Onslaught.A being so powerful that he’s defeated the Juggernaut, one of their most powerful foes! To make matters worse, the team discovers that Onslaught is a composite creature made from the worst personality traits of Professor X and Magneto when they mind-melded during Fatal Attractions.
Blood of Apocalypse: After reality unravels and is restored, the mutant population is reduced to roughly 198. The X-Men and the remaining mutants are disenfranchised to the extreme when their worst enemy, Apocalypse, returns, offering himself as mutantkind’s last hope. The team finds themselves so divided and desperate to the point that Gambit joins Apocalypse as the Horseman known as Death.
About the author:
JV Tanjuatco, comic book writer/editor/publisher, founded Comic Book Lab, which publishes the comic book titles Mythopolis and War of Whispers (co-created and co-written by him). Comic Book Lab’s most recent project was the graphic novel anthology Stay: 21 Comic Stories, authored by Palanca Award winner Angelo Lacuesta and illustrated by a stellar line-up of artists, including Trese’s Kajo Baldisimo. He has also written articles/reviews for Spot.ph and Ain’t It Cool.
