Beebom Score
X-Men ’97 had already set new standards for our expectations regarding shows that will come out of Marvel next. Today, the season finale of X-Men ’97 was released and if I say that it left me as stunned as possible, it would still be an understatement. X-Men ’97 not only revived the respect I had for Marvel in my heart but also gave the identity of X-Men a much-needed revival among the newer generations. So, in this X-Men ’97 episode 10 review I am going to talk about everything that made me fall in love with Marvel all over again, and let’s see if you folks resonate with me or not.
Spoiler Warning: This post contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 Episode 10 (season finale).
Action Sequences Sequenced Hard
First off let me talk about the action sequences and all I can say is “Holy [Censored]”. In all of my years, I have never, NEVER seen such well-done sequences in an animated show. In Episode 9, we saw Jean Grey succumb to Cabel’s attacks and was presumed to be dead. However, in this episode, we get to see that she is up and alive but not as Jean, she rises from what was thought to be her watery grave as The Phoenix!
She stripped Mister Sinister of all his powers and put Bastion under control for some time. The scene where she rises as the Phoenix had me punching the air. The animation, the echoing voice, her covered in bright yellow flames in the shape of a phoenix *sighs*, animation has never been better.
Another sequence that made me jump from my seat was the revival of Magneto. Charles Xavier took control of Magneto’s mind to save Earth from annihilation and instead of leaving him with a shattered mind, chose to stay back and pull Magneto back to the light. The sequence where Professor X is reminding Erik about the good he has in him and then Magneto, with a burst of blue light rises to the sky saying “Magneto Lives”. I Kid you not, I had such intense goosebumps for a moment you would think I’m a porcupine.
The BGM Got Me Search for It on Spotify
There must be times when you are at work and fighting against time to meet your deadlines (story of my life), so you plug in your earphones or headphones and play some hardcore music to give yourself that extra main character vibe helping you push yourself even more. For me, it was heavy metal but from now on, it’s the BGM score of X-Men’97. I don’t know what Andy Grush and Taylor Stewart were on while making these tracks but my oh my they cooked-cooked.
During every major battle or every major event we saw in this series, the musical score playing in the background enhanced the overall impact the scene was supposed to put out a million times. The opera style BGM which was very popular during the 90’s animated shows worked really well with X-Men’97. However, even though the entire X-Men ’97 has had an outstanding BGM score, the crown goes to Episode 10. The music playing in the background when Magneto comes back to his senses is still ringing in my ears.
Are You Kidding Me with the Cameos?
The best thing about X-Men’97 throughout the show was the cameos which were treated as “Oh that happened, meh” by the creators. We got characters from the most loved animated shows of all time show up in X-Men’97 so casually that it took me a second to process it. I was like “Wait was that Spiderman!?” or “Hey, was that Black Panther!?” and the best one was, “Reed Richards? What?”. X-Men’97 had the most amount of cameos in episode 10 bringing in heroes like Captain America, Iron Man, Daredevil, Black Panther, and even Doctor Strange!
They appeared on screen for mere seconds and then just left. We did not get to see any of them in action whatsoever but this detail put forward by Marvel to let us know that the MCU has finally merged with X-Men is an ode to an upcoming era. Beginning with Deadpool and Wolverine, we will get to see Marvel as a whole on screen which would be like watching our favorite comic books come to life.
To Be Continued…
As we all expected, X-Men ’97 episode 10 ended with a massive cliffhanger and a tease for the complete setup of X-Men ’97 Season 2. By the end of the series, we got to see that after Asteroid M exploded, the X-Men were presumed dead. However, Forge refuses to believe this and is looking for them. Bishop walks in and lets Forge know that they are not dead but have been teleported to a different time.
The scene shifts and we get to see that Rogue, Nightcrawler, Magneto, Beast, and Professor X have been teleported to Egypt in 3000 BCE. However, that is not the best part. They notice a mutant being attacked by soldiers and the X-Men help him fight those guys off. When Magneto asks who he is, the guy replies with his name “En Sabah Nur”. Does that ring a bell?
That guy is none other than Apocalypse! Now since Magneto has removed Wolverine’s Adamantium, this revelation could point towards Season 2 showing us the comic line where Apocalypse restores Wolverine’s Adamantium.
Another plot line X-Men ’97 could explore is the origin of Onslaught. The way Charles Xavier tapped into Magneto’s mind is the very reason why Onslaught was born in the comics, so, the possibility is that with Season 2, X-Men ’97 might bring in Onslaught as the main character.
Well, this is what I speculate from what we witnessed in the show so let me know what you guys think in the comments, and till then, we will keep you updated with anything new that shows up!
Ajith Kumar
