X-Men '97's Shocking Turn Was Specifically Designed To Shatter Your Nostalgia [UPDATED]
Spoilers ahead for "X-Men '97."
"X-Men '97" is arguably the greatest thing Marvel Studios has produced since "Avengers: Endgame," a gorgeously designed and animated cartoon that captures the spirit of the original '90s show while doubling down on the themes and interpersonal drama that makes the "X-Men" comics so unique. But while the first four episodes were a good mix of nostalgia and fun new adventures, episode five ended with the biggest, darkest moment in the entire show — and it is only the beginning.
Beau DeMayo, the creator who was fired a week before the show's premiere, took to Twitter to explain that this was always planned to be a turning point in the story.
"My plan was the first half of the season is the OG audiences pre-9/11 days, rife with nostalgia and comfort," DeMayo wrote. "Then 9/11 — like Tulsa and other mass tragedies — turned the world upside down and reminded us the whole world unsafe..."
UPDATE: A few hours later, DeMayo tweeted an even more detailed explanation, which you can read below. Our original article continues after.
#XMen97 Spoilers ahead: pic.twitter.com/9mZ4uPTfpk
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) April 10, 2024
Well, he accomplished his goal, because nothing will ever be the same in "X-Men '97" (until Cable inevitably helps fix it and no one remembers). This is an episode that completely shatters the nostalgia that the show so expertly mined in its beginning, delivering an emotionally damaging episode with huge repercussions for the entire world of the X-Men.
E is for Extinction
The episode deals with Genosha being accepted into the U.N. and what is meant to be a big moment of celebration for mutants. Things start with kids playing in the streets, old friends like Nightcrawler coming back, and general optimism about Xavier's dream becoming a reality. It is a great day for mutants, but individually, the characters aren't exactly in the mood for celebration, at least not Rogue and Gambit, who go through the kind of relationship problem "X-Men: The Animated Series" always excelled at.
Then everything goes to hell. We see an army of Sentinels arrive and obliterate Genosha, killing hundreds, including several major characters. It is an absolutely harrowing moment that starts with the death of Nightcrawler and just builds from there.
Magneto, forever the frenemy of the X-Men now their leader, has his finest moment in the show in this episode. This is Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, Daddy Magnum, the survivor, the mutant leader, the man who has spent his life fighting to protect mutants, seeing his and Xavier's dream within his grasp all shattered in an instant. It is heartbreaking, especially since he sacrifices himself not only to save Rogue and Gambit, but specifically the Morlocks, the outcasts of the outcasts. Having Magnus telling Leech in German to not be afraid right before the Sentinel's blast obliterates them is the icing on the emotional damage cake.
If that wasn't enough, the attack is stopped only by Gambit sacrificing himself, getting impaled by a Godzilla Sentinel, and using his powers to blow up the entire Sentinel — dying in the blast. By the time Rogue finds the body and says "I can't feel you" before the episode cuts to black, the world of the X-Men is forever changed.
Mutant massacre
If DeMayo's intention was to evoke the feeling of watching the news of 9/11 and realizing the world would never be the same, then he more than excelled at his task.
The episode is shattering for audiences. For those who grew up with the original "X-Men: The Animated Series," it is the darkest possible thing to experience, a breaking of the illusion of this being a safe comic book story, and a raising of stakes. If this is your first exposure to the characters, it is still a rather bold thing to witness, to see a show kill so many major characters while also doing such a public attack on mutantkind in front of the entire world.
How do the X-Men respond? Who is to blame for the attack? How does this impact the human-mutant relationships? We will see. What is clear is that "X-Men '97" is something truly special, and even if the Marvel Cinematic Universe messes up their chance of doing the X-Men on the big screen again, at least we'll always have this show.