Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for X-Men ’97.
The Big Picture
- In the comics, Onslaught nearly wiped out the X-Men and the Marvel Universe after Magneto and Xavier’s clash.
-
X-Men ’97
could be setting up to partially adapt the Fatal Attractions comics arc, leading to Onslaught’s birth in the process. - The first installment of
X-Men ’97
‘s three-part finale is already teasing out some hints of this possibility through Xavier’s return and Magneto’s EMP.
When X-Men ’97 was first teased, the biggest draw was that it embraced a new status quo that was set up at the end of X-Men: The Animated Series: Professor Charles Xavier (Ross Marquand) was spirited into outer space for a live-saving treatment, leaving his school — and the X-Men — in the hands of his friend/perennial arch-nemesis Magneto (Matthew Waterson). The Master of Magnetism strove to live up to Xavier’s ideas, even as romantic tension flared between him and Rogue (Lenore Zann)… until a wild Sentinel decimated the population of Genosha. This causes Xavier to race back to Earth, and Magneto to launch a worldwide electromagnetic pulse to stop Operation Zero Tolerance‘s legion of Prime Sentinels. It might also set the stage for Season 2 to introduce Onslaught — a deadly menace who threatens the X-Men and the entirety of the Marvel Universe.
X-Men ’97
A band of mutants use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them; they’re challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
- Release Date
- March 20, 2024
- Cast
- Jennifer Hale , Cal Dodd , Chris Potter , Catherine Disher , Adrian Hough , Ray Chase , Lenore Zann
- Seasons
- 2
- Number of Episodes
- 10
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
- Franchise(s)
- X-Men
In the Comics, Onslaught Nearly Wiped out the X-Men – and the Marvel Universe
The seeds for Onslaught’s rise were sown during the Fatal Attractions crossover, where Magneto used his magnetic powers to tear the adamantium from Wolverine’s bones and left him near-death. Enraged, Xavier used his telepathy to send Magneto into a coma. But this had an unintended side effect: all the rage that fueled Magneto touched the darker parts of Xavier’s psyche.
This union led to the birth of Onslaught, who soon took over Xavier’s body and planned to unite the world’s minds into one collective consciousness. To do this, he kidnapped Nate Grey, a powerful psychic from an alternate dimension, and Franklin Richards, the son of the Fantastic Four’s Reed and Sue Richards. The Avengers, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four joined forces to battle Onslaught. The tide seemed to turn when Thor and the Hulk destroyed Onslaught’s armor, freeing Xavier… but a rift in time sucked the Avengers and Fantastic Four into another dimension, leaving them presumed dead.
In the aftermath of Onslaught’s attack, Xavier surrendered himself to Bastion and Operation: Zero Tolerance — which soon led to the X-Men going on the run from the Prime Sentinels. A new team of heroes known as the Thunderbolts arrived to fill the void left by the Fantastic Four and Avengers; in reality, they were the Masters of Evil in disguise, led by Baron Zemo. Franklin Richards eventually brought the Fantastic Four and Avengers back from the parallel dimension where they were transported following Onslaught’s attack; he’d soon battle the psychic menace when the Scarlet Witch’s mass depowering of mutants tore open a hole to “Counter-Earth.”
The Season 1 Finale of ‘X-Men ’97’ Is Setting Up Onslaught’s Birth
The back half of X-Men ’97 seems to slowly be planting the seeds for Onslaught’s birth, especially with the more recent episode, “Tolerance is Extinction – Part 1.” Xavier has returned to Earth to see his mansion burned to the ground and his students fighting for their lives; Magneto’s massive EMP is on par with the acts of violence he committed before the X-Men. Both men have every right to be angry with the world, and that anger could lead to the birth of Onslaught.
It would also be another major shift for the X-Men; they’ve been learning to live in a world without Xavier’s guidance, and the idea that they’d have to fight them could make for some heartbreaking television. Given that Baron Zemo made an appearance in “Tolerance is Extinction – Part 1,” the X-Men might also come into contact with the Thunderbolts.
Former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo recently tweeted out a new “homework assignment” for fans in the form of Uncanny X-Men #304. That issue was part of the Fatal Attractions crossover and featured a massive shakeup to the X-Men when Colossus joined Magneto’s Acolytes. DeMayo previously wrote up a list of episodes from X-Men: The Animated Series for fans to watch before the “Tolerance Is Extinction” three-parter, so it’s safe to say that his latest tweet hints that X-Men ’97 is slated to partially adapt Fatal Attractions — leading to Onslaught’s birth in the process.
X-Men ’97 is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S., with new episodes on Wednesdays.
