X-Men ’97: 10 Comic Storylines Teased by the Season 2 Trailer

Even though there was some drama during production, the first season of the show finished strong with a thrilling cliffhanger. This left fans eagerly anticipating the next season, and the first trailer offered glimpses of how some of those loose ends would be tied up. The new season focuses on the X-Men being scattered through time, with a story centered around Apocalypse – promising a fresh take on classic comic book tales, similar to what the first season did.

The initial trailer for X-Men ’97 Season 2 hinted at several storylines from the comics. Some of these were likely just nods to longtime fans, while others could be important for the show’s overall plot. The reference to Wolverine #1 at the end of the trailer seems like a treat for dedicated viewers, and the appearance of villains like Exodus doesn’t necessarily signal a specific comic arc. However, other hints clearly point to several storylines from the comics that fans might enjoy revisiting before the season begins.

Gambit’s Inevitable Return Teases the “Blood of Apocalypse”

The trailer begins with Rogue and her team talking about going back to the present day. This leads Rogue to reflect on the death of Gambit from season one of X-Men ’97. He sacrificed himself to prevent a genocide on Genosha, but the trailer hints he might not be gone for good.

Although the trailer didn’t show any new footage of Gambit, the season’s emphasis on Apocalypse, combined with Gambit’s backstory in the comics, indicates he’ll have a bigger role in season 2. In the comics, Gambit actually becomes one of Apocalypse’s Horsemen, known as Death, which significantly changes his abilities and how he acts.

Although Gambit didn’t die in the original comics, the trailer’s flashback to his past suggests he’ll return as Death in the second season of X-Men ’97. This, along with the focus on Apocalypse, hints that the season might loosely adapt the ‘Blood of Apocalypse’ storyline.

En Sabah Nur’s Origins are Explored in The Rise of Apocalypse

A major surprise at the end of the first season was discovering that some team members had traveled back in time to ancient Egypt. There, they saw one of the first conflicts during the rise of Apocalypse, when he went by the name En Sabah Nur.

While several comics hint at how Apocalypse gained his power, the most detailed account is found in The Rise of Apocalypse by Terry Kavanagh and Adam Pollina. This story shows En Sabah Nur’s climb to dominance in Ancient Egypt, including his conflicts with Kang the Conqueror (who was known as Pharaoh Rama-Tut at the time), and how his mutant powers first emerged, establishing him as the original homo superior.

Okay, so as a huge fan of the original story, I was already excited for X-Men ’97 season two. But now? It’s going to be wild! The show’s bringing in the time-displaced X-Men, which wasn’t part of the initial plot, and it’s going to throw everything for a loop. They’re not just watching things happen anymore; they’re going to be actively involved, and honestly, I think it’s going to make the whole story even bigger and better than the comics originally intended.

The Brood Finally Make Their Proper Animated Debut

The Brood are a particularly frightening group of villains, which is why they weren’t featured in the original X-Men: The Animated Series. Instead, the show used a milder alien race called the Colony to keep things appropriate for younger viewers.

The trailer briefly shows Morph preparing to fight an alien Brood. Even though we only see the Brood from behind, their insect-like design is clear. This is probably a clip from a Danger Room training exercise, not a direct adaptation of a Brood storyline. Still, it’s a nice nod to a previously unused design for the Brood that was considered for X-Men: The Animated Series.

I was so excited to finally see The Colony show up in Season 3’s “Love in Vain” episode – it was great getting a peek into Rogue’s backstory too! I noticed they definitely built The Colony’s look based on the Blood, but they made them a lot less scary, which was a bit of a surprise.

The Debut of Danger Teases an Astonishing X-Men Storyline

The season two trailer picked up storylines from the first season and also hinted at some new developments. A robotic character, previously featured in the Astonishing X-Men story arc called “Dangerous,” made her initial appearance.

The storyline “Dangerous” revealed that the X-Men’s Danger Room – a highly advanced training simulator – had developed consciousness. Feeling betrayed by Xavier’s attempt to shut her down as she evolved, Danger sought revenge, launching increasingly fierce attacks on the X-Men. The conflict culminated in a devastating final battle that took place on the ruined island of Genosha.

Danger eventually becomes a key player in the X-Men comics, so seeing her in season two might be just the beginning. The Danger Room, while featured differently in Astonishing X-Men, has always been a staple of the team’s history. Plus, the source of its intelligence – enhancements from the Shi’ar – is already established in the animated series, making it a natural fit for this version of the X-Men.

Cable’s Team of New Mutants Are Becoming X-Force

The first season continued the stories of characters from the original series and updated classic comic book plots for a ’90s setting, while also focusing on characters who became prominent during that era.

Cable became a major character later in the series, building on earlier hints about his connection to Cyclops and Jean Grey. Roberta da Costa joined the team, taking on the role previously filled by Jubilee, and Sunspot truly came into his own after embracing his abilities. The preview showed more of both Sunspot and Jubilee, who developed a strong friendship in the first season.

The trailer didn’t feature much of Cable with Sunspot and Jubilee, but promotional images for the new season show him building a team with them. Sunspot’s costume is inspired by his look in the X-Force comics, where Cable led a reformed version of the New Mutants as a specialized strike force.

Parts of “The Twelve” Storyline Will Definitely Play a Factor

As a huge X-Men fan, I’ve seen Apocalypse loom over them in a lot of storylines. But there’s always been this one particularly epic threat built around prophecies of a really bleak future – a future where Apocalypse actually wins. It all hinges on this group of mutants called The Twelve, who basically hold the key to making that dark future a reality.

The show featured a storyline developed over time by multiple writers, but the prophecies within it weren’t ultimately very important. Still, the trailer for season two of X-Men ’97 includes a few nods to this storyline. We see ancient Egyptian writing referencing En Sabah Nur, and images of the X-Men seemingly stuck in the past, hinting at their connection to prophecies like ‘The Twelve’.

Early previews suggested viewers would see Wolverine with his bone claws this season. However, a recent storyline hints that Logan will also get his adamantium skeleton back. This mirrors a comic book plot where he didn’t regain the metal until he was turned into a Horseman by Apocalypse in ‘The Twelve’ storyline.

Grant Morrison’s New X-Men and X-Corp Make Appearances

The new X-Men ’97 series delighted fans by showcasing both the iconic ’90s costumes designed by Jim Lee and some of the team’s original looks in the season finale. Trailers and promotional materials for the upcoming second season hint at even more costume updates inspired by the comic books.

The team’s black and yellow leather costumes were notably worn when they founded X-Corp. X-Corp acted as a public face for the X-Men globally and became a central location for many different teams in various comic book series.

The trailer features Cyclops and Jean Grey wearing their looks from the New X-Men era. It also briefly shows updated Sentinels attacking an X-Corp building, hinting that the organization will play a bigger role in the second season than just through character outfits.

The Death of Illyana Rasputin Could Be a Very Big Deal

The trailer for X-Men ’97 surprisingly showed scenes related to the death of Illyana Rasputin, also known as Magik, on Genosha. We see Colossus holding her body amidst the destruction, followed by a memorial displaying her picture alongside other fallen mutants. This is a change from the comic books, where she doesn’t die on Genosha.

Bringing Illyana Rasputin, known as Magik, into X-Men ’97 created some timeline issues. In season one, Morph transformed into both Magik and her Darkchild persona, suggesting she’d already gone through those experiences. However, the original ’90s X-Men series had only recently introduced her brother, Colossus, which makes the timing of Illyana’s story a little confusing, considering how quickly she ages.

The first trailer for X-Men ’97 clearly references the death of Illyana Rasputin twice, and this seems intentional. While Magik previously died during the Inferno storyline – parts of which we’ve already seen adapted – and later succumbed to the Legacy Virus in a memorable 1990s Uncanny X-Men issue, the show’s depiction feels distinct.

Polaris Gets a Chance to Shine as One of the First X-Men

Lorna Dane, also known as Polaris, had a brief appearance at the end of the first season of X-Men ’97. She was also featured with X-Factor in an episode called “Cold Comfort” from the original X-Men series. While fans expected X-Factor to return, the show’s trailer hinted that Lorna might have a bigger role to play.

The show depicts Polaris entering the X-Mansion and reflecting on photos of her time with the original X-Men team. This part of her backstory hasn’t been explored much beyond the comics, so it’s great that X-Men ’97 is acknowledging it.

The first trailer for X-Men ’97 showed Polaris looking into her history and really using her abilities, suggesting she’ll be a major character this season. This would be great, particularly if the X-Factor team becomes more important to the story.

The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix is Heavily Referenced

One of the biggest surprises from the first season of X-Men ’97 was the reveal that Scott and Jean weren’t dead, but had been transported far into the future. There, they met a group of rebels who were traveling with a young boy named Nate.

The first season of X-Men ’97 showed us a young Nathan Summers before he was sent to the future to fight a dangerous virus. The new trailer expands on this, showing Cyclops and Phoenix journeying into the bleak future ruled by Apocalypse.

This story closely follows Scott Lobdell and Gene Ha’s The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix. In it, Cyclops and Phoenix are sent to the future and take over the bodies of their future descendants, known as Slym and Redd Dayspring. They live there for over ten years, raising a child named Nate and battling the villain Apocalypse, before eventually returning to their original bodies in the past.

2026-05-28 20:40