Last month, the first issue of X-Men ’97: Season Two hit comic book shops. The comic – a tie-in companion to the second season of X-Men ’97 – expanded on the stories being told on television, with a specific focus on Bishop, Forge, Jubilee, Sunspot, and X-Factor.
The second issue (of five) is now out in shops and on digital. Should you wish to know more about Issue #2 keep on reading.
Below I’m highlighting all the references and insights which appear in the issue and are linked to the X-Men ‘97 cartoon, as well as X-Men: The Animated Series, and the wider X-Men Universe. So, if you want to know the highlights, this post is for you.
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Been there, done that
As the issue opens up, the first panel includes a conversation between Bishop and Forge. During this discussion, Bishop says: “Luckily, this ain’t our first time at the “X-Men are dead” rodeo.”
This line is in reference to past episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series, including Days of Future Pastand Time Fugitives, in which the X-Men were killed off in alternate future timelines. The first death was inadvertently a result of an assassination, and the second was due to a virus.
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Enter: Exodus
A couple of panels later and Exodus arrives proclaiming: “Welcome my new Acolytes, to the true path forward for the children of the atom! Trust in Exodus to guide you!”
Exodus is a super villain from the original X-Men comics, first introduced in the pages of X-Factor #92 in 1993. The character has yet to appear on X-Men ‘97 but will arrive in Season Two, so this issue is setting up his inclusion in the TV adventures and teasing his story arc.
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Danger, danger
As the story cuts to Jubilee and Sunspot, the mutants have joined X-Force and are now being trained by Psylocke, who is pulling no punches when it comes to fighting. Jubilee comments: “Hey! We’re not in the Danger Room you know.”
With the X-Men gone, and the X-Mansion abandoned, no one is currently using the X-Men’s training room known as the Danger Room. However, this little line is a reminder of its existence, as the Danger Room is set to make a significant appearance in X-Men ‘97 Season Two via the episode Danger.exe.
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New outfit, new hair
As the training continues, Cable appears and gives Jubilee and Sunspot new X-Force outfits. Jubilee’s new jumpsuit looks like her Generation X costume from the ‘90s comics.
First introduced in 1994, Generation X were a team of young mutants led by Banshee and Emma Frost. Jubilee was a founding member of the group.
However, perhaps more interesting, in this issue of X-Men ‘97: Season Two, when Jubilee changes into her new costume, her hair style changes from one panel to the next, growing in length as it does. This appears to indicate time has passed between the training session and the team’s first official meeting, even though it is only one panel across in the comic.
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Caliban
As Cable briefs X-Force on its mission to track down Apocalypse’s former Horseman, War, he makes reference to Famine and Pestilence. He then suggests enlisting the aid of another one of Apocalypse’s Horsemen, Caliban.
Caliban previously appeared in X-Men: The Animated Series in the episode, The Fifth Horseman.
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Fabian Cortez
As Jubilee explains her previous encounter with Caliban, she mentions that one of Apocalypse’s goons tried to use her body as a vessel to bring Apocalypse back to life. The good she is referring to is Magneto’s former Acolyte, Fabian Cortez, who briefly worked with Apocalypse in X-Men: The Animated Series.
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Ahab
The story cuts to 3960 AD, where a young Cable, aka Nathan Summers encounters Ahab. First introduced into the comics in 1990, Ahab aka Roderick Campbell is a mutant hunter.
Here he is working for Apocalypse and is the Master of the Hounds. The Hounds are his servants, who wear similar jumpsuits to what Caliban wears in the X-Men: The Animated Series episode, The Fifth Horseman.
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Annalee
Back to the present day and X-Force are travelling through the Morlock tunnels when they encounter Annalee. Fans of X-Men: The Animated Series will recall Annalee first appeared on the show during the episode, Captive Hearts.
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Amelia Voght
Another old face also pops up in the Morlock tunnels in the shape of Amelia Voght. Amelia previously appeared in X-Men: The Animated Series in the episodes Sanctuary and The Phalanx Covenant.
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Who the heck are these guys?
When Amelia Voght appears she is joined by a group of mutants which include Gargouille, Barnacle, and Projector. These are lesser-known Marvel characters who are quite obscure to most comic book fans.
Jubilee makes a comment here about not being familiar with them, saying “Really would have helped to have some trading cards of these guys or something.”
This is an in-joke, referencing the many, many Marvel trading card sets in the 1990s, which would often feature obscure characters that many card collectors had never even heard of.
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Jubilee’s doubt
And finally, as this issue comes to a close, Jubilee crosses paths with Caliban. She asks for his assistance in tracking down Apocalypse’s Horsemen, which Caliban is initially hesitant about, but does agree to help out.
However, before he can willingly provide aid, Psylocke intervenes and forces him to help against his will. This is something which does not sit right with the young mutant.
And this situation will feed into what takes palace in the X-Men ‘97 episodes, A Force to Be Reckoned With, which sees X-Force hunt down and kill War. In the episode it appears as if Jubilee is uncomfortable with Cable’s methods, but her unease with Cable/X Force technically begins here with what happens to Caliban.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about X-Men ’97: Season Two Issue #2. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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