Two years ago, X-Men ‘97 took the world by storm and ended on a brilliant cliffhanger. The answers will come soon as the second season starts on July 1, 2026. However, since it has been quite some time since we last saw our favorite mutants, let’s jog your memory.
Beau DeMayo’s X-Men ’97 is a continuation of the hit ’90s series X-Men: The Animated Series. It picks up where that show left off, after Charles Xavier is injured in an assassination attempt and taken to an alien planet by the Shi’ar.
Here’s a full recap of what happened in Season 1, moment by moment, to get you caught up before diving back in.
| Show Name | X-Men ‘97 |
| Created By | Beau DeMayo |
| Studio | Marvel Animation |
| Streaming | Disney+ |
| Rotten Tomatoes – Tomatometer | Popcornmeter (as of July 1, 2026) | 99% | 91% |
1. Magneto Is the New Leader of the X-Men After Charles Xavier’s Departure
As mentioned earlier, Charles Xavier leaves Earth to heal and travels to the Shi’ar Empire. In his will, he appoints Magneto as the new leader of the X-Men. Although Cyclops had imagined himself as Xavier’s successor, the X-Men were initially apprehensive about their greatest foe becoming their leader.
Magneto quickly proves surprisingly effective, taking a harder, more proactive stance on defending mutants than Xavier ever had. This includes personally rescuing the Morlocks from an attack by the Friends of Humanity. His transformation becomes one of the season’s central questions, until the Genosha massacre puts his heroism to the test.
2. Wolverine’s Powers Are Taken Away by Magneto
One of the best aspects of X-Men ’97 is that it gives less attention to a character like Wolverine, who is the main focus of the live-action films. While he still has plenty to do in the show, he is just one member of the team. He is also one of the few who does not buy Magneto’s sudden turn as a hero, a suspicion that proves justified when Bastion captures Magneto.
After Dr. Cooper releases Magneto, he goes to Asteroid M, where Xavier attempts to enter his mind, prompting Magneto to retaliate. When Wolverine tries to intervene, Magneto rips the adamantium from his body and leaves him barely alive. By the end of Season 1, Wolverine is only clinically alive and in terrible condition.
3. The Battle of Genosha Takes Away Gambit’s Life
The Genosha massacre is one of the most devastating moments in the show, and the battle that follows is equally heartbreaking because of one noble sacrifice. Gambit pushes Rogue away and takes on the Prime Sentinels and Master Mold, which ultimately explodes. He dies in the resulting blast, making the ultimate sacrifice for the team.
While the show is not part of the MCU’s main Earth-616 timeline, many fans still hope Gambit somehow returns. A popular theory is that he will come back as one of Apocalypse’s Four Horsemen, especially since the post-credits scene shows En Sabah Nur picking up one of Gambit’s cards from the ruins of Genosha.
4. Members of the X-Men Are Scattered Across Timelines
At the end of Season 1, the X-Men are scattered across three different timelines. This happens because of Magneto, though not intentionally — at least, that’s what we think. After Magneto defeats the Prime Sentinels and retreats to Asteroid M, Bastion tries to crash the space station into Earth. However, Charles Xavier helps Magneto move the asteroid into space, where it explodes.
A time jump reveals the X-Men scattered across different timelines. Nightcrawler, Xavier, Magneto, and Rogue are sent to ancient Egypt, while Cyclops, Storm, Jean, and Morph are sent to a dystopian future. The only ones remaining in 1997 are Bishop and Forge. Season 2 will pick up from there.
5. Nathan Summers Comes Back as Cable
A major plot point in X-Men ’97 is Jean and Scott’s son, Nathan Summers, who is infected with a techno-organic virus. To save him, his parents send him to the future in hopes of finding a cure. In a later episode, Cable returns to the present timeline and warns the X-Men about Bastion’s massacre on Genosha.
Nathan Summers is Cable, and while we later see a healed teenage Nathan, he is still on the path to becoming Cable in the near future.
6. X-Men ‘97 Ends With the Arrival of Apocalypse
The post-credits scene of X-Men ‘97 season 1 sees the mutant En Sabah Nur entering Genosha and picking up a Gambit card from the ruins. The mutants in Ancient Egypt meet a younger version of En Sabah Nur, and he is later revealed to be Apocalypse, ready to form his Four Horsemen to take over the world. Season 2’s trailer hints at the X-Men fighting Apocalypse across timelines.
Are you excited to watch X-Men ‘97 season 2? Comment below.
X-Men ‘97 is available to stream on Disney+.
