Who is Vulcan? – X-Men ‘97 Continues to Torment Cyclops With Another Powerful Villain and This Time it’s Even More Personal
X-Men ‘97 is back with another hard-hitting episode that puts the leader of the troop Cyclops into deeper trouble. He has a lot on his mind since the attack on Genosha and the in-fighting among the X-Men. The events of the animated series give us a deeper glimpse into the psyche of the mutant leader.
The narrative continues in the sixth episode where we are introduced to new faces, more importantly, new villains. Ronan – the Kree and Deathbird are finally seen on the show, marking crucial ramifications for the upcoming story arcs. However, one character stood out more than the rest.
X-Men ‘97 Episode 6 Introduces Vulcan in a Cameo
While the name itself may not ring a bell, his appearance definitely would. Vulcan is a mutant character known for dressing in red and black tights. His involvement and impact on Cyclops are beyond all past villains since the two are connected on a more personal level. Vulcan is Cyclops’ long-lost brother. His name is Gabriel Summers. The episode may have featured him in just a cameo for now, but the consequences of the same will be felt in the upcoming episodes.
Yes, we know what you’re thinking. Scott Summers only has one brother named Alex. However, readers of 2006’s X-Men: Deadly Genesis know that there are more than two Summers brothers. Gabriel Summers is born when the Summers parents were kidnapped by the Shi’ar tribe. Katherine Summers passes away while Gabriel is brought into the world by the scientists. After an eventful life, he makes his way to Earth and joins Xavier’s second X-Men team.
However, the team is soon killed and Xavier deems it necessary to protect Scott and erase Gabriel’s memories from his mind. Vulcan’s powers include manipulating and projecting energy on a massive scale. Without a loving childhood, he feels insecure and unstable as he grows up into an angry adult. He is surprisingly not killed during the attack on the X-Men team and seeks revenge on Krakoa, who were the attackers.
The dangerously chaotic Vulcan is a feared villain in the Marvel universe. His abilities are immense as he can manipulate energy in various forms like light, fire, electricity, and even force. Vulcan can also endure a vacuum space and fly out of trouble whenever needed. He is considered to be an Omega-level threat in the comics, given his superior mutant powers. Vulcan’s introduction in X-Men ’97 may also pave the way for his entry into the MCU, which is currently on the lookout for its next big villain. This will also help bridge the gap between the MCU events and combine the X-Men storylines as well.
How Will Vulcan Fit into X-Men ‘97 Storyline?
Even though the character has only been teased through a cameo role, fans are quick to determine that Vulcan can have a far-reaching impact on the X-Men ‘97 storyline. It goes on to show that he exists in the universe alongside his elder brother Scott Summers, who is bound to find him someday. While protecting the planet from external threats, Cyclops is forced to face his family’s past and uncover new secrets frequently.
X-Men ‘97 may involve a storyline from Deadly Genesis to build the connection between the long-lost brothers since not everyone has read the comic books. However, that will further raise questions on why Xavier hid such an important detail from Cyclops and even took the call to erase his memories. Cyclops’ journey towards coming to terms with his past and learning things he never knew about his family makes X-Men ‘97 a more intriguing series.
Weekly episodes of X-Men ’97 are released on Disney+.
