X-Men '97 seems to be setting up the villain that killed the Avengers and Fantastic Four

ComicsMarvel ComicsX-Men ‘97X-Men ‘97 seems to be setting up the villain that killed the Avengers and Fantastic FourWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. ComicsMarvel ComicsX-Men ‘97X-Men ‘97 seems to be setting up the villain that killed the Avengers and Fantastic FourWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Marvel Entertainment) Thelatest episode of X-Men ‘97ended on a brutal cliffhanger that draws on a classic moment from ’90s X-Men comics. But there’s a lot more tothe episode’s dire foreshadowingthan just its gut-wrenching final scene. Spoilers ahead for X-Men ‘97 episode 9 In X-Men ‘97 episode 9, Wolverine, Cyclops, Xavier, and Nightcrawler confront Magneto on Asteroid M, attempting to convince him to fix Earth’s magnetic poles, which he damaged with his powers (it’s comic book science, it’s fine). Wolverine manages to wrench Magneto’s psychic-dampening helmet off, allowing Xavier to use his telepathy to take control of Magneto. But before Xavier can finish what he’s doing, Cyclops stops him to buy his wife Jean Grey more time back on Earth, where she’s fighting Mister Sinister and the Sentinels. It all ends with Magneto surviving a stab wound from Wolverine’s claws, and stealing the moment to rip all the adamantium from Wolverine’s skeleton through his skin. The show ends on this devastating moment, which seems to be setting up a particular character arc for Wolverine, drawn from comics. But it’s actually what happens just before Magneto shreds Wolverine that may be the most ominous portent of what a potential second season of X-Men ‘97 could hold, and with one more episode left in this season, there’s still time to put all the pieces in place. In comics, after Wolverine’s adamantium is ripped from his bones in the story ‘Fatal Attractions,’ Xavier goes on to use his considerable psychic power to fully mindwipe Magneto (a condition he would later overcome). But the joining of Xavier and Magneto’s minds would also take a massive toll on Xavier, as it would later lead to the birth of the nigh-omnipotent psychic villain Onslaught. And if X-Men ‘97 is about to put Onslaught on the board, it’s more than just mutants who may have a problem, because in comics, defeating Onslaught took the apparent sacrifice of the entire Avengers and Fantastic Four, removing them from the Marvel Universe completely for several years. Comic deals, prizes and latest news Get the best comic news, insights, opinions, analysis and more! (Image credit: Marvel Comics) First appearing in 1996’s X-Men #53, Onslaught was initially thought to be a fully corrupted Professor X, before it was later revealed that Onslaught is actually a psychic entity all its own, created when Xavier mindwiped Magneto in ‘Fatal Attractions.’ When their minds linked in such a profound way, a being who possessed all of Xavier’s psychic potential and all of Magneto’s rage was created. At first it dwelled inside Xavier’s mind, subtly influencing him, but then it broke free, threatening the entire Marvel Universe. In the end, it took the combined sacrifices of Doctor Doom, the Hulk, the Avengers (including Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Thor), and the Fantastic Four to take him down. They fed themselves to Onslaught’s psychic aura to weaken it, allowing the X-Men to finish the job and defeat Onslaught. Meanwhile, the core Marvel Universe was left without an FF or an Avengers for that whole time, believing the heroes all to be dead. And the X-Men immediately found themselves embroiled in Bastion’s Operation: Zero Tolerance. The Avengers, Fantastic Four, and the rest returned to the core Marvel Universe in 1998, with the Heroes Return initiative, which was the first wave of a series of new Marvel titles that ushered out the excess of the ’90s and brought about the character-oriented storytelling renaissance of the early ’00s. If X-Men ‘97 is indeed going down the Onslaught route, things might be looking pretty dire for their entire reality. There’s one episode left of X-Men ‘97 season one, premiering onDisneyPlus on Wednesday, May 15. Check out thebest X-Men comic storiesof all time. 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Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams’ disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams’ disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1 Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”