15 Years of Comics – There’s a LOT of Potential Stories!

The fact that Marvel and Disney are bringing back the animated Fox Kids X-Men show, titled now as X-Men 97, gives unbridled hope to every single cult-classic cartoon series out there. But that’s another story. Let’s remind ourselves that X-Men 97 is happening, the vast majority of the voice cast is returning, and we’re gonna party like I’m still in high school when it hits Disney+ in 2023.

But here are our (or at least my) Five Storylines We Want to See in X-Men 97!

5) The Trial of Magneto

The comic has a bit more history to work with for Magneto to be on trial, but seeing as X-Men 97 would take place after Xaiver has left with the Shi’Ar, this could very easily be the opening scenario to the new series. Magneto, fresh off nearly losing Xaiver and seemingly coming to a mental resolution about his role in everything, gives himself up to humanity and goes on trial.

Only to be acquitted and handed over to the X-Men who bring him on the team. As a leader, like in the comics? I’m not sure about that. But to see this same story adapted for the show would be great and fill the gap of “Who will lead the X-Men now?” until Xaiver is ready to return.

4) Schism

Wolverine and Cyclops have never had the healthiest of relationships – not in the comics and not even in the cartoon (well, at least not in the first two seasons). What better way to explore that rift further than to remove Xaiver from the mansion and let the two biggest heads – Boy Scout Summers and ol’ Knucklehead Logan – have it out in the worst possible way that breaks the X-Men up in to two different factions with different ideas how to move forward.

3) Fatal Attractions

Magneto came back to life, stole Cable’s ship Avalon, pushed back against humanity, got Colossus to switch sides, ripped all the adamantium out of Wolverine’s body, and forced Xaiver to do the unthinkable – essentially turn Magneto in to a vegetable.

Holy hell it was the coolest thing ever when it happened. Wolverine discovered his claws were made of bone, not just pure adamantium, and started a self-discovery of his past … after he got out of his “feral” phase.

It really shook the X-Men to their core at the time. It really shook me to the core at the time.

2) Onslaught

You knew this was coming after Fatal Attractions. Because this is the real conclusion to Fatal Attractions. When Xaiver mind-wiped Magneto, part of the evil of Magneto’s mind entered Xaiver’s, and the result was taking Magneto and Xaiver and combining them in to one being – a being named Onslaught.

He was the traitor Bishop had been looking for all these years. He was the catalyst that caused the end of the world. He united the entire Marvel Universe against him as he attempted to awaken Franklin Richards’ dormant mutant powers to recreate the world.

And then good Magneto (his name is Joseph) and the X-Men free Xaiver from Onslaught but it only makes Onslaught stronger because now Xaiver isn’t holding him back and the world gets pushed to the edge and we lose Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Fantastic Four.

And it was freaking amazing.

With the X-Men being in Disney’s hands now, having guest stars like the other Marvel characters is doable and expected. Do it!

1) Age of Apocalypse (for real this time)

Okay so we know this one was KIND OF already done in the two-part episode “One Man’s Worth”. But that story focused more on Bishop, Shard, Wolverine, and Storm more than anything else, and we got no indication of what was happening in the alternate future (although since Holocaust is seen fighting with the good guys and Beast is not Dark Beast despite kind of looking like Dark Beast, we’re going to assume Apocalypse is not their enemy).

In the comics, Xaiver’s son Legion travels back in time to kill Magneto. He figures everything wrong in his father’s life is because of the betrayal of Magneto’s friendship. Bishop is sent after him because he is already time-displaced. Just as Legion is about to deal the killing blow to Magneto, Xaiver leaps in front of the blade and takes it – dying in his future son’s arms.

History is changed. The next thing we see is Bishop climbing a mountain of corpses in Seattle. Xaiver not being alive allowed Apocalypse to manipulate, dominate, and conquer. Most of the world is destroyed. The human population in the United States is mostly gone, only small pockets still exist. Europe is preparing to drop all the nukes in hope of stopping Apocalypse. What’s left of the X-Men is led by Magneto and his wife Rogue. Wolverine and Jean Grey are working for what’s left of humanity. Cyclops is an agent of Apocalypse. Mr. Sinister, a Horseman of Apocalypse, has finally created the perfect mutant using genes of Cyclops and Jean Grey – a young Cable who goes by X-Man – and the whole world is just messed up.

A proper 5 part series, shortened story-wise to fit a mini-series, would be amazing. It would also allow popular characters from that alternate reality – like Dark Beast, X-Man, Sugar Man, and Holocaust – to exist in the main reality.

No matter what happens, we’re just excited to see X-Men returning to television. X-Men 97 is slated to premiere on Disney+ in 2023.