This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97.
Beau DeMayo’s writing for X-Men ’97 is something that fans have routinely taken to the internet to appreciate, showering their praise on his personal social media handles, which the writer is ever grateful for. Over the course of this season, Beau DeMayo’s personal Twitter account has become the go-to place before, during, and after each episode, as the writer has begun dropping ‘homework’ for fans, pointing towards issues of X-Men comics and episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series that fans should watch in preparation for what’s to come.
Last week, before the first part of the finale aired, DeMayo asked fans to watch some episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series in preparation, which talked about a few plot points that were revised in Tolerance is Extinction Part 1. Similarly, this week, following the first part of the three-part finale, DeMayo has requested fans to go through the Uncanny X-Men storyline Fatal Attractions, in preparation for the episode scheduled for 8th May 2024, Tolerance is Extinction Part 2.
Audiences should read Fatal Attractions before the next episode of X-Men ’97
Beau DeMayo “assigned homework’ to fans, a nod to Professor X returning to Earth and calling his students to him, as Magneto prepares for war.
This week’s homework assignment #XMen97 pic.twitter.com/6Nnlk8ac7B
— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) May 2, 2024
Tolerance is Extinction Part 1 saw Magneto break out of Bastion and Mister Sinister’s prison, courtesy of Valerie Cooper, who was in cahoots with the two evil masterminds. Magneto immediately unleashed a planet-wide EMP, one that shuts down the electricity of the world. Magneto obviously feels betrayed, given that Cooper was one of the few people who were privy to his speech, asking humanity to ‘not make him disappoint them’.
The episode also saw the return of Professor Charles Xavier, who had been away with the Shi’ar Empire. Xavier also issues a call to his X-Men in this episode, who will no doubt be assisted by the mutants that have aided the X-Men so far, such as Cable, Nightcrawler, and Sunspot.
There are multiple ways this version of the conflict could play out, with the focus on being on the X-Men preventing an all-out war against humanity, as is the case in Fatal Attractions. Bastion and his Sentinels might already be out of commission thanks to Magneto’s planet-wide EMP, but that does not mean that he is going to let humanity get away with the attack on Genosha.
Several storylines could be pointing toward what is to come in X-Men ’97
Beau DeMayo‘s recommendation could be hinting at what is to come for the next 2 episodes, and also for what we might expect from Season 2 of the series. In Fatal Attractions, Colossus switched over to Magneto’s side after losing faith in the Professor.
The story also involved Rachel Summers, a lot of whose storylines have been given to Cable in X-Men ’97. Given that Cyclops has been experiencing a crisis of faith as he turns his back on human beings, it is possible that the character would replace Colossus in the story, and side with Magneto, giving us the revolutionary Cyclops that has been hinted throughout this season of X-Men ’97.
Fatal Attractions also sees Jean Grey reconcile with her daughter, a storyline that can be easily given to Cable, as it has been set up in Tolerance is Extinction Part 1 as well, where Jean recalls carrying Cable in her womb, despite it being a lived experience for her clone, Madelyne Pryor. The finale could see Cable reconciling with Jean and perhaps staying back to help turn his father from the dark side.
Another storyline that this could spout is to have Wolverine go through the same issue as he did in the comics, where a battle with Magneto causes Wolverine to lose his adamantium skeleton and revert to using bone claws. This was immediately followed by Wolverine leaving the X-Men, and not joining until Apocalypse restores his Adamantium skeleton, a full 2 years after his exit from the team. Perhaps Season 2 of the show will follow Logan on a solo adventure, like it did with Storm in Season 1?
X-Men ’97 can be streamed on Disney+.
