When it was originally announced that the original X-Men series would continue its story 30 years after it ended, there weren’t many expectations. However, since X-Men ’97 began its run, the acclaim and attention it is getting is truly spectacular. On top of older fans tuning into the story again, the conversation around the series and its release has gathered new viewers as well.
The story began right where it left off, and fans were hoping to be eased into the harsher parts of the world. However, as some have put it, more blood has been shed in this show than in all of Disney’s history.
The fifth episode of the show was the peak of horror for fans, as many great heroes lost their lives. While some familiar faces came back to the show, the opening of the sixth episode is tragicomic.
X-Men ’97 Fans Got What They Wanted
When Nightcrawler came back in the fifth episode of X-Men ’97, fans were expecting him to be welcomed with a lighthearted episode. However, what they got was tragedy after tragedy. The episode ended with almost half of the team dying, and fans were left stunned, to say the least.
Magneto, one of the most important parts of the series, died in the same episode, during the attack on Genosha. Saving the sewer-dwelling Morlocks, he sacrificed himself for the greater good, being a perfect conclusion for his story, having been the villain for so long.
Gambit was also among the fallen, although his death was a lot grander. The Sentinal went on a destruction rampage, crumbling everything he came in contact with. When Gambit was trying to stop him, he was stabbed in the side. Looking at this as an opportunity to take him down, he destroys Sentinal with him, going down in a blaze of glory.
Nightcrawler’s Return At What Cost?
Fans were hoping that some miracle would help Magneto and Gambit come back to the series. Perhaps they weren’t really dead, or something might save the day and bring them back to life as the fight continued. However, the opening of the sixth episode acted as confirmation and a harsh reality check.
This addition has acted as a harsh confirmation for them, as they find a way to cope with the loss. It is safe to assume that no one expected the show to so brutally wreck their fans six episodes in, after a thirty-year break.
X-Men ’97 is available for streaming on Disney+.
