Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for X-Men ‘97.
WhenX-Men ‘97was first teased, the biggest draw was that it embraced a new status quo that was set up at the end ofX-Men: The Animated Series: Professor Charles Xavier (Ross Marquand) was spirited into outer space for a live-saving treatment, leaving his school — and the X-Men — in the hands of his friend/perennial arch-nemesis Magneto (Matthew Waterson). The Master of Magnetism strove to live up to Xavier’s ideas, even asromantic tension flared between him and Rogue(Lenore Zann)… until a wild Sentinel decimated the population of Genosha. This causes Xavier to race back to Earth, and Magneto to launch a worldwide electromagnetic pulse to stopOperation Zero Tolerance’s legion of Prime Sentinels.It might also set the stage for Season 2 to introduce Onslaught— a deadly menace who threatens the X-Men and the entirety of the Marvel Universe.
A band of mutants use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them; they’re challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
In the Comics, Onslaught Nearly Wiped out the X-Men - and the Marvel Universe
The seeds for Onslaught’s rise were sown during theFatal Attractionscrossover, where Magneto used his magnetic powers to tear the adamantium from Wolverine’s bones and left him near-death. Enraged,Xavier used his telepathy to send Magneto into a coma. But this had an unintended side effect: all the rage that fueled Magneto touched the darker parts of Xavier’s psyche.
This union led to the birth of Onslaught, who soon took over Xavier’s body and planned to unite the world’s minds into one collective consciousness. To do this, he kidnapped Nate Grey, a powerful psychic from an alternate dimension, and Franklin Richards, the son of the Fantastic Four’s Reed and Sue Richards. The Avengers, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four joined forces to battle Onslaught. The tide seemed to turn when Thor and the Hulk destroyed Onslaught’s armor, freeing Xavier… but a rift in timesucked the Avengers and Fantastic Four into another dimension, leaving them presumed dead.
In the aftermath of Onslaught’s attack, Xavier surrendered himself to Bastion and Operation: Zero Tolerance — which soon led to the X-Men going on the run from the Prime Sentinels. A new team of heroes known as the Thunderbolts arrived to fill the void left by the Fantastic Four and Avengers; in reality, they were the Masters of Evil in disguise, led by Baron Zemo. Franklin Richards eventually brought the Fantastic Four and Avengers back from the parallel dimension where they were transported following Onslaught’s attack; he’d soon battle the psychic menace when the Scarlet Witch’s mass depowering of mutants tore open a hole to “Counter-Earth.”
The Season 1 Finale of ‘X-Men ‘97’ Is Setting Up Onslaught’s Birth
The back half ofX-Men ‘97seems toslowly be planting the seeds for Onslaught’s birth, especially with the more recent episode, “Tolerance is Extinction - Part 1.” Xavier has returned to Earth to see his mansion burned to the ground and his students fighting for their lives; Magneto’s massive EMP is on par with the acts of violence he committed before the X-Men. Both men have every right to be angry with the world, and that anger could lead to the birth of Onslaught.
It would also be another major shift for the X-Men; they’ve been learning to live in a world without Xavier’s guidance, and the idea that they’d have to fight them could make for some heartbreaking television. Given thatBaron Zemo made an appearancein “Tolerance is Extinction - Part 1,“the X-Men might also come into contact with the Thunderbolts.
FormerX-Men ‘97showrunnerBeau DeMayorecently tweeted outa new “homework assignment” for fansin the form ofUncanny X-Men #304.That issue was part of theFatal Attractionscrossoverand featured a massive shakeup to the X-Men when Colossus joined Magneto’s Acolytes. DeMayo previously wrote upa list of episodes fromX-Men: The Animated Seriesfor fans to watch before the “Tolerance Is Extinction” three-parter, so it’s safe to say that his latest tweet hints thatX-Men ‘97is slated to partially adaptFatal Attractions— leading to Onslaught’s birth in the process.
X-Men ‘97is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S., with new episodes on Wednesdays.
