X-Men ’97 hit Disney+ bringing Marvel’s mistreated mutant heroes back into our living rooms, and I’m going to let you know right now there’s going to be hella spoilers in this write up. If you haven’t seen the show, then what are you even doing here? Go watch that greatness then comeback and read this sermon cause I’m bout to do some preaching from the pulpit Danger Room. Credit has to be given to the creators for taking a risk with the vision for this reboot. We could have gotten a new X-Men iteration. A lot of us were hoping for Krakoa but seeing the show is picking up right where the original 90s series ended with the “death” of Charles Xavier, makes us feel like we were just no a hiatus. It’s similar to when a manga goes on breaks for a few weeks but in this case it was just shy of 30 years.
The first two episodes of X-Men ’97 takes us straight into the thick of matters. We’re introduced to the X-Men saving Roberto Da Costa (Sunspot) from the mutant hate organization Friends of Humanity. The X-Men coming to Roberto’s aid echoes how Jubilee was saved from sentinels at the mall in the first episode of the original series. We even have Jubilee giving Roberto a talk similar to the one Storm gave her about mutant abilities. The show does an amazing job harking back to not only the original series with certain easter eggs (Storm/Rogue wearing the same civilian outfits from the original series), cameos (Morph turning into different mutants), but episodes that are nods to specific comic book stories. In just one episode we’ve seen not only a nod to “The Trial of Magneto” but a nod to “Lifedeath” which centers Storm’s most iconic and stand outs storyline. Speaking of Storm, the first episode “To me, My X-Men” solidifies that Storm and Cyclops are the Kobe and Shaq of the X-Men team and gave Cyclops an apology that’s been long overdue.
Scott Summers For X-Men ’97 MVP
In just one episode, X-Men ’97 shut down 20 years of Cyclops slander from the Fox movies. Yall don’t hear me, everybody hated on this man in the animated series. He gets seen as a boy scout, a goody two shoes, and ruining the fun. Fam, imagine being the leader of a team and getting shitted on because you making the tough calls to make sure your teammates make it out alive on a mission. Scott Summers been fighting for mutant rights since he was 15-years-old and muthafuckas wanna say he’s a cop or got cop behavior. I’m fuckin’ disgusted. Which is why I was so hype to see Cyclops appear and give them bigots all the hands from his Marvel vs Capcom 2 move set. Cyclops reminded everyone why he’s the only person Ryu shook hands with in X-Men vs. Street Fighter. The story boarders and animators truly did what they were supposed to do here because this is how we should see Cyclops utilizing his powers.
I loved seeing Cyclops come out the gate strong in the spotlight from jump. The fact that he was using his beams to not only maneuver himself but to counter punches and kicks had me dying. Those aren’t laser beams he’s shooting. It’s beams of concussive force, so seeing Cyclops use that force in order to position himself in a brawl is not only insane to see but genius and exactly what Cyclops would do because he’s a strategist. I’ve never seen anyone do a forward dash ass first until Scott Summers, and I’m dying. This man is an innovator.
I thought that was all the spotlight he was going to get but he then proceeded to not only throw hands but bring back all that dry humor and sass I love. Scott roasted the team this entire episode. Rogue said, “why we in trouble we ain’t even do nothing?” Scott said, “Exactly. Yall ain’t been doing shit.” He gave an order and when Wolverine didn’t like it, Scott told that man to cry him a river, told a UN leader that they was fucking up on the job, then had his wife to mentally beat a man up for information. The most egregious thing had to be the sentinel attacking the X-Men on the Blackbird. That sentinel tore the roof off the jet, and Scott’s immediate response was to start dumping. He straight up went for emptying the limitless optic blast clip.
This. Man. Is. Unhinged. Summers really let the whole beam go, and I am beside myself. Man took down a whole sentinel by his lonesome 40 thousand feet in the air. It could have stopped right there, but once he saw all the X-Men that could fly grabbing the ones that couldn’t he said, “Cool. I’ll see yall on the ground.” And proceeded to accelerate towards the ground then shout out his beam to slow his descent. Yall don’t fucking hear me?! This man was speeding toward the ground but was checking to make sure the team was okay first before taking care of himself. That’s the opposite of what they tell you do during a plane emergency!
Scott Summers then proceeded to recreate the no parachute scene from Point Break just for fuckin funsies. Don’t talk to me about greatness. Don’t talk to me about putting the whole team on your back unless you talking about Scott “Fucking” Summers. Man. I can’t hear otherwise. No parachute? No fucking problem. I saw folks online still trying to hate on Street Jesus by saying he was doing the most or doing too much, which lemme know the haters graspin’ at straws to try and bring this man down. Folks saying him using his powers to slow his descent doesn’t make sense cause it should snap his neck as if this man doesn’t have a whole regimen for neck training.
Mother Has Spoken (Yeah, ‘Ro!)
Now for Ms. Ororo Munroe. So, Storm didn’t have the same issue as Cyclops. Everybody loves storm. She’s literally the gawd. Storm’s issue on the original show was being the biggest gun but having to pass out after using her powers (2nd only to Jean). Ya girl was quietly nerfed in the original series, but they changed that from jump. It is known, and shown, that Storm is one of, if not thee, biggest guns on the X-Men. If we talkin’ power, then 9 times outta 10 everybody goin’ be looking at Storm when it’s time to pay the electricity bill. X-Men ’97 lets us see that from jump. Sure Storm got knocked down when she arrived but when it was time to run up and done up the sentinels, and they had the X-Men outnumbered? Cyclops remembered the safe word Storm told him and let her know it was time to bring the pain.
This might be the coldest pass in Marvel history. Cyclops tapping the chest comm and telling Storm, “Give’em the forecast” is Marvel’s equivalent of Magic Johnson in the ’92 Dream Team scrimmage talking about hitting with the Hee-Heeeeeeeee no look pass. You know how cold you gotta be to drop your teammates off to a fight then fly a mile down the road to be able to give them back up because you’re so damn powerful that you woulda fried your own teammates if they were near you? Naaaaaah, yall don’t understand the respect being put on Storm’s name right here. Them sentinels getting a Google alert about an Omega level threat, and we see it’s Storm? You Bast damn right it’s storm fam! All these years of not being labeled officially as an Omega Level Mutant in X-Men lore then finally getting that respect in 2019 (Krakoa era X-Men) and it translating over to the reboot too?!
Storm is having a whole moment. We see sis having to take over as field leader and when a UN leader asks, “Who does she think she is” Storm hits mans back with the most vicious shut the fuck up I ever heard in my life. “Do not think. Be Silent. Heed my commands and maybe you will survive this.” She told that man not to think but to sit there and be a sheep so that he might survive whats to come. That’s wild, and I believe we need more Black women talking to old white men this way on national TV. Even though we see Storm go through her most rock bottom moment on screen for the first time ever, the story that’s about to unfold with her is going to be a freaking chef’s kiss and we’ll get to see the many different facets of Storm personality and drive.
To Me, My X-Men
The best thing about X-Men ’97 is that we’re seeing the X-Men truly working as a team. Everybody is strong but on any given day, anyone can also get got. When X-Cutioner went in and started beating the salmon shorts off Cyclops, I wasn’t upset because first off, who throws a bo staff at someone? Cyclops was caught off guard as anyone would be because what type of sicko does that?! Two, Morph was there to save Cyclops’ ass. Literally. These are characters with great power, but they can still get killed by a bullet or beaten at hand-to-hand combat. Your teammate might have an off day or just get caught with some wild shit. The dope thing about being on a team is someone always having your back, and maybe they’re have a day where they’re just firing on all cylinders.
We’re seeing this team as they should be. Using their powers as a circuit for tag team moves and jumping anyone that steps to them. The team is more solid than it’s ever been, but I can’t help but point out once again: the heart and soul of this team, in my eyes at least, are Storm and Cyclops. I’m very excited to see where the rest of the show goes and to see these mutant all-stars take their team to the championship (the ship is 6 seasons and a movie).
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