Warning: This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 episode 10, “Tolerance is Extinction – Part 3.”
The finale of Marvel Animation’s popular X-Men ’97 series left the fates of several members of the X-Men uncertain. X-Men ’97 premiered on March 20, 2024, reintroducing the world to the X-Men team from 1992’s X-Men: The Animated Series. Set outside the MCU, X-Men ’97 picked up roughly a year after Professor X’s departure from Earth, and featured the X-Men team falling under the leadership of Magneto, and getting pitted against iconic Marvel villains, including the X-Cutioner, Mojo, the Adversary, Mister Sinister, and Bastion. The series finale introduced another antagonist, however, perfectly setting the stage for X-Men ’97 season 2.
Released on May 15, 2024, X-Men ’97 season 1’s finale saw the titular team go up against an enhanced Bastion aboard Asteroid M, as the human-Sentinel hybrid hoped to use Magneto’s former mutant sanctuary to wipe out humanity in a new extinction event. Following an attack from the United States government, the X-Men were left trying to stop Asteroid M from plummeting to Earth, and they were ultimately successful with the help of Magneto himself. However, this caused an explosion that displaced the X-Men team throughout time, but the whereabouts of three crucial members of the team hasn’t been revealed.
Although the X-Men are missing and presumed dead in the present day, the team were actually sent through time by the explosion of Asteroid M. Cyclops and Jean Grey found themselves in the desolate future of 3960 AD, where they crossed paths with Mother Askani and a young Nathan Summers, while Rogue, Nightcrawler, Beast, Professor X, and Magneto were sent back to Ancient Egypt in 3000 BC, where they saved a young En Sabah Nur, the future Apocalypse, from attackers. The whereabouts of Storm, Morph, and Wolverine hasn’t been revealed, however, leaving their fates uncertain for X-Men ’97 season 2.
Apocalypse seems to have been set up as the primary antagonist of X-Men ’97 season 2, as both these split groups of X-Men have ended up in timelines centered on the powerful villain. In the future, the Askani were formed by Rachel Summers’ Mother Askani to battle the Marvel Comics villain, while the other team of X-Men crossed paths with En Sabah Nur himself in Ancient Egypt. In the present day, Apocalypse was shown scouring through the rubble of Genosha, and coming across one of Gambit’s playing cards, suggesting the villain will have a major role in X-Men ’97’s future.
This suggests that Storm, Morph, and Wolverine have ended up in another Apocalypse-centered time period. Apocalypse has lived for millennia, so this could land Storm, Morph, and Wolverine practically anywhere. However, it would perhaps be most interesting to explore Apocalypse’s connection to Mister Sinister in the 1800s, or X-Men ’97 season 2 could introduce Genesis, who tried to turn Wolverine into a Horseman of Apocalypse by restoring his adamantium skeleton. Revealing Storm, Morph, and Wolverine’s whereabouts could have spoiled too much of X-Men ’97 season 2, so they must be embarking on an exciting journey in the series’ next chapter.