Every New Character Confirmed In X-Men '97
"X-Men '97" is clearly meant to be a celebration of what made "X-Men: The Animated Series" so great, but that doesn't mean the sequel to the popular 1990s cartoon isn't bringing something new to the table. Since its earliest promo images, "X-Men '97" has been slowly unveiling which Marvel characters not seen in the original show will join the classic "XTAS" cast. It's a clever way to whet the appetites of the fans, given that many elements of the show's plot – including which stories from the comics "X-Men '97" will adapt – remain tightly under wraps.
While the show will likely debut even more new faces when it hits Disney+ on March 20, 2024, the ones revealed so far are both varied and surprising. There's a Jubilee doppelgänger, a mutant-hunting madman, and a character who promises to push boundaries with her gritty and adult-orientated origin story. Need more details? Boot up Cerebro and prep the Blackbird for takeoff, because it's time to explore the new characters slated to join "X-Men '97."
Abcissa is a different take on an old favorite
Alyson Court voiced the original Jubilee, though that role will now be played by Holly Chou. According to Entertainment Weekly, producers wanted "more authentic representation" this time around. "Court recognizes that voicing an Asian character like Jubilee as a Canadian actress in the '90s was a product of its time," the outlet reports. However, Court hasn't left the character behind altogether. Instead, the performer joins "X-Men '97" as Abcissa, a Jubilee variant from one of the most trippy stories in Wolverine's history.
Introduced in 1992's "Wolverine" Vol. 2 #52 by Larry Hama and Marc Silvestri, Abcissa is who Jubilee would have become if she had decided that working for Mojo was a fair exchange for saving nearly everyone in existence. Jubilee is actually able to meet her possible future self before even she makes up her mind, thanks to all the time anomalies Mojo causes when messing with reality's curtain call, aka the Big Crunch. When Jubilee officially turns Mojo's offer down, however, Abcissa immediately blips into nothingness. Luckily, Jubilee's choice doesn't imperil the cosmos, thanks to Wolverine "convincing" Mojo to leave the Big Crunch alone by threatening the Spineless One with an antimatter missile.
"X-Men '97," however, is giving Abcissa a new lease on life. Does this mean Mojo will appear on the show as well and threaten the universe in a similar manner? Perhaps he, Jubilee, and Abcissa can resolve their differences over a bowl of chili fries this time around.
Valerie Cooper could bring the X-Factor
Given that the mutant group X-Factor appears in the "X-Men: The Animated Series" episode "Cold Comfort," it may not come as a surprise to learn that its government liaison is set to show up in the new series. Dr. Valerie Cooper (who is being voiced by Catherine Disher, the original Jean Grey) was introduced in "Uncanny X-Men" #176 by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr. as a United States government official who believes mutants could be a threat if used by foreign powers. Her proposed solution? The U.S. should create a government-backed mutant team of its own. Freedom Force is born, a unique group consisting of Mystique's former Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and a few additions. Once Freedom Force goes bust, though, Val's mutant superteam becomes the second incarnation of X-Factor, led by Cyclops' brother, Havok.
The '90s X-Factor team is Cooper's most well-known association, and her frequent interactions with mutants quickly make the character more mutant-friendly. The X-Factor team shown on "X-Men: The Animated Series" is the one Val manages right before Forge becomes the new liaison in the comics, so it's likely she'll retain a connection to the team in "X-Men '97." However, an early image of the show has her standing beside several supervillains, suggesting that either her early mutant paranoia or her unflattering personality traits from later comics will come into play. Either way, she could help "X-Men '97" resolve a dangling plot thread – will Havok and Cyclops ever learn that they're related?
X-Cutioner hunts murderers with X-Genes
Carl Denti, aka X-Cutioner, is about as '90s an X-Men villain as you get, right down to the stylized spelling of his supervillain name. It's possible that his moniker and lethal modus operandi might have been considered too extreme for the mostly all-ages "X-Men: The Animated Series." Denti blasts his way into the X-Mythos in "Uncanny X-Men Annual" #17's first story, by Scott Lobdell and Jason Pearson. Determined to avenge the demise of X-Men ally and fellow FBI agent Fred Duncan, Denti pilfers Duncan's big stash of X-Men-related weapons to become the murderous X-Cutioner.
Despite exclusively targeting mutants, the X-Cutioner has an odd moral code, going only after mutants who have killed. He's even willing to avenge mutants who have been killed by other mutants, either by pursuing their murderers or going after those who couldn't protect them from mortal harm. It's that last technicality that gets Emma Frost on Denti's kill list, as Frost's students, the Hellions, were murdered by Trevor Fitzroy while in her care.
The X-Cutioner targets quite a few other famous characters from X-Lore, including Rogue. Both she and Emma Frost will appear in "X-Men '97," it's been confirmed. This begs the question: Will they be on the X-Cutioner's hit list in the show? And who else might Denti go after? Another potential target is Mastermind, who prominently appeared in "XTAS" and was hunted by X-Cutioner in the comics. Denti is voiced by Lawrence Bayne, the original Cable.
Sunspot may help Cable debut a major X-Team
The New Mutants never formed in "X-Men: The Animated Series," but two of its most prominent members, Warlock and Cannonball, made noteworthy appearances. Now Cannonball's best buddy, Sunspot (voiced by Gui Agustini), enters the show's continuity in "X-Men '97."
Debuting in 1982's "Marvel Graphic Novel" #4 by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod, Sunspot (real name Roberto Da Costa) can change into a form that lets him manipulate the sunlight he absorbs, and it's an impressive sight. He's capable of tossing large oak trees around, shrugging off attacks lethal to most people, and you need to move quickly if he sends some of his built-up heat your way. He can even use hot air to lift himself into the sky — fitting, as he's often depicted as hilariously full of himself.
Sunspot started out as a member of the New Mutants, which Cable reshaped into the paramilitary group X-Force. Cable is said to play a big role in "X-Men '97," meaning Roberto may jump right into X-Force on the show, skipping his New Mutants days entirely. However, given how young Sunspot looks in early images, he's probably a long way from his later comic book associations (he even joins the Avengers at one stage). It's also possible he'll start off a little weaker than he is nowadays in the comics, as Sunspot's powers were a little less robust and varied in his early appearances. He'll just have to leave the blasting to Cannonball, should he show up.
Maggott is one of Marvel's most bizarre mutants
Had "X-Men: The Animated Series" gone on a little longer, it might have found room for this pretty unique X-Man, who debuted the same year the show ended. Maggott, a South African mutant whose only other given name is Japheth, wriggled to fictional life in 1997's "Uncanny X-Men" #345. Japheth's main mutant power comes via the two overgrown slugs that sprouted from his body at age 12. The ever-hungry slugs, which he names Eany and Meany, fill their bellies and then share the wealth by bonding with Maggott again — it's literally the only way he can eat. The result? Blue skin and enough muscle to withstand some major damage. However, the effects go away for Maggott if Eany and Meany don't feast for a while.
Maggott appeared on the front page of a floating Daily Bugle newspaper in the "X-Men '97" teaser trailer. Will that be the only time he shows this season, or do Japheth and his near-insatiable companions have a bigger part to play? Magneto's prominent role in "X-Men '97" makes Maggott's inclusion pretty appealing, as Japheth and the Master of Magnetism have an interesting history in the comics. Magneto is the one who helps awaken young Japheth's mutation — he discovers and removes the slugs after finding the boy in the desert. After helping Japheth take revenge on the rebels who killed his father, Magneto tries to recruit the young mutant, but he's sickened by all the killing and turns down the offer.
Dust brings the new century to X-Men '97
Dust debuted the decade after "X-Men: The Animated Series" ended. Teenager Sooraya Qadir entered the world of X in 2002's "New X-Men" #133 rather turbulently, as she's first seen in a slave trader encampment. Likely unbeknownst to her captors, however, Sooraya can change her body into thought-controlled dust (or sand, depending on the writer) and back. Still not fully in control of her powers, Sooraya kills several of the traders even before Wolverine arrives to free her, while Logan's claws handle the rest. After that, Dust is brought to the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning and serves on various junior X-Men teams.
Whether Sooraya will be a major character in "X-Men '97" is still a mystery. The Afghanistan-born mutant's only appearance in the trailer is on a Daily Bugle front page alongside several other familiar mutants. She'd be quite a useful addition to the team, as her powers give her huge offensive and subterfuge capabilities. She can shape her transformed body's particles into dust/sand storms, for instance, and she is pretty difficult to detect when spread throughout a room. X-Villains may want to consider investing in a pretty big dustpan and sweeping up before revealing any delicate information.
Will Loa make more than a cameo appearance?
Alani Ryan (codename Loa) is one of the MVPs of "X-Men" cameos. Her very first appearance is in 2004's "New Mutants" Vol 2 #11 by Nunzio Defilippis, Christina Weir, and Carlo Barberi, but she's largely a background character in the series and its sequel, "Academy X." That trend continued in other titles for years: She would show up in many stories but rarely had a lot to say or do. She does gradually start asserting herself over time as a character, particularly in funny stories like her team-up with Deadpool. Loa flourishes when she meets Namor, becoming his loyal fellow adventurer and even a Defender for a time.
It's a pity it took so long for her to get a spotlight, given the usefulness of Loa's powers. Essentially, she's a deadlier version of Kitty Pryde — whatever Loa phases through comes apart moments after. It's a power that can be pretty useful on objects, but difficult to use against humans without killing them or causing severe harm. The teaser trailer for "X-Men '97" honored Loa's grand tradition of cameos by placing her among the characters in the mutant fashion show on the Daily Bugle's cover. Will she surprise fans by playing a bigger role on the show than she's done in comics past?
Nature Girl prefers the company of plants and animals
You wouldn't be blamed for wondering if Lin Li's power has something to do with animals, given her antlers. In fact, you'd be right — although it doesn't stop there. Nature Girl, as Lin goes by, can talk to pretty much any non-human living thing on Earth, whether it's growing in your backyard, purring at your feet, or living on the surface of your body. Lin is often quick to form bonds with them, generally preferring them over other people. As a result, flora and fauna alike are willing to help the junior X-Man out when she's on solo and team missions. Need birds to attack supervillains or trees to tell you where a thief's run off to? Nature Girl's got you covered.
The character sprouted to life in 2014's "Wolverine and the X-Men" Vol 2 #1 by Jason Latour and Mahmud Asrar. She can be seen next to Loa in the Daily Bugle paper floating in the "X-Men '97" teaser trailer. As such, it's hard to say how much she'll factor into the series, especially since one of her most prominent comic-book mentors, Jubilee, remains a teenager on the show. Still, never say never. At the very least, Lin could show up to scold the person who printed her image on what was once a tree. That person will be hoping that Lin hasn't moved onto her more extreme, more powerful "Armageddon Girl" persona since her brush with newspaper fame.
Will Stacy X push the show's boundaries?
One of the benefits of "X-Men '97" having a TV-14 rating is that it can explore territory its TV-Y7 predecessor couldn't really venture into. So, perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that a more "adult" member of the "X-Men" mythos is appearing in the new show. That someone is Miranda Leevald, or Stacy X — a snakelike mutant created by Joe Casey and Tom Raney who can control other people's pheromones. She uses her powers for sex work as she tries to survive after fleeing from her abusive family.
Stacy first shows up in 2001's "Uncanny X-Men" #399, working at the X-Ranch brothel in Nevada. When the Church of Humanity sets the brothel ablaze and kills several of Stacy's co-workers, she decides fighting to keep mutants like herself safe is something worth exploring. During her brief X-Men tenure, Stacy uses her powers in several creative ways, including easing the pain of hospitalized mutant Jason Treemont. She also sometimes manipulates pheromones in ways that don't feel so nice, like making people feel ill to the point of puking.
Like a few others on this list, Stacy appears on the Daily Bugle's front page in the teaser trailer. It's hard to say how much she will be involved in proceedings, yet it's enough to officially confirm she's part of the "X-Men '97" universe. Should she pop up in person, will she retain her original profession? And, more importantly, will she still be rocking the sunglasses and fur vest combo she's wearing in the Bugle image?
The Goblin Queen will bring the fire
Perhaps it's premature to say that Madelyne Pryor (aka the Goblin Queen) has been confirmed for "X-Men '97," as she's only appeared in series merchandise so far and hasn't yet been mentioned by the show's creators. Yet, when a character's included in not one, but two toy lines for the series, it does seem pretty clear that they're set to feature in some way.
Pryor made her debut in 1983's "Uncanny X-Men" #168 as a virtual Xerox copy of Jean Grey who marries Cyclops. As is later revealed in the "X-Men" storyline "Inferno," Maddie was crafted from Jean Grey's gene matter by Mister Sinister. The conniving geneticist sees great potential in having a Jean Grey clone, not to mention the child she and Cyclops conceive under his command. Pryor, however, has other ideas, siding with the demons S'ym and N'astirh in exchange for great magical power.
We know that Mister Sinister is in "X-Men '97," making the Goblin Queen's appearance all the more likely. Pryor wouldn't be the parent of a super-powerful child with Cyclops, however, as that happened in the comics because Jean was believed to be dead. In "X-Men '97," everyone knows Jean's alive... though she is pregnant. Which raises the question: Will Sinister make Jean the Goblin Queen of "X-Men '97" instead? It would certainly explain why the name Madelyne Pryor hasn't been used in Goblin Queen merch thus far. Sure, the Hasbro toy calls Goblin Queen a "Jean Grey doppelgänger," but that can be interpreted in different ways.
Baby Nathan Summers sets up Cable and Inferno
Okay, so maybe calling the baby version of a character who showed up in quite a few "X-Men: The Animated Series" episodes "new" is pushing it. However, seeing as Cable and baby Nathan Summers would be two distinct presences on "X-Men '97," we're willing to bend the rules a little for this one. Like the Goblin Queen, baby Nathan's only appeared in toy form so far, namely as an accessory for both the Goblin Queen Funko Pop and action figure. Yet, since other "X-Men '97" toy figures have been of characters later confirmed to be on the show, like the X-Cutioner, little Cable seems very likely to follow suit. Especially since Jean's got a baby on the way.
If "X-Men '97" decides to tweak Madelyne Pryor's story a little to make up for the fact that Jean is still around, then Nathan will likely be born from Jean. Which works fairly well, as comics Jean raises Cable for much of his early life, including in the future era Nate's sent to. Plus Jean never tries sacrificing him to connect a demon world with Earth, like Maddie does. Nate might end up in that position anyway, though: If he and Goblin Queen are indeed featuring prominently in "X-Men '97," that all but confirms an "Inferno" adaptation.