X-Men '97 Spoiled An Avengers Cameo That Could Be More Dangerous Than It Seems
"X-Men '97" Season 1 has wasted no time upping the narrative ante, proving itself a strong continuation of the trend-setting "X-Men: The Animated Series." In a mere few episodes, there's team infighting, clashing ideologies, love triangles, and, sadly, loss of life. Not to mention, it has even tossed in some fun Easter eggs, such as a cameo from series creator Beau DeMayo — despite his firing — and a secret "What If...?" cameo that could change everything. A new teaser has even spoiled the appearance of an Avengers staple whose presence could mean dangerous things for the X-Men and their allies.
In a teaser posted by Marvel Studios on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Captain America's shield is shown buried in snow-covered ground. While this could be nothing more than a cameo by the Star-Spangled Man himself, there could be more to the story. With a conflict between mutants and humanity seemingly inevitable, and Jean Grey's (Jennifer Hale) sudden return, it's entirely possible the X-Men could come to blows with the Avengers a la the 2012 Marvel Comics crossover event "Avengers vs. X-Men." In the story, the two teams clash over their views of the Phoenix Force — which very much exists in the "X-Men '97" continuity — and what its existence means for the future of Earth. Perhaps this could even be folded into the ongoing "E for Extinction" and potentially Krakoa era-inspired story.
It'll be interesting to see what this Captain America tease leads to on "X-Men '97." In the meantime, it's worth looking back at Cap's history in this animated universe.
Captain America has appeared in the X-Men '97 continuity before
"X-Men: The Animated Series" had a lot on its plate during its run from 1992 to 1997. It took time and effort to develop each member of the team, their numerous enemies, and those on the sidelines who occasionally get swept up in the action. Still, the minds behind the program managed to toss in other Marvel icons from time to time. Among these individuals was Captain America (Lawrence Bayne), who gets a spotlight in the Season 5 episode titled "Old Soldiers" — an episode dedicated to his and Wolverine's (Cal Dodd) World War II exploits.
The bulk of the episode is shown through flashbacks, where Logan recalls a mission he took part in way back in 1944. Cap joins him, even coming up against his greatest adversary and one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most unlikable villains, Red Skull (Cedric Smith), before he's trapped in a vortex. According to other animated Marvel shows of the era set in the same universe, notably "Spider-Man: The Animated Series," Cap eventually escapes the vortex to live in the modern era. Thus, it only makes sense that he's fair game to appear in "X-Men '97" and maybe lead the Avengers.
Time will tell what's in store for the animated Captain America and the X-Men as "X-Men '97" Season 1 continues.