X-Men ’97 Season 1’s Ending, Explained

Warning: The following article about Magneto and Wolverine contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 10, “Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 3.”

X-Men ’97 just wrapped up its first season with the release of Episode 10, “Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 3.” It’s a suitably epic finale that leaves viewers with plenty to unpack, so we’ve explained all the key developments from X-Men ’97 Season 1’s ending below.

Related: Will There Be an X-Men ’97 Season 2?

What’s the Deal with the Xavier/Magneto Scenes?

“Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 3” opens with a flashback to Professor X and Magneto’s first meeting. Things soon take a surreal turn, however, as raging waters inexplicably surround them. So, what gives? One word: telepathy. The whole “flashback” sequence is the result of Charles Xavier invading Magneto’s mind to undo the Earth-wide blackout he’s caused. Not only does Chuck succeed at turning the lights back on, but he also manages to help Magneto process his traumatic history. Sure, he temporarily wipes the Master of Magnetism’s memories, but then therapy is a process.

It’s worth noting that in Marvel’s X-Men comics, Professor X’s telepathic assault on Magneto is decidedly less touchy-feely. Xavier leaves his one-time ally in a coma after shutting down his brain. Magneto takes much longer to recover, unlike in X-Men ’97, in which he’s back on his feet before Season 1 is over. Oh, and in the comics, Xavier poking around in Magneto’s noggin results in the creation of Onslaught: a mega-powerful psionic entity made from the worst of their respective psyches. Whether Onslaught will show up in future seasons of X-Men ’97 remains to be seen.

Who Are the Other People on the Boat with Rogue?

At one point in Magneto’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-style jaunt, he sees Rogue calling to him from a boat. Three other people are also on the boat, however, they’re cloaked in shadow. What’s more, neither Magneto nor Xavier mentions the trio by name. That said, it’s still fairly easy to identify them as Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Polaris – Magneto’s kids.

X-Men ’97‘s precursor, X-Men: The Animated Series, established that twins Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are the Master of Magnetism’s offspring, in keeping with (most) comics’ canon. X-Men: The Animated Series revealed no such connection between Magneto and Polaris, but her presence on the boat strongly implies that as in the comics they’re related in X-Men ’97‘s universe, too.

What Happens to Mister Sinister?

He gets old – really old. When Jean Grey manifests the power of the Phoenix in “Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 3,” she strips Mister Sinister of all the mutant DNA he’s stuffed himself with over the last 100 or so years. And without it, the X-Men’s long-lived foe is left looking (and feeling) suitably haggard. That said, Sinister is still at large when X-Men ’97 Season 1 ends. So, old or not, we probably haven’t seen the last of him!

Related: X-Men ’97: What Are Mister Sinister’s Powers?

Is Bastion Really Dead?

Maybe, but probably not. Yes, Bastion’s seemingly killed during the missile strike on Asteroid M, but we never actually see his dead body. Plus, his human/Sentinel hybrid nature means physical death likely isn’t the end as far as he’s concerned. Certainly, Bastion proved more than a mere one-off threat in Marvel’s X-Men comics, so expect him to follow suit in X-Men ’97.

Who Is Graydon Creed?

X-Men ’97 Season 1’s epilogue includes a reference to Graydon Creed running against President Kelly in the upcoming US presidential election. If that name rings a bell, it’s because Creed previously appeared in X-Men: The Animated Series. There (as in the comics) he’s the human son of Sabretooth and Mystique. Resenting his parents, Creed heads up the anti-mutant outfit Friends of Humanity. While X-Men: The Animated Series strongly implied Creed died at his father’s hands, X-Men ’97 indicates that he not only survived, but also has a strong chance of landing the USA’s top job.

Who Transported the X-Men and Magneto Through Time?

That is the question, isn’t it? The young En Sabah Nur (and future Apocalypse) seemingly doesn’t recognize the X-Men who land in ancient Egypt, so he’s probably not responsible for their arrival. Similarly, Mother Askani’s dialogue indicates she and her tribe (including the future Cable, Nathan Summers) weren’t expecting visitors in 3960 AD. As such, the most likely culprit is the Apocalypse of 3960 AD. After all, he has the means and shows up in the post-credits scene (more on that later). What the legendary X-villain’s wider plan is remains unclear, though.

Related: X-Men ’97: Why Couldn’t Cable Prevent the Genosha Massacre?

Who Is Mother Askani?

After Cyclops and Jean Grey are zapped to 3960 AD, they’re greeted by Mother Askani. We don’t learn much about her or Clan Askani during this brief scene, other than that they apparently raised Nathan Summers. So, who are Mother Askani and her clan? They’re a religious order of freedom fighters devoted to Apocalypse’s downfall. Plus, in the comics, Mother Askani eventually outs herself as Rachel Summers. That’s right: Summers – as in Cyclops and Jean’s daughter! Don’t be surprised if the same thing happens in X-Men ’97 Season 2.

Does X-Men ’97 Season 1 Have a Post-credits Scene?

Yep – and you definitely won’t want to miss it. X-Men ’97 Season 1’s post-credits scene depicts Apocalypse in the ruins of Genosha, lamenting the many mutant lives lost. Crucially, as Apocalypse says the word ‘death,’ he fishes one of Gambit’s playing cards out of the rubble. This is a not-so-subtle hint that Apocalypse plans on resurrecting Gambit as one of his Horsemen, Death, in X-Men ’97 Season 2. Gambit also filled this role in the comics, albeit without dying first.

All 10 episodes of X-Men ’97 Season 1 are currently streaming on Disney+.