X-Men ‘97has received anabundant amount of praisesince the moment episode one went live on Disney+. While the storytelling is phenomenal and the animation looks great,the best parts of the show are the compelling and entertaining cast of characters.With the large number of characters that make up this astounding cast, there seems to be a character for everyone, and has audiences all across the world falling in love with X-Men all over again.
Whetherthey have insanely powerful powers or have an extremely cunning mind,the characters ofX-Men ‘97are unforgettably powerful. What makes ranking these hard for audiences everywhere is the fact that the characters are all at least above average andsome have not reached their full potential yet at this point in the canon. Each character is well-executed and is most likely someone’s favorite.
Played by Holly Chou
The youngest member of the X-Men is an absolute fireworks show of a character (literally.)She’s full of spunk and charisma. Sporting her iconic bright yellow jacket and neon pink glasses, she’s impossible to miss on screen, making hernot only memorable for her popping personality but also for her colorful outfit.Not to mention her episode is a ton of fun.Her powers may not seem like much to the average viewer, but rest assured,Jubilee is more powerful than one may think.
Being a young and humorous character makes Jubilee an audience surrogate of sorts.She’s relatable and that relatability makes her a character that’s easy to get invested in. One can’t help but smile when Jubilee enters the fray and brings her spirit to lighten the mood, even when things are getting tough. But she’s also written to have the flexibility tosidestep away from her typical humourous demeanor and get serious and genuinewhen the situation calls for it, keeping her from being a one-note character. Her ability tocreate blasts of energy that resemble fireworkscan be used both offensively and defensively, making her a versatile hero on the battlefield. She can alsoprovide an incredible distractionto give her fellow X-Men the chance to take home a win.Jubilee is insanely underrated.
Played by A.J. LoCascio
There’s no question that Gambit is a fan-favorite X-Men character thatfans have been waiting to have his time in the sun for quite some time.With his solo live-action movie being canceled in 2019, Gambit fans have gone through a lot of waiting to see their favorite character in the spotlight again andX-Men ‘97gave that to them.
The universe ofX-Men: The Animated Series&X-Men ‘97featuresone of the best adaptions of the characters there is.Filled to the brim with personality, Gambit’ssmug and rough around the edges charm matched with his inner turmoil surrounding his love for Roguemakes him a character that, while not typically a centerpiece,has a ton of layers.His powers are also very entertaining, being visually stunning and insanely powerful. Having the ability totake the potential energy in an item and turn it into light kinetic energy to explodemakes him a super useful member of the team when it comes to bringing a blast of power to the battlefield.
Played by J.P. Karliak
Although they had been killed in the first episode ofX-Men: The Animated Series, when Morph made their comeback after being revived by Mister Sinister and being exploited by him only to return to the light and rejoin the X-Men,the character was considered to have one of the best story and character arcs in the entire original series.They made their big return inX-Men ‘97and have continued their trend of being a fan favorite.
Morph’s humor and endearing friendship with the seemingly friendless Wolverine make them a character that is incredibly entertaining to watch. To make them even more engaging,their mutant ability to shape-shift into anyone, any animal and object makes them a huge upgrade to any action sequence,giving the writers the ability to bring in powers they need whenever they want (and include some fun cameos while they’re at it.) When Morph transforms into a fellow hero,they gain their abilities as well,making them someone who caninsert themselves anywhere in a fightand save their team from seemingly any issue or danger they may find themselves in.
Played by George Buza
Anyone who knows the X-Men knows the iconic blue-fur-clad genius known as Hank McCoy aka, Beast. The contrast between his buff, monster-like figure, and his calm and cheerful demeanor makes him a fan favorite among viewers.Beast spices up action sequences by using his brains rather than his brawn to solve problems,as seen inX-Men ‘97Season 1, Episode 1, “To Me, My X-Men"whenhe climbs inside a Sentinel and takes control of it to fight.
Beast’s kind-hearted nature makes it impossible not to smile at the adorable blue ball of fur whenever he enters a scene.He is a wonderful representation of the idea of not judging a book by its cover, making Beast a physical representation of one of the primary things the X-Men stand for.He’s also a founding member, making it nearlynonviable to picture the X-Men without him.While his strength is very helpful when it comes to beating up baddies,Beast’s mind makes him far more powerful than people would believe. Is anyone else climbing into Sentinels and controlling them?Beast is a shining example of the fact that power does not only come from physical attributes.
Played by Ray Chase
Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, often got the short end of the stick in the X-Men films,gaining a bad reputation among general audiences.X-Men ‘97represents Cyclops as the boy scout, yet sometimes edgy, true leader of the X-Men.Cyclops’s character arc and motivations in the first season make him one of the most interesting characters in the show.He struggles with what’s been left behind after the death of Charles Xavier andcontemplates how he’s supposed to lead the X-Men and forge a new future for mutants.It’s utterly captivating.
For quite some time, X-Men fans have been asking for someone to put some respect to his name, and withX-Men ‘97he finally got it.If Kevin Fiege needs any tips onbringing the X-Men and their leader to the MCU, it’s the consensus that he should take some notes fromX-Men ‘97because Cyclops has become a new favorite for many.Cyclops and his power have been underrated for years and his power’s full potential wasn’t truly shown in the media untilX-Men ‘97. With the release of the first episode,fans praised the show for showing the true power of Cyclops.On the surface, he may just shoot lasers from his eyes, but Scott Summers is what makes that power as useful and strong as it is.His ability to uniquely use his powers makes them a huge threat to enemies.He can use them to move himself around the area quickly. Taking off his optic visor has also been shown to let off a mass blast, as seen in the first episode.
5Wolverine
Played by Cathal J. Dodd
Easily the most popular member of the X-Men and one of the most popular Marvel heroes of all time,Wolverine is obviously a standout in the series. With his iconic voice actor fromX-Men: The Animated Series,Cathal J. Doddreturning to the role, seeing this version of the claw-clad hero on screen again provides a plethora of nostalgia for fans of the original series. While Wolverine understandably doesn’t have as large of a role in the show as he typically does in other X-Men media (most likely to make room for the less well-known members of the cast), it doesn’t take away from the fact that whenever he’s on-screen he is the same ol’ Wolvie everyone knows and loves.
His internal struggle regarding his love for Jean Greyand having to watch her be with Cyclops and have a child together is incredibly compellingand one can’t help but feel bad for the poor guy. But his other power, aside from his indestructible and sharp adamantium claws,that gives him an unbelievable healing factor,is the saddest part of his life. This power means he will live longer than everyone and have to watch all of his friends die one day. Though this power makes him an essential member of the team in a fight,giving them what is essentially an unstoppable force, as he can take pretty much any hit.
Played by Alison Sealy-Smith
The weather powerhouse known as Storm is one of the most powerful mutants inX-Men ‘97,known as an Omega-Level Threat.In the first two episodes of the series,Storm is often used as a deus ex machina of sorts,being able to swing in and lay down some real power when the X-Men need it. This makes her a cool enough character in her own right,but when she loses her powers inX-Men ‘97Season 1, Episode 2, “Mutant Liberation Begins”, she is sent down a path toward a character arc that brings her from a simply cool character to one of the most interesting in the series.
Storm’s journey of self-discovery is absolutely enthralling.Watching an astoundingly powerful character go from feeling weak and less of a person than she used to be with her abilities is painful, butseeing her get back up and begin to find herself againis incredibly satisfying.Her powers make her someone who can turn the tide of a battle with a simple lightning strike. She’s incredibly confident and decisive, making her power even stronger.Weather is arguably the strongest natural power humans face in real life,so being able to control that power makes her a titan of a mutant.
Played by Lenore Zann
Ask anyone who’s been watchingX-Men ‘97and there’s a good chance they’ll tell you that Rogue is, at the very least, in their top three characters.Whether it’s her complicated love triangle with Magneto and Gambit, the blossoming love between her and Magneto, or the rage she gives into after Magneto’s apparent death,Rogue has so much depth inX-Men ‘97and is an arguably unbeatable character.
Her arc of going from your standard X-Men team member to a rage-filled anti-hero who can’t help but give into her rage is heart-wrenching and has fans on the edge of their seats, which is proof enough that Rogue has become an all-time favorite among the fans.Whether it’s the momentshe told off Captain America himselfor killed Boliver Trask, Rogue has brought some of the best, most emotional, and most shocking moments to the showthat have cemented her as a character that will be unforgettable. Rogue is so embedded in the DNA ofX-Men ‘97that the show simply would not be there without her. Speaking of DNA,her ability to absorb and drain powers, memories and knowledge, on top of her powers of super strength and flightmake her immensely dangerous. Much like Beast, but on a higher level, she has both strong mental and physical abilities. She’s a total double whammy andcan go as far as removing an entire psyche and power set from a person(not without side effects, though.)
Played by Matthew Waterson
It’s no secret that Magneto may be one of the most loved characters in the X-Men franchise, maybe even the Marvel universe andX-Men ‘97brought out a new side to the villain that caused many to fall in love with him even more. After the death of Charles Xavier,Magneto discovers he has been given everything in Xavier’s will and genuinely turns around for the better.It’s been the common agreement that while his methods are extreme and villainous,Magneto’s goals are founded on a noble desire.He simply wants justice for his kind.With his titanous power of being able tomanipulate all forms of magnetism and use it in any way he pleases (even force fields and EMPs),his powers feel essentially limitless.
With the events ofX-Men ‘97Season 1, Episode 8, “Tolerance is Extinction - Part 1"potentially bringing him back to his more villainous ways, it’s safe to say that Magneto’s character arc inX-Men ‘97is an absolute ride.His relationship with Rogue helps ground him a bit and, alongside him, earns the respect of his longtime enemies as he takes over as leader of the X-Men,making him the second deepest and most layered character in the show. There’s a reason he’s been such a formidable force against the X-Men all these years. He’s been incredibly under-powered in the films, but thanks toX-Men ‘97, his true power is beginning to be featured.The series and films have yet to show a true limit to how much weight he can manipulate as well,meaning, with the right materials, he can potentially be unstoppable.
1Jean Grey
Played by Jennifer Hale
The X-Men film franchise has always been shotty with its depiction of Jean Grey,typically always leaning into theoverdone Dark Phoenix storyline.But they’ve always gotten one thing right: displaying the fact that Jean Grey, by far, is the strongest character in the X-Men.X-Men ‘97chose to begin the series with Jean as an expecting mother. The show has the benefit of already having the Dark Phoenix storyline covered in the original series, giving Jean free rein tostray away from that side of her character and move forward onto something new.
The melodrama between Jean and Cyclops is one of the driving hearts of the series.Their love story is complicated yet heartwarming and, therefore, engaging. Jean needing to let go of Nathan, and sending him to the future with Bishop, is one of the most emotional moments in the series, and it’s all because of how enthralling she is as a character.Her innate telekinetic abilities, siphoned from the Phoenix Force,are depicted as seemingly immeasurable.She can use it to fully tap into someone’s mind,being able to see every part of them like emotions, memories, thoughts and intentions. This ability can also be used tomove things with her mind,having been shown to be able tolift exceedingly heavy itemsas well. Lastly, she canmanipulate matter and energy.Jean Grey is arguablyone of the most powerful heroes in the entire Marvel universe.
X-Men 97can be streamed on Disney+ in the U.S.
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KEEP READING:Watch These Essential ‘Animated Series’ Episodes Before the ‘X-Men ‘97’ Final
