This review contains spoilers for X-Men '97 Episode 2While the first episode of X-Men '97 spends the bulk of its time reintroducing fans to the titular team, episode 2, "Mutant Liberation Begins," focuses on the X-Men's greatest adversary, Magneto. Here, Magneto has turned into an ally of the team, being named the new leader by Charles Xavier himself. It would be easy enough to simply tell a story about the team doubting Magneto and having him try to prove himself, but X-Men '97 goes so much further than viewers might expect it to, delivering some truly shocking developments in the process.

Having taken charge of the team, Magneto sets out to prove himself as a new man, one who is far more sympathetic to humans. Rather than lusting for their extermination, it seems that Magneto has taken Charles Xavier's notions of coexistence to heart, and he now only wishes to end the persecution of mutants through nonviolent means. The X-Men are understandably skeptical, but Magneto quells their fears by surrendering himself for trial at the UN.

X-Men 97 Trailer Disney Plus
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X-Men '97's second episode builds on the foundation of the premiere, and continues to deliver on the promise of thrilling stories and 90s nostalgia. While the show is set in the past, it never feels like it is dating itself. Brief glimpses of a walkman and the use of CRT televisions are about the only way the show indicates that it is still taking place nearly 30 years in the past. X-Men '97 smartly avoids any cheeky 90s self-referencing, and instead imbues the era with modern problems that are scarily parallel to the real world.

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In particular, Magneto's trial at the UN being interrupted by protesters breaking through a police barrier and storming the building is very similar to events that took place following the previous election in the United States. Magneto even appears to lampshade this when he points out to one of the judges that the mob hates them simply for following the rules and conducting a trial in the first place. Whether an intentional parallel or not, it shows that the writers of X-Men '97 want to make their show feel as viscerally real as possible.

The episode is anchored by a stellar performance by Matthew Waterson as Magneto. Waterson carries the appropriate level of gravitas in his voice, while also allowing the once-villainous character (who has always been one of Marvel's most sympathetic characters) to show some real vulnerability. This is particularly evident in scenes with Rogue that hint at a past relationship (one that has been explored in X-Men comics, but not previously in the animated series). The only real sticking point with Magneto's story is the very bare hint at the character's religion and past persecution. Magneto keeps things very vague when speaking at the UN, and it would have been more interesting to dive a little deeper into the character's devastating past having lived through the holocaust only to see mutants persecuted in a similar fashion.

All of this is indicative of the more mature approach to storytelling the team behind X-Men '97 is taking. While the original animated series tended to be slightly more grown up than the average animated show, it was still designed to be watched by kids, and therefore had to pull its punches. Here, the characters feel more complex and the stories more complicated and morally gray. Characters bleed, Jean Grey gives birth (hinting at a future appearance by Cable), and Wolverine even utters the word "crap." Obviously, the writers understand that the audience for X-Men '97 are mostly going to be people who grew up watching the original series and therefore are old enough to handle these kinds of story beats.

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Where that sometimes proves to be a weakness is in the references to events portrayed in the original series, which may be lost on those who are coming into X-Men '97 fairly fresh. References to Genosha, for example, may go over some viewers' heads, even though there is almost enough exposition to reveal that this is a safe nation for mutants created by Magneto.

Still, X-Men '97 delivers some startling surprises, revealing that the stakes are much higher than one might imagine. This is especially true when Storm, essentially the strongest member of the X-Men team, loses her powers after being blasted by a radioactive beam meant for Magneto. According to Beast, this is no temporary condition, and Storm is likely facing a future without her awesome control over the atmosphere. Going even further, the episode ends with a second Jean Grey stumbling into X Mansion, hinting at some potential time travel/multiverse stories to come.

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If viewers weren't entirely hooked by X-Men '97's excellent premiere episode, then they will definitely be on board by the second. The promise of a more mature take on these superheroes that maintains a strong connection to its 90s source material has essentially been fulfilled, and there's no telling where the story will go from here. There is, of course, the lingering question of whether this series will connect in some way to the wider MCU, or whether Marvel Studios will allow it to be a standalone title. Whatever the case may be, the focus so far is on the X-Men and their individual story, which is proving to be a smart move.

X-Men '97 is available to watch on Disney Plus.