Throughout the years, the X-Men have experienced many misfortunes, but ‘X-Men ’97’ season 2 is making one disaster the basis for its next chapter. With the highly anticipated animated series set to return, Marvel has been dropping some key bits of lore in the show’s teaser comic.
The event, known as “E-Day,” now serves as a major turning point in the animated universe. And it could explain much of the conflict awaiting mutants when the series returns.
‘X-Men ’97’ Season 2 Is Exploring The Fallout Of A Mutant Catastrophe
The announcement comes after what was already one of the most emotional moments in X-Men history in season 1. The comic, which has just been released, confirms that six months have elapsed since E-Day, the name given to the devastating chain of events that changed the mutant world.
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E-Day does not refer to one tragedy, but several: the Genosha massacre, Bastion’s anti-mutant campaign, and Magneto’s disastrous action in the season 1 finale. These events combined to cause a great loss of life and a divided and weakened mutant society.
The title conjures up memories of some of Marvel’s most infamous mutant tragedies. Some of the events of the Mutant Massacre and M-Day, which completely changed the landscape for mutantkind, might be recognizable to long-time fans.
The significance of E-Day is that it comes at a time when human-mutant relations were already on a knife-edge. This leads to a world of fear, uncertainty, and increasing distrust.
The X-Men’s Absence Creates A Dangerous Future
The problem is, many of the X-Men are missing, and that’s just adding to the crisis. Season 1 ended with key heroes scattered across different points in time. It left the present-day world without its most recognizable mutant defenders. Professor X is gone, and others are stuck somewhere, and the peaceful co-existence seems more precarious than ever.
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That vacuum may provide opportunities for the influence of extremist groups and anti-mutant groups. If the X-Men aren’t around to protect them, normal mutants might be compelled to go into hiding or be driven toward more extreme measures.
There’s also the emotional toll. E-Day is not only a historical date, but it’s a trauma that every surviving mutant has to deal with. With season 2 just around the corner, it’s obvious that it is not just about time traveling, Apocalypse, or bringing back villains.
Ultimately, ‘X-Men ’97’ looks like it’s about a fractured community that’s trying to recover from an unimaginable tragedy. That could be the most compelling battle that the series has ever faced.
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