X-Men '97 season 2 has arrived, and a lot has changed since we last saw our favorite mutant superheroes.
Now that the X-Men have been presumed dead or missing on Earth, the remaining X-Men have divided themselves into separate factions. One faction is dedicated to hunting down and killing Apocalypse once and for all, and the other is a government-run team of super cops created with the intention of rounding up mutants and keeping them off the streets out of fear of another Sentinel-like massacre.
Below, we've broken down the two mutant groups, including who's who and their comic book origins. But be warned: there are spoilers for X-Men '97 season 2 below!
What is X-Force?
Led by Cable, X-Force is a black ops offshoot of the X-Men that takes a more, shall we say, aggressive approach to taking down enemies. Their main focus is Apocalypse, who is now actively looking to destroy the X-Men in every single timeline. Cable is able to time-travel, but he and the team seem to be concerned with protecting present-day Earth for now as Apocalypse and his Horsemen continue to invade. The full lineup consists of Cable, Psylocke, Archangel, and the newly added Jubilee and Sunspot.
In the comics, the X-Force made their debut in The New Mutants issue #100 before going on to have their own 129-issue series. The original lineup featured Cable, Boom-Boom, Cannonball, Domino, Feral, Shatterstar, Warpath, and Siryn – all of whom, besides Cable, we've yet to meet in X-Men '97. Their main enemy was the terrorist Mutant Liberation Front, but they eventually took on Apocalypse in 1995 as part of a special crossover event with the Age of Apocalypse series.
What is X-Factor?
X-Factor is a government-created organization consisting of former X-Men who defected when Xavier was initially pronounced dead in the series finale of X-Men: The Animated Series, or, after Magneto took over in X-Men '97 season 1. The group was formed by Dr. Valerie Cooper after Magneto created a worldwide blackout that killed off all the Prime Sentinels, but destroyed much of Earth in the process. Consisting of Havok, Polaris, Wolfsbane, Strong Guy, and Multiple Man, the team is tasked with rounding up and capturing any and all mutants they can find in order to keep the streets "safe."
The first issue of X-Factor debuted in 1986, with Beast, Jean Grey, Angel, Marvel Girl, and Iceman posing as a group of mutant hunters for hire. Their true intention was to find powerful and unique mutants that could eventually help stop a much bigger threat. The group was relaunched in 1991 as a government-run team, with Dr. Cooper at the helm, and a lineup consisting of Havok, Polaris, Wolfsbane, Strong Guy, Multiple Man, and Quicksilver. The lineup and missions continued to change throughout the years, though they were meant to be a 'peace-keeping group' after the X-Men disappeared in the comic X-Men '92.
X-Men '97 season 2 is streaming on Disney Plus now. For more, check out our X-Men '97 season 2 review, and never miss an episode with our X-Men '97 season 2 release schedule.
