Marvel's merry mutants never have it easy, but X-Men '97 season 2 has put them through the wringer even more than usual. Between losing Magneto in the past and fighting a resurrected Gambit in the present, our faves really went through it.
But the X-Men don't quit. They're the best at what they do, which is why we'll keep rooting for them until the end of time, from Ancient Egypt to 3960 A.D. And given that we already know X-Men '97 season 3 is on the way, and so is season 4, the X-Men '97 season 2 finale has to pull double by concluding the Apocalypse arc, and teeing up what's to come.
After you've watched the tearjerking season 2 finale, you might have a question or two, which is where we come in. Below, we've rounded up all the major talking points you may have at the end of X-Men '97 season 2, including who dies, did they truly defeat Apocalypse, and whether that surprise mutant has been hiding in plain sight all along. But be warned: there are massive spoilers for X-Men '97 season 2 episode 9 below. Yet to see the finale? Check out our X-Men '97 season 2 review first.
X-Men '97 season 2 episode 9 recap
Valerie Cooper's X-Factor team, the one Polaris used to be a part of, has replaced Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in the opening credits, which tells you everything you need to know about how this is going to go down.
What's worse is that Cable's X-Force is teaming up with X-Factor now to put Apocalypse down for good, which means the Apocalypse-possessed Gambit "has to die." Rogue isn't having any of it though, so she journeys down to Apocalypse's "Ship" along with Beast and Nightcrawler, looking for something that can kill the Big Bad without losing Gambit in the process.
The Southern Belle is warned that trying to end Apocalypse risks "angering celestial powers beyond your comprehension," adding "Those who enter the celestial shrine do not come out without paying a price." Rogue heads in anyway, because of course she does.
Meanwhile, X-Factor essentially declares war on Charles Xavier and the X-Men, with Valerie claiming that their efforts to protect Gambit are akin to "harboring a weapon of mass destruction." She's not wrong, but equally, it's agonising to imagine losing Gambit again. Not for Cable though, who disrupts the shields around X-Corp HQ as the X-Men make a final stand against X-Force, X-Factor and human-guided sentinels under Valerie's command.
Now in another realm entirely, one far out of Cerebro's reach, Rogue comes face to face with a Celestial, one of the cosmic beings who gave Apocalypse his power (and also showed up in the Eternals movie too).
"You do not belong here," it says. Rogue stands firm though. "The man I love was taken by a monster you created." The Celestial suggests that "Life only expands at the expense of other lives," stating that "The world will be stronger for [Gambit's] loss." Rogue continues to push back until the Celestial suggests she prove her love by sacrificing her life for his. "For Remy, I give anything." Fair. Have you seen Gambit in a crop top?
And with that, Rogue gets a Magical Girl Transformation which gives her Celestial, god-like power, enough for "one last fight." Rogue bids Beast and Nightcrawler farewell for what feels like one last time, heading off to end the fight with Gambit and Apocalypse. She better hurry up, though, because X-Force and X-Factor have now breached the tower, engaging in direct combat with the X-Men.
While Psylocke and Archangel battle Wolverine, Jubilee takes to the air and fights Havok in a jet. Bishop and Strong Guy, meanwhile, are evenly matched, both using their kinetic energy absorption powers in a stand-off against each other. Oh, and Morph turns into Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus at one point, because why not?
The toughest battle, however, comes between Cable and his parents. Jean asks him to stop fighting so that they can save Gambit together as a family, but Nathan refuses, saying: "Gambit is one life and Apocalypse will kill billions." Cable plays dirty then, pulling his dad's visor off so Cyclops can no longer control his optic blasts. With his parents distracted, Cable sets off an explosion and shoots Gambit in the head to prevent Apocalypse from taking over again.
But it doesn't work. Gambit transforms into Death again, complete with a creepy Joker-style smile brought about by Apocalypse. Jean says he's in control now, that Gambit can no longer be reached. Everyone tries to fend off Apocalypse, but to no avail, until Xavier is the only one who remains.
Apocalypse tells Charles that he's waited millennia for this moment, "When the teacher finally learns the lesson." And to be fair, he really has, because Apocalypse is referring to their previous meeting in Ancient Egypt, the one where he killed Magneto right before Xavier's very eyes.
"The ones you care for will be your undoing," says Apocalypse, yet even now, Charles disagrees. "No. They are how we survive. They are how we always survived." Rogue arrives then to prove Charles right, freeing all the X-Men from Apocalypse's grip.
These newfound powers sure are handy, but Rogue relies on a classic to beat Apocalypse, taking a glove off to absorb him into herself. Enhanced with celestial might, Rogue is able to trap the essence of Apocalypse inside a special gem that she then gives to Cable for safekeeping. "You've been carrying him around your whole life. I reckon you'll figure out what to do with this," Rogue says.
And just like that, Gambit is free of Apocalypse's influence, back to normal following his death last season. It all feels a bit easy, right? How could Apocalypse be defeated so quickly without them paying some kind of price?
Rogue kisses Gambit, and with that, the last of her Celestial powers dissipates. "There needed to be a sacrifice," says Rogue, believing that this is goodbye, that her trade would come at the cost of her own life. But Beast appears then holding Nightcrawler's Bible. And Nightcrawler himself is nowhere in sight…
It's then that we cut back to the Ship where Nightcrawler now appears before the Celestial. "Who are you to challenge the sacrifice [Rogue] has made?" it demands, "Not to challenge it but to complete it," replies Kurt. Yep, Nightcrawler has decided to sacrifice himself in order to spare the life of Rogue, his sibling.
"I know they will grieve," says Kurt, "but I also believe, in time, my memory will be a seed from which new ones will grow. Each day is a new blessing to share with one another."
"How can you be so certain your end will bring forth all this life?" asks the Celestial. Good question Celesty! To which Nightcrawler responds: "Because I have faith."
It's the perfect answer, the kind that could have only come from Kurt. But do I have faith that killing Nightcrawler off was the right decision?
Who dies in the X-Men '97 season 2 finale?
The big casualty in the X-Men '97 season 2 finale is Nightcrawler, who sacrifices his life to a Celestial so that his sister, Rogue, may live. Apocalypse is defeated by a powered up Rogue, but isn't technically dead; rather, he's trapped in a gem under Cable's supervision, which isn't much of a life, either. The life/death balance actually evens out for the X-Men by the time the credits roll, because Gambit is fully back in the land of the living thanks to Rogue's deal with the Celestial. I'll miss Kurt, but at least his sacrifice meant something.
Does Nightcrawler die in the X-Men '97 season 2 finale?
Yes, Nightcrawler dies in the X-Men '97 season 2 finale. On the one hand, it's comforting to see that X-Men '97 doesn't like to give easy answers or wrap things up with a bow on top. Raising the stakes like this adds a lot of emotional weight to the risks the X-Men take in fighting for a better world. It's also a welcome departure from the comics where no one stays dead for long.
"But why did it have to be Nightcrawler?" I scream through tears. Of all the team members who could have sacrificed themselves this way, Kurt is the one who has perhaps enjoyed the least screen time, barely appearing at all in the OG '90s show.
That adds an extra layer to the hurt, although it remains to be seen if Kurt's death will one day be reversed in the same way Gambit's just was. Killing off mainstays like him and Magneto makes for powerful telly, but let's hope future seasons don't start resorting to death as a crutch for when the emotional stakes need to be raised. Honestly, I don't know if my heart can take it.
What happens in the X-Men '97 season 2 post-credits scene?
In a surprise post-credits scene, it's revealed that Nightcrawler's mutant-hating father, Graydon Creed, has been appointed as the new President of the United States. That's hardly ideal for the X-Men, who are still grieving such a huge loss. But wait. There's more!
We then cut to Valerie Cooper, who's looking at a picture of Mystique in some classified files. There's no time to think about that though because the door to the office then opens and it's… it's Valerie Cooper!
The first Valerie then transforms back into Mystique and shoots the real Valerie. "Don't mind me," she says. "Just catching up on some reading. 'Mystique determined to attack the United States?' I'll say…" And then the 90s-style credits roll in.
How long has Mystique been posing as Valerie Cooper?
This is impossible to know for sure (at least until someone from Marvel Animation Studios comes out and confirms it), but fans have long suspected that Mystique might be impersonating Valerie Cooper. A big clue came in season one's Genosha episode when Val reacted weirdly to Rogue's arrival, because Mystique is, of course, Rogue's adoptive mother.
There was an even bigger clue a couple of episodes back when Polaris petted a diamond-patterned cat in Valerie's office, which looked remarkably like a cat named Mystique from the Ultimate X-Men comics.
This post-credits scene confirms that Mystique has indeed been impersonating Valerie. What's not clear, though, is just how long she's been doing it for. Was that Mystique in Genosha? If she really has been playing the role of Valerie for so long, wouldn't someone have noticed something was amiss by now?
What do the names and pictures in Val's classified files mean?
There are some fun Easter eggs, and potentially a major season 3 tease buried in the classified files that Mystique is flipping through. First, note how each alias corresponds to someone who has played Mystique in the past, including Randall C, Rebecca R and Jennifer L, aka Randall Carpenter, Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence.
Perhaps more excitingly, there are also some pictures depicting past members from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, including future Avengers Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Could either (or both) pop up in season 3?
Will the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants appear in X-Men '97 season 3?
The X-Men '97 season 2 finale sure seems to be setting up a return for the anti-X-Men in season 3. Mystique is a key member, of course, and there's every possibility those quick glimpses of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch were a tease of something to come. And after Apocalypse, a season focused around a more traditional conflict between the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants would be welcome, even if Magneto is no longer around to lead the opposition.
Whatever the case, get ready for the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to take centre with members like Toad, Pyro and Avalanche set to fight our faves. And who knows. Maybe they'll even centre Mystique's relationship with Destiny at last in season three too. Either way, don't expect everything to go easy for the X-Men. Their destiny has never been easy and the show isn't about to let up on them now.
X-Men '97 season 2 is now streaming in full on Disney Plus. For more, check out our list of upcoming Marvel movies and shows, or dive into the X-Men back catalogue with our guide to watching the X-Men movies in order.
