X-Men ‘97 showrunner Beau DeMayo has revealed he took inspiration from the Superman movie Man of Steel for one pivotal moment in the season 1 finale.
The co-creator of the series recently took to Twitter to share the influence director Zack Snyder’s 2013 movie had on the moment when Rogue finally got her hands on Bastion. "I was likely subconsciously influenced by this when writing the X-Men '97 finale beat of Rogue punching Bastion," wrote DeMayo. "That's not Superman hammering Zod. It's Clark, a son furiously defending the woman who raised and protected him. The action is driven by emotion not plot. #manofsteel"
The scene DeMayo is referring to in Man of Steel is when Zod lands on Superman’s mother’s property and proceeds to threaten her, even holding her up by her neck and throwing her to the ground. In an emotional rage, Henry Cavill’s Superman hurtles towards Zod, picking him up and dragging him through corn fields while punching him, Saying "You think you can frighten my mother?" In this moment it is clear that this isn't the rational hero, but a loyal and protective Clark Kent who has snapped over someone threatening to hurt his mother.
As anyone who watched all of X-Men '97 knows, Rogue hasn't had the best of times in the series. So, when she got the chance to face off with the X-Men villain, she let her feelings be known and her superhero agenda went out of the window for a moment, making way for her human emotions. But it felt like a pretty full circle moment, even if she didn't deliver the final blow.
Fans were pretty stoked over the crossover, one even asked DeMayo if more of the show was influenced by DC movies: "You actually picked a lot of visuals from Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, right?" To which the showrunner replied, "I don't know if I’d say a lot, or if they were picked versus I’m influenced by things I love, and stuff seeps in via osmosis if that makes any sense."
The X-Men ‘97 finale was certainly one for the books, landing via three consecutive weekly episodes with Tolerance is Extinction Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. However, the adventure doesn't end there as the series has already been renewed for a second season and a third season. An official synopsis, cast list, or release date has yet to be released for X-Men ‘97 season 2 though.
