'X-Men '97's Best Easter Egg Could Hint At A Wild Role For The Animated Avengers
X-Men ‘97 (2024) has been a great return to the earlier animated superhero universe, bringing back the classic iterations of the characters while updating them for the 21st century. For longtime fans, one of the best aspects of the show has been the way it’s been able to subtly reference plenty of stories surrounding the superhero characters. Whether that be deep cuts to the comics or sly allusions to Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994), X-Men ‘97 has been having a lot of fun with the larger Marvel sandbox.
That definitely continues in Season 2, which has used the time-travel aspects of the story to litter the first three episodes with allusions to Marvel characters and concepts. This includes a great little Easter egg in the first episode, which reveals that two major Marvel Cinematic Universe Avengers characters, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, still retain their mutant connections to the X-Men in this universe. The Easter egg also explains why they are missing from the show, with a potential tease to other stories. This could just be a fun allusion to the larger universe, but it could also be the first step toward a brewing conflict that could play out in future storylines.
Where Are Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch In 'X-Men '97'?
The best Easter egg in the first three episodes of X-Men ‘97’s second season could quietly set up a grander Marvel Universe story. In the first episode, Bishop and Forge venture across the time-stream to find their missing teammates. Behind them is a poster of major mutants in the world, including Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. While modern comics and adaptations like the Marvel Cinematic Universe have downplayed that connection, Wanda and Pietro’s status as mutants was a major element of their storylines in the 1990s.
They both appeared in X-Men: The Animated Series (1992), with Quicksilver being a member of X-Factor and both siblings appearing in the Season 4 episode “Family Ties,” which underscored their connection to Magneto. The poster in X-Men ‘97 seemingly confirms that they are still mutants in this continuity but that they are currently “off world” and unable to be called upon for assistance. It’s a clever way for the show to avoid having to unpack their relationship to Magneto right now, while also quietly setting up potential storylines for this universe’s version of the Avengers.
The Avengers Being Off World Could Set Up Future Stories
In Marvel Comics, it’s not uncommon for major storylines to happen concurrently, which can be used as an in-universe excuse for why the heroes don’t just show up to fix one another’s problems. In this case, Wanda and Pietro being “off world” suggests they are on some major mission that would require space travel or exploration into the different planes. The former is the more likely explanation, given the continuity of the era X-Men ‘97 is playing with.
In the 1990s, Wanda and Pietro were both heavily involved in X-Men and Avengers stories, serving as one of the primary connecting points between the two franchises. One of the biggest Avengers stories of this era was “Operation Galactic Storm,” which saw the Avengers flung into an intergalactic conflict between the Skrulls, the Kree, and the Shi’Ar.
With the Shi’Ar reappearing in the first season of X-Men '97 and still grappling with their imperialistic ways, there’s a chance that Xavier’s disappearance came just as the galactic empire was getting entangled in massive wars. This, in turn, could lead to greater tensions between Xavier and Lilandra when he eventually returns to the present, setting up cosmic conflicts for the X-Men to get involved in. This could be where the Avengers are during the second season of X-Men ‘97, justifying the absence of Scarlet Witch and even Quicksilver, who may have been absent from the comics event but was a frequent Avenger and could be back on that team in this universe.
Will We Get An Animated Avengers Vs. X-Men?
Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver being in space opens up the possibility that the Avengers are dealing with the mess Xavier left when he returned to Earth, giving them reason to be frustrated with the mutant heroes. The Avengers are often more attuned to the authorities as well, which the show reaffirmed in Season 1 when Captain America confronted Rogue about her rampage in the aftermath of Gambit’s death. They, like X-Factor, could become frustrated with the X-Men’s refusal to play by the rules and try to intervene. All of these clues could be setting the stage for future seasons of X-Men ‘97 to position the mutant team against Earth’s Mightiest Avengers.
There’s plenty of precedent for that, whether it be the comics event Avengers vs. X-Men or the tensions likely to explode in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday (2026) between the surviving heroes of various realities. It could even be an exciting throughline for future seasons of X-Men ‘97, giving the mutant heroes a major new threat to contend with that feels distinct from the first two seasons. It’d also be a clever way to expand this animated Marvel Universe and tease out how the X-Men could interact with the other established heroes of the universe. While the Wanda and Pietro Easter egg is a minor beat, it could be setting up much bigger things.
