Review: X-Men 97 “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs”

Overview

Wolverine, Morph, and an unlikely group of former rivals face the latest Weapon X experiment…

Our Take

Picking up from the previous episode, Wolverine takes center stage this week as he embarks on a dangerous mission connected to his ties to the Canadian government’s “Weapon-X” program. While a Wolverine-focused story sounds like an unusual direction after the massive Apocalypse arc, this episode quickly proves that it was the right call. The result gives off the vibes of a tense, claustrophobic sci-fi thriller that blends horror, action, and Wolverine’s complicated history with Weapon X while bringing back several familiar faces from his past.

The rest of the proceedings creates some of the strongest suspense of the season so far, with the Xenomorph-inspired Brood serving as a terrifying threat that gives the story a clear Alien and Predator influence. The return of characters like Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, Maverick, and Omega Red adds plenty of excitement, with Omega Red’s intimidating presence being one of the biggest highlights. While bringing back deeper cuts like Maverick and Garrison Kane were welcomed choices. The only thing I found strange was that longtime enemies like Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike would willingly work alongside Wolverine despite their intensely violent histories with him. At the same time, Morph becomes one of the episode’s biggest strengths, as the story further explores his complicated connection with Logan, and J.P. Karliak’s performance consistently brings a lot of levity and personality to Morph, making his humor, insecurity, and loyalty stand out in a group full of brutal killers and mutant mercs.

Overall, this was a strong and memorable entry that successfully balances thrilling action with meaningful character moments. While Wolverine’s personal journey and return to his classic status could have been explored in greater depth, the episode still delivers thanks to its suspenseful storytelling, impressive animation, strong voice performances, and deeper focus on Morph’s complicated bond with Logan. With its horror-inspired atmosphere, intense battles, and callbacks to classic X-Men stories, this episode proves that even after decades, the Weapon X legacy still has a few sharp claws left.