Review: X-Men 97 “Survival of the Fittest”

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Overview

The X-Men are pushed to the limit when a ghost from their past comes back to haunt them….

Our Take

Picking up from the previous episode, the season finale throws the X-Men into an all-out battle as X-Force and X-Factor unite against them, while the threat of Apocalypse continues to hang over Gambit. The episode brings several of the season’s ongoing conflicts to a head, with Cable, Polaris, Rogue, and Nightcrawler each receiving meaningful moments during the chaos. The large-scale action is once again impressive, and the animation remains as spectacular as ever, but some of the season’s biggest storylines are resolved far more quickly than expected, keeping certain emotional beats from reaching their full potential.

The biggest issue is Apocalypse himself. After being such a dominant presence earlier in the season, his storyline feels increasingly sidelined, making his eventual return and confrontation with the X-Men feel rushed and somewhat anticlimactic. By comparison, the emotional material surrounding Rogue, Gambit, and Nightcrawler is much more effective, giving the finale some genuinely heartfelt moments amid all the destruction. While the season clearly had plenty of ambitious ideas, its fast pacing ultimately prevented some of them from receiving the development they deserved, especially when compared to the more focused first season.

Overall, this was an entertaining yet uneven season finale that delivers some fantastic action and emotional character moments while struggling to bring the Apocalypse storyline to a satisfying conclusion. Even if Season 2 doesn’t quite stick the landing as strongly as its predecessor, it still leaves the door open for plenty of exciting possibilities. Thankfully, fans won’t have to wonder whether this is the end, as Season 3 and 4 have both recently been announced, giving the series plenty of room to build upon what came before. And be sure to stick around during the credits, because a shocking twist sets the stage for what’s to come in the future!