Ideas For X-Men ‘97 Part 3

Previously I wrote two articles about ideas I think X-Men ‘97 should explore. The first focused what I thought were likely plots based on what occurred in the original series.The second speculated on how smaller parts of the show could be expanded.Finally I would like to write about characters who were noticeably absent in the original show and how I’d like to see them incorporated in X-Men ‘97.

Kitty Pryde

I think the most obvious person to add to the X-Men in the ‘97 series is Kitty Pryde. Before the X-Men Animated Series there was “Pryde of the X-Men” a pilot episode where Kitty Pryde was the youngest member of X-Men. That pilot was not well received enough to warrant a series with that team of X-Men but the X-Men Animated Series began shortly after with Jubilee as the newest member and Kitty Pryde totally absent. I think introducing Kitty Pryde as the newest mutant in the team would be pretty logical for X-Men ‘97. This could obviously lead to plots revolving around her but she could also be an audience surrogate. In this role her learning about the X-Men and events from the animated series could simultaneously fill in what happened before X-Men ‘97 for new audiences. As for plots revolving around Kitty Pryde there are a few ideas that spring to mind. My favourite arc revolving around her is Days Of Future Past but this was already adapted in the animated series. But I could see there being an episode or two where Kitty fights a N’Garai demon or finds Lockheed the Dragon similar to how she does in the comics.

Arcade

As for villains to add, my favourite villain who was not in the original series but could fit well In X-Men ‘97 is Arcade. On top of his presence in X-Men comics, he was the primary antagonist of two X-Men games around the animated series’ time period and I even have an X-Men deck of cards from 94 which feature him on a joker. Yet to my knowledge there is zero reference to him in an X-Men series that was infamous for the amount of characters it packed into its episodes. This absence is likely due to how violent the character can be as it’s hard to base an episode on Arcade’s “Murderworld” in a show aimed at children. However, if X-Men ‘97 aims for an older demographic to apeal to fans of the original show Arcade is one of the biggest villains I can think of not featured in the initial run. They wouldn’t need to go extreme with it, but I think a pretty menacing Arcade could be done with a tone similar to Marvel’s What If series.

Deadpool

If X-Men ‘97 does aim for an older demographic I’d like to see Deadpool involved in some episodes. But even if it doesn’t I have a feeling he’ll be incorporated anyways. Deadpool was shown in the animated series but never properly featured. He’s shown in flashbacks and when Morph impersonates him but given the success of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool films I’d be surprised if Deadpool didn’t have meaningful moments in X-Men ‘97. I don’t think it’s worth forcing him into the main X-Men team but I could see him having large roles in episodes where he is part of Wolverine’s past, teaming up with Cable or on a team like X-Force.

Spider-Man

I’m not even sure if Spider-Man would be allowed to be in X-Men ‘97 due to licensing issues, but I’d sure like to see it. X-Men were featured in a handful of episodes of Spider-Man’s 90’s animated show but I believe Spider-Man’s wrist (and some webbing) is all that is shown in the X-Men Animated Series. They could incorporate Spider-Man in many ways in X-Men ‘97, but if they want to follow the lead from the 20th century comics I think their best bet is to have him in an episode with the aforementioned villain Arcade. Uncanny X-Men #123 has Spider-Man team up with the X-Men to battle Arcade so it would make sense for an episode or arc in X-Men ‘97. There is also a comic arc where Spider-Man battles the Juggernaut but that may be more suited for an episode in a Spider-Man series rather than an X-Men episode.