Warning: The following contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 Season 1.
X-Men ’97 Season 1 is bursting at the seams with shout-outs to the wider Marvel canon – including brief appearances by characters not primarily associated with the X-franchise. Below, we’ve rounded up every major Marvel cameo in X-Men ’97 Season 1.
Related: X-Men ’97: How Are Bastion and Nimrod Connected?
1. The Watcher
Eagle-eyed viewers will spot the spectral form of Uatu the Watcher in the sky above Genosha in X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 5, “Remember It.” Marvel’s resident cosmic voyeur’s presence goes unexplained in the episode itself, however, it’s implied he’s there to witness the impending Genosha massacre. Supervising director Jake Castorena later confirmed this was the rationale behind Uatu’s cameo in a Screen Rant interview. “[A] significant moment, genocide is about to happen… How could The Watcher not be there to witness this?” he said. Castorena also rightly observed that the Watcher made similar cameos in X-Men ’97‘s precursor, X-Men: The Animated Series.
2. Ronan the Accuser
X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 6, “Lifedeath – Part 2,” comes frontloaded with a Ronan the Accuser cameo. Here, the hammer-packing zealot leads the Kree forces into battle against Deathbird and Shi’ar troops. This tracks with Ronan’s characterization in Marvel’s comics canon, which has presented him as fanatically loyal to the Kree from his first appearance in 1967’s Fantastic Four #65. It’s also in-line with how Ronan carries himself in the MCU – including live-action outings Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel – although X-Men ’97‘s Ronan is a separate character.
Related: X-Men ’97: Why Does Valerie Cooper Free Magneto?
3. Thunderbolt Ross
During Rogue’s rampage in X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 7, “Bright Eyes,” she crosses paths with General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. Here, as in the comics and countless other adaptations, Ross is the Hulk’s nemesis – relentlessly pursuing the Jade Giant with the backing of the US military. We don’t see any of this on screen, although Ross references his pursuit of the Hulk in a line of dialogue. This could also double as a nod to UPN’s mid-90s Incredible Hulk animated series, however, as that show’s Thunderbolt Ross and the X-Men ’97 version are almost certainly the same character.
4. Captain America
Rogue’s Episode 7 antics also result in a tense encounter between her and Steve Rogers/Captain America. Pre-dating the Marvel Universe proper, Cap officially joined Marvel’s shared continuity when The Avengers #4 hit stands in 1964. He’s now one of the publisher’s most recognizable characters, while his MCU counterpart was a major box office draw before actor Chris Evans retired from the role following 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Captain America previously made several appearances in X-Men: The Animated Series, including the Season 5 episode “Old Soldiers,” which detailed his World War II escapades alongside Wolverine.
5. Doctor Doom
X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 8, “Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 1,” reveals that Doctor Doom’s native Latveria is one of several UN member nations supporting Operation: Zero Tolerance. Doom isn’t impressed with how Bastion is running the OZT, however, and is briefly shown voicing his displeasure. Doctor Doom started out as the Fantastic Four‘s archvillain in the 1960s, before gradually becoming one of the most iconic Marvel baddies, period. He shows up in almost every Fantastic Four adaptation – including all three live-action flicks – as well as in broader Marvel-oriented fare. The X-Men ’97 version of Doctor Doom is seemingly the same guy from the mid-90s Fantastic Four cartoon, as X-Men: The Animated Series characters cameoed in its second season.
Related: X-Men ’97: Why Couldn’t Cable Prevent the Genosha Massacre?
6. Baron Zemo
Episode 8 also outs another legendary Marvel supervillain, Baron Zemo, as an OZT collaborator. In the comics, Baron Heinrich Zemo was one of Captain America’s enemies during World War II and was responsible for the death of his sidekick, Bucky Barnes. Zemo’s son, Helmut, kept the rivalry going after Cap re-emerged in the present day. Both father and son have appeared in several Marvel adaptations, with a tweaked take on the Helmut Zemo incarnation of the character playing a key role in Captain America: Civil War and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
7. Spider-Man
“Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 1” isn’t limited to just Marvel villain cameos, though. On the contrary, we get a fleeting glimpse of the publisher’s flagship superhero, Spider-Man, backflipping across a New York City rooftop late in the game. Spidey has headed up (or otherwise appeared in) a plethora of adaptations since his 1962 comics debut. The X-Men ’97 version is presumably that same wall-crawler from the mid-90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series. After all, X-Men: The Animated Series crossed over with that show in 1995. Spider-Man’s civilian identity, Peter Parker – as well as that of his fan-favorite adversary, Venom — is included as an Easter egg earlier in X-Men ’97 Season 1 too.
And those are all the major Marvel cameos in X-Men ’97. The show is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Wednesdays.
