X-Men ’97: Why Does Valerie Cooper Free Magneto?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 8, “Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 1.”

X-Men ’97 Season 1’s latest episode, “Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 1,” sees Dr. Valerie Cooper help Magneto escape Operation: Zero Tolerance. So, why does Valerie Cooper free Magneto in X-Men ’97?

Related: Will There Be an X-Men ’97 Season 2?

Why Valerie Cooper Frees Magneto In X-Men ’97, Explained

“Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 1” confirms that Valerie Cooper is part of OZT, making her an unlikely candidate to spring Magneto. Yet she does – why? Because she agrees with him. It turns out OZT boss Bastion didn’t brief Val on the full extent of his plans before she signed up, and she’s disgusted by his genocidal agenda. Cooper’s disgust soon tips over into outright rebellion after she clocks the imprisoned Master of Magnetism’s Holocaust tattoo. This convinces her that – as the slogan goes – Magneto is right: humanity will inevitably exterminate those they fear.

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And so Cooper removes Magneto’s Inhibitor Collar, restoring his powers so that he can take down Bastion’s Prime Sentinels. Along the way, she muses that the X-Men’s current leader arguably understands homo sapiens’ true nature better than his idealistic predecessor and former rival, Charles Xavier, ever did. Whether she’s right or not, Cooper’s actions will have major repercussions for X-Men ’97 Season 1’s two remaining episodes. Not only is Bastion now very unhappy with her, but Magneto’s assault on the Prime Sentinels has triggered a war between mutants and humans.

Does Valerie Cooper Help the X-Men in the Comics?

Yep, although she’s also often at odds with both the X-Men and the wider mutant community. Indeed, the Valerie Cooper of the comics was instrumental in putting Magneto on trial – just like her cartoon counterpart in X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 2, “Mutant Liberation Begins.” She’s also concerned with mutants’ potentially dangerous impact on the world, especially in her early appearances. And even in the later, more moderate phase of her career, Val thought reviving the Sentinel program was a good idea (spoilers: it wasn’t). That said, Cooper isn’t affiliated with OZT in the comics (she’s not that extreme).

Related: X-Men ’97: How Old Is Rogue?

What’s more, Marvel’s X-Men comics canon often depicts Cooper as a covert ally of Professor X and his students. She slips the X-Men vital intel on the sly and even covers their tracks after they break into the Pentagon. Val also has a lengthy history with another mutant superhero team X-Factor, serving as their government liaison. Mutants have occasionally helped Cooper, too. Notably, Mystique impersonated Val while she recovered from a gunshot wound. Mystique went to extreme lengths to keep Cooper safe, including hypnotizing herself into believing she truly was Val!

X-Men ’97 is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Wednesdays.