After the heartbreaking end of this week’s episode of X-Men ’97 Season 2, “Rise of Apocalypse – Part II,” you’d think the show would let us wallow in grief for a little bit. Nope! Instead, there’s a surprise mid-credits scene on the episode that tees up some fun in next week’s episode. Specifically, and spoilers past this point, the delightful appearance of Black Widow (Lake Bell) and Captain America (Josh Keaton) in a riff on the iconic “Madripoor Knights” storyline by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee in 1990’s Uncanny X-Men #268.
To give a little more context here, while the X-Men stuck in Ancient Egypt are brought forward in time (we don’t get to see if they made it home), the team that was stuck far in the future is back in the 1990s — and that includes Wolverine (Cal Dodd). We don’t know exactly what’s going on with them as the focus shifted to the past-stuck X-Men in the previous two episodes. But after the main credits of this week’s episode, it cuts to a scene of Wolverine in a little black cap and black suit, waiting for someone — or someones — on a rooftop.
Wolverine, we should note, has his bone claws. So continuity-wise, this definitely takes place after Episode 2 “A Force To Be Reckoned With.” As Wolverine waits, he’s approached by both Cap and Black Widow, who note they’ve worked with him before. And they warn him he’s headed down a dangerous road, handing him a file that says “Weapon X” on it. Wolverine says not to worry, though: he’s getting the band back together.
Given next week’s episode is titled “Weapon X, Lies, And DVDs,” it seems likely that we’re going to follow Wolverine teaming up with some other Weapon X refugees. That likely includes Deadpool, who was seen in the trailer for the new season. And it could include additional characters like Maverick, Sabretooth, and others.
Interestingly, other than Wolverine, Black Widow, and Captain America meeting on a rooftop — a clear reference to Jim Lee and Scott Williams’s cover to Uncanny X-Men #268 — there’s nothing really to take from that comic book storyline. That took place in two timelines… The first in 1941 as Wolverine and Cap team up to rescue a young Natasha Romanoff from the ninja clan The Hand in Madripoor. The second in the “present” of the ’90s, as Natasha — now Black Widow — returns to Madripoor, and gets rescued by Psylocke, Jubilee and Wolverine.
Basically? It’s a very cool Easter egg fans of the “iykyk” variety. But other than it being fun to hear Bell back as Black Widow (she previously voiced the character on What If…?) and seeing the three together, it sure seems like the show is heading in a totally different direction next week. Hey, at least it doesn’t let us wallow in grief, like that whole “Gambit dying” thing.
Here, for your reference, is the cover if you’re curious:
X-Men ’97 Season 2 Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:
X-Men ’97 Season 2 premieres on Wednesday, July 1 on Disney+ at 3am ET / Midnight PT, with three new episodes on premiere date followed by one episode weekly until the finale.
Here’s the full list of episodes in X-Men ’97 Season 2 with expected premiere dates:
- Wednesday, July 1, 2026: X-Men ’97, Season 2, Episode 1, “Days Of Past Future”
- Wednesday, July 1, 2026: X-Men ’97, Season 2, Episode 2, “A Force To Be Reckoned With”
- Wednesday, July 1, 2026: X-Men ’97, Season 2, Episode 3, “Rise Of Apocalypse – Part I”
- Wednesday, July 8, 2026: X-Men ’97, Season 2, Episode 4, “Rise Of Apocalypse – Part II”
- Wednesday, July 15, 2026: X-Men ’97, Season 2, Episode 5, “Weapon X, Lies, And DVDs”
- Wednesday, July 22, 2026: X-Men ’97, Season 2, Episode 6, “Danger.exe”
- Wednesday, July 29, 2026: X-Men ’97, Season 2, Episode 7, “Strange Land, Savage Heart”
- Wednesday, August 5, 2026: X-Men ’97, Season 2, Episode 8, “The Dead Man’s Hand”
- Wednesday, August 12, 2026: X-Men ’97, Season 2, Episode 9, “Survival Of The Fittest” *Season Finale*
Where To Watch X-Men ’97 Season 2
Listen to MarvelVision:
Share this:
Discover more from Comic Book Club
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.