The latest episode of X-Men ’97, “Danger.exe,” has an as-usual wild amount of things going on, from Polaris (Caroline Ravassa) joining the team and dealing with the legacy of her deceased father, Magneto (Matthew Waterson), to the introduction of X-Corp and the poofy costumes from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s New X-Men era in the comics. But the big shocker, the one the Watcher shows up for at the end of the episode? Spoilers past this point, but Gambit (A.J. LoCascio) is back, mon chere. And he’s Apocalypse’s (Ross Marquand) Horseman of Death.
Mind you, it’s not quite a shocker only because most Marvel Comics readers predicted this very event happening after the Season 1 finale of the series found Apocalypse digging a burnt playing card out of the ruins of Genosha… What is surprising (and fun) is how after this packed half-hour of television, the event finally happens.
And yes, that is the Watcher showing up in Athens, a cosmic being who exists only to watch and show up at important events in the universe. Here, Apocalypse has Gambit’s corpse in a machine he’s been building, and turns it on, shocking the body full of power (side note: it’s funny that Apocalypse shouts “more power” to nobody, but it’s a reference to Frankenstein so we’ll let it slide). Playing cards fly in the air, transforming into Tarot cards, and enveloping the corpse. And as they infuse the body with dark power, we see a close-up on Gambit’s face, giving his distinct smirk but with a more dangerous look than usual.
That’s because — and jumping ahead here — Apocalypse has transformed the formerly dead Gambit into Death. This is actually a storyline direct from Marvel Comics: Gambit was similarly transformed in 2006’s X-Men #186, and to be kind this was not an exactly beloved storyline. Gambit was also transformed back to normal eventually, and that’s what I’d expect will also happen here.
But more than that, with three episodes left in the season, this is going to mean big things for Rogue (Lenore Zann) in particular. And with the eighth episode titled “The Dead Man’s Hand,” well, you can probably figure out when this will all come to a head. Sure version? Gambit’s about to make a name for himself right here, and that name is Death.
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
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