The Terrifying Marvel Villain Who Keeps Laughing Over The X-Men '97 Intro
Contains spoilers for "X-Men '97" Episode 2 — "Mutant Liberation Begins"
"X-Men '97" has finally arrived on Disney+, and much to the childish joy of fans of "X-Men: The Animated Series," the iconic intro has remained intact, fortifying the first reactions to "X-Men '97," all of which said the same thing: It's a worthy follow-up to the 1990s classic. There are, however, a few additions to the polished version, including title cards for Morph (JP Karliak) and Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith) and a shot of Morph surrounded by black strands and running from an unseen force as a threatening cackle is heard in the background.
A close-up of Morph's eye shows the reflection of the red eyes and diamond of Mister Sinister (Chris Britton, an original "X-Men" animated series voice actor who returned for "X-Men 97"). First appearing in the comics in "Uncanny X-Men" #221, Mister Sinister is a supervillain and geneticist obsessed with cloning and creating new life by tinkering with DNA, particularly that of mutants. He's been a constant enemy of the X-Men, and with his presence teased on "X-Men '97," it looks like history is set to repeat itself and that Morph might play a factor in it again.
Does Mister Sinister still have a grip on Morph on X-Men '97?
For those who didn't watch "X-Men: The Animated Series" before "X-Men '97," Mister Sinister uses a brainwashed Morph (Ron Rubin) as a pawn to infiltrate the X-Men in Season 2's opening episodes, "'Til Death Do Us Part: Part One" and "'Til Death Do Us Part: Part Two," and two-part finale, "Reunion – Part One" and "Reunion – Part Two." Given his hinted presence, it's fair to say that he could be the primary threat of the all-new series, taking over from Magneto (Matthew Waterson), who's now siding with Cyclops (Ray Chase) and the superteam of mutants.
He might even be set to arrive as early as next week following the cliff-hanger we're left with in "Mutant Liberation Begins." A case of double trouble has been dropped on the doorstep of the Xavier Mansion with the appearance of another woman claiming to be Jean Grey (Catherine Disher). In the comics, Mister Sinister clones the powerful telepath, which suggests the same might be happening here.
It'll also be interesting to see if Mister Sinister's return will impact Morph, who seems to have fully recovered from their ("X-Men '97" has confirmed this returning Marvel mutant as non-binary) ordeal with the legendary villain but might have old wounds reopened if their former master returns. We'll find out when Episode 3 of "X-Men '97" airs on Disney+ next week.