X-Men '97 Creator Confirmed The Identity Of Episode 8's Big Marvel Cameo
This article contains spoilers for "X-Men '97" Season 1 Episode 8, "Tolerance is Extinction – Part 1"
It seems like every episode of "X-Men '97" to date has been full of big moments, wild action, and game-changing revelations, and Episode 8, "Tolerance is Extinction – Part 1," is no exception. Bastion (Theo James) unleashes his new and improved Sentinels around the world, putting the X-Men and other mutants in the fight of their lives. Thankfully, Magneto (Matthew Waterson) swoops in to save the day just in time, using his power of magnetism to shut down the Sentinels on a global scale. This act doesn't go unnoticed by non-mutant heroes, either.
As Magneto shuts down the Sentinels, none other than Spider-Man bears witness to the act. As it turns out, this isn't just any old incarnation of the iconic web-slinger. According to "X-Men '97" creator Beau DeMayo, who cameos on the show just a few episodes prior, this is a version of Spidey most '90s kids are quite familiar with. When asked on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, if this was the one voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes on "Spider-Man: The Animated Series," DeMayo replied, "It is indeed that Spider-Man."
Even though he doesn't get any lines, it's great to see Barnes' Spider-Man, one of the best versions of Spider-Man of all time, on the small screen again. After all, he has some history with the heroes of "X-Men '97" and formerly "X-Men: The Animated Series."
Spidey is quite familiar with the X-Men
"Spider-Man: The Animated Series," which ran from 1994 to 1998, is the definitive adaptation in the eyes of many. Swinging from one New York City skyscraper to the next, Spidey not only saves the innocent from the schemes of his rogues' gallery but does his best to balance life as a superhero and a regular person. Along the way, he encounters other versions of himself from across the Multiverse as well as other legendary Marvel heroes. Seeing as their series was also taking its place as one of the most popular animated superhero shows ever at the time, it's no surprise the X-Men crossed paths with the web-slinger.
The X-Men feature prominently in two "Spider-Man: The Animated Series" episodes, Season 2's "The Mutant Agenda" and "Mutants' Revenge." Spidey joins the team in stopping Herbert Landon (David Warner) from executing his master plan to destroy all mutants. On the flip side, Spider-Man doesn't get a whole lot to do in his one and only "X-Men: The Animated Series" appearance. In "The Phoenix Saga, Part V: Child of Light" from Season 3, his forearm alone is shown spinning a web to prevent airborne debris from hitting a civilian.
With his presence during the time of "X-Men '97" confirmed, time will tell if Spider-Man will reemerge to help his mutant friends as Bastion continues to wreak havoc.