X-Men '97 Season 2's New Costumes & Confirmed Mutants, Explained

"X-Men '97" creator Beau DeMayo may have been fired by Marvel before Season 1 even premiered. However, that hasn't stopped him from confirming the news that Season 2 of the Disney+ animated show will feature some very interesting new mutants by way of tactical social media usage in the wake of some D23 revelations. 

I told you all she was one of my favorites and I always find a way to work my favorites in #XMen97 #polaris https://t.co/pewwg7AwVE

— Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) August 10, 2024

Yes, it looks like the upcoming "X-Men '97" Season 2 will indeed bring Warlock, Havok, and Polaris in the mutant mix. What's more, in another retweet on X (formerly Twitter), DeMayo confirmed that the sophomore season will see the titular team wearing the distinctive costumes from writer Grant Morrison's early-2000s "New X-Men" run, which the former "X-Men '97" boss teased to be a significant clue of the season's storylines. "As with all costume changes, this decision was rooted in story for me and the themes Season 2 will explore. Obviously, these suits have strong ties to Genosha and E is for Extinction," DeMayo wrote. 

Combined with this costume reveal, the introduction of the three new characters opens many significant storyline avenues for "X-Men '97" Season 2. Let's take a look at where the show seems to be taking things. 

Considering how Cyclops (Ray Chase) turned out to be Marvel's coolest mutant on "X-Men '97," bringing in his little brother Alex "Havok" Summers might be one of the more interesting developments in Season 2. Like Cyclops, Havok is a mutant with energy powers with a penchant for leading assorted X-teams — only, his blasts are cosmic radiation powered plasma that he channels through his entire body, generally using his hands to direct the attacks. Interestingly from a sibling rivalry standpoint, the two are entirely immune to each other's powers, so whenever an argument gets physical, a quick energy blast isn't likely to settle matters. 

Since Havok is coming, it's only natural for Lorna "Polaris" Dane to turn up, as well. Polaris is Magneto's (Matthew Waterson) daughter and has a similar power set, but she tends to prefer academia instead of the tug-of-war between superheroes and villains. She also starts her X-Men affiliation at roughly the same time as Havok, and the pair shares a long and complicated romantic history. The alien Warlock, on the other hand, takes things to a whole different direction. A shape-shifting techno-organic entity, he's generally affiliated with the X-Men B-team New Mutants, and team member Cypher in particular. 

Well, that's their comic book incarnations, anyway. It's worth noting that all three characters have already appeared in the original "X-Men: The Animated Series." Havok and Polaris (Terri Hawkes) are instrumental members of Forge's X-Factor team, and the latter also appears during "The Phalanx Covenant" alien empire storyline that heavily revolves around rogue Phalanx member Warlock (David Corban).

The arrival of the Grant Morrison-era costumes and DeMayo's confirmation that they have something to do with the mutant haven Genosha and the "E Is for Extinction" storyline are fairly strong hints of the things to come. Fascinatingly enough, "E Is for Extinction" combines classic "X-Men '97" stuff like Sentinels and the Master Mold (David Fox) with the emergence of a brand new villain, who's none other than "Deadpool and Wolverine" antagonist Cassandra Nova. It remains to be seen whether Emma Corrin will turn up to revisit the role, or if the show decides to visit the "E Is for Extinction" story from another angle. 

Apart from these essentially confirmed storylines, the presence of Havok, Polaris, and Warlock also offers some clues. Considering how rapidly "X-Men '97" Season 1 weaves through major comic book storylines like "Inferno," it's unlikely that the major Season 2 beats that involve the three characters will last beyond an episode or two. Precisely what they are, on the other hand, is harder to pinpoint. 

It's always possible that the reintroduction of Polaris and Warlock means a return to the Phalanx issue. This might mean that Season 2 will cover the techno-organic species' most prominent non-"Phalanx Covenant" storyline — the Phalanx's attempt to conquer the Kree Empire with Avengers villain Ultron. Interestingly, this storyline also features the Guardians of the Galaxy, so fans might even get to see the mutants team up with some version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's favorite space-faring heroes. Havok and Polaris might also still be affiliated with the government-funded X-Factor, which might mean that Forge (Gil Birmingham) also retains his links to the team. Regardless of where "X-Men '97" Season 2 takes things, things are clearly going to get wild.