X-Men '97 airs horrific twists for two key team members - has everyone survived?

The revival of the classic 1990s series X-Men: The Animated Series continued in earnest this week with members of the mutant team of superheroes attending the mutant island nation of Genosha amid new political recognition from the United Nations.

However, events took an incredibly dark turn when a new threat from the Sentinels emerged and caused utter chaos, threatening mutants, including the outcast group known as the Morlocks.

Then the darkest of events unfolded when the X-Men appeared to lose two of their own...

Is Magneto dead in X-Men '97?

Magneto appeared to perish in the climax of the episode as Genosha faced its destructive attack by the Godzilla Sentinel.

This monstrous sentinel had highlighted Magneto as an "Omega-Level" threat and then after an explosion occurred when Magneto could no longer hold the weapons armed against him back, it claimed that he had been "eliminated".

Following the departure of Professor X, Magneto had been the clear leader of Xavier's vision and his death would have a huge impact on the X-Men, especially Rogue who he has a romantic spark with.

However, this is Magneto we are talking about, and we would be shocked to wave goodbye to the beloved villain turned anti-hero.

In the Grant Morrison-penned run of the comics, Magneto was similarly presumed dead in a Sentinel attack on Genosha orchestrated by Charles Xavier's evil twin sister, Casandra Nova, but was later revealed to have survived.

Could the Morlocks be protecting the Master of Magnetism? Plus, if (when) Magneto returns will he still be so keen on peaceful co-existence with homo sapiens after his near-death experience?

Is Gambit dead in X-Men '97?

In the case of the apparent death of Gambit, things look a bit bleaker.

The Cajun mutant icon Remy LeBeau charged at the Godzilla Sentinel himself after his beloved Rogue fought it in a rage after the apparent demise of Magneto.

However, once Rogue was briefly out of action from the clash, Gambit took his chance to take on their enemy instead but was impaled by it for his trouble.

Utilising his mutant ability, however, Gambit charged the metal arm he was impaled with and defeated the Godzilla Sentinel with an epic blast

Yet, tragically, in the aftermath, the explosion and his wound appeared to cost him his life, leaving Rogue holding him with her bare hands and unable to use her mutant abilities to reach any life force inside him.

"I can't feel you," said a broken Rogue.

In the comics, Gambit once died but was later revived by the villain Apocalypse who we know was restored at the end of the predecessor show X-Men: The Animated Series, so perhaps this is a method for his return...

However, season 1 showrunner Beau DeMayo seemed to suggest that this really is the end for Gambit after a creative decision when coming up with the season.

In his statement shared after the episode aired, DeMayo penned: "Yes, it looked like Gambit's story was going a specific direction. The crop top was chosen to make you love him. Him pulling off his shirt was intentional. There's a reason he told Rogue any fool would suffer her hand in a dance, even if it ended up not being him suffering. But if events like 9/11, Tulsa, Charlottesville, or Pulse Nightclub teach us anything, it's that too many stories are often cut far too short."

He earlier penned that "episode 5 was the centerpiece of my pitch to Marvel in November 2020. The idea being to have the X-Men mirror the journey that any of us who grew up on the original show have experienced since being kids in the 90s."

It seems a clear message has been sent with the series.

Plus, now Rogue's love triangle has seen her lose both of the important men in her life. Where will this leave her?

Who else died in X-Men '97 episode 5, Remember It?

Numerous individuals on Genosha were left in dire straits, were missing in action or appeared to be killed in the episode.

Other apparent deaths in the episode alongside Magneto and Gambit included:

• Dazzler
• Sebastian Shaw
• Callisto
• The Morlocks (including Leech)
• Squid Boy
• Banshee/Sean Cassidy

Other characters whose situations are not good include Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner but perhaps his teleportation ability saved him.

Elsewhere, humans Dr. Valerie Cooper and Dr. Moira MacTaggert were not shown explicitly to have survived and have less means to do so being human (at least Moira is in the show so far).

Unless, of course, Valerie Cooper is also Mystique as some fans have theorised.

Meanwhile, fellow Genoshan council member Emma Frost is not shown after the attack, but she survives a similar event in the comics due to her indestructible diamond form.

Who sent the Godzilla Sentinel in X-Men '97?

At the moment, the Godzilla Sentinel appears to have been sent in a plot by Bolivar Trask and Henry Peter Gyrich.

However, in the comics, as mentioned, Xavier's powerful twin sister Cassandra Nova was responsible for a similar attack on Genosha that appeared to claim the life of Magneto, so we will have to wait and see what happens here.

Following the Storm-centric episode next week, we have an episode titled "Bright Eyes" with the synopsis: "Cyclops focuses the X-Men on finding Bolivar Trask. However, when the team locates the Sentinel inventor, they realize that they all have been played by a mastermind."

Could this be the revelation of Cassandra Nova's involvement?

Alternatively, the mention of a "mastermind" could refer to the mutant Mastermind aka Jason Wyngarde, the villainous member of the Hellfire Club who can create psychic illusions.

Yet, given the death of Sebastian Shaw in this episode and the missing status of Emma Frost, this doesn't feel like the Hellfire Club this time.

Or could this be another nefarious plot by Mr Sinister?

X-Men '97 is available to stream exclusively on Disney Plus. New episodes weekly. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 for a year.

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