Marvel Is Dropping A New X-Men '97 Prequel; Here's What We Know

X-Men '97: Season Two is written by Steve Foxe, with art by Salvador Espin. The three-issue series will offer a peak at where Season Two of the animated series will find its X-Men, scattered across the present, past, and future of Marvel's timeline.

Marvel's New "X-Men '97" Series Fills In The Blank Spaces Between Seasons Of The Disney+ Show

X-Men '97: Season Two, Written By Steve Foxe; Art By Salvador Espin; Arriving Ahead Of Season Two Of The Show

X-Men '97's three-part Season One finale, "Tolerance is Extinction," ended with its cast divided into three distinct groups, at three different points in time. Professor X, Magneto Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Beast were hurtled back in time thousands of years to Ancient Egypt, where they found Apocalypse's younger self. Simultaneously, Cyclops and Jean Grey were sent millennia into the future, where they discover the child version of Cable.

Meanwhile, the rest of X-Men '97's characters remain in the present, trying to hold down the fort in the wake of "Extinction." According to author Steve Foxe, this made writing a Season Two prequel comic a challenge. But he was up to the challenge, and the resulting story is an essential part of '97 lore.

As Foxe explained:

For this comic series, we are squeezing into a MUCH more specific time frame for the cast. Spoilers for anyone who didn’t watch or finish Season One, but most of the X-Men have been scattered to the past or the future, with only Jubilee, Sunspot, Forge, and Bishop left in the present day. And three of those characters weren’t even regular cast members of the original show! When I watched Season One, I had the simultaneous thoughts of, Man, I really hope they invite me back for another miniseries and, Man, how the heck would we even DO another miniseries?

But we don’t take any cheats or workarounds here. Our series takes place between seasons and into the opening of Season Two’s second episode. That involved a LOT of cooperation with the Marvel Studios team, who were incredibly generous with their time and insight, as well as with all sorts of scenes and character background that didn’t make it into the show. So the series Salva and I have worked up for you not only helps to bridge the gap between seasons, but will actually end up providing additional context on characters and plot developments you’ll experience all season long.

This should definitely get X-Men '97 fans attention. The Season Two comic will include cut material from the show, and it also serves as a direct lead-in to the upcoming episodes. That makes it an example of the best kind of synergy between Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics. A true multimedia experience.

Impatiently Waiting For "X-Men '97" Season Two? Marvel Comics Has You Covered

The Season Two Comic Is Fully Canon & Full Of Can't-Miss "Additional" Material

There's a lot of ground to cover for X-Men '97: Season Two, and speaking with AIPT ahead of the first issue's release, Steve Foxe noted that the comic series, just like the show, could only fit so much. He also offered some details that hint at what viewers can anticipate from the early episodes of Season Two.

It seems Season Two, the comic, will predominantly focus on the present-day characters. The advanced previews for Season Two #2 and #3 tease the appearance of adult Cable, X-Force, and the Horsemen of Apocalypse. Foxe's statement that the comic leads "into the opening of Season Two's second episode" suggests that the season premiere might limit its focus to the characters in the past and future, and reintroduce the present-day cast in episode two.

However things go down, it's time to dial up the hype for the new season of X-Men '97. While fans wait for a precise release date for the show from Marvel Studios, they can catch up on what's been going on in between seasons with Marvel's new tie-in comic.

X-Men '97: Season Two #1 will be available June 3, 2026 from Marvel Comics.

What do you say, X-Men '97 viewers? Will you pick up this canon comic from Marvel to stay hyped for Season Two of the TV series?