‘X-Men '97’ Officially Confirms Mortal Kombat Star as a Fan-Favorite Villain

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Published Jul 16, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT

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This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of 'X-Men '97'.For a series built around one of Marvel's most iconic heroes, X-Men '97 has spent surprisingly little time focusing on Wolverine (Cal Dodd). Rather than following the blueprint of X-Men: The Animated Series, where Logan frequently dominated the spotlight, the Disney+ revival has embraced its ensemble cast, giving major story arcs to Cyclops (Ray Chase), Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith), Magneto (Matthew Waterson), Rogue (Lenore Zann), Gambit (A.J. LoCascio), and even Apocalypse (Ross Marquand) before finally circling back to the fan-favorite mutant.

That approach has helped distinguish X-Men '97 from its predecessor, but Episode 5 of Season 2 marks the point where Wolverine's past could no longer stay buried. Titled "Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs," the episode sends Logan back to the Weapon X program that transformed him into one of Marvel's deadliest heroes, forcing him to confront familiar faces and unfinished business while continuing the fallout from losing his adamantium in Season 1.

Lady Deathstrike Makes Her 'X-Men '97' Debut

Among those familiar faces is one of Wolverine's greatest enemies. Episode 5 officially introduces Lady Deathstrike into X-Men '97, with Erika Ishii joining the voice cast as the iconic Marvel villain. Lady Deathstrike reunites with Logan during his mission to infiltrate a new Weapon X facility, where she appears alongside Sabretooth, voiced by Darin De Paul, and Maverick, played by Crispin Freeman. While the episode quickly shifts toward a confrontation with the Brood, Wolverine's longtime rival plays an important role in bringing another major piece of Logan's comic history into the animated series.

Ishii's arrival in the series marks another voice industry icon joining. Ishii has earned praise for their work in animation and video games for performances in projects ranging from Dragon Age: The Veilguard to Apex Legends, as well as other hit games like Mortal Kombat 1 and Ghost of Yōtei. Lady Deathstrike has been closely tied to Wolverine since her comic debut in the 1980s, with the pair's rivalry frequently revolving around their shared connection to adamantium and the Weapon X program. The character has appeared in numerous animated series over the years, as well as on the big screen in 2003's X2, making her arrival in X-Men '97 one of the more anticipated additions to the show's expanding roster. Her debut also comes during one of the biggest turning points in Wolverine's story. Episode 5 concludes with Logan regaining the adamantium bonded to his skeleton after spending much of Season 2 without it, resolving a storyline that many comic readers expected would last considerably longer.

Whether Lady Deathstrike returns later this season remains to be seen, but with Ishii now officially part of the cast, one of Wolverine's defining rivals has finally arrived in X-Men '97. The hit Marvel series is streaming now on Disney+. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.