It’s been a long, agonizing wait for Season 2 of the animated series X-Men ’97. But not only is that wait finally ending later this year, Marvel Comics has revealed that it’ll be expanding the scope of this animated universe with a new spinoff comic called X-Men ’97: Season Two.
Similar to how the original X-Men ’97 comic acted as a prequel to Season 1 of the animated series, X-Men ’97: Season Two will bridge the gap between seasons. This five-issue series picks up after the dramatic Season 1 finale, which saw the X-Men scattered through time and Forge seeking to assemble a new team from the mutants still left standing. As the main cover to issue #1 shows, the fate of the missing X-Men is very much at the forefront of the comic:
Based on that art, we’d expect the comic to focus mainly on Forge, Jubilee, Sunspot, and Bishop, though it remains to be seen what other mutant heroes Forge might recruit to their cause.
X-Men ’97: Season Two will again be written by Steve Foxe and drawn by Salva Espin. The first issue features covers by Todd Nauck, Jhony Caballero, Natacha Bustos, and Dan Jurgens. Caballero’s cover can be seen below:
“I feel exceptionally grateful that Salva Espin, Matt Milla, and I get to tell more stories fleshing out the world of X-Men ‘97!” Foxe said in a press release. “Everyone who watched Season One knows the team left us one heck of an era-spanning cliffhanger, and our prequel for Season Two doesn’t take any cheats or shortcuts around that wild status quo.”
Foxe added, “We got to work closely with the series team to make sure this comic is a vital, additive experience for our mutants—what’s left of the X-Men, anyway…”
X-Men ’97: Season Two #1 will be released on June 3, 2026. You can preorder a copy at your local comic shop.
The release of the comic may also indicate that Marvel will debut Season 2 of the animated series around the same timeframe. For now, check out IGN’s review of X-Men ’97 Season 1 to learn more about why it’s one of the best X-Men adaptations ever.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
