‘X-Men ‘97’ Episode Ten Recap: “Tolerance is Extinction – Part 3”

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for episode ten of X-Men ‘97. 

Ok, I’ll say it: X-Men ‘97 is the show of the year. I haven’t seen as many series as last year, but based on the (incredible) television that’s been on our screens since January, I doubt anything will top this, which is weird considering how bad of a place Marvel Studios was at last year when they released Secret Invasion to the world, arguably the worst thing they’ve ever put out. 

Unlike the internet, who seemingly (and specifically, for the weirdest possible reason) want Spider-Man ‘98 when a new animated iteration of Peter Parker is just around the corner, I’m fine with Marvel wanting to do whatever they want in the animation realm and only reviving what they think would be worthwhile. Clearly, there was more to tell in the world of X-Men, and what better way to reintroduce mutants under the Marvel Studios umbrella than with X-Men ‘97. Every single storytelling gamble paid off in marvelous (pun absolutely intended) during its riveting finale, Tolerance is Extinction – Part 3. I’m ever-more excited to see what they will be cooking next. 

Clocking in at 43 minutes, the longest episode of the series, the episode begins through Charles Xavier’s (Ross Marquand) mind as he attempts to peer into Erik Lensherr’s (Matthew Waterson) psyche so he can fracture him and regain control of Asteroid M. The great thing about scenes like these is how we see that no matter their disagreements (that eventually turn into civil wars most of the time), the two have always respected each other and will continue to do so until the world is no longer theirs. But in the present day, Xavier and Magnus are in a comatose-like state, as the professor believes it’s the only way for Magneto to fully regain consciousness and stop Bastion’s (Theo James) plan to crash Asteroid M into Earth and cause a new Genosha-like event. 

Speaking of, Bastion’s plan is sending shockwaves all over the world, as his Prime Sentinels attack a slew of known Marvel characters, including Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Captain America (Josh Keaton), Iron Man, King T’Chaka/Black Panther (Isaac Robinson-Smith), the Silver Samurai, and CLOAK AND DAGGER! I shouldn’t have yelled at that last bit, but this cameo was the most unexpected (but incredibly welcomed) of the bunch. As a huge fan of both Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen, seeing them integrated (even for one brief second) in a Marvel Studios title gave me huge chills — and it’s exactly why I’ll always tune in for their stuff, even if the studio’s output has been inconsistent as of late. 

But no one is currently watching X-Men ‘97 for the cameos (as fun as they are), but they are the catalyst for the events that occur in the back half of the climax, as the President of the United States mums on using the Magneto Protocol (missiles to be fired at Asteroid M) to save as many lives as possible. T’Chaka and Cap agree, which causes the President to enact it. Missiles directly fire at Asteroid M, but this plummets the crater instead of blowing it up, sending it straight to Earth like a massive meteor, which is exactly what Bastion wants. 

Through Magneto’s mind, Xavier continues to attempt regaining Erik’s consciousness (while the X-Men fight Bastion and his sentinels, with Lenore Zann’s Rogue giving the ass-kicking he deserved in the wake of Gambit’s death, stating, “His name was Gambit…remember it!” before punching him into oblivion, in yet another sequence directly recalling Zack Snyder’s daring Man of Steel). However, Magneto does not remember his name or origins until Xavier peers deep into his mind and highlights the best parts of himself. 

Erik then wakes up and stops Asteroid M from crashing down into Earth, effectively saving humanity…until it blows up and the X-Men who were on board are presumed dead. Six months pass, and Forge (Gil Birmingham) is still on the lookout for their remains, while Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith) tells him they are most likely trapped in time…which they are! The episode then cuts to two timelines, with Jean (Jennifer Hale) and Scott (Ray Chase) trapped in 3960 AD, in which they encounter a younger version of their son, Nathan, while the rest of the X-Men are trapped in 3000 B.C., where they meet none other than…En Sabah Nur (Adetokumboh M’Cormack) 

As if you didn’t know who he was, the show’s post-credit scene directly shows him, as Apocalypse,  in the present-day on Genosha, mulling on his latest plans to end all mutants. Oh yeah, it’s about to go down…but we’ll likely wait a while if Bob Iger’s mandate of “three Marvel films and two TV shows a year” rings true. Perhaps he meant two live-action shows, while one to two animated series will be released each year, giving variety to Marvel programming, but only time will tell how his intentions of restructuring Marvel Studios will work. 

As for now, however, X-Men ‘97 will be remembered as one of Marvel Studios’ crowning achievements and the blueprint they need to follow for their television series: compelling character arcs, strikingly realized action sequences, stunning visuals, and storylines that keep subverting expectations from the get-go. The franchise’s future (and mutants) may be in great hands if done right. Though Deadpool & Wolverine may tarnish this incredible momentum they are now having…let’s see about that soon…

All episodes of X-Men ’97 are now available to stream on Disney+.