X-Men ’97 Season 2 Will Officially Replace the Show’s Main Villain

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Big changes are coming to X-Men ’97 Season 2, especially when it comes to the main villain. The popular animated series from Marvel Animation will return later this year, bringing viewers back to the world of the X-Men led by Charles Xavier. While Season 1 featured a battle against the formidable Bastion, Season 2 will introduce a new, more pressing danger.

Marvel has confirmed that Bastion won’t be the main villain in X-Men ’97 Season 2. Instead, the show will center around the powerful and dangerous Apocalypse. While Apocalypse was briefly shown in Season 1, his story will be a major focus in the new episodes.

Apocalypse is a legendary villain in the X-Men comics, and is believed to be the very first mutant. He appeared at the end of the first season of the show, establishing his influence by sending his four horsemen back in time.

The story then shows that this dangerous Marvel villain exists throughout time – in the past, present, and future. Interestingly, his earlier self, from Ancient Egypt, doesn’t seem to realize how powerful and evil he’ll become.

This is quite a change from the first season, where the villain Bastion battled the team of mutants. Initially, Bastion appeared as a powerful, man-made super soldier designed to eliminate mutants, enhanced with advanced technology to maximize his effectiveness.

Throughout the series, Bastion led Operation: Zero Tolerance (OZT), a military group dedicated to wiping out all mutants.

Ultimately, the X-Men defeated him, ending his storyline and making it improbable he’ll appear in Season 2. You can find details about other villains planned for X-Men ’97 Season 2 here.

Unlike Bastion, Apocalypse will be a constant, overarching threat throughout the season, instead of just appearing at the very end.

Many fans felt Bastion didn’t have a strong enough presence until later in the first season, which made it seem like his story appeared suddenly.

The second season of X-Men ’97 is expected in 2026, though a firm release date hasn’t been revealed. This sequel to X-Men: The Animated Series will continue to feature the classic X-Men team from the original 1990s cartoon, but this time their adventures will span across different times and places. Season 1 ended with the team scattered throughout history, and Season 2 will center on their efforts to reunite in the 1990s while facing the powerful villain Apocalypse.

What To Expect From X-Men ’97’s Season 2 Villains

Although X-Men ’97 was a significant series, Season 2 is going to be much larger in scope. The show now covers a vast timeline, with characters scattered throughout the past, present, and future.

Each of these different periods in time will present unique dangers to the X-Men, and they all appear to be connected to the powerful Apocalypse.

The story follows Apocalypses across different time periods. In the past, we’ll see an Apocalypse just beginning to realize his full power. In the present, a resurrected Apocalypse from the old X-Men: The Animated Series returns. And in the distant future, a version of Apocalypse has already conquered the world and presents a different kind of threat.

The three different storylines should converge by the season’s end, with each version of the classic mutant causing trouble for the X-Men in a distinct manner.

While Apocalypse seems to be the main threat, I’m excited to see some other classic villains popping up in the new episodes! We’re getting Omega Red, Sabertooth, and Lady Deathstrike, and though they’ll likely play supporting roles to Apocalypse, I definitely wouldn’t underestimate them. They’re all dangerous characters in their own right and could cause some serious trouble.

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2026-02-23 07:35