X-Men ’97 Season 2 Just Teased a Major Character’s Arrival

X-Men ’97 Season 2 is in full swing, and the fifth episode is now available to stream on Disney+. “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs” sees Wolverine and Morph breaking into a Weapon X facility, alongside several of the program’s former test subjects, including Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike. The unlikely group finds much more than they bargained for at the facility, and the episode features lots of references and Easter eggs for Marvel fans.

Since the show’s debut in 2024, X-Men ’97 has made a habit of adapting comics that were published in the decades after the original animated series ended on Fox. The writers and creators have quite a few stories to pull from as a result, and a lot has changed at Marvel over the years. A lot of new characters have been introduced in that time, including Laura Kinney, the clone daughter of Wolverine. “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs” teases that the character could be coming to the show, and that could be a very big deal.

X-23 at the Weapon X Facility

In the fifth episode of X-Men ’97 Season 2, Morph looks through several DVD files left behind by the scientists at the Weapon X facility. Lots of X-Men characters are referenced in the scene, including Ajax, Fantomex, and Silverfox. The most interesting reference belongs to X-23, also known as Laura Kinney. The character made her debut in a 2003 episode of X-Men: Evolution, an animated series with no connection to X-Men ’97. Laura made her comic book debut less than a year later, first appearing in the series NYX.

Like her “father,” X-23 was created as a killing machine.

A clone of Wolverine with a similar healing factor and claws on her feet and hands, X-23 quickly proved just as deadly. After escaping from the violent whims of her creators, Laura sought to become a hero of her own. Laura used the X-23 codename for several years, but eventually took on the mantle of Wolverine. Laura began wearing a similar costume to her father when Logan was presumed dead, but continued to call herself Wolverine even after the original made his return. In the comics, she’s even gotten her own sidekick named Scout.

At this time, it’s unclear if X-23 will appear in X-Men ’97 in any kind of expanded capacity. The reference in “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs” may have been just a quick Easter egg for viewers, or it could be a hint at things to come. Over the last 20 years, Laura Kinney has become a key part of the X-Men franchise beyond just the comics. The character has appeared in video games such as Marvel vs. Capcom 3, as well as movies like Logan and Deadpool & Wolverine. With Laura having grown into such a big role, it’s easy to imagine her storyline being adapted in the current season of X-Men ’97, or at some point in the future.

Other Easter Eggs and Marvel References in “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs”

The reference to X-23 wasn’t the only big moment in the fifth episode of X-Men ’97 Season 2. Alongside several X-Men references and deep cuts, one DVD at the Weapon X facility could be seen referencing the Winter Soldier. Like Wolverine and X-23, Bucky Barnes was turned into a killing machine against his will. The Winter Soldier’s origin has been tweaked across various media, with the culprits behind Bucky’s brainwashing being the Soviet Union in the comics, and Hydra in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel’s alternate universe series Ultimate Wolverine also features Logan as a version of the Winter Soldier.

In addition to the reference to Bucky, X-Men ’97 continued using Morph’s powers as a way to bring in cameos of other Marvel characters. In “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs,” Morph turns into both the Thing and Spider-Man. Both of their appearances are similar to the designs that appeared in the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man cartoons that aired in the ’90s. Those shows all formed something of a connected universe, sometimes crossing over with one another.

As X-Men ’97 Season 2 continues on, viewers will have to wait and see if these references are merely Easter eggs for passionate fans, or if they might hint at plans for future episodes. The creators have already sown major seeds for the rest of the season, and it seems likely the show isn’t finished with Apocalypse, Kang, or even Gambit for that matter. Whether the show will have any room for appearances by characters like X-23 or the Winter Soldier remains to be seen.

Release Date

March 20, 2024

Network

Disney+

Directors

Jake Castorena, Emi Yonemura, Chase Conley

Writers

Charlie Feldman, Anthony Sellitti, Beau DeMayo, JB Ballard

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