Editor's Note: The following article contains spoilers for X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 9. X-Men '97 left no stone unturned in its Season 2 finale,
Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 Season 2, Episode 9.
X-Men ’97 left no stone unturned in its Season 2 finale, “Survival of the Fittest.” Not only does this finale feature a free-for-all between the X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force, but it also finally resolves the fate of Gambit (AJ LoCascio) after he was resurrected and possessed by Apocalypse (Ross Marquand). In true X-Men fashion, it’s a victory that’s both hard-earned and bittersweet, and will leave some fans heartbroken by the end. Yet it’s the mid-credits scene that’s truly shocking, as it pays off a long-running fan theory about one character.
The scene involves Val Cooper (Catherine Disher) going over files at her desk until the door opens…and reveals another Cooper, who’s shocked to see someone who looks like her. The Cooper at the desk shoots her duplicate through the stomach and then transforms into Mystique, who reveals that she intends to take Cooper’s place and destabilize the United States. Fans had long speculated that Mystique would show up at the end of the season or was secretly masquerading as Cooper, and this scene brings those theories to life. It also gives more context to the events that will play out in X-Men ’97 Season 3.
Mystique’s Presence Means The X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants Will Clash in ‘X-Men ’97’
Sunspot, Cyclops, Xavier, Nightcrawler, and Jubilee in X-Men ’97 Season 2Image via Disney+
The first look at X-Men ’97 Season 3 was revealed during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year, which features the Brotherhood of Mutants wreaking havoc before being chased off by red, white, and blue-themed Sentinels. It hints that Mystique will be stoking chaos by pitting the Brotherhood against the X-Men, while also using her newfound disguise as Cooper to command X-Factor to round up any mutants who might oppose her. Further complicating matters is the fact that Mystique’s son, Graydon Creed, is now the President of the United States; Creed’s made no secret of how much he hates mutants due to his upbringing, which introduces more of the personal dynamics that drive the best X-Men stories.Ironically, X-Men ’97 is actually tapping into a long-forgotten part of Mystique’s comic book history with its huge plot twist. In Uncanny X-Men #199 by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr, the shape-shifting villainess offers her services to Val Cooper, alongside the rest of the Brotherhood. Rechristened “Freedom Force,” they’re tasked with arresting threats to American citizens — starting with their former leader, Magneto. It remains to be seen how the Brotherhood plays into X-Men ’97, but an episode could see them donning their Freedom Force moniker and hunting down the X-Men, especially as Season 2 established the mutant heroes were outlawed from operating on American soil.
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz
Which MCU Hero Are You?
Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
Spider-Man
Daredevil
Iron Man
Punisher
Thor
Cap
FIND YOUR HERO →
01
What drives you to do what’s right?
Choose the answer that feels most like you.
AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can’t protect themselves.
BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the gloomy.
CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I’ve learned that others depend on me now.
DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay.
EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms.
FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you?
Your answer says more about you than you’d think.
ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood.
BRunning rooftops in Hell’s Kitchen, listening for trouble.
CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a icy cup of coffee nearby.
DStaking out a target I’ve been tracking for three weeks.
ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand.
FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn’t sleep.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice?
Every hero has a method. What’s yours?
AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again.
BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside.
CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins.
DMake sure they don’t escape a third time. Permanently.
EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end.
FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it’s firm.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity?
The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am.
BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face.
COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I’d do it again.
DI’m a ghost. The less people know about me, the better.
EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There’s no hiding it.
FI don’t hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
You’ve lost someone crucial because of your heroism. How do you carry that?
Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day.
BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting.
CI buried myself in work for years. I’m only recently learning to face it.
DIt transformed me completely. I’m not the same person I was before.
EWith warrior’s grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have.
FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
What’s your role when working with a team?
Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up.
BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most.
CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation.
DI don’t do teams. I’m more effective operating solo, on my terms.
EThe ponderous hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle.
FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge?
The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
AClearly — I don’t kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly.
BI try to hold the line, but I’ve come terrifyingly close to crossing it.
CPractically — I do what’s necessary to protect people, including firm calls.
DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won’t admit it.
EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic.
FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like?
The person behind the mask is always the more compelling story.
ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends.
BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets.
CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I’m sleeping enough.
DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions.
ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary.
FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
What keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re sincere about what you’re actually afraid of.
AThe people I couldn’t save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow.
BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too.
CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough.
DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I’ve made my choices.
EWhether I’m truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect.
FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do?
This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything.
BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going.
CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan.
DI don’t accept that it’s lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore.
ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me.
FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it’s not over.
REVEAL MY HERO →
Your Hero Has Been Identified
Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — comical, steadfast, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
- You do the right thing not because it’s straightforward, but because no one else will.
- You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
- Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
- Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
- You utilize every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
- You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been straightforward.
- Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
- Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
- You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
- You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
- Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
- You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.
💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
- You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
- You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
- Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
- Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
- You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
- You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
- Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
- You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
- You don’t bully the compact guy, and you never stop when it gets firm.
- Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
- Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
- In a world full of people taking the straightforward road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
‘X-Men ’97’ Continues To Be Marvel’s Biggest Show
The Mystique plot twist all but ensures that audiences who’ve been tuning into X-Men ’97 will return for Season 3, and continue to make the series one of Marvel’s biggest hits. Not only has X-Men ’97 constantly stayed in the Top 10 charts for Disney+ during its run, but it also remains one of Marvel’s highest-rated television series. Marvel Animation head Brad Winderbaum also told Collider that Season 3 will mark the beginning of a yearly release for X-Men ’97, which will no doubt continue the series’ rapid momentum.
“Season 3 is going to come out next year and Season 4 the year after that…X-Men was a constant element of my life growing up, and I just want to make as many [seasons] as fast as possible for people to see.”
What makes X-Men ’97 such a hit is that it continues the story of X-Men: The Animated Series while also tackling deeper themes and staying true to all the elements that make the X-Men some of Marvel’s most popular characters. Introducing Mystique continues that trend, especially considering her own energetic with the X-Men; it also adds an element of suspense to the mix. This is a character who can be anyone and everyone she wants, and like Val Cooper, you’d never know until it was too delayed.
Release Date
March 20, 2024
Network
Disney+
Directors
Jake Castorena, Emi Yonemura, Chase Conley
Writers
Charlie Feldman, Anthony Sellitti, Beau DeMayo, JB Ballard
