X-Men ’97 has become Marvel’s biggest surprise in the past year. Despite the Marvel Cinematic Universe being in a dead end, Beau DeMayo’s animated series —which was abruptly fired a week before its premiere— has received incredible reviews among the fandom.
Both for fans of X-Men: The Animated Series and for those who had never approached the mutants, X-Men ’97 has proven to be a great success. It is the perfect series to delve into the world of the X-Men and get to know their story more closely… except for one small detail. Charles Xavier, Professor X, whom we know so well in the movies thanks to Patrick Stewart, is not present in the series. What is the reason for this?
I wasn’t dead, I was partying
In X-Men ’97 they directly say that Charles Xavier is dead, which obviously justifies his absence. However, if we take into account that it is a direct sequel to X-Men: The Animated Series, we know that this is not true. In reality, Professor X is recovering from his illness on the alien planet of the Shi’ar Empire.
In the last episode of X-Men: The Animated Series, titled Graduation Day, Professor Xavier and the X-Men participate in an assembly against mutants, where Henry Gyrich, responsible for the Sentinels along with Bolivar Trask, gives a condemning speech towards mutants. Xavier, always advocating for the rights of his species, also speaks at the event, promoting understanding and collaboration. However, the situation takes a tragic turn when Gyrich attacks Xavier with a sonic weapon, revealing his mutant condition to the world. Severely injured, Xavier says goodbye to his beloved X-Men and even receives an emotional farewell from Magneto, who temporarily puts aside his revenge against humanity.
At this critical moment where Xavier’s destiny seems inevitable, his partner, Lilandra, leader of the Shi’ar Empire, arrives with a solution: extraterrestrial technology capable of keeping him alive. However, the cost is significant: Xavier must give up Earth forever.
