X-Men ’97 Season 2: Episode 5: An Incredible Wolverine Subplot

WARNING: Spoilers for X-Men 97 Season 2 Episode 5.

This episode adds little to the overarching plot of X-Men ‘97. It’s the episode where Wolverine gets his adamantium claws back. Purposely, this episode is almost entirely self-contained. Only two of the main characters are relevant to the broader Apocalypse storyline, those being Wolverine and Morph. The other characters, Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, Maverick, Kane, Omega Red, and Dr. Cornelius, are all members of Wolverine’s supporting cast. The episode intentionally uses characters who belong in a Wolverine comic, not in an X-Men comic. By using more isolated characters, the episode gets to embrace the violent nature of Wolverine’s comics: not everybody makes it out alive. A real Suicide Squad vibe is felt after the first character meets their demise; it’s especially felt after the true nature of Weapon X’s experiments are revealed.

Deviating heavily from the comics, Episode #5 merges aspects of the Weapon X mythos and the Brood mythos. While Weapon X has dabbled with alien technology in the comics (most recently in the Predator vs Wolverine series by Benjamin Percy), the organization has little connection to the Brood, making this an original decision in the show. This decision likely stems from the desire to have violence without pushing past the TV-14 rating; green alien blood isn’t the same as red human blood, so the murderous mutants can hack and slash without upsetting Disney Plus guidelines. Wolverine’s Brood infection allows for a visceral and violent Wolverine, slaughtering all in his wake and battling ferociously against Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike. It’s a change that integrates very naturally into the established Weapon X mythos, and it allows for Wolverine to highlight why he’s the best there is. 

The most iconic moment from the 1993 Fatal Attractions storyline is Magneto pulling the adamantium off of Wolverine’s skeleton. For the nearly six years of continuity, Wolverine struggles with his bone claws and the ramifications of not having his adamantium. After the events of Wolverine #75 (the comic in which Logan discovers his bone claws), Logan is left noticeably weaker. The X-Man eventually mutates to become more primal (after a failed adamantium bonding procedure in Wolverine #100), acting more like an animal and less like a man. Logan had to regain his humanity with Elektra, relearning how to become a man again. Only in Wolverine #145, released in 1999, does Logan get his adamantium, courtesy of Apocalypse. Logan is forced into combat against an adamantium-enhanced Sabretooth; Apocalypse determined that the winner would become his horseman of Death, and Logan feared Sabretooth obtaining that much power. 

The comic storyline, while clunky and riddled with poor decisions (noseless Wolverine), ultimately had something to say. Logan’s transition from man to beast was the literal manifestation of Wolverine’s constant struggle with his humanity and anger. He overcame his bestial nature through force of will, proving that Logan is a man, not an animal. X-Men ‘97 completely overlooks this aspect of the character’s history. Wolverine losing his adamantium was little more than a visual change for the character in the show: Logan doesn’t undergo any personality change, and he isn’t forced to grapple with his true nature. Instead, Logan’s claws break against metal robots (which he is able to defeat anyway). Wolverine doesn’t undergo any character development or improvement during his televised bone claw arc; a visual change is not a character change. For a character front-and-center on all of the marketing, this show sure does leave him behind. 

Ironically enough, it’s Morph that experiences the most character development in this episode. Morph’s dynamic is paralleled by that of Lady Deathstrike. In the animated continuity, Lady Deathstrike and Wolverine are former lovers who drifted apart and became adversaries. The last episode of Season 1 saw Morph shapeshift into Jean Grey to comfort a battered Wolverine, whispering “I love you Logan, stay with me” to the unconscious X-Man. Beau DeMayo confirmed on X that Morph was confessing his romantic feelings for Wolverine. Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike mock Morph for their loyalty to Logan, with the latter branding Morph as Tomo (Japanese for friend/companion). Throughout the episode, Morph slowly realizes that Wolverine isn’t the man they thought he was. Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth brand Wolverine as an animalistic killer, but Morph defends Logan every time. At the end of the episode, Morph realizes that the two villains were correct: a corrupted Wolverine violently attacks Morph, only dazed at the sight of Jean Grey. J.P. Karliak, who has voiced Morph since season 1 of X-Men ‘97, carries the show with incredibly stripped-down line readings. When Morph realizes that their affection for Wolverine is not reciprocated, Lady Deathstrike offers a sympathetic glance in their direction, ending the episode on a sober note. 

This is easily one of the best portrayals of Sabretooth outside of the comics. In this episode, the sadistic mutant captures the aggressiveness of his comic counterpart, tearing into Wolverine like an animal; however, he also captures the cunning and sadistic side of the character, particularly during his monologue about technology. Darin De Paul’s Sabretooth steals the show with his performance. He sounds terrifying and cold, each line carrying an unsettling undertone. The aforementioned battle between Logan and Victor is one of the best put to screen. The two mutants rip and shred each other apart, pushing the TV-14 rating as far as it can go. 

This episode has so many easter-eggs sprinkled inside of it, both expected and unexpected. A shot of DVDs lists a who’s who of iconic characters from the Wolverine mythos, ranging from X-23 and Winter Soldier to Mastodon and Psi-Borg. Morph is a walking cameo, transforming into Deadpool, the Thing, Spider-Man (which will certainly both please and annoy fans of the 1990s Spider-Man show), Silver Samurai, and Wolverine. Brood Wolverine recreates the cover of Uncanny X-Men #234 (which features little Brood Wolverine in the actual comic), and regular Wolverine recreates the iconic cover of Wolverine #1 (one of the most replicated Wolverine covers of all time). A casual viewer will enjoy the action and the story, but a die-hard fan of these characters will feel rewarded for their loyalty. 

As with every episode in X-Men ‘97, the production is phenomenal. Each shot looks like a painting (or a comic cover), full of intentionality and effort. The characters are visually distinct: Sabretooth towers above the hunched Wolverine. Lady Deathstrike fights with elegance; Sabretooth rips and tears. Animation is fluid, leading to action that is incredibly engaging to watch. Until this episode, an animated Wolverine has never had the opportunity to truly cut loose and slash through his foes, spewing blood and guts all over the screen. Each voice actor brings their A-game, putting their all into every line. Erika Ishii’s Lady Deathstrike sounds vengeful and somber; Cal Dodd, the voice actor for Wolverine since 1992’s X-Men: The Animated Series, matches the character’s animal aggression with a raw performance that the original show never asked for.