Today's episode of X-Men '97, "Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs," is something of a mixed bag, with Wolverine regaining his Adamantium claws after returning to Weapon X.
Joined by Morph, Garrison Kane, Maverick, Lady Deathstrike, and Sabretooth, Logan discovers that The Brood has invaded the base, taking over Doctor Cornelius and the rest of the evil scientists who once experimented on Team X.
Our heroes deal with the aliens and a returning Omega Red, and Logan's skeleton is fused with the indestructible metal after he steps into a tube and is injected with Adamantium for the second time in his long life. However, it appears to be a relatively painless process and X-Men '97 has resolved what happened in Season 1 in the span of less than half an hour.
While Wolverine was shown struggling with his breakable bone claws in previous episodes of X-Men '97 Season 2, this feels like an abrupt end to a storyline that spanned years in the comics. Like The Brood, Wolverine's seeking to get his Adamantium back is glossed over in a way that lessens the impact of what he's been through.
Still, the episode delivers a fun team up with a few nods to the comics and more Easter Eggs courtesy of Morph (who transforms into The Thing at one point while fighting the creepy alien invaders). There's also a nod to Marc Silvestri's Uncanny X-Men #234 cover when Wolverine's body is infected by The Brood.
Why X-Men '97 Season 2 felt the need to so quickly undo the moment that Magneto tore the Adamantium from Wolverine's bones is hard to say. Without getting into spoilers, we can tell you that Logan is now largely absent from the rest of the season until the final couple of episodes.
For whatever reason, Wolverine has been somewhat sidelined in the series, often absent from episodes and not necessarily front and centre in storylines. With that in mind, perhaps former showrunner Beau DeMayo wanted to recreate that iconic comic book panel in Season 1 and wasn't necessarily eager to dive into the aftermath.
X-Men '97 Season 2 continues with the heroic mutant team of X-Men, divided and thrown across different eras in time as they struggle to navigate their return home. Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the X-Men’s absence.
The second season of the original animated series features 9 episodes, and the voice cast includes Ross Marquand as Professor X, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, Lenore Zann as Rogue, and George Buza as Beast.
X-Men '97 Season 2 is now streaming weekly on Disney+.