X-Men '97 Season 2 wasted no time shaking up a franchise staple. Episode 2, "A Force to be Reckoned With," swaps the classic X-Men title sequence for a brand-new X-Force intro.
The team we see on screen is Cable leading Jubilee, Sunspot, Psylocke, and Archangel as a black ops unit, formed while the X-Men are scattered across time fighting Apocalypse.
But the intro is hiding more than that. Initially spotted by The Direct, the sequence's quick armory shots include personalized gear for two members who never appear in the episode: Shatterstar's dual swords and Domino's tactical equipment. You can see them in the background, behind Sunspot, as Jubilee and Psylocke are sparring in front of a watching Cable. I've included screenshots below.
That's two X-Force members hiding in plain sight! Or, at least their EQUIPMENT is…
If you saw Deadpool 2 back in 2018, you know both names. Lewis Tan played Shatterstar and Zazie Beetz played Domino in the film's infamous parachute-drop sequence, where Wade's hand-picked X-Force jumped out of a plane in high winds. Domino was the only recruit who stuck the landing, thanks to her "luck" power. Shatterstar went straight into a helicopter rotor.
One correction while we're on the subject, since some of the coverage has this wrong: Deadpool 2's post-credits scene did NOT bring Shatterstar back. Deadpool's time-travel do-over saved Vanessa and Peter, and the rest of that team stayed exactly as splattered as when we last saw them.
For those that aren't familiar with the comics, both characters appeared in the same era that the show is currently adapting. Shatterstar, a sword-wielding warrior from Mojoworld, debuted in 1991's New Mutants #99 from Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, right as that book transformed into X-Force.
Here's a little Marvel Comics trivia for you, just in case you're into that sort of thing like I am: The "Domino" who appeared in New Mutants #98 was the shapeshifter Copycat in disguise, and the real Neena Thurman didn't show up until X-Force #8 in 1992. She debuted twice, and the first one doesn't count!
Why do a couple of background props in the new title sequence matter? Because this show likes to hide things in plain sight. The on-screen roster already remixes X-Force history (Jubilee never served on the comics team, while Psylocke and Archangel are straight out of the 2010s Uncanny X-Force era), so gear belonging to two unseen members seems to be a deliberate tease. Not to mention the fact that the animators know fans will likely freeze-frame everything that appears on screen.
Nothing has been officially confirmed. Marvel hasn't announced Domino or Shatterstar for the season, and the swords and guns could just be nods to Deadpool and X-Force comic fans, but I highly doubt it.
The good news? We shouldn't have to wait long to find out! Season 2 runs nine episodes, with the first three already streaming on Disney+. New episodes land on Wednesdays up through the finale August 12th. Episode 4 arrives this Wednesday, July 8th.
Did you spot the swords the first time, or did you have to rewind? Which X-Force member would you like to see in the show before the season wraps?
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