Since X-Men ‘97 began, its surprising revelations and new character introductions have put fans on the edge of their seats. It perfectly features the X-Men mythology from Marvel Comics and one of the biggest shockers it reveals is the mass genocide of Genosha in last week’s Episode 5, Remember It. But though it’s dubbed as the best episode of the animated series so far, director Emi Yonemura teases Season 1’s remaining episodes will be bigger than that.
In an interview with ScreenRant, Yonemura talked about the unforgettable events in X-Men ‘97 Episode 5 that brought the show’s characters to a whole new level after witnessing that catastrophic event and the death of their fellow mutants. As this effortlessly ups the ante, it’s a big question as to how the rest of the first season will outdo that tragic murder of Genosha.
“I think when we read that script, we were kind of wondering that too,” she revealed. “How do you go bigger than this? But oh, get ready, we do!”
Talking about making Episode 5, Yonemura admitted that they knew it was a complex script with “very big important events.” But despite the complexity, they wanted to earn every moment of it. So, as directors, it was their job to up that even more and take it into a visual medium while also reflecting on comics.
“The comics were always our source material as well and how do we bring honor to the comics while also trying to tell something visually different?” she continued. “But it was a very big step, and when that script landed on my desk, I sure knew I had a lot of work ahead of me, but a lot of well-deserved worthwhile work.”
Why did Magneto speak German before he died in X-Men ’97 Episode 5?
Warning: Spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
Among the many casualties in the murder of Genosha is Magneto. He dies protecting one of the Morlocks, Leech, but before he passes on, he utters the words, “Habe keine angst,” which means “Don’t be afraid” in English. As many wonder why Magneto speaks German, Yonemura reveals it’s actually tied to his culture and history.
“It's a very specific quote, actually tied to his culture and his history when he's on the rooftop having a little bit of his panic attack after the Xavier statue falls on people,” she explained. “One of the shots that we cut to, it's very subtle, but it's a shot of him as a child in the internment camps, so I think it is actually directly tied to his history.”
What happened in X-Men ‘97 Episode 5?
X-Men ‘97 Episode 5 saw Magneto, Rogue, and Gambit visiting the island of Genosha to meet the Hellfire Club, Valerie Cooper, and more. Alternatively, the other X-Men members stayed in the mansion for an interview. Their main intention was to establish an alliance and protect the mutant nation. However, the opposite happened.
While everyone was having fun, Cable arrived to warn his mom, Madelyne Pryor, of the danger that would come before a slew of powerful Sentinels arrived. Of course, the X-Men would never let the enemies kill them one by one and started to retaliate. But while doing so, several mutants died in the ambush, including Magneto and Gambit, making heroic sacrifices.
X-Men ‘97 Episodes 1-6 are now available to stream on Disney+. New episodes are set to release every Wednesday.
True enough, bigger things are coming to the remaining episodes of X-Men ‘97 Season 1 after that epic Episode 5. As a major character returns in Episode 6, Lifedeath – Part 2, a big reunion is about to happen.
