X-Men ‘97 is continuously getting pretty intense by the minute. Considered the best and most devastating episode so far, Episode 5, Remember It, has blown the minds of many with its shocking turn of events, seeing several mutants’ demise, including two major characters. But aside from featuring the shocking cameo of Uatu, aka The Watcher, it also seemingly teases the introduction of the new Marvel villain, Cassandra Nova.
Warning: Major X-Men ‘97 Episode 5 spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
Before the tragic attack on Genosha, Nathan Summers/Cable arrived from the future to warn his mother, Madelyne Pryor, about the arrival of a “Godzilla Sentinel.” However, although the fan-favorite failed to reveal who sent the anti-mutant robot, its bug-like shape seemed to hint at who was behind the ambush—Cassandra Nova.
The X-Men: The Animated Series reboot closely follows the comics by featuring Storm’s depowering and Cable’s origin story. And by the looks of it, Episode 5 is based on Grant Morrison’s first New X-Men story arc, E is for Extinction. In that storyline, Cassandra teamed up with Donald Trask III and launched a similar attack on Genosha by sending a bug-shaped Sentinel robot and fleet, killing 16 million mutants. Hence, now that Professor Charles Xavier is dead and Jean Gray and Madelyne appear to have received a psychic attack, everything seems to be pointing out Cassandra’s possible appearance.
How can Cassandra Nova join X-Men ‘97?
X-Men '97 Episode 5 ended with Cyclops asking how many were the casualties after the murder of Genosha. Though the exact number is yet to be revealed, it includes several familiar faces, like Hellfire Club’s Sebastian Shaw, Morlock leader Callisto, and Leech, among others. Magneto and Gambit also sacrificed themselves to save the mutants, though heroic sacrifices went to no avail, resulting in their deaths. Though Gambit seems a real goner, Magneto may still be alive, especially since he has survived the attack in the comics. But with the Wild Sentinel declaring, “Omega threat neutralized,” the former villain may have gone for good.
That said, there’s a possibility that Charles will return after learning of the attack on Genosha and to honor his archnemesis. Charles is currently under the care of Lilandra in the Shi’ar Empire. And since Cassandra was introduced as a Shi’ar legend, it may also see the appearance of his evil twin sister. However, as the next episode will focus on Storm’s storyline, it may take a little while before fans finally see Cassandra or if she’s indeed the one behind the Genosha massacre.
Is Cassandra Nova in X-Men '97?
When asked if Cassandra Nova is responsible for the destruction in X-Men '97 Episode 5, Remember It, supervising producer and head director Jake Castorena told Inverse: “I wouldn't get my hopes up for Cassandra Nova being a huge villain in our show. But what I will say is, I don't think people will be disappointed with our choices.”
A fan also pointed out that the Sentinel in Episode 5 is a Wild Sentinel, not a Tri-Sentinel:
So, yeah, don't get your hopes up for Cassandra Nova being a major villain in X-Men '97, but we can expect some big surprises in the final half of X-Men '97 Season 1.
Who is Cassandra Nova?
First introduced in the 2001 New X-Men #114, created by Morrison and Frank Quietly, Nova is Charles’ long-lost twin sister. The two started fighting each other while they were still in their mother’s womb. Charles recognized her evil presence, forcing him to kill her and resulting in a miscarriage. However, Cassandra survived undetected and vowed to take revenge against her brother.
She created a new body after living as a growing mass of cells in a sewer wall. When she emerged, she took control of Master Mold in the South American jungles and unleashed a genocidal massacre on Genosha using Sentinels. She also caused chaos within the Shi’ar Empire by using Charles’ likeness and incited mutant hate crimes around the world.
X-Men ‘97 Episodes 1 to 5 are now available to stream on Disney+. New episodes are set to be released every Wednesday. If Cassandra appears in the revival series, it may be setting up the stage for her appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine, serving as the film’s main villain.
