X-Men ‘97 Season 1 may have ended, but it left viewers wanting more. The animated series has featured several unforgettable scenes, from Storm facing her fears and unleashing her true potential to the Phoenix’s return with Jean Grey summoning all her powers to face Bastion and Mr. Sinister. But if Marvel Studios Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation Brad Winderbaum were to choose the most standout moments from the revival, it’s the Genosha attack in Episode 5, Remember It, and Magneto’s speech in Episode 2, Mutant Liberation Begins.
In an interview with Comicbook’s Phase Zero podcast, Winderbaum admitted that the ending of X-Men ‘97 Episode 5 was hard to beat, so he had to put it aside as one of the greatest moments of the first season. However, he couldn’t deny that it was one of the most grown-up moments in the reboot, as the show aimed to put a balance between the nostalgic experience of continuing X-Men: The Animated Series and giving something deeper and more serious content to fans who had seen the Sunday Morning cartoon.
But if there’s one scene that he loved the most, it was Magneto’s speech in the atmosphere of Earth. In that scene, Magneto was forced by the UN to stand trial. But while doing so, a group of anti-mutant rioters tested his resolve, ending up with him delivering an epic pro-mutant message to the world.
“His final speech in the atmosphere of Earth where we see this guy, this man struggling with his own philosophies and trying to stay empathetic when the world is just confirming for him that he's right over and over again, to me, is probably the ... If I was forced to choose one, it's probably that speech,” Winderbaum said.
Magneto’s Voice Actor Addresses His Character’s Speech in X-Men ‘97
Magneto has proven himself as a mutant ally after Charles Xavier chooses him to be the new X-Men leader in X-Men ‘97 Episode 2. Knowing the Master of Magnetism has been a long-time nemesis of the mutants, this change is a shocking development for fans.
Magneton starts to believe Charles’ notion that humans and mutants can co-exist. Though the X-Men are still skeptical, he proves himself true when he surrenders for trial at the UN. However, the protesters interrupt the trial, and X-Cutioner tries to shoot Magneto, but Storm takes the hit. From there, Magneto delivers a speech in space.
“This is phenomenal, this sounds great,” Matthew Waterson, who voices Magneto, said in an interview. “That hits harder. It's more cutting, it's more succinct, it's more emotionally rich.”
Everything worked so well for the voice actor, from how the whole thing was put together to how it was written to the animation. Hence, he considered it a “blast” to do and found it amazing to see it serialized, with the addition of the Newton Brothers’ music that made it far greater. He even argued that the UN scene had perfectly encapsulated the mission statement of the first season, especially after the relationship between mutants and humans got more complicated after the Genosha attack.
Truly, Magneto’s speech and the Genosha attack were two of the greatest moments in X-Men ‘97 Season 1. However, there’s no denying that the series has delivered several epic scenes that result in its massive success.
All episodes of X-Men ‘97 Season 1 are available on Disney+.
