Why One X-Men Comic Was Almost Renamed Over Its Misleading Title

3 weeks ago 28

Published Jun 27, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT

JC is a pop-culture enthusiast and native New Yorker, with over 20 years of experience in entertainment as a writer/producer creating content for HBO, Warner Brothers, and Paramount. He has covered the biggest Hollywood red carpet premieres from Los Angeles, California, to Leicester Square, UK, and has been behind the scenes of hit series, interviewing notable industry personalities across all media, on the front lines of many of the most thrilling franchise hits and theatricals. A lifelong comic book reader, JC likes to say: “I knew comics were cool before primetime.” The intersection of comics, science fiction, and fantasy across all media, becoming mainstream, remains one of the most profound shifts in modern popular culture, keeping JC’s finger on the pulse, grateful for the opportunity to share his unique insights with fans everywhere, especially as a contributor to CBR and via the podcast “Out Loud & Live with JC Alvarez!”

The anticipation for the return of X-Men ’97 is coming up fast and furious, though the comics tie-in leading up to the new season drew some creative concerns and was almost given a new title altogether.

The second season of Marvel Animation’s hit series has already been generating a great deal of buzz, and fans are so excited that they are eagerly diving into the Marvel Comics tie-in. A prequel story set between the two seasons, the creatives admitted to some controversy. They wrestled with changing the book’s title, which doesn’t focus on the animated series’ core cast but on everyone who’s been left behind.

Tasked with keeping audiences engaged and ready for Season 2, Steve Foxe admitted his enthusiasm to fill in the blanks before Season Two’s July premiere. In the wake of the cliffhanger with the core cast’s fate lost in time, Foxe focused on the characters who were dealing with the fallout. “Our series takes place between seasons and into the opening of Season Two’s second episode,” Foxe revealed.

Working very closely with Marvel Studios, Foxe's focus was on telling a story that provided more backstory, which meant revealing what was happening in ’97. At the same time, Bishop and Forge decided what action to take to find the missing X-Men. “It would be a shame not to check in on everyone at least a little bit,” added Foxe, who cited the incredible cooperation of everyone involved with the animated series.

With the main arc of his X-Men ’97 Season 2 limited series starring the supporting cast, as well as other characters that hadn’t figured prominently in the first season, Foxe thought the book might need a more appropriate title. “I wouldn’t expect this to focus on the core cast for a majority of the page count,” he said. “I can say I pitched calling this something other than X-Men ’97.”

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At the climactic end of Season One, the massive explosion of Asteroid M has left the world at large believing the X-Men are dead. In fact, Professor Xavier, Magneto, and the rest of the X-Men have been lost in time. One part of the team has emerged in a distant future, while the other was transported to the past. The only thing the two time periods have in common is the bad news: Apocalypse.

With the world of the X-Men populated by all sorts of colorful personalities, you can expect the remaining members of the roster, including Jubilee and Sunspot, to have more than enough on their hands to keep them busy. Stealing some of the spotlight from the stars of the show will be X-Factor this season. It’s not a secret that Valerie Cooper’s team of government agents, led by Havok and Polaris will be part of the show.

Fans will also recognize several other familiar faces that will appear in the limited series. It’s uncertain just how many of those mutants, friends and foes, will play a significant role in the new season, but Foxe did offer some consolation. “If there are characters you don’t get enough of in the pages of this series, you may be in luck elsewhere before too long…”

Marvel Animation’s X-Men ‘97 Season 2 premieres July 1 and will be streaming exclusively on Disney+.

Issue #1 of Marvel Comics’ X-Men ’97 Season 2 Limited Series, written by Steve Foxe with art by Salva Espín, is out now.