Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with extensive experience. Collier, or "CJ" to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy, and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. With his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he's tackled a wide variety of articles.
Editor's Note: The following article contains spoilers for X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 7.
X-Men '97has never been afraid to kill off characters. That was made clear as early as Season 1's "Remember It," which shocked fans when Gambit (AJ LoCascio) met his end fighting a massive Sentinel. Season 2 has kept that up, as Apocalypse (Ross Marquand) ended up obliterating Magneto (Matthew Waterson) right in front of a horrified Charles Xavier. It's the most recent episode, "Strange Land, Savage Heart," that features the series' most shocking death yet. For most of its runtime, "Strange Land, Savage Heart" is mostly a character piece for Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough) as he and a team of X-Men battle the Acolytes, a group of mutants who take Magneto's extremist beliefs to heart. It's in the episode's final scene where things take a massive turn.
Cable (Chris Potter) and his X-Force arrive in Athens, where Apocalypse resurrected Gambit as the Horseman of Death in the previous episode. However, they discover that the seemingly immortal mutant warlord is nothing more than a dessicated husk, with one of Gambit's playing cards left at his feet. To say this is a shocking scene would be an understatement, since Apocalypse's been teased as the Big Bad of X-Men '97 Season 2 from the start. Having Gambit seemingly kill him implies that the Ragin' Cajun is arguably the deadliest of Apocalypse's Horsemen, but most comic book fans will tell you that En Sabah Nur isn't that easy to kill.
Apocalypse Has Cheated Death Thanks To A Hidden Superpower
Magneto fighting Apocalypse in X-Men '97 Season 2 Episode 4Image via Disney+
Apocalypse is arguably one of the most powerful mutants the X-Men have ever faced, thanks to being augmented by the cosmic Celestials. Part of his power allows him to control the atoms within his molecular structure, meaning he can shapeshift and grow to terrifying sizes; this also extends to projecting energy, including his mental essence. This means that Apocalypse can literally possess others, which was previously teased in X-Men '97's Season 2 premiere, "Days of Past Future." After failing to possess a young Cable, Apocalypse decided to travel to the 1990s and challenge the X-Men when they were at their lowest point.
Now, Apocalypse's "death" raises a question: has he hijacked Gambit's body? It would be a fitting reveal, as Apocalypse fully believes in the survival of the fittest and would want a strong mutant whose body he could possess. It also fits with his goal of striking back at the X-Men, who've been forced to rebrand in the wake of being outlawed and face a world that fears and hates mutants more than ever. More than that, Apocalypse possessing Gambit could lead to an emotionally devastating moment for Rogue (Lenore Zann), who's had to contend with losing Gambit and now Magneto. Seeing the man she loves being possessed by the X-Men's deadliest enemy could cause her to hesitate — and for Apocalypse to claim victory at last.
COLLIDER
Collider · Quiz
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality QuizWhich MCU Hero Are You?Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
QUESTION 1 / 10MOTIVATION
01
What drives you to do what's right?Choose the answer that feels most like you.
QUESTION 2 / 10YOUR CITY
02
It's 2 AM. Where are you?Your answer says more about you than you'd think.
QUESTION 3 / 10CONFLICT STYLE
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice?Every hero has a method. What's yours?
QUESTION 4 / 10SECRET IDENTITY
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity?The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
QUESTION 5 / 10LOSS & GRIEF
05
You've lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that?Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
QUESTION 6 / 10TEAM DYNAMICS
06
What's your role when working with a team?Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
QUESTION 7 / 10MORAL CODE
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge?The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
QUESTION 8 / 10EVERYDAY LIFE
08
When you're not saving the world, what does life look like?The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
QUESTION 9 / 10FEAR
09
What keeps you up at night?Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of.
QUESTION 10 / 10FINAL STAND
10
The battle is lost. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do?This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Hero Has Been IdentifiedYour MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it's easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn't a burden you choose — it's one that finds you.
Whether it's a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker's lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn't a slogan to you. It's the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
Hell's Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You've looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock's duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark's arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you're willing to give everything. Because in the end, you're Iron Man.
New York City
💀 The Punisher
You've been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What's left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don't ask for forgiveness, and you don't expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you've decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle's war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You're larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor's story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it's needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don't bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn't become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn't in your fists; it's in your refusal to compromise what's right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you're the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
'X-Men '97' Might Be Setting Up A Major Plot Twist
X-Men '97 Season 2Image via Disney+
Jean Grey, Cyclops, Nathan Summers, and Mother Askani in X-Men '97 Season 2 Episode 2Image via Disney+
Apocalypse in X-Men '97 Season 2Image via Disney+
X-Men led by Cyclops with Beast, Jubilee, Jean Grey, and Wolverine.Image via Disney+
Gambit and Wolverine perform a combo attack in 'X-Men '97'.Image via Marvel Animation Studios
X-Men '97 Season 2Image via Disney+
Jean Grey, Cyclops, Nathan Summers, and Mother Askani in X-Men '97 Season 2 Episode 2Image via Disney+
Apocalypse in X-Men '97 Season 2Image via Disney+
X-Men led by Cyclops with Beast, Jubilee, Jean Grey, and Wolverine.Image via Disney+
Gambit and Wolverine perform a combo attack in 'X-Men '97'.Image via Marvel Animation Studios
The idea of Apocalypse possessing Gambit is unexpected, yet it fits X-Men '97's mission statement of pushing the limits of X-Men: The Animated Series. What most fans might not be considering is the fact that X-Men '97 might draw inspiration from another comic book storyline involving Apocalypse, "The Twelve." In "The Twelve," Apocalypse planned to harness the power of a dozen mutants so that he could ascend into godhood as he was dying. To complete the transfer, he intended to possess the powerful psychic Nate Grey, until Cyclops threw himself in the way and became Apocalypse's vessel.
X-Men '97 often pulls from multiple comic book sources, so it's not hard to imagine "The Twelve" playing a key role in shaping Season 2. It could also lead to a great conflict for future seasons. While the X-Men might be able to free Gambit from Apocalypse's control, what if they have to face a possessed Cyclops down the line? Apocalypse once told Xavier, "I will always be," referring to the fact that he's outlived entire empires. Thanks to his powers, he can find eternity by possessing the X-Men's leader and forcing them into another moral dilemma.
Image via Disney+
Image via Disney+
Image via Disney+
Image via Disney+
Image via Marvel Animation Studios
Jennifer HaleJean Grey
Ray ChaseCyclops
