Following the massive cliffhanger of its debut season, Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 is gearing up for its long-awaited second season. Early footage debuted at New York Comic Con offers an intriguing first glimpse at how the series plans to pull its time-fractured mutants back together while diving deeper into classic comic lore.

At the end of Season 1, the asteroid explosion left the main team stranded across different eras in time. The new trailer hints at how the world copes in their absence, showing a shadowy silhouette of a superhero roster that strongly resembles X-Factor. Traditionally operating as a government-sanctioned mutant task force, this iteration of X-Factor could serve as a replacement team formed in the main timeline—or perhaps a localized strike force built within one of the team’s alternate future settings.

Visually, the team is stepping away from purely classic 1990s attire. Brief shots reveal Cyclops and Jean Grey wearing distinct black-and-yellow jackets marked with large “X” insignias on the sleeves, a direct nod to Grant Morrison’s iconic 2001 New X-Men run. This costume shift suggests the show will continue borrowing heavily from early-2000s comic arcs. The inclusion of telepathic rebel Quentin Quire (Kid Omega) further reinforces this theory, pointing toward an adaptation of the “Riot at Xavier’s” storyline alongside the ongoing temporal crisis. Season 1 left the fate of Wolverine and Morph largely in question after Magneto forcibly ripped the adamantium from Logan’s skeleton. The teaser offers a surprising update: Morph and a recovering Wolverine are seen sharing a room with former antagonists Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike. The casual dynamic, punctuated by Morph debating media formats like DVDs versus laserdisc, suggests a temporary truce. Facing a larger existential threat, these mortal enemies appear forced into a fragile alliance to help locate their lost teammates.

Though Jean Grey seemingly relinquished the Phoenix Force after the final battle against Mister Sinister in Season 1, cosmic power rarely stays dormant for long. A fleeting shot in the trailer shows Magneto’s eyes reflecting the unmistakable fire of a Phoenix emblem. Whether this signifies Jean tapping back into her cosmic power or a completely different manifestation altogether, the entity’s return will inevitably complicate the team’s survival efforts. Season 2 isn’t just focusing on bringing the core X-Men back to their original timeline; it’s aggressively expanding the universe. By combining time-travel stakes with early 2000s comic storylines and unexpected character team-ups, X-Men ’97 promises an even more unpredictable follow-up chapter.