X-Men 97 Solves 33-Year-Old Gambit Mystery

X-Men ’97 breaks the rules of what a series revival can be thanks to a very unique set of circumstances. This is a direct continuation of the beloved 1990s X-Men: The Animated Series, but it works with the benefit of nearly three decades of X-Men comics released between the original cartoon and now. X-Men ’97 writers cherry-pick the best plotlines and characters from 29 years of story development while avoiding pitfalls. The series also circles back to major unresolved threads from The Animated Series with the gift of new information.

Earlier this season, that meant a more nuanced portrayal of Cable than viewers ever got in X-Men: The Animated Series. In the latest episode of X-Men ’97 season 2, the series explores a minor villain who mystified fans for years.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 7, “The Dead Man’s Hand.”

Meet the X-Ternal

X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 7 heads to the Louisiana bayou, where a resurrected and evil Gambit returns home to gather power. Early in the episode, he attacks the X-Men and kidnaps Rogue as part of a plot to marry her. The wedding takes place in a swamp, which is where the X-Ternal appears.

The X-Ternal originally appeared in a 1993 episode of X-Men: The Animated Series titled “X-Ternally Yours.” That episode focused on Gambit’s origins as a member of a powerful Louisiana thieves guild. The guilds got their powers from a mysterious being known as the X-Ternal in exchange for a tithe offered every 10 years. The episode focused on how the guilds tried to trick each other into withholding the tithe to avoid punishment.

That is about all viewers learned about the X-Ternal at the time, although the comics contained far more information.

The X-Men and the Externals

One year earlier, the Externals were introduced in the 1992 comic X-Force #10 by Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza, and Mark Pacella. They were a group of evil mutants with incredible powers, including immortality, and they played a role in Apocalypse’s plans.

The Externals share a psychic connection and know when one of them dies, which only happens by destroying their heart. The X-Men comics later revealed that Apocalypse is technically an External and created some of the rest of them.

Each External represents a concept like despair, fortitude, ferocity, or wisdom. The X-Ternal, whose actual name is Candra, represents the concept of guile. Apocalypse represents evolution.

The Externals pop up occasionally in the comics for Apocalypse-related stories. Candra’s connection to Gambit brings the focus back to X-Men ’97.

The X-Ternal finally gets a fitting X-Men backstory

Earlier in X-Men ’97 season 2, viewers caught a glimpse of Candra during the plotline set in Ancient Egypt. She served Pharaoh Rama-Tut, also known as Kang the Conqueror, as a priestess. The character was never directly named in those episodes, but the credits list her as Candra.

In episode 4, when Apocalypse seizes power and Kang flees to another point in the timeline, Kang gives Candra a final piece of advice. “Your destiny starts today,” he says, adding that Apocalypse “can only be challenged by a force that is External.”

In episode 7, viewers learn what happened to Candra after Kang left. A flashback shows that she served Apocalypse as a priestess and a romantic partner. He granted her powers via a glowing gem that she still possesses in the present timeline. Candra eventually betrayed Apocalypse, traveled to America, and became the swamp goddess.

This backstory redefines a character who remained two-dimensional in both the comics and the original Animated Series. The story of the X-Ternal demonstrates how X-Men ’97 fuses the original cartoon with deep comic book knowledge.

X-Men ’97 is streaming on Disney Plus.

Source: Polygon