X-Men '97 Season 2: 12 Easter Eggs, References, & Marvel Cameos In Episode 8
X-Men '97 season 2 is nearing its climactic finale with the release of its penultimate episode, featuring an impressive collection of fun Easter eggs, references, and surprise appearances.
Featuring the return of Gambit following his dark resurrection at the hands of Apocalypse, the long-awaited reunion between Remy LeBeau and Rogue isn't nearly as easy as one would hope. While Rogue refuses to give up on the man she loves, she's also faced with the major challenge of being corrupted herself. Along the way, the new episode of X-Men '97 season 2 continues the tradition of featuring some truly great nods to both the comics and original animated X-Men series, rewarding longtime fans with cool ties and cameos.
Keeping that in mind, here are the biggest Easter eggs, references, and Marvel cameos you might have missed in X-Men '97 season 2, episode 8.
Genosha
X-Men '97 season 2, episode 8 opens with a truly heartbreaking return to Genosha, the mutant island nation created by Magneto that was decimated by the Wild Sentinel in X-Men '97's first season.
Rogue dreams of Genosha before its destruction, showing the mutant nation as it once was before the Wild Sentinel massacre changed everything. It's a peaceful reminder of what mutantkind briefly achieved before Apocalypse's larger plans began taking shape. Dreaming of Genosha before its demise and the brutally tragic murder of Gambit, it's heartbreaking to see just how much Rogue is still haunted by her last moments with Remy.
"Some Things Be Deeper Than Skin"
Shown dancing in the large ballroom on Genosha, Rogue's dream makes one key change compared to the events as they actually happened. Rather than dancing with Magneto, Rogue is instead dancing with Gambit, who repeats the heartbreaking line from before his death in the first season: "Remember, chere, some things be deeper than skin..."
Marvel · Mutant Profile Which X-Men Character Are You? “Mutation: it is the key to our evolution.”
🐺 Wolverine The Loner
🧠 Professor X The Visionary
🧲 Magneto The Survivor
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01
Humans discover your mutant abilities. What do you do?
ADisappear. Go off the grid before anyone can come after me — I don’t owe them an explanation BReach out calmly and try to have a dialogue — fear comes from misunderstanding, and I can help bridge that gap CMake a show of strength — they need to understand that mutants will not be hunted or controlled, ever
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02
Anti-mutant protesters surround a school full of young mutants. What’s your first move?
AGet between the kids and the mob. If anyone raises a hand, they answer to me BAddress the crowd telepathically or publicly — show them the children are just scared kids, not threats CEvacuate the children to safety, then make the protesters deeply regret their choices
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03
A team of mutants needs a leader for a dangerous mission. What role do you naturally fall into?
AI work alone, but I’ll take point — someone’s gotta make sure nobody gets killed BI coordinate the team, play to each person’s strengths, and keep morale steady CI lead from the front — my vision, my plan, my responsibility if it fails
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04
A powerful mutant threatens innocent humans. How do you respond?
APut them down fast — talk later. Innocent people don’t have time for a debate BTry to reach them mentally — understand why they’re doing this and find a peaceful resolution COffer them a place at my side — their power is wasted on chaos when it could serve a greater cause
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05
A human politician offers to champion mutant rights — but has a shady past. What do you do?
AGive them a chance — people can change, and this alliance could mean real progress for coexistence BI don’t trust politicians. Watch them closely, and the second they betray us, I’ll be right there CUse them — let them think they’re in charge while I control the narrative from behind the scenes
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06
What’s your biggest flaw?
AI push people away — I’d rather be alone than risk losing someone I care about BI’m too idealistic — I keep believing in people even when the evidence says I shouldn’t CMy anger — once I commit to a path, I’ll burn everything down before I admit I was wrong
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07
Sentinels are hunting mutants in your city. What’s your move?
AHunt the hunters — tear them apart before they find anyone else BCoordinate an underground network to hide and protect every mutant in the area CSeize control of the Sentinels — turn the weapons of oppression into instruments of liberation
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08
What do you believe about coexistence between humans and mutants?
ACoexistence is a fantasy. Humans will always fear what they can’t control — mutants must secure their own future BI don’t care about the big picture — I protect the people I care about, and everyone else can sort themselves out CIt’s possible and worth fighting for — the dream of a world where humans and mutants live in peace is everything
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Wolverine (Logan)
“I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.” You’re the fierce loner who acts first and philosophises later — but beneath that adamantium-plated exterior beats a heart that cares far more than you’d ever admit. You’ve been burned enough times to distrust the world, so you keep people at arm’s length, yet you’d throw yourself into any fight to protect the ones who slip past your defences. You don’t need a cause or a manifesto — you just need someone worth fighting for. Like Logan, your greatest strength isn’t your claws or your healing factor; it’s the stubborn refusal to let the people you love face danger alone.
Fierce Protective Resilient Untamed
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Professor X (Charles Xavier)
“Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” You’re the visionary who sees the best in everyone — even when the world gives you every reason not to. Your greatest power isn’t telepathy; it’s an unshakeable belief that understanding and compassion can bridge any divide. You lead not through force but through hope, building bridges where others build walls. Some call you naive, but you know that real strength lies in extending a hand to your enemy. Like Charles Xavier, you carry the weight of a dream that most consider impossible, and you refuse to let it die.
Visionary Empathetic Diplomatic Hopeful
🧲
Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr)
“Peace was never an option.” You’re the survivor who learned the hardest lesson life has to offer: the world will not protect you, so you must protect yourself. Your conviction is unbreakable and your patience is terrifying — you’ll wait years to set the right plan in motion. You don’t hate humanity; you simply refuse to let your people be victims ever again. Every action you take, no matter how ruthless, is driven by a profound love for those who share your struggle. Like Erik Lehnsherr, you are both revolutionary and tragic — a leader forged in pain who will bend the world before it bends you.
Resolute Strategic Ruthless Unyielding
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Naturally, the line calls back to Remy's most defining moment when it comes to Gambit and Rogue's romance, confirming that his love for her has never depended on whether or not they could physically touch (a major challenge due to the nature of Rogue's powers).
Aces Over Eights - Dead Man’s Hand
While spending time together inside Charles Xavier's new X-Corp headquarters on Genosha, the X-Men are shown gathering around a poker table. Nightcrawler's hand notably happens to be aces over eights, which is famously known as the "Dead Man's Hand" (the same hand Wild Bill Hickok held when he was assassinated, according to legend). Likewise, "Dead Man's Hand" is also the title of this new episode of X-Men '97 season 2, an incredibly fitting choice given Gambit's recent resurrection/transformation into Apocalypse's brand-new Horseman of Death.
“Life Is Not Always A Matter Of Holding Good Cards, But Sometimes Playing A Poor Hand Well"
Winning the poker game to Nightcrawler's great surprise, Hank McCoy's Beast continues to prove his status as the X-Men's resident scholar. Quoting The Call of the Wild and White Fang author Jack London, Beast recites the classic line, "Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes playing a poor hand well." Again, the quote is very fitting given the Gambit-centric episode and the "terrible hand" Rogue and the X-Men are about to be dealt regarding Remy's return.
“There’s Been A Murder”
When X-Force arrives with Apocalypse's corpse in this new episode of X-Men '97 season 2, active Marvel gamers will likely experience some solid déjà vu. After all, the immensely popular hero shooter Marvel Rivals also currently has the mysterious murder of En Sabah Nur as a key focal point during its ongoing season.
Case in point, Apocalypse's corpse in Rivals similarly serves as a major visual centerpiece in the game's newest map inspired by Thebes. Clearly, Marvel synergy is firing on all cylinders right now.
Robert “Robby” LeBeau - Thieves Guild
Seemingly in honor of Gambit's return, X-Men '97 season 2, episode 8 returns to New Orleans and Remy's origins as a thief in Louisiana, having been a member of the Thieves Guild alongside his brother. Having appeared in the original animated series, Robert "Robby" LeBeau and his fellow Thieves Guild members return in this new episode, having been summoned by Gambit himself as part of a major plot motivated by En Sabah Nur's corruption.
Bella Donna Boudreaux - Assassin’s Guild
Returning alongside the Thieves Guild is Bella Donna Boudreaux. An old love interest of Remy's, Bella Donna is the leader of the Assassins Guild, the rival group to the Thieves Guild. Bella Donna and her assassins were also summoned by Gambit, who corrupts both groups into a deadly army in the service of Apocalypse (whose spirit is residing within Remy).
Gambit - The Horseman Of Death
Appearing before both the Thieves and Assassins Guilds, Gambit makes his full debut as Apocalypse's newest Horseman of Death, depicted with gray skin, red eyes, and white hair not unlike his original dark transformation seen on the page back in the early 2000s. He's also shown possessing dark new energy powers, turning his classic staff into an energy scythe, and a new deck of dark tarot cards as opposed to his classic playing cards.
The Exorcist
Back at the Xavier School, Morph hilariously lightens the mood while their fellow X-Men are watching television, claiming that the news was scaring the students so they put on The Exorcist instead, famously one of the most iconic horror movies of all time. It's a very funny line, while also highlighting just how bad things have become for the X-Men (and mutantkind in general) out in the world.
Candra - The X-Ternal
One of the episode's most impressive comic book connections comes with the return of Candra, aka X-Ternal, the patron of both the Thieves and Assassins Guilds on the page and in the original animated series. Having been featured as a servant of Kang the Conqueror during Ancient Egypt as seen in X-Men '97 season 2's first episodes, Remy reveals in this new episode that Candra played the long game as a fellow immortal mutant like Nur.
Professing love to Apocalypse, Nur gave Candra a part of his power, only for her to betray and abandon him once she got it as vengeance for what he did to her people in Egypt. This is not unlike the comics, where Nur similarly had a hand in creating Candra's power-giving gem, which Gambit has just taken from Candra and given to Rogue by the end of this new X-Men '97 episode.
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