‘X-Men ’97’ Needs To Stop Overlooking Its Most Interesting Character

Editor's Note: This article contains spoilers for all episodes of X-Men '97 Season 1.

The big picture

• X-Men '97
  has shown he's not afraid to take narrative risks to reinvent the typical X-Men story.
• The limited appearance of Morph a
  X-Men '97
  is groundbreaking for LGBTQ+ representation.
• Morph's trauma with sentinels and non-binary identity could have been explored more in the series.

X-Men '97 breaks every Marvel rule in the best possible way. By taking narrative risks as dramatic as killing Gambit and as heartbreaking as the destruction of Genosha, the series wastes no time in demonstrating how far it is willing to go to reinvent the typical X-Men storya sentiment best represented by the team's resident shapeshifter, Morph (JP Karliak). Confirmed by former showrunner Beau DeMayo to be non-binary and use they/them pronouns, the inclusion of Morph a X-Men '97 it's groundbreaking for a universe that's been sorely lacking in LGBTQ+ representation, though his appearance in the series is still too limited to realize the full potential of the character.

It was originally introduced to fans in 1992 X-Men: The Animated Series as an original character based on Marvel Comics' Changeling, Morph experienced a rocky run on the show at best. Killed in a sentinel attack during the second part of the show's two-episode premiere “Night of the Sentinels”, Morph is presumed dead until the start of the second season, when Morph is revealed to have been resurrected and brought under control mental by Mister. Sinister (Christopher Britton). After enlisting Professor Xavier's help in freeing himself from the villain's clutches, Morph eventually rejoins the X-Men in time for the original show's finale, seemingly creating a prominent place for shapeshifting in any future continuation However, how X-Men '97 has shown this setup fell short in the sequel series' most important storyline.

Morph would have been perfect for the Sentinel Arc from 'X-Men '97

Given X-Men '97With Boliver Trask's renewed focus and Henry Gyrich's ill-fated sentinel program, it would have been natural for Morph to take on an even bigger role in the fight against the minds behind Master Mold. How the only member of the X-Men to die at the hands of a sentinel in the original series, they're more invested in destroying the mutant-hunting androids than most of the team. Also, as Morph demonstrated X Men In Season 4, Episode 6, “Courage”, Morph had overcome his fear of the original sentinels by the end of the show. By choosing to save his friends instead of fleeing a recovered master mold, Morph proved that they could face the worst of their sworn enemy, proving that Morph was best suited to fight Bastion X-Men '97.

As someone traumatized by his encounter with the Sentinels, Morph's rocky relationship with the machines cannot be understated. Morph returns to the night of his death repeatedly throughout the original animated series, and the image of his mangled body skidding across the grass in his chipped X-Men costume will forever be etched in fans' minds. However, this deep connection with the Sentinels would have made Morph ideal for leading the charge against them X-Men '97the first season of. Unlike Jubilee, Storm and other X-Men characters who are imprisoned by the Sentinels during X MenThe episodes of “Night of the Watchmen” and season 1, episode 7 of the horrible “Slave Island” Morph lost everything, from machines designed to destroy everything that was different.

Having overcome this sentinel-induced pain, Morph's contributions to X-Men '97The first season could have been endless. With the resurgence of Master Mold and the start of Bastion's Prime Sentinel program causing so much devastation, Morph could have talked about the personal cost of sadistic robots. Their own brush with death would have made them ideal to sympathize with the victims of Genosha, and it would have been very rewarding to see X MenThe most heartbreaking arc of his payoff has Morph personally comforting those who lost loved ones after Episode 5 changed everything. However, Morph could have even targeted the United Nations educate the world about the cost of its intolerance is far from the only way Morph could have benefited from increased screen time.

Morph can be real-world inspiration for fans of the show

In many ways, the X-Men universe is the perfect place to showcase a character as complex and unique as Morph. A franchise that constantly fights for the rights of the different and preaches universal acceptance, Morph's intimate struggles with trauma and his fractured mind speak to the dark costs of being marginalized, especially for fans who struggle with their gender identity. As a non-binary character who manages to rise above the wounds of his past, Morph is proof that it's possible for Marvel's LGBTQ+ characters to earn their own happy endings, but X-Men '97 he needs to do more with Morph's joy to show how uplifting the character could be.

the series he doesn't completely ignore Morph's happiness. In fact, X-Men '97 he's the happiest Morph has ever been. Whether it's giving fans a steady stream of wild cameos every time they change form or making Wolverine laugh again, Morph seems to be back to his mischievous old self as the sequel begins, but it's disappointing that Morph often just plays to lighten the comic. Aside from briefly addressing his past history with Sinister in Season 1, Episode 3, “Fire Made Flesh,” X-Men '97 it doesn't take advantage of Morph's emotional past to give them a more compelling present. Too often the character is in the background of the scenes and they still haven't been given as much of a developed backstory as the ones given to supporting characters like Jubilee.

This creative oversight is especially disappointing because of how Morph's struggles relate directly to those experienced by the LGBTQ+ community. Through various media, shape-shifting is often intrinsically linked to non-binary gender identities, but Morph's character is rare in that she is also shown experiencing a struggle to maintain a sense of self. Morph's feelings of betrayal and abandonment after being left for dead by the X-Men relate to the isolation many members of the LGBTQ+ community face in their everyday lives. Also, Mr. Sinister's past mastery over Morph's mind is remember the way many non-binary people experience dysphoriawith Morph's powers fluctuating and his ability to function limited by forced actions of whatever the classic villain deemed right.

By embracing the LGTBQ+ parallels with Morph's story and expanding on those connections in future stories, X-Men '97 may be at the forefront of positive representation in the multiverse of Marvel properties. This representation can ultimately give non-binary fans a strong character that reflects their own lived experiences, as well as establish Marvel's commitment to the inclusive values ​​of its characters. Although with the series' first season recently wrapping up its violent three-part finale, fans will have to wait a little longer to see if the show stops being overlooked. a character who can inspire positive change just as effectively as they make jokes.

X-Men '97 is available to stream on Disney+ in the US

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