X-Men ’97 Continues Its Comic Return With the Most 1990s Villain

With X-Men ’97, the animated continuation of the classic 1990s X-Men animated series receiving both critical acclaim and also commercial success (with a third season already greenlit), it makes sense that Marvel has gotten into a comic book adaptation, as well, and that series (which fills in the period between the end of the original X-Men cartoon series and the first episode of X-Men ’97) continues its second issue with the X-Men attacked by one of the most 1990s villains ever in this CBR exclusive preview of next week’s X-Men ’97 #2.

X-Men ’97 #2 is from writer Steve Foxe, artist Salva Espin, colorist Matt Milla, and letterer Joe Sabino, and picks right up from where the first issue left off, with the X-Men having just saved a Dazzler concert from an attack by the mysterious Nasty Boys (also one of the more 1990s-centric X-villains, having been named after a Paula Abdul song). However, what they don’t know is that the mysterious Mister Sinister (who is working behind the scenes here, as he didn’t reveal himself to the X-Men until the third episode of X-Men ’97, “Fire Made Flesh,” where he debuted in a major way with the reveal that the “Jean Grey” who Cyclops just had a baby with was not the REAL Jean Grey at all, but a clone created by Sinister!) is behind the attacks on them, including this issue’s attack by Sienna Blaze, one of the most 1990s villains ever!

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X-MEN ’97 #2 (OF 4)

• STEVE FOXE (W) • SALVA ESPÍN (A) • TODD NAUCK (C)
• STORM VARIANT COVER BY DAVID MACK
• STORM VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY DAVID MACK • VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• SABRETOOTH STRIKES!
• And he’s not the only threat the X-Men are facing! As Jean Grey and Cyclops prepare to embark on a bold new adventure, a sinister foe makes his move from the shadows, unleashing a torrent of new terror. Can an old friend turn the tide – or will it be too late to save Wolverine from being ripped to shreds?!
• 40 PGS./Rated T …$4.99

Introduced in 1993’s X-Men: Unlimited #1 (following a cameo introduction in Uncanny X-Men Annual #17), Sienna Blaze was a powerful young mutant who heavily embraced the fashions of the 1990s who was part of the villainous group known as The Upstarts, young, “hip” mutants, who competed against each other in a contest, where you could win points for, say, attacking the X-Men. She was later transported to the Ultraverse (another very 1990s concept. It was a superhero comic book universe created by Malibu Comics that Marvel eventually purchased before it went out of business in the mid-1990s), and became a part of a superhero team there called the Exiles. She was killed off off-panel after returning to the Marvel Universe, but has since been resurrected, although she hasn’t had much of a profile, despite making her debut in such a major way.

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In the preview pages, we see Mister Sinister get upset when he sees the news reports of the X-Men defeating his henchmen, the Nasty Boys. He then talks to his new group of attackers, the Sinister Seven (the villains known in the comics as The Marauders). We see the X-Men flying home from their successful defeat of the Nasty Boys (and the fun they had at the Dazzler concert later on), when suddenly, their jet is attacked. The controls go out, and Jubilee jokes that she should be allowed to fly the jet now, as it is about to crash.

Rogue, though, is able to land the jet, just in time for the X-Men to see who shot the plane down, Sienna Blaze! Amusingly, Blaze made her introduction in X-Men Unlimited #1 shooting down an X-Jet that had Cyclops, Storm and Professor X on it. We shall see how the X-Men handle this very 1990s villain next week, when X-Men ’97 #2 is released (and we’ll presumably also see the Sinister Seven, including Sabretooth, fight the X-Men, as well, with the Sabretooth/Wolverine fight teased in the cover likely occurring).

Source: Marvel