X-Men ’97 has a lot of explaining to do when it comes to the many unanswered questions and cliffhangers of X-Men: The Animated Series.

X-Men ’97 promises to revive the continuity of the classic 90s cartoon X-Men: The Animated Series, hopefully providing much-anticipated answers to some long-running cliffhangers the show was never able to expand upon. Considered the single greatest X-Men animated show of all time, X-Men: The Animated Series brought the world of Marvel’s mutant characters into the public consciousness years before the first live-action X-Men film in 2000. For many, the 90s incarnation of the characters are the defining version of the X-Men, and for good reason.

For all the aspects of the X-Men mythos the cartoon got right, X-Men: The Animated Series wasn’t perfect. A big flaw in the show’s original run was the startling number of unresolved plot threads, loose ends, and unanswered questions the series was never able to get around to neatly tying off before its eventual conclusion in 1997. As returning fans and newly interested viewers wait for the release of Disney+’s X-Men ’97, set within the same timeline of the iconic animated series, long-awaited answers to a plethora of burning questions might finally be revealed.

10. Does Jean Tell Cyclops That Cable Is Their Son?

The gun-toting time traveler is closer to Scott Summers than he may think

A recurring fan-favorite, the mercenary Cable was best known for traveling back in time to prevent untold disasters from unfolding in the future, but he seems to also have had a very personal stake in the affairs of the X-Men. In season 2, episode 8 “Time Fugitives: Part 2“, Jean Grey reads Cable’s mind, seemingly learning that the mutant is actually the future child of her and Cyclops, as he is in the comics. Strangely, she doesn’t seem to directly tell Cyclops this, and the subject isn’t brought up again even when Cable reappears in following episodes.

9. What Was The Deal With Magneto’s Late Wife?

The Master of Magentism doesn’t expound on his tragic past

In the four-part spectacular finale to the fourth season of X-Men: The Animated Series, Apocalypse is introduced as an overarching villain and one of the most dangerous forces the X-Men have ever faced. Initially, Magneto agrees to help the ancient original mutant with his plans, but for selfish reasons, wanting to see his “beloved wife” resurrected. Yet by the end of the four-part-arc, his motivations seemed to have switched back to his standard plan for a future in which mutants are the ruling class, and his late wife is never referred to again for the rest of the series.

8. Where Does Morph’s Allegiance Lie?

Morph appears to be a regular X-Men, but for how long?

The trailer for X-Men ’97 seemed to imply that two recurring characters, Bishop and Morph, wound up becoming X-Men in full over the time skip. Morph’s introduction and revival was one of the most controversial moments in the original series, and the shapeshifter’s allegiance never seemed certain, even after his supposed reformation. Morph’s sinister programming done by Mister Sinister was never conclusively overcome, leading to his initial hesitancy to rejoin the team. Whether Morph officially got over his trauma and time in Mister Sinister’s grasp remains to be seen.

Morph’s sinister programming done by Mister Sinister was never conclusively overcome.

7. What Was Bender’s Plan As Immortus?

X-Men ’97 could pay off this decades-old tease

One of the most bizarre unfulfilled promises of X-Men: The Animated Series was the sudden introduction of Immortus, a powerful Marvel character typically described as a variant of Kang the Conqueror. At first, Immortus appears as the lowly Bender, a side character who begs Bishop to help the X-Men stop Apocalypse from fulfilling yet another evil plan centered around the Axis of Time. After Apocalypse is defeated, Bender suddenly reveals himself to be Immortus, seemingly having his own evil plans for the location, only to never be seen or mentioned again.

6. Will Cyclops, Havok, And Corsair Reunite As A Family?

Despite the tease of a familial connection, the series left Cyclops’ brother out

Cable wouldn’t be the only time Cyclops was teased to have a family member only to have the relationship go unacknowledged in future episodes. Scott Summers’ father, the chaotic space pirate going by Corsair, was revealed to viewers to have another son, Alexander Summers, abandoned at the same time as Scott. Growing up to be the mutant hero Havok, Alexander has similar energy projection powers to Cyclops, which the two find they are unable to affect each other with, implying their connection as siblings. Frustratingly, this was never followed up on, Havok and Cyclops remaining estranged.

5. Will Apocalypse Return?

One of the X-Men’s biggest villains was clearly set up for a reappearance

While the central villain of X-Men ’97 remains a mystery at the time of writing, the return of Apocalypse would be well within the realm of possibility. Re-appearing multiple times over the course of X-Men: The Animated Series, Apocalypse doesn’t seem to be fully out of the picture by the time of his final defeat in season 5, episode 5 “The Fifth Horseman“. Apocalypse was implied to have escaped in the end by hijacking Cortez’s body with his own consciousness, but the blue-lipped mutant mastermind never made another appearance before the cancelation of the series.

4. Will The New Mutants Be Introduced In Full?

The brief tease of a single character wasn’t enough to satisfy the next mutant team

Towards the end of the final season, X-Men: The Animated Series made the puzzling choice to tease another classic mutant superhero team from the comics, The New Mutants. Introducing the obnoxious Cannonball in only the second-to-last episode of the entire show, the 90s cartoon wound up teasing The New Mutants without even a hint of the other iconic members of the squad, like Boom-boom or Magma. Hopefully, X-Men ’97 can re-introduce Cannonball with his signature team after his last-minute inclusion.

3. What Happened To Xavier In The Shi’Ar Empire?

X-Men ’97 seems to imply a far more tragic ending to the original series

Professor Xavier’s fate in X-Men: The Animated Series was something of a bittersweet ending, the telepathic X-Men founder’s life being ultimately saved in exchange for never being able to see his beloved pupils again, forever confined to the Shi’Ar Empire in outer space. Shockingly, the trailer for X-Men ’97 seems to imply a far more tragic ending for Professor X, apparently passing away even with the incredible technology of the Shi’Ar. Whether the Empire failed in treating him or the original ending was retconned entirely remains to be seen.

2. What Is Magneto’s New Plan?

Magneto’s change of heart may have been undone

After witnessing the tragedy and resilience of his old friend Charles Xavier in the face of mortal peril, Magneto seemed to have a change of heart by the end of X-Men: The Animated Series, leaving behind his goals of a mutant-ruled society. Magneto was even left as the X-Men’s leader by the last episode, having seemingly defected to the side of Xavier’s ideals. However, the trailer for X-Men ’97 implies that Magneto’s control over Charles’ will and re-appearance is an unwelcome surprise to the X-Men, seemingly up to his old plots.

1. What Are Wolverine’s Real Memories?

It seems as though Logan still can’t trust his own recollections

Exploring the mystery of Wolverine’s shrouded past was an element of both the live-action X-Men movies and X-Men: The Animated Series, only slowly pulling back the curtain on his amnesia one flashback at a time. After all the slow restoration of Logan’s memories, the cartoon ends just after implying that whatever he was able to recollect was actually fake memories implanted in his mind, leaving his actual origins up in the air. The true origins of Wolverine, and the rest of Team X for that matter, are one of the biggest questions X-Men ’97 could finally answer.