X-Men ’97 introduces a new and terrifying villain from the comics to the show’s continuity who outclasses the antagonists of Fox’s X-Men franchise.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97.

The third episode of X-Men ’97 adapts a new Marvel villain to the small screen who is far more frightening than the antagonists of the 20th Century Fox X-Men properties. The original X-Men: The Animated Series and the Fox X-Men timeline are arguably the most well-known adaptations of the X-Men comics, with the latter contributing to the modern superhero blockbuster film genre and the former remaining the most authentic depiction of the X-Men on screen. Fox’s X-Men franchise struggled creatively, particularly in its conflicts and antagonists, a problem that X-Men ’97 avoids including a unique and particularly horrifying enemy.

The X-Men are famous for their conflicts with Magneto – who initially seeks to subjugate humanity – and various ordinary humans with anti-mutant bigotry. These antagonists are far from the only threats the X-Men face, however, as the team has a massive rogue’s gallery consisting of extraterrestrial and mystical threats in addition to lethal mercenaries and criminals. One such villain from the X-Men comics, who has been rarely adapted to screen media, menaces Storm in the X-Men ’97 episode 4 ending. Moreover, this antagonist’s inclusion in the series has fascinating implications, thanks to the comics and the original X-Men: The Animated Series.

The Adversary In X-Men ’97 Is Scarier Than Any Fox X-Men Movie Villains

The second half of the X-Men ’97 episode “Motendo / Lifedeath – Part 1” has a depowered Storm stalked and later menaced by the Adversary, who uses his nightmarish supernatural powers on Storm before capturing her. The Adversary’s introduction makes an already emotionally tumultuous moment for Storm and the viewers – with Forge revealed to have facilitated the creation of the mutant inhibitor collars – even darker. With only a brief demonstration of the Adversary’s powers and sinister goals, X-Men ’97 shows a greater potential for horror than the Fox X-Men movies.

The Adversary is voiced by Alison Sealy-Smith, who also voices Storm in both X-Men ’97 and X-Men: The Animated Series starting with season 2.

The Fox X-Men franchise certainly had threatening antagonists, from Magneto to the Sentinels, but none of these villains across multiple movies compared to the horror of the Adversary’s brief introduction in X-Men ’97. The Fox X-Men franchise did delve into the realm of horror in the 2020 film The New Mutants, with a reimagined version of the Demon Bear serving as an antagonist, however. This iteration of the spectral entity from the comics became a creation of Dani Moonstar and, while formidable, does not quite match the horror of the Adversary.

The Adversary’s Marvel Comics History & Powers Explained

In the Marvel Comics universe, the Adversary debuted in issue 227 of Uncanny X-Men, by Chris Claremont and Marc Silvestri. A mysterious and mystical entity, the Adversary is an exceptionally powerful enemy of the X-Men, particularly Storm and Forge. Originating from another dimension, the Adversary was summoned by Forge (who, ironically, was trained to fight the entity from a young age) during his US Military service in the Vietnam War. While Forge only sought to direct the demonic being towards enemy combatants, the Adversary remained on Earth after the incident, allowing him to return to menace Forge and the rest of the X-Men.

The Adversary is one of the Marvel Universe’s most dangerous demons, making him one of Earth’s greatest threats. The Adversary’s home dimension is extremely chaotic, and he desires to destroy the X-Men’s dimension so that he can reforge it as something akin to his own home. As an ultra-powerful demon, the Adversary is nearly omnipotent, though he is not without weaknesses. Other exceptional magic users pose a threat to the Adversary, and he is vulnerable to iron and its derivative materials, such as steel.

How The Adversary Fits Into The X-Men 97 Season 1 Storyline

Fascinatingly, 2024’s issue 3 of Resurrection of Magneto, by Al Ewing and Luciano Vecchio, implies that the Adversary has a multitude of alternate forms, including Shadow King (Amahl Farouk), who appeared in multiple episodes of the original X-Men: The Animated Series. This could imply that the Adversary and Shadow King will be revealed to be one and the same in future episodes of X-Men ’97. Moreover, the Adversary’s weakness to iron and steel makes the X-Men’s new leader Magneto potentially invaluable in stopping the demonic creature.

Considering the sheer power, threat level, and omnicidal goals of the Adversary, the being could end up becoming the ultimate villain of X-Men ‘97’s first season. The series may be building towards a loose adaptation of The Fall of the Mutants storyline, which has the Adversary battle the entire X-Men team, In any case, the Adversary is a welcome addition to X-Men ’97, proving to be a horror beyond anything in Fox’s X-Men universe.