With X-Men ’97’s three-part season finale coming up, one episode of the original X-Men animated series is being recommended as essential viewing.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 Episodes 1-7.

With the upcoming three-part X-Men ‘97 finale coming up, two episodes of the original Marvel animated series are being considered recommended viewing. Though Disney+’s X-Men series is a direct continuation of the animated series that premiered in 1992, it has been able to stand on its own thus far. The characters are already well-known, so X-Men ‘97 hasn’t had to focus on introducing the team and can instead jump straight into the big plotlines.

As of episode 7 of X-Men ‘97, the team is still dealing with the aftermath of the attack on Genosha. The attack took the lives of many mutants, including Gambit and, seemingly, Magneto. Though the culprit behind the attacks is initially believed to be Mister Sinister, it is revealed to actually be the human-sentinel hybrid Bastion. From Bastion’s genetic makeup to the return of one mutant in the current timeline, the recommended X-Men: The Animated Series episodes will provide some context going into X-Men ‘97’s upcoming finale.

X-Men ’97 Creator Beau DeMayo Recommends Watching “One Man’s Worth” Before X-Men ’97 Episode 8

According to X-Men ‘97 creator Beau DeMayo on Twitter/X, it is worth checking out episodes 1 and 2 of X-Men: The Animated Series season 4 before next week. Titled “One Man’s Worth,” the two-part story arc centers around Wolverine, Storm, Bishop, and Forge time traveling to prevent the death of Charles Xavier. Assassinated by the mutant Fitzroy under the order of Master Mold, the death of Professor X in 1959 triggers a war between humans and mutants as the X-Men are never formed. Jumping in between the past and the future, the two episodes also introduce the Sentinel Nimrod.

Up to this point in X-Men ‘97’s run, no episodes of the original animated series have directly been recommended for viewing like “One Man’s Worth” has now been. DeMayo’s suggestion makes plenty of sense as the themes in “One Man’s Worth” parallel a lot of what’s currently happening in X-Men ‘97. With Earth still believing Professor X to be dead, it has caused plenty of human and mutant conflict. The time-traveling Cable appears in X-Men ‘97 episode 7 to help the X-Men fight Bolivar Trask’s Prime Sentinel, which may be priming the series for an upcoming plotline.

What “One Man’s Worth” Could Mean For X-Men ’97’s Next Episode

The main focus of “One Man’s Worth” was time traveling to save Professor X, so the recommended episodes perfectly reflect Cable’s return. Bishop hasn’t been seen since leaving with a baby Nathan, and considering that he was a big part of “One Man’s Worth,” X-Men ‘97 could see his return as well. With Bastion being set up as the season’s final villain and hints already at his background, the next X-Men ‘97 episode may delve into the history of Master Mold and Nimrod, the two Sentinels that Bastion is a fusion of.

Although the exact premise of the upcoming three-part X-Men ‘97 finale is unknown, plenty of assumptions can be made based on creator Beau DeMayo’s recommended viewing. No episode of X-Men: The Animated Series has been recommended like this up to this point in the season, so the suggested “One Man’s Worth” storyline is seemingly a very important one to have context of. With how the plot of “One Man’s Worth” overlaps with where X-Men ‘97 currently is, fans can prepare themselves for what will surely be an eventful next episode.