X-Men ’97 was one of Marvel’s big success stories in 2024. It adroitly picked up the baton left by the classic X-Men: The Animated Series for a new generation, delivering more measured and mature stories pulled straight from the comics of the era. Fans are already anticipating a second season, and with the X-Men presumably in-bound to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it may have a longer second life ahead of it.

Marvel Entertainment has provided a holiday treat for X-Men ’97 fans in the form of a yule log ambiance screen. It depicts a roaring fire in a study at Xavier’s school, drawn in the style of the animated series, and containing a number of Easter eggs pulled from the series.

10. A Pair of Blackbird Models Mark the Season 1 Climax

The X-Men Split Into Two Teams, Requiring Two Planes

The X-Men’s traditional mode of transit is an SR-71 Blackbird hidden at Xavier’s school. A model of the plane can be seen on the left-hand side of the mantle. A second, different model appears on the table in the lower left-hand corner. The episode implies that it’s an earlier model of the Blackbird, located on Muir Island where the X-Men regroup in Season 1, Episode 9, “Tolerance Is Extinction, Part 2.”

Both planes are used in the ensuing crisis as the X-Men split into two teams. Cyclops’ Blue Team takes the newer Blackbird (on the mantle opposite the menorah) to confront Magneto on Asteroid M, while Jean’s Gold Team goes after Bolivar Trask with the older model. The presence of both in the image is a direct reference to the finale of Season 1.

9. Scott’s Glasses and Visor Frame the Scene

Cyclops is Denied a Stocking, However

A pair of Scott Summer’s red glasses sit next to the model on the lower left-hand side of the screen. They’ve been a signature of the character since his earliest days, and designed to contain the constant energy emitting from his eyes. In some ways, they are the most telling sign that the X-Men’s mutations — however marvelous — sometimes carry some very serious drawbacks.

The glasses are joined by a copy of the visor from his costume, which is located on a shelf next to the Christmas tree. It’s more elaborate, and can be used to vary the intensity of his eye beams. Besides beggaring the question of what Scott is wearing over his eyes at the time, the objects appear to offset his lack of a stocking by the fire.

8. Cerebro’s Helmet Makes It into the Image

The Mutant-Detecting Computer is a Staple of The X-Men

Cerebro is one of the mansion’s most important gadgets, designed to amplify telepathic brain waves. Professor X and Magneto designed it, though other telepaths like Jean Grey and Emma Frost can make use of it as well. Xavier typically uses it to detect and locate mutants from all around the world, though he can also use it for telepathic communication. It has been upgraded and refined multiple times in the comics using the likes of Shi’ar technology and augmentations from the mutant Forge.

The version from X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97 is largely focused on the helmet worn by the user to operate the device. The yule log scene has it tucked in the corner halfway up the bookshelf. It’s possibly an oblique nod to Hank McCoy, who has helped refine and augment the device though he cannot use it himself. The Beast is otherwise absent from the objects in the scene, making the Cerebro helmet the most obvious connection to him.

7. Stockings Hang on The Mantle

Sadly, There Isn’t Enough Room for Everyone

In the center of the image, above the fire itself, hangs the biggest sign of the season at Xavier’s school. Five stockings can be seen, each matching the color pattern of a specific hero’s costume. From left to right, they’re laid out for Wolverine, Storm, Morph, Rogue and Jean Grey. Unfortunately, the mantle can’t hold more than five stockings, which means some members of the team need to find other ways to make their presence known.

Interestingly, X-Men ’97 features a change in uniforms for the team, which they unveil during the events of “Tolerance Is Extinction, Part 2.” The stockings reflect their older costumes rather than the newer ones. For instance, Wolverine’s stocking is yellow with dark blue stripes, rather than the gold-and-brown variant he wears in “Tolerance is Extinction, Part 2.”

6. Wolverine’s Claws Scraped a Pillow

Logan Was Apparently Involved in a Pillow Fight

Besides his stocking, Wolverine makes his appearance known with a pillow sitting on a chair on the left-hand side of the screen. It’s marked by a triple cut, the mark of Logan’s signature adamantium claws. It also suggests a fight (perhaps playful), though the specifics matter less than the image itself — it’s simply the easiest way to evoke the X-Men’s most popular character.

Wolverine plays a comparatively small role in X-Men ’97, though he’s certainly present. The series focuses more on Scott and Jean’s relationship (giving Cyclops center stage for once), while openly feeding fan speculation about Logan’s connection to Morph. Regardless, the image probably wouldn’t be complete without three telltale slash marks somewhere.

5. Magneto’s Helmet Will Soon See Use

The Master of Magnetism Is Rarely Without It

Right next to the slashed pillow is something that every X-Men fan should instantly recognize. Magneto’s signature red helmet is a part of his classic ensemble, which he wears to prevent Charles from reading his mind, and from being detected with methods like Cerebro. Some version of it has appeared in most incarnations of the character, including Ian Holm’s and Michael Fassbender’s take in the live-action X-Men movies.

The same principle that applies to the stockings appears to apply to Magneto’s helmet as well. In keeping with X-Men ’97‘s aesthetic, the Master of Magnetism dons an era-specific costume which doesn’t require his helmet. That changes late in the season, as he returns to his previous ways following the terrorist attack in Genosha, and puts his helmet on again to protect his mind from Professor X.

4. Charles’ Portrait Is Dressed for the Holidays

Professor X Sports a Christmas-Themed Sweater and Candy Cane

The centerpiece of the image is a portrait of Professor Xavier above the fireplace. He’s dressed for the holidays in a red-and-green Christmas sweater with a candy cane in his hand. Over the course of the video, it gets pulled away as part of the mysterious theft of objects in the room, revealing Charles in a more traditional business suit without the holiday accouterments.

Charles’ disposition is a central part of the Season 1 meta-plot in X-Men ’97. The original X-Men: The Animated Series ended with him departing for the Shi’ar Empire, with the team in Magneto’s hands. He returns at the end of the season to counter the twin threats of the Master of Magnetism and Bolivar Trask.

3. Gambit’s Cards Have a Somber Meaning

The Deck Marks One of X-Men ’97’s Darkest Moments

Gambit is one of the other heroes left without a stocking by the fire, presumably because space was lacking. Instead, a deck of cards can be seen on the table between the two coffee cups, with the Queen of Hearts facing up. They serve as one of Remy Lebeau’s primary weapons, which he charges with kinetic energy and throws at his foes.

X-Men ’97 stunned fandom when it killed off Gambit during Bolivar Trask’s attack in Season 1, Episode 5, “Remember It.” The Cajun mutant had been a staple of X-Men: The Animated Series, where many X-Men fans were introduced to him for the first time. He sacrificed himself to destroy Master Mold, which came as a blindside, which emphasized the dark tragedy of Trask’s attack.

2. The Mutant Inhibitor Is Tucked Under the Tree

The Sinister Collar Makes a Strange Gift

Tucked amid the presents (which periodically disappear and reappear) is a silver object studded with technology. It’s most likely a mutant inhibitor collar, used by a wide variety of villains to dampen superheroic powers and mutant abilities in particular. The collars were first introduced in the seminal X-Men #141 (Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Terry Austin, Glynis Wein, and Tom Orzechowski) which launched the legendary Days of Future Past storyline.

The X-Men have made use of such collars before, usually to de-power foes such as Magneto. X-Men ’97 featured the introduction of Forge, and he and Beast prepare a variant collar to defeat Bolivar Trask. The version on the yule log ambiance video is tucked amid the presents, and revealed when they are mysteriously stolen away.

1. Nightcrawler Saves The Holidays

Vanishing Objects Are Returned with a “Bamf”

The scene periodically cycles, starting with the theft of numerous objects in the room. The presents, the stockings, the Hanukkah menorah, and other items are telekinetically lifted out of sight, while the ornaments on the tree simply vanish. Professor Xavier’s holiday-themed portrait is lifted as well, revealing a more mundane portrait underneath. The identity of the thief is unknown, though there are multiple candidates among both the X-Men and their foes.

After a brief period, missing items are returned one by one, along with a cloud of black smoke and a signature “bamf.” A pointed blue tail can be spotted here and there as well, though only briefly. Wherever the missing items have gone, Nightcrawler is apparently setting things aright. Once all the items are back in place, the scene proceeds uninterrupted for a few minutes before the cycle repeats.

Season 1 of X-Men ’97 is now streaming on Disney+.