Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for X-Men ’97 episode 8.
Despite being an animated Marvel show with no connection to DC, X-Men ’97 episode 8 features a surprising parallel to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. X-Men ‘97’s main villain has been revealed to be Bastion, a human-turned-Prime Sentinel who’s the reincarnation of supervillain Nimrod and a descendant of the Sentinel Master Mold. Bastion is the one responsible for the Sentinel’s attack on Genosha from X-Men ’97 episode 5, and thus responsible for the deaths of countless mutants as well, including Gambit.
Before the mutants’ inevitable battle against the villain, X-Men ‘97 episode 8 “Tolerance Is Extinction Part 1” delves into Bastion’s origin through a vision that Jean Grey receives when visiting the villain’s childhood home. According to the flashback, a young Sebastion Gilberti began developing odd abilities while at school. Although this might be a common occurrence for young mutants in the X-Men ‘97 universe, the way Bastion’s early abilities are depicted on screen is remarkably similar to the way Superman discovers his powers in the DCEU’s Man Of Steel. Watch a shot-by-shot comparison shared on X by user kgcrossov3r below:
Bastion’s Flashback Origin Story Sequence Is Almost Identical To Superman’s In Man Of Steel
Bastion Develops His Powers When He Was In School, Exactly Like Henry Cavill’s Superman
As shown in Jean Grey’s flashback vision in X-Men ‘97 episode 8, Bastion begins hearing voices and sensing machines in the middle of class, which forces him to exit the classroom. Soon afterward, Bastion hugs his mother and asks her “Mom, will I ever be normal?”, to which his mother responds, “You are normal. You are my son”. In Man of Steel, Clark Kent’s senses suddenly sharpen during class, and he runs out of the classroom to hide in the maintenance staff’s closet. Clark’s mother arrives, and Clark hugs her after he soothes him by telling him to think of the world as “smaller”.
X-Men ’97 writer Beau DeMayo confirmed that Bastion’s parents appeared in X-Men: The Animated Series ‘ two-part storyline “One Man’s Worth,” which featured Nimrod and Master Mold.
How X-Men ’97 Episode 8’s DCEU Connection Makes Its Story Even Better
Man Of Steel’s Superman Story Shows Where Bastion Failed
X-Men ’97 pays a respectful homage to DC’s biggest icon and the DCEU’s first installment with Bastion’s origin story. The fact that it’s X-Men‘s main villain who experiences the same struggles as Superman gives Bastion a chance to gather empathy from the audience, as he clearly wasn’t at fault for his transformation. Just like Clark Kent spent his childhood thinking he was a regular human boy, Sebastion Gilberti considered himself to be a regular kid until his powers developed.
Also like Superman, Bastion’s life was shaped by his father. When Clark Kent grew up and started to embrace the full potential of his abilities, he came into contact with Jor-El’s stored consciousness in the shipwrecked Kryptonian scouting ship, where he learned his true origin and Kryptonian nature. Similarly, X-Men ’97‘s Bastion grew into his powers and harnessed them for evil purposes, all courtesy of Nimrod’s possession of Bastion’s father prior to Bastion’s conception. Despite having a mother who loved and supported him, Bastion gave in to his Sentinel nature and distanced himself from his similarities to Superman.
