The main X-Men ’97 Season 2 theory revolves around Apocalypse and which mutants might possibly join Gambit as a Horseman of Apocalypse. We obviously can’t discuss this topic in length without talking about what happens in the season one finale of the Marvel series on Disney+. So in case you haven’t watched it yet, be warned that there are substantial spoilers in the article.
As revealed in several scenes in the last episode of the first season, Apocalypse has finally arrived. In fact, this villain appears in two timelines, as the X-Men who were still on the asteroid that Magneto formed were unceremoniously sent to the past and the future. Apocalypse appears as En Sabah Nur in the Egyptian past and as his namesake in the present, where the post-credits scene reveals him being on Genosha and his open hand revealing a torn Queen of Hearts left over from Gambit. X-Men fans will immediately clock this as confirmation of his reincarnation as a Horseman of Apocalypse. But who else might become a part of this ill-fated team in X-Men ’97 Season 2?
Which X-Men might become the four Horseman of Apocalypse after the finale?
Here’s a breakdown of which mutants might become the chosen four Horseman of Apocalypse in the second season of X-Men ’97.
Gambit (High Likelihood)
As mentioned, the most telegraphed mutant on the list is the card-slinging Cajun rogue himself. In addition to aforementioned post-credits scene, Professor X had a vision in the series where a giant skeleton version of Gambit destroys the classroom. While this was taken as a sign that the hero died in Genosha and that Xavier needed to return to Earth before it was too late, this also foreshadows that the mutant will more literally become a specter of Death, one of the Horseman of Apocalypse. A variation of this storyline plays out in the comics as well, so it would not be a surprise to see him playing this role one more time in this iteration of the universe.
Wolverine (High Likelihood)
At the end of the penultimate episode of the series, Magneto violently strips Wolverine of the adamantium from his skeleton. He is left to recover on a bed in the Blackbird, but when the X-Men are transported to other timelines, Wolverine is nowhere to be seen. This sets up a familiar scenario of Logan becoming one of the Horseman of Apocalypse. In the second iteration of the HoA in the comics, Wolverine was forced to defeat Sabretooth, leading to Apocalypse re-bonding his skeleton with adamantium and naming him the Horseman of Death. For clarity, Logan didn’t care about getting his metal bones back insomuch as preventing Sabretooth from getting an adamantium skeleton instead. Other variations of the HoA had Wolverine as the Horseman of War, so because Gambit is likely Death, it’s highly possible that he will represent War once again.
Storm (Medium Likelihood)
Similar to Wolverine, Storm also isn’t seen as being one of the X-Men who was moved to other timelines. In the X-Men: Apocalypse film, she became a Horse of Apocalypse, so it wouldn’t be far out of place for her fulfill the role. Her powers to control the forces of Mother Nature would easily make her a candidate to represent Famine.
Angel (Medium Likelihood)
Another possible candidate is Angel, who would be a classic choice as one of the Horseman as far as the comics are concerned. In one of the last scenes of the show, a corkboard is seen in Forge’s base with a status update of where the X-Men might be. All of the X-Men that were sent to another time were marked as “Missing” and “Presumed Dead,” and in this group is Angel. This piece of evidence isn’t conclusive, but it may be a hint that’s out in the open.
Banshee (Low Likelihood)
Banshee perished on Genosha just like Gambit did. And like him, Banshee was one of the Horsemen in the fifth iteration of the team in the comics. There’s a chance that he might return to play the similar role here, though he was a minor character at best in the first season.
Honorable Mentions
Now, it’s still very much possible that other X-Men might become one of the Horsemen. We focused on missing characters as the likely candidates, but it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to see one of the surviving X-Men be turned into a pawn for Apocalypse. This includes Professor X, Psylocke, and Colossus, all of whom were one of the HoA in other versions of the comics. We should also mention Morph, who goes missing along with Wolverine, and Sinister, who would fit right in as the Horseman of Pestilence.
