X-Men 97 has been a huge success for Marvel Studios as their first-ever non-MCU series. The show continues the story from the original 90s animated series and continues its parallels and allegories of very real-world events and issues. With season 1 now completed, fans may have some lingering questions about the X-Men 97 season finale ending. Namely, who is Mother Askani? Read on as I deep dive into just who Mother Askani is, how she ties into the X-Men, and what role she may play in X-Men 97 season 2.
Please note that the following will contain spoilers for the ending of X-Men 97 season 1.
X-Men 97 Season 1 Ending Explained
Image via Disney+.
Season 1 of X-Men 97 was action-packed, dealing with the threat of an evolved Sentinel in Bastion (Theo James) where all the characters unite for a common cause. And while it definitely seemed like it was all over, the story propelled us into a tease for X-Men 97 season 2 that we could not have seen coming! In the season finale, after Magneto (Matthew Waterson) regained his senses, from his traumatic experience with Professor X (Ross Marquand), he took control of Asteroid M, preventing it from crashing onto Earth. However, it seemed like the asteroid exploded moments later, killing all the X-men aboard. But the scenes following set up an entirely different story.
How X-Men 97 Season 1 Ending Teases The Season 2 Conflict
Image via Disney+.
6 months after the explosion, Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith) appears to a desperate Forge (Gil Birmingham) looking for survivors, to explain that the X-Men didn’t die, someone pulled them out through time. After this revelation, we cut to the X-Men, as they end up in two different timelines, with some still missing.
Professor X, Magento, Beast (George Buza) Rogue (Lenore Zann), and Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough) appear to be in ancient Egypt, 3,000 BC to be exact. As they gather their bearings, they happen upon a stranger under attack. After defending him, they discover that he is none other than Sabah En Nur, the first mutant who would go on to become Apocalypse. As briefly seen in this season, Apocalypse is the X-Men’s long-time enemy. So this is clearly teasing that the next season will feature him heavily as possibly the big bad. But it’s the other time that is the most interesting one.
Time Travel Plays An Important Role In X-Men 97 Season 2
Image via Disney+.
While the others are in ancient Egypt, Cyclops (Ray Chase) and Jean (Jennifer Hale) are in the way distant future, 3,960 AD, to be exact. Stuck in what looks to be a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a group calling themselves Clan Askani, and their leader, an elderly woman called Mother Askani, greets them. The shocker comes when they introduce Jean and Scott to a much younger Nathan Summers, their son. The episode ends on a cliffhanger for both parties on either end of time, promising to continue the story, potentially in season 2.
The most interesting part of the two different times, is they almost seemingly connect in a unique way. While Xavier, Magneto and the others are with, what looks to be a young Apocalypse, while on the other end of time, Scott and Jean meet their son, who will become Cable a time-revolutionary trapped in an epic battle with an older Apocalypse. So these two threads will seemingly feature the origin story of both characters, culminating in the continuation of their epic battle with each other. And this is where Mother Askani plays a huge role.
Who Is Mother Askani?
Image via Disney+.
Ok, Mother Askani’s comic book origins get a little confusing, so stay with me.
Mother Askani, is actually Rachel Summers, an alternate-reality daughter of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. In the comic books, Rachel is born in an alternate future, the same as the one we saw in the movie, X-Men: Days Of Future Past which adapted that storyline. However, her adventures through time, landed her almost 2,000 years in the future, in a dystopian world already conquered by Apocalypse.
Here, she founded Clan Askani of like-minded people sharing the same goal and became Mother Askani. She orchestrated events so that she could bring a young techno-virus-infected Nathan Summers, into the future with her. After an attack by Apocalypse left her injured, Mother Askani brought Cyclops and Jean into the future as Slym and Red, to raise Nathan, and tutor him in the ways that would allow him to lead the fight against Apocalypse himself. Later on, before her death, Mother Askani returned Scott and Jean moments before she brought them back.
How Mother Askani May Fit Into Season 2
Image via Disney+.
Now, while that is a lot of information to take in, it’s clear to see the inspiration that the writers of X-Men 97 used, and how the TV show may play out in this iteration. While it’s a mystery how both groups ended up in different time periods, it seems that given Mother Askani’s comic book counterpart’s abilities, she may be the one responsible. The revelation of a young Nathan also makes sense, seeing that this may be the future that Bishop brought him to after Cyclops and Jean were forced to give him up earlier on in the season.
So will season 2 follow Scott and Jean training a young Nathan to become the very same Cable we meet in season 1? Will Rachel Summer be conceived in this timeline, during their adventures training their son for war? We’ll have to wait for X-Men 97 season 2 to find out.
X-Men 97 season 1 is now streaming on Disney+.
What did you think of this deep-cut comic book reference of Mother Askani in the X-Men 97 season 1 finale? Let me know in the comments below. Or follow me on X (formerly Twitter) at @theshahshahid to discuss all things X-Men 97!
