WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS AND DETAILS FOR
X-MEN 97 SEASON 2

The X‑Men have crossed paths with countless mutants who had nowhere to go, and met allies who refused to fight for someone else’s dream. Newly minted X‑Man Polaris once questioned which dream she truly believed in, while others — like Colossus — chose to step away entirely and live quiet lives with their families. That choice, and the tragedy behind it, sits at the heart of this week’s returning character: Colossus.

Born a gentle, poetic artist on a Russian farm collective, Peter Rasputin wanted nothing more than to protect his sister after their family was gone. In the legendary Uncanny X‑Men #303, Illyana died from the Legacy Virus, and Peter’s grief shattered his faith in Xavier’s dream. Disillusioned, he defected to join the Acolytes. The series takes a different path to reach that moment, but Colossus’ conscience — and the moral struggle of those around him — remains the core of this episode.

The story also revisits a long‑abandoned thread from the original series: Graydon Creed. Last seen in the vicious hands of his father Sabretooth, Creed has clearly survived — the scar tells its own story. Now captured by Exodus and the Acolytes, he is to be executed as a warning to humanity: hatred toward mutants will not be tolerated. A team of X‑Men (losing yet another plane along the way) track the Acolytes to the Savage Land, where an impromptu trial is staged. Exodus prosecutes. Creed’s spiritual — and spirited — brother Nightcrawler defends.

Nightcrawler does what he always does. He believes redemption is possible for anyone, even his unrepentant brother. In the end, he cannot bring himself to take Creed’s life, leaving his fate to the public — who will almost certainly release him in short order. And where does that leave everyone else? The Acolytes stand leaderless, Creed remains at large, and Nightcrawler is left questioning the faith that guides him… at a moment when, judging by the episode’s final tease, that faith may be needed sooner rather than later.

Having lost his sister Illyana during the Genosha massacre, Colossus has aligned himself with the Acolytes of Magneto, a militant cult dedicated to hunting anti‑mutant hate groups under the leadership of the powerful mutant Exodus. When Exodus threatens X‑Factor with the execution of Graydon Creed unless they release captive mutants, Xavier dispatches the X‑Men to rescue Creed from the Acolytes’ base in the Savage Land.

A radiation wave disrupts the team’s powers mid‑flight, and their jet is shot down. Polaris and Bishop are separated from the group, while Colossus unexpectedly rescues the remaining X‑Men from the wreckage. Nightcrawler attempts to reach Colossus by appealing to their shared ideals — and to their shared family. He insists Creed deserves a fair trial, not an execution, and vows to join the Acolytes if he loses.

With Colossus acting as judge, the trial begins. Nightcrawler gradually sways both Colossus and the assembled crowd, and even Creed begins to show glimmers of reason. But Exodus intervenes, attacking Colossus to stop the proceedings. Polaris and Bishop destroy the power‑dampening tower, restoring the X‑Men’s abilities and turning the tide of the battle. Colossus joins the fight, helping drive Exodus back.

Nightcrawler and Exodus clash in a sword duel, with Nightcrawler forcing Exodus to yield — only for Creed to shoot him down moments later. Creed takes Nightcrawler hostage and forces him to teleport out of the Arctic. In the aftermath, Nightcrawler briefly restrains Creed with his tail before ultimately letting him go.

Colossus returns home with the X‑Men, his faith in Xavier’s dream rekindled. Meanwhile, in Athens, X‑Force makes a chilling discovery: the apparent corpse of Apocalypse.

This week’s opening titles have added Polaris with her own title card. Mystique’s abandonment of Nightcrawler, the Friends of Humanity, Magneto holding Valerie Cooper captive and Apocalypse’s deception from Time Fugitives have also been added.

Illyana, curiously, is dressed in a New Mutant uniform for some reason, despite the fact that she never visited the school – and in this timeline the team never existed. She could have been inspired by the team after meeting them in Red Dawn and created her own costume – or there’s an untold tale out there somewhere…

Brotherhood members Pyro and Avalanche can be seen in custody.

Nightcrawler has a file on Creed, which also contains information on his parents and his connection to Kurt and Rogue.

The X-Men previously lost their powers in the Savage Land in Reunion. The same device is used by the Acolytes here. This is dangerous for Bishop – with no way to release his energy, he risks blowing himself apart, as he did onscreen in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Graydon Creed was last seen in Blood Lines. He also ran for Presidency in the comic books in the 90s, but he didn’t get far. Despite overwhelming support, he was assassinated at a rally – right under X-Factor’s noses – by his own mother Mystique! This happened in X-Factor #130.

Although it’s never been developed in the comics, this episode hints at an attraction between Bishop and Polaris. She calls him by his first name, Lucas, which is also a series first.

A large group of Acolytes appear in this episode, some of which appeared in Sanctuary. Frenzy, Unuscione, Delgado, Anne-Marie, Milan, Neophyte, Gargoyle, Amelia Voght, Random, Chrome, Barnacle, Byron Calley, Scanner, Senyaka, Spoor, Mellencamp, Static, Vindaloo, Tempo, Katu, Rusty and Skids, Rem-Ram and Projector can all be seen throughout the episode.

In Uncanny X-Men #315, Exodus placed the young mutant Neophyte on trial in a similar matter, only Colossus was his defender.

HIS NAME IS EXODUS!

Exodus, born Bennet du Paris, is one of the most powerful and enigmatic mutants in X‑Men history. A 12th‑century French crusader, du Paris was a knight whose unwavering faith and idealism led him to seek mythical power in the Himalayas. There, he encountered Apocalypse, who tested his worthiness and transformed him into the immortal mutant now known as Exodus. Gifted with vast psionic abilities — telekinesis, telepathy, energy manipulation, and near‑invulnerability — Exodus became a zealot devoted to mutant supremacy.

He first appeared in X‑Factor #92, emerging as a mysterious figure recruiting mutants for Magneto’s cause. His role expanded dramatically in the pages of Uncanny X‑Men, where he became the fanatical leader of the Acolytes, enforcing Magneto’s ideology with uncompromising fervor. Exodus has repeatedly clashed with the X‑Men, often serving as both antagonist and tragic figure — a man whose centuries‑old convictions leave him torn between faith, loyalty, and the consequences of absolute power.

Across the comics, Exodus has survived battles that would annihilate lesser mutants, endured centuries of conflict, and returned from apparent death more than once. For a character with such immense power and longevity, his fate in season two’s seventh episode is far from certain — Exodus has never stayed down for long.

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