Marvel's #1 TV Series Just Brought Its Biggest Fan Theory To Life

Published Aug 12, 2026, 7:27 PM EDT

**Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with a substantial amount of experience under his belt. **Collier, or “CJ” to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. Using his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he’s been able to tackle a wide variety of articles.

Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for X-Men ‘97 Season 2, Episode 9.

***X-Men ‘97 ***left no stone unturned in its Season 2 finale, “Survival of the Fittest.” Not only does this finale feature a free-for-all between the X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force, but it also finally resolves the fate of Gambit (AJ LoCascio) after he was resurrected and possessed by Apocalypse (Ross Marquand). In true X-Men fashion, it’s a victory that’s both hard-earned and bittersweet, and will leave some fans heartbroken by the end. Yet it’s the mid-credits scene that’s truly shocking, **as it pays off a long-running fan theory **about one character.

The scene involves Val Cooper (Catherine Disher) going over files at her desk until the door opens…and reveals *another *Cooper, who’s shocked to see someone who looks like her. The Cooper at the desk shoots her duplicate through the stomach and then transforms into Mystique, who reveals that she intends to take Cooper’s place and destabilize the United States. Fans had long speculated that Mystique would show up at the end of the season or was secretly masquerading as Cooper, and this scene brings those theories to life. It also gives more context to the events that will play out in *X-Men ‘97 *Season 3.

The first look at *X-Men ‘97 *Season 3 was revealed during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year, which features the Brotherhood of Mutants wreaking havoc before being chased off by red, white, and blue-themed Sentinels. It hints that Mystique will be stoking chaos by pitting the Brotherhood against the X-Men, while also using her newfound disguise as Cooper to command X-Factor to round up any mutants who might oppose her. Further complicating matters is the fact that Mystique’s son, Graydon Creed, is now the President of the United States; Creed’s made no secret of how much he hates mutants due to his upbringing, which introduces more of the personal dynamics that drive the best X-Men stories.Ironically, *X-Men ‘97 *is **actually tapping into a long-forgotten part of Mystique’s comic book history **with its big plot twist. In Uncanny X-Men #199 by **Chris Claremont **and John Romita Jr, the shape-shifting villainess offers her services to Val Cooper, alongside the rest of the Brotherhood. Rechristened “Freedom Force,” they’re tasked with arresting threats to American citizens — starting with their former leader, Magneto. It remains to be seen how the Brotherhood plays into X-Men ‘97, but an episode could see them donning their Freedom Force moniker and hunting down the X-Men, especially as Season 2 established the mutant heroes were outlawed from operating on American soil.

Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.

You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.

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Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.

You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.

Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.

You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.

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