Original X-MEN ’97 Creator Beau DeMayo Reveals His Ambitious, Scrapped Vision for Season 2
Before X-Men ’97 premiered to critical and fan acclaim, creator Beau DeMayo had already been removed from the series. Though still credited as a writer on Season 2, his exact contributions remain uncertain, and now, we have a better idea of what his vision entailed.
In a series of posts, DeMayo broke down his original concept for Season 2, offering fans a tease into a darker, more politically charged chapter for the X-Men. It included mutant militias, time travel, and a massive showdown in Washington D.C. DeMayo wrote:
“So, I’m curious what remains in #xmen97 Season 2 when it comes to New X-Men costumes. My intention in using Grant Morrison’s and Frank Quietly’s uniforms was this:
“In my version of Season 2, E-Day leads to mutant task forces like the X-Men being banned in the US and so Xavier — eager to find the next step in his dream as rival groups X-Force and X-Factor spring up while the X-Men are scattered through time — founds X-Corp, building the tower from the comics on the ruins of Genosha as a challenge to Val Cooper and the UN since X-Force would now operate outside of UN jurisdiction.’”
DeMayo saw Season 2 as a radical evolution of Charles Xavier’s vision, one that gets twisted by darker forces. He added:
“To me, Quietly’s designs felt more militant and that’s something I intended to explore in Season 2 as Xavier begins to militarize his dream, moving them away from being heroes, with the final reveal being in the S2 finale (which has been cut) that it was Onslaught slowly gaining control of Xavier that made him defy the UN, start X-Corp, and militarize his team.”
DeMayo was laying the groundwork for one of the most dangerous villains in X-Men history to make a surprise return. His plan would’ve culminated in a massive final act:
“When the X-Men realize this, and Onslaught reveals himself at the end of Episode 9, they don their classic 90s costumes again and return to being heroes as they lead the Avengers, X-Factor, and X-Force against Onslaught as he steals Ship (from the OG’s Obsession) from Apocalypse and unleashes it on Washington D.C. during Graydon Creed’s inauguration.”
That would’ve been a universe-spanning climax worthy of the best X-Men arcs. But with DeMayo no longer steering the ship, it’s unclear how much (if any) of this will make it into the final cut of Season 2.
Marvel hasn’t announced a release date for the new season, but expectations are high. Whether we get even a shadow of this Onslaught arc remains to be seen, but fans will definitely be watching closely.