X-Men ’97 reintroduced the audience to plenty of great stuff, like a fantastic animation style, the original voice cast, the classic team dynamics, the social and political commentary, and yes, the iconic theme song many of us occasionally hum while working. However, the X-Men universe is vast, and the show did leave plenty of things to be desired. Sadly, we can’t discuss them all and their potential fit within the new series, as the list is way too long even to go over. Instead, we’re here to discuss the Savage Land and its possible role in Season 2 of X-Men ’97.
When X-Men ’97 was initially announced, many die-hard fans of the show who remember it as a Saturday morning cartoon were hit by nostalgia, and many revisited the 1992 original series, X-Men: The Animated Series. In fact, the announcement resonated with Marvel and MCU audiences so much that it attracted new audiences to X-Men, which is why the successor series was so successful, at least in part. Well, many fans of TAS probably remember that Season 2 of the series had a parallel narrative in which the mutants deal with Professor X’s absence.
The other side of that parallel featured Magneto and Professor X lost in the Savage Land, with the Professor being able to walk again, but he and Magneto aren’t able to use their mutant powers due to a disruptor device planted by Mister Sinister. For those who aren’t familiar with the in-depth lore of X-Men, the Savage Land is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica that has appeared in many story arcs in Uncanny X-Men and other related works. It was created by the Nuwali, an extremely intelligent alien race, at the behest of the Beyonders, who sought to observe the process of evolution under controlled conditions.
To achieve the Beyonders’ request, the Nuwali set up a number of game preserves on several planets, including Earth, during the Triassic period. They chose a valley in Antarctica surrounded by active volcanos and implemented several technological solutions that would maintain the tropical climate, before introducing all sorts of planet-native life forms to the area, such as dinosaurs and early mammals — including the ancestors of Homo Sapiens, the Man-Apes. The Beyonders eventually grew bored with their little experiment after some 200 million years, causing the Nuwali to stop maintaining the “game preserves.”
However, the climate-maintaining technology was left running, causing many species that would have otherwise become extinct to continue to thrive within the Savage Land. We won’t dive into the rich history of the Savage Land that has been told throughout various Marvel Comics; as you might expect, it also features a thrilling mix of prehistoric creatures and hidden civilizations, with unique characters such as Ka-Zar and Sauron (no, not the Dark Lord from Lord of the Rings). Now, imagine such a rich and adventurous backdrop and how well it contrasts with the typical mutant storylines.
This could be another hit for X-Men ’97 purely because the full extent of the untamed and unpredictable side of the Savage Land hasn’t been explored in previous adaptations of the source material. Since its introduction in the X-Men comics in 1965—after appearing in 1941’s Marvel Mystery Comics #10, the Savage Land was the setting for numerous fantastic narratives involving X-Men and other comic book heroes, including the New Avengers, Spider-Man, and it served as home for Kraven the Hunter and a number of humanoid species.
The prehistoric setting filled with dinosaurs, exotic creatures, and unique environments provide a fresh backdrop for new adventures and conflicts within X-Men ’97. It could also introduce new characters to the animated series, like Ka-Zar and Shanna the She-Devil, which would expand the roster of both heroes and villains and provide the opportunity for future storytelling expansions.
Not only that, but introducing the Savage Lands could also drive character development, as both our heroes are drained of their mutant powers, forcing them to rely on their intellect and physical abilities for survival. And, as previously mentioned, the Savage Land is a familiar and beloved location from the comics, so bringing it back in X-Men ’97 would evoke nostalgia in die-hard fans of the franchise while still maintaining continuity with the original series.
The introduction of the Savage Land isn’t outside the realm of possibilities, considering that the X-Men are now trapped in time; Cyclops and Jean have traveled some 2,000 years into the future, while Rogue, Magneto, Xavier, and Nightcrawler are transported to Ancient Egypt in 3,000 B.C. where they just met a young version of Apocalypse. With all the time travel, the change of scenery involved in the upcoming season, and the impending limited-run comic centered on Rogue’s adventures in the Savage Lands, there’s really no reason not to include the prehistoric location in X-Men ’97.