2026 hasn't long started but it's already clear that it's going to be a big one for X-Men fans. A bunch of Marvel's Mightiest Mutants will make their official Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday (with the cast of the Fox movie series reprising their roles), paving the way for that long-awaited MCU reboot. We also have the long-awaited second season of X-Men '97 to look forward to, and that's undoubtedly going to be a big event this summer.
Marvel Studios have indeed confirmed that the revival of X-Men: The Animated Series will return to Disney Plus this summer season, meaning that it's only a matter of time until we're rocking out to that iconic theme song all over again. However, to bridge that gap and make the wait feel a little shorter, Marvel Comics has revealed that a new story from that particular X-Men saga will be arriving sooner than anticipated.
Marvel Comics' X-Men '97 season 2 prelude comic comes this summer
Marvel Comics has officially announced that X-Men '97 season 2: The prelude comic arrives on June 3, 2026, and it is expected to bridge the gap between the first and second seasons of the TV series. Of course, it will feature beloved characters from the show in doing so.
The five-issue limited series will be written by Steve Foxe and Salva Espin and, in a way, it's a sequel in and of itself. The pair previously worked together on Marvel Comics' X-Men '97 season 1 prelude, which added some backstory to the time that had passed between X-Men: The Animated Series and the Disney Plus series.
‘X-Men ’97: Season Two’— an official prelude comic series by writer Steve Foxe and artist Salva Espin — hits stands this June!
— Marvel Comics (@MarvelComicsHQ) March 13, 2026
Scroll to learn more about the Season 2 prequel comic spinning out of Marvel Animation's X-Men '97. 🧵 ⬇️
🎨: Todd Nauck pic.twitter.com/8b13tM5khM
According to Marvel Comics' official press release, the story will pick up shortly after the events of the first season of the TV series, filling in some of the gaps between it and the season 2 premiere.
"Extinction-day has come and gone, and your favorite X-Men are lost in time! Spinning out of Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 series, follow the X-Men left behind in a world that hunts and hates mutantkind! Can they survive? And just where – or when – are the X-Men now?! No X-Men ‘97 fan can miss this one!"
This isn't the first time that a comic book company - or even Marvel itself - has released a mid-season story with the purpose of bridging the gap. DC famously did with The CW's Arrow, releasing a "season 2.5" story that filled in the blanks between the second and third seasons of the beloved TV series. It looks as though Marvel Comics' X-Men '97 season 2 will do the same.
The season 1 finale of X-Men '97 saw Marvel's mighty mutants scattered throughout time. Magneto helped the team achieve victory after very nearly destroying the planet in response to humanity's terrible treatment of mutants. However, the results of that battle left them all in different places... and times.
The bulk of the X-Men ended up in the past, encountering a younger version of Apocalypse, a..k.a. En Sabah Nur. He has not yet become the villain that the heroes battle, so can that stop that from happening - and what effect could that have on the timeline? Especially when the season's post-credits scene revealed that Apocalypse is seemingly planning to resurrect Gambit as a member of his Four Horsemen.
Meanwhile, Scott Summers and Jean Grey have somehow ended up in the future, arriving in the year of 3960 A.D. and crossing paths with a younger version of their son Nathan Summers, a.k.a. Cable. Needless to say, the visuals of the future have them concerned about where their son grows up and what it all means for the future of mutant and humankind.
The second season has been a long time coming as it's now been two years since season 1 premiered, but Marvel Animation has indeed confirmed that audiences can expect new episodes this summer. The studio has already confirmed that a third season is in the works, with potential fourth and fifth seasons on the horizon too.
Taking all of that into account, the idea of a prelude comic to tease us with what's to come sounds pretty great right about now. We'll happily take another story set in this shared universe as we await for season 2.
Marvel Comics' X-Men '97 season 2 prelude comic arrives on shelves on June 3, 2026.