- Primary Subject: X-Men '97 Season 2
- Key Update: The team tracks missing mutants across Ancient Egypt and the far future using Forge's time-travel tech to stop Apocalypse.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: July 1, 2026
- Quick Answer: Forge and Bishop use time-travel technology to detect timeline ripples, allowing them to locate and reunite the scattered X-Men across different eras.
X-Men '97 Season 2 brings the Age of Apocalypse to the small screen, with the X-Men scattered across different points in time as they navigate the past, present, and future.
With Bishop and Forge remaining on Earth, they are the X-Men's only hope of returning to the present and defeating Apocalypse. So, how can they save the X-Men and restore the timeline?
How Do Forge and Bishop Find the X-Men Across Time and Space?
The X-Men '97 Season 1 finale left the team scattered across time after the destruction of Asteroid M.
Rogue, Nightcrawler, Beast, Magneto, and Professor X ended up in Ancient Egypt in 3000 B.C., while Cyclops and Jean Grey were sent to 3960 A.D. Meanwhile, Wolverine, Storm, and Morph were nowhere to be found.
Evidently, the cliffhanger sets the stage for the Age of Apocalypse storyline in Season 2. Like in the comics, Forge has developed time-travel technology in the animated series, allowing Bishop to track the X-Men by detecting "ripples in the timestream."
Bishop determines that one group has been sent to Ancient Egypt, while another has landed in 3960 AD–the two defining periods of Apocalypse's life. The ancient mutant was born in Egypt around 3000 BC before eventually conquering Earth and ruling it in the distant future.
How to Save the X-Men from Apocalypse in X-Men Season 2?
After witnessing the damage to the timestream, Bishop realizes that Earth is gradually shifting toward Apocalypse's dystopian future. To stop that from happening, he believes the X-Men must be reunited so they can push reality back onto its proper course.
With that goal in mind, Bishop and Forge split up. Bishop heads to Ancient Egypt to search for the team stranded in Apocalypse's era, while Forge travels to the far future to locate Cyclops, Jean Grey, and the others.
Beyond the Age of Apocalypse, X-Men '97 Season 2 could also draw inspiration from the controversial The Twelve storyline. The comic shares several similarities with Bishop and Forge's mission, particularly its focus on time travel, Apocalypse's grand plan, and Cable's role in stopping him. In the comics, Forge raises an alternate-universe version of Cable, making it possible that the animated series could adapt elements of that story as Cable attempts to save his fellow mutants before they fall under Apocalypse's control.
Although The Twelve remains one of Marvel's most divisive X-Men storylines because of its troubled development and controversial ending, X-Men '97 has already shown a willingness to rework classic comic arcs. If the series incorporates elements of The Twelve, it has an opportunity to improve on ideas that many fans felt never reached their full potential.
For now, however, the clearest path to stopping Apocalypse is reuniting the X-Men. With the team scattered across different eras, they have little chance of changing history. But thanks to Forge's time-travel technology and Bishop's ability to detect "ripples in the timestream," they finally have a way to track down every missing mutant.
Once the X-Men are together again, they can confront Apocalypse at the moments that matter most and restore the timeline before his rule becomes inevitable.
X-Men ‘97 Season 2 premieres on Wednesday, July 1, on Disney+.
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