X-Men '97 Season Two is set to premiere on July 1, 2025, on Disney+. Ahead of the animated series' return, Marvel has released a canon comic series, X-Men '97: Season Two (written by Steve Foxe with art by Salvador Espin), which introduces a redesigned, unified X-Factor team in coordinated blue-and-yellow costumes . According to Marvel's promotional material and an interview with Foxe, the comic is designed to fill the narrative gaps between Season One and Two, and X-Factor's prominent new look suggests the team will play a far larger role in the series than it did in the original 1990s X-Men: The Animated Series.

A Unified Blue-and-Yellow Look for X-Factor Ahead of July 1 Premiere

As reported by the source, X-Factor's new costumes maintain a classic blue-and-yellow color scheme but give each member a distinct twist. Havok sports a yellow X across his chest, Polaris wears a deep V-shaped yellow panel, Wolfsbane and Strong Guy invert the colors, and Multiple Man adds a thin yellow collar and his signature green trench coat. The coordinated design — seen in X-Men '97: Season Two #1 and an Avengers variant cover — signals that this version of X-Factor operates as a more unified front than in past appearances, according to sources close to the comic's production.

Why the Canon Comic Matters: Filling Gaps Before July 1

The source notes that X-Men '97: Season Two #1 is already available from Marvel Comics. Writer Steve Foxe said in an interview that he and artist Salvador Espin collaborated closely with the show's creators to make the limited series an essential piece of '97 lore. The comic picks up where Season One ended, with most X-Men time-displaced, leaving Forge — the original leader of X-Factor in the 1990s series — as one of the few characters still present in the present time. Foxe's statement, as quoted in the report, suggests the comic is a must-read for fans who want a sneak peek at X-Factor's new gear and its place in the unfolding storyline.

Forge's Solo Mission: One X-Man Grounded While Others Are Lost in Time

In the original X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Factor was led by Forge. According to the source, X-Men '97: Season Two finds Forge trying to devise a way to bring the time-scattered X-Men back to the present. Meanwhile, his old team — consisting of Havok, Polaris, Wolfsbane, Strong Guy, and Multiple Man — has returned with a clear mission. The only member missing from the classic animated lineup is Quicksilver. this setup, as the report explains, positions X-Factor as a key player in Season Two's drama, potentially filling the leadership vacuum while the main X-Men are absent.

What Remains Unknown: X-Factor's Full Mission and Quicksilver's Absence

The source leaves several questions open. First, while the comic offers a brief glimpse of X-Factor's new costumes, issue #1 does not reveal the team's full mission or how it will tie into the animated series' July 1 premiere. Second, Quicksilver's absence from this lineup — he was part of the original animated X-Factor — is unexplained.. Third, the extent of X-Factor's involvement in Season Two beyond the comic remains unconfirmed, as previews for subsequent issues are tight-lipped, according to the report. Readers will have to wait for Season Two #2 (and the show itself) for answers.

A Familiar Echo from the 1990s: X-Factor's Limited Screen Time vs . Comic Potential

In the original X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Factor appeared only in a handful of epiodes, making a memorable but brief impact. As the source points out, the character lineup in the original series was led by Forge and included Quicksilver, while the new comic version swaps Quicksilver for a different roster. The decision to give X-Factor a coordinated look and a dedicated comic arc — plus Marvel's confirmation that Season Four is already in development — suggests the creative team intends to elevate the squad from supporting players to central figures. This mirrors a broader industry trend where once-marginalized comic teams are being reimagined for greater narrative weight in serialized adaptations.