X-Men '97 season 2 finally puts Colossus center stage
X-Men '97 Season 2 Episode 7, "Strange Land, Savage Heart," finally puts Colossus in the spotlight with a character-driven chapter that explores grief, ideology, and compassion among men and mutants alike, earning strong praise for its philosophical trial and emotional payoff. According to IGN, the episode scores an Amazing 9 and delivers the Piotr Rasputin moment fans have waited for.
Key Takeaways
- Episode 7 centers Colossus (Robert Cait) and Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough) in a compassion-driven story.
- Grief over Magik/Illyana's death on Genosha pushes Colossus toward the Acolytes before he rejoins the X-Men.
- Exodus leads an ideological trial over Graydon Creed that turns into a war of words more than fists.
- The finale teases Apocalypse's desiccated remains and questions whether Gambit/Death is more than a Horseman.
Why does Colossus finally get the spotlight?
Fans have been impatient for X-Men '97 to give Colossus his due. The original animated series never fully developed Piotr Rasputin, and IGN argues "Strange Land, Savage Heart" masterfully explores the compassion that defines both him and Nightcrawler.
The episode opens on Genosha's fall, killing Illyana (Courtenay Taylor) and driving Colossus to reject Xavier's dream—just as he did in the '90s comics after Magik's Legacy Virus death, Nerdist notes. That grief-fueled turn finally lets the steel-skinned mutant carry a full emotional arc.
What happens during the Acolytes' trial?
Exodus (Bo Poraj) and the Acolytes kidnap anti-mutant leader Graydon Creed, drawing X-Corp into a Savage Land rescue that becomes philosophical rather than a pure brawl. Exodus prosecutes; Nightcrawler defends; Colossus serves as judge—a twist on the comics setup Nerdist describes.
Exodus jumps the gun to execute Creed. Viewers later learn Nightcrawler did not sway Colossus toward mercy. Creed shoots Exodus in the back, seemingly killing him, before Colossus rejoins the Xavier Institute. Bishop and Polaris also build an entertaining bond amid jungle action.
Is Season 2 teasing a threat stronger than Apocalypse?
The episode closes with X-Force finding Apocalypse's withered corpse in Greece. SlashFilm reports that after Episode 6 resurrected Gambit as Death, the cliffhanger asks whether Remy killed Apocalypse—or whether Apocalypse transferred his mind into Gambit's body as a new host.
IGN flags the next chapter, "The Dead Man's Hand," as the likely answer. With two episodes left, Season 2 appears headed into an Apocalypse-centric endgame that still found room for Colossus first.
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