X-Men 97 Handles Madelyne Pryor Better Than the Comics Ever Did

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for 'X-Men '97' Episode 7.

The Big Picture

• Madelyne Pryor is treated with respect in X-Men '97; her character is given autonomy and a meaningful role different from the typical portrayal in comics.
• The relationship between Madelyne and Cable in the show highlights her importance and emotional depth as a character, adding layers to her story.
• The decision not to reverse the fates of Genosha victims like Madelyne so far adds gravity to the storytelling and respects the relevant political themes of the show.

The latest episode of X-Men ’97 confirmed that Erik “Magnus” Lehnsherr/Magneto (Matthew Waterson) and Emma Frost/the White Queen (Martha Marion) survived the horrific attack on the mutant island of Genosha that occurred a few episodes ago. However, the latest installment, “Bright Eyes,” also made it seem more likely that the deceased victims of the attack may not have their fates reversed through any supernatural means, as many viewers initially suspected may be the case. One of these victims was Madelyne Pryor (Jennifer Hale), the former member of the X-Men who recently discovered she is a clone of Jean Grey (Hale). And yet, even in death, the series continues to treat the character with more respect than she’s been given for much of her tumultuous history in the Marvel Comics source material.

X-Men '97

A band of mutants use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them; they're challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.

Who Is Madelyne Pryor in Marvel Comics?

Created by Chris Claremont and Paul Smith, Madelyne “Maddie” Pryor first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #168 in 1983. She encountered former X-Men leader Scott Summers/Cyclops in Alaska while working for his grandparents. Scott was struck by her close resemblance to his girlfriend, Jean, who was presumed dead during the famed Dark Phoenix Saga. Although his curiosity about a possible connection between Jean and Madelyne increased after he learned the latter was the sole survivor of a plane crash that occurred the same day Jean died, Scott and Madelyne also quickly fell for one another, got married, and had a child, Nathan Christopher Charles Summers.

When Jean is subsequently discovered to be alive,Scott leaves Madelyne and Nathan to reunite with her, with the pair and their original X-Men teammates forming the new superhero team, X-Factor. Madelyne and Nathan are later attacked by the supervillain group, the Marauders, who kidnap Nathan. Madelyne secretly survived the attack and was checked into a hospital as a Jane Doe. Although X-Factor recovers Nathan and begins to care for him, Madelyne’s fate remains unknown until she contacts the X-Men for help when she is again targeted by the Marauders. She subsequently joins the team, but after learning of Jean’s survival and that it is the reason Scott left, she becomes enraged and the demon S’ym tricks her into a deal that transforms her into the supervillain known as the Goblin Queen. As the Goblin Queen, she serves as one of the main antagonists of the "Inferno" crossover event, which also revealed that she was a clone of Jean created by the Marauders’ leader, Mister Sinister. Sinister is obsessed with mutant genetics, particularly those of Jean and the Summers family, and believes a child conceived with Scott and Jean’s genetic material will become the ultimate mutant, hence his interest in Nathan.

Although Madelyne dies at the end of "Inferno," like Jean, she has been resurrected several times. Very recent stories have seen her make peace with Jean and the Summers family, becoming at worst an anti-hero. But while she’s arguably most popular as a villain, the fact that she was portrayed as one for so long highlights the often disrespectful treatment of the character. Claremont himself has noted that the original intention was for the character to be independent of Jean despite the resemblance, and for Scott to truly accept that the latter was gone and commit to his roles as husband and father, only returning to superhero work on special occasions. He elaborates that Madelyne’s story would have ended with her getting what she always wanted, love for the unique person she is, but that the editorial decisions to resurrect Jean and create X-Factor necessitated the darker story.

'X-Men '97' Treats Madelyne Like Her Own Person

Despite its brevity, Madelyne’s role in X-Men ’97 is much more respectful of her autonomy, due to some key changes in the plotting and character dynamics involved in her story. Sinister (Christopher Britton) implanted Jean’s memories into the animated version of Madelyne and the latter believed she was Jean until the original arrived at the X-Mansion seeking the X-Men’s help. Ironically, this makes it easier for the viewer to invest in her as her own character. While reading her earliest comic appearances, it’s hard for one not to find their view aligning with Scott’s.

The resemblance to Jean was so strong and Madelyne’s backstory so suspicious that it was hard to believe she was completely separate from Jean and/or the Phoenix, and view her as an independent figure. X-Men ’97 makes a point to establish that no one can tell when Jean was replaced, so there’s a good chance the “Jean” viewers were watching for at least part of the original X-Men animated series was, in fact, Madelyne, making them much more likely to be interested in her own future stories, rather than viewing her as a kind of placeholder as it was easy to do in her original comic appearances.

Although she is angered by Scott (Ray Chase) and the rest of the team’s suspicion of her, ultimately, Madelyne’s transformation into the Goblin Queen is mostly the result of Sinister’s mental influence. And, even more telling, it is very short-lived, with Madelyne eventually relenting and working with Scott to rescue Nathan from Sinister by the end of the same episode in which she makes her heel turn. While some fans have been disappointed to see the "Inferno" arc condensed into such a short adaptation, doing so also highlights Madelyne’s inherent goodness, which is a much kinder way to treat the character than the comics’ usual practice of (literally) demonizing her for being justifiably angry with Scott and company.

After Madelyne and Scott are forced to send Nathan into the future to heal from a virus Sinister infected him with, the former leaves the X-Men, although she does so on relatively good terms. Despite this, the series has continued to highlight her importance as a supporting character. She next appears as a member of Genosha’s ruling council in the cataclysmic fifth episode, “Remember It.” There it was also established that she and Scott had remained in contact, beginning a telepathic affair of sorts, effectively having Madelyne take the role Emma played in a comic book love triangle with Scott and Jean. When Jean confronts Scott about this, he points out that it’s normal for him to want to maintain some kind of connection with the mother of his child. In “Bright Eyes,” when someone mentions that a telepath has been found alive in the ruins of Genosha, Scott seems to hope that it is Madelyne, and silently cries when it’s discovered that it’s actually Emma, with Jean attempting to console him. In addition to keeping Scott more likable by not having him abandon his family, the alterations to his dynamic with Madelyne are further evidence of the series’ respect for her individuality.

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'X-Men '97' Acknowledges Madelyne's Importance to Cable

Arguably the most powerful example of the show’s love for Madelyne is the relationship she shares with Cable (Chris Potter). The time-traveling mutant warrior appeared in “Remember It,” attempting to evacuate Genosha before the attack. While doing so, he encounters Madelyne, who, upon looking into Cable’s eyes, realizes that he is an adult version of Nathan. When his computer forcibly teleports him away immediately before the attack, Cable is heartbroken, saying “I’m so sorry, Mom.” Despite this tragic ending, their encounter also had a heartwarming element, as Madelyne was tearfully relieved to see that her son had survived.

In “Bright Eyes,” Cable rescues the X-Men from a Prime Sentinel created by Bastion that had taken over the body of Bolivar Trask (Gavin Hammon). Jean subsequently senses the memory of his final moment with Madelyne, leading her and Scott to realize who Cable is, but he tells Jean to get out of his brain because she isn't "her." In the comics it is eventually revealed that Scott and Jean are taken into the future, where they raise Nathan during his formative years before returning to the present. While the resulting dynamic between Cable and Jean is one of several heartwarming representations of an adopted parent/child relationship in superhero comics, it also contributed to the minimization of Madelyne’s importance that is common in storylines where the character does not play a leading role. While perhaps harsher than necessary, the animated Cable’s dismissal of Jean both suggests that his backstory will be simplified and ensures that the animated Madelyne is not similarly ignored.

Again, “Bright Eyes” makes it seem unlikely that Madelyne or any of the other Genosha victims will get miraculous reprieves from their apparent fates, as Magneto and Emma did. Ultimately, this seems like a strong storytelling decision, as it respects the gravity of the sadly relevant political themes the show is dealing with. But regarding Madelyne specifically, it is unfortunate her story seems to be being cut short, given how good of a job the series has done streamlining her convoluted comic history into a compelling arc.

X-Men '97 is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

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