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While X-Men ’97 on Disney+ is bringing back many well-known and beloved characters from back in the day, they are also incorporating one X-Men character from the ’90s many have forgotten about. This character has not appeared in a significant capacity in a Marvel comic in years. He did not even show up on the ’90s cartoon. That character is the mysterious villain the X-Cutioner, whom Marvel Animation has confirmed will play a big role in the Disney+ series, and already has an action figure in the new Hasbro X-Men ’97 line. Here’s the lowdown on this often-forgotten villain.
The 1993 First Appearance of the X-Cutioner
Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Jason Pearson, the X-Cutioner first appeared in Uncanny X-Men Annual #17 in 1993. In the story “The Gift Goodbye,” the mysterious figure in the executioner’s hood first appeared. He’s a human slaying mutants, but only “mutants who have killed first.” He gets on the X-Men’s radar in a bad way, and they discover he’s using a collection of advanced weapons from various villains they’ve faced. Some included Sentinel tech, but most others include alien races like the Shi’ar and the Z’noxx. After that first encounter, X-Cutioner fakes his death, but Storm suspects he teleported away instead. She was correct.
The X-Cutioner Fights Cyclops, Cable, Rogue, and X-Man
The X-Cutioner next appeared later that same year in Uncanny X-Men #301, also written by Scott Lobdell. He attacks the X-Mansion and tries to murder the comatose Emma Frost. Supposedly this was a judgement for her crimes as White Queen of the Hellfire Club. Cyclops and Cable find a way to stop him. However, the mystery of who he really is under that mask remains. It’s not until 1995’s X-Man #11 that we learn the truth about this hooded figure, and why he targets mutants. It’s a secret that ties into the X-Men’s earliest days under Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
The X-Cutioner’s Origin Revealed in X-Man
In the early X-Men comics, Professor Xavier had a contact in the FBI named Fred Duncan. He was sympathetic to the mutant cause, and he helped Xavier on many occasions. He faded into obscurity over time. Decades later, when Marvel revealed the X-Cutioner’s origin, we learned that a mutant murdered Duncan, and his FBI partner Carl Denti vowed revenge. Duncan confiscated alien materials from the X-Men’s adventures which Denti now had access to. He donned the guise of the X-Cutioner and used the alien gadgets to kill mutants he saw as dangerous. Denti believed himself to not be a bigot, saying he didn’t hate mutants, only those that caused harm to others. He attacked Rogue, Nate Grey, and Gambit. After assisting the Punisher on a case, he disappeared for years. The X-Cutioner returned after nearly two decades, in the X-Men’s Krakoan era, when he attacked the Marauders.
The Powers and Weapons of the X-Cutioner
The X-Cutioner has highly advanced technological weaponry, mostly of an extraterrestrial origin. These weapons came from the government storehouses of his old FBI partner Fred Duncan, who once worked with Charles Xavier. The armor he wears is possibly the same armor used by Shi’ar operative Eric the Red, who once fought the X-Men. The armor gives Denti enhanced strength and durability. It can also analyze DNA, distinguishing mutant from human, possibly extracted from Sentinel tech. The X-Cutioner wields a staff that has some sort of powerful plasma discharge. He also has a teleportation device, almost certainly also of alien origin.
The X-Cutioner in X-Men ’97
It remains a mystery just what kind of role the X-Cutioner will play in X-Men ’97. The fact that he has an action figure suggests he will be much more than a cameo. It’s quite possible this X-Cutioner is not Carl Denti at all, but someone already hinted at in the original X-Men: The Animated Series. He’s a relatively obscure and minor villain, so the man behind the mask might be someone else entirely on the show. Fred Duncan was never in the classic show, so it makes little sense for him to get a reference in the new series. We’ll find out what role the X-Cutioner plays in X-Men ’97 when the show rolls out this spring.
The post Who is the X-MEN ’97 Villain, the X-Cutioner? appeared first on Nerdist.
While X-Men ’97 on Disney+ is bringing back many well-known and beloved characters from back in the day, they are also incorporating one X-Men character from the ’90s many have forgotten about. This character has not appeared in a significant capacity in a Marvel comic in years. He did not even show up on the ’90s cartoon. That character is the mysterious villain the X-Cutioner, whom Marvel Animation has confirmed will play a big role in the Disney+ series, and already has an action figure in the new Hasbro X-Men ’97 line. Here’s the lowdown on this often-forgotten villain.
The 1993 First Appearance of the X-Cutioner
Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Jason Pearson, the X-Cutioner first appeared in Uncanny X-Men Annual #17 in 1993. In the story “The Gift Goodbye,” the mysterious figure in the executioner’s hood first appeared. He’s a human slaying mutants, but only “mutants who have killed first.” He gets on the X-Men’s radar in a bad way, and they discover he’s using a collection of advanced weapons from various villains they’ve faced. Some included Sentinel tech, but most others include alien races like the Shi’ar and the Z’noxx. After that first encounter, X-Cutioner fakes his death, but Storm suspects he teleported away instead. She was correct.
The X-Cutioner Fights Cyclops, Cable, Rogue, and X-Man
The X-Cutioner next appeared later that same year in Uncanny X-Men #301, also written by Scott Lobdell. He attacks the X-Mansion and tries to murder the comatose Emma Frost. Supposedly this was a judgement for her crimes as White Queen of the Hellfire Club. Cyclops and Cable find a way to stop him. However, the mystery of who he really is under that mask remains. It’s not until 1995’s X-Man #11 that we learn the truth about this hooded figure, and why he targets mutants. It’s a secret that ties into the X-Men’s earliest days under Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
The X-Cutioner’s Origin Revealed in X-Man
In the early X-Men comics, Professor Xavier had a contact in the FBI named Fred Duncan. He was sympathetic to the mutant cause, and he helped Xavier on many occasions. He faded into obscurity over time. Decades later, when Marvel revealed the X-Cutioner’s origin, we learned that a mutant murdered Duncan, and his FBI partner Carl Denti vowed revenge. Duncan confiscated alien materials from the X-Men’s adventures which Denti now had access to. He donned the guise of the X-Cutioner and used the alien gadgets to kill mutants he saw as dangerous. Denti believed himself to not be a bigot, saying he didn’t hate mutants, only those that caused harm to others. He attacked Rogue, Nate Grey, and Gambit. After assisting the Punisher on a case, he disappeared for years. The X-Cutioner returned after nearly two decades, in the X-Men’s Krakoan era, when he attacked the Marauders.
The Powers and Weapons of the X-Cutioner
The X-Cutioner has highly advanced technological weaponry, mostly of an extraterrestrial origin. These weapons came from the government storehouses of his old FBI partner Fred Duncan, who once worked with Charles Xavier. The armor he wears is possibly the same armor used by Shi’ar operative Eric the Red, who once fought the X-Men. The armor gives Denti enhanced strength and durability. It can also analyze DNA, distinguishing mutant from human, possibly extracted from Sentinel tech. The X-Cutioner wields a staff that has some sort of powerful plasma discharge. He also has a teleportation device, almost certainly also of alien origin.
The X-Cutioner in X-Men ’97
It remains a mystery just what kind of role the X-Cutioner will play in X-Men ’97. The fact that he has an action figure suggests he will be much more than a cameo. It’s quite possible this X-Cutioner is not Carl Denti at all, but someone already hinted at in the original X-Men: The Animated Series. He’s a relatively obscure and minor villain, so the man behind the mask might be someone else entirely on the show. Fred Duncan was never in the classic show, so it makes little sense for him to get a reference in the new series. We’ll find out what role the X-Cutioner plays in X-Men ’97 when the show rolls out this spring.
The post Who is the X-MEN ’97 Villain, the X-Cutioner? appeared first on Nerdist.
The DCEU is officially over. James Gunn and Peter Safran’s all-new DCU will soon replace it. Well, their cinematic universe will be mostly new. Some remnants of the franchise’s previous iteration are sticking around, we’re just don’t yet know exactly how that will work. One element not going anywhere is Gunn’s Max series Peacemaker. How will the show’s second season connect to the first? How will the first connect to the DCU? Which previous stars are returning alongside John Cena? And how will the show explain any changes? Here’s everything we know about Peacemaker season two so far.
Peacemaker Season 2‘s Plot
Peacemaker‘s second season does not yet have an official synopsis, but Gunn has shared some intriguing tidbits about it. He said the show’s first season “isn’t canon,” but that season two is “full DCU.” Gunn isn’t dismissing the character’s past entirely, though. He also wrote “many strands” of Peacemaker’s story “will remain consistent.” That indicates some aspects of Christopher Smith’s history from both The Suicide Squad and the Max show’s first season will still matter to the character’s future. Gunn has also said the explanation for the changes within the story will be easy for viewers to understand.
On social media Gunn also said the events of his Superman movie will matter for Peacemaker season two.
The show’s second season will also air before Waller, a new series announced as part of the DCU’s initial lineup. It was originally expected to serve as a bridge between Peacemaker seasons, but the events of Waller will take place entirely after Peacemaker season two, which will also have a new opening credits sequence. (If it’s as good as the original we’re fine with that. Otherwise….)
Behind-the-Scenes
Gunn has confirmed that, just as with season one, he wrote every episode of Peacemaker‘s sophomore outing. Unlike last time, though, he won’t be directing every episode because of his other DC responsibilities. He’s directing “only some” episodes this time.
Gunn also wrote what will be the first DCU movie, the new Superman. He’s directing that film, which will overlap with Peacemaker‘s shooting production, set to begin this summer. Despite his job overseeing the franchise and directing a Superman movie, Gunn has described Peacemaker‘s second season as a “priority” for him.
Peacemaker Season 2‘s Cast
“Team Peacemaker” is coming back. Gunn made that official in the lengthy Threads post where he shared much of what we know about the show. That indicates star John Cena will once again be joined by many (all?) of his season one colleagues. The DCEU version of the show also featured Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Freddie Stroma, Danielle Brooks, Nhut Le, and Amanda Waller herself, Viola Davis.
With a canon-shifting event changing the universe of the show as we know it, it’s unclear if the memory of Robert Patrick’s Auggie Smith will continue to haunt his son, which the end of season one teased. But whatever explanation Gunn has planned means he could also find a way to bring back characters who died in season one, like Chukwudi Iwuji’s Murn.
Gunn’s comments about the events of Superman having an impact on Peacemaker also indicates stars of that film could also show up on the Max series.
And don’t worry: Eagly is coming back.
Peacemaker Season 2‘s Release Date
Peacemaker season 2 does not have an official release date yet, but Gunn’s Superman movie does. It flies into theaters on July 11, 2025. We know Peacemaker won’t debut until after that film, so a fall 2025 release on Max seems possible, as does an early 2026 premiere.
In the meantime keep your focused aimed here for updates.
The post Everything We Know About PEACEMAKER Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.
In WandaVision, it was Agatha all along. And now it really will be all about Agatha Harkness. Kathryn Hahn’s MCU witch will soon star in her own Disney+ Marvel series, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. While we don’t have too many details yet about what this series will entail, we can already tell it will serve up some delightfully magical fun.
Most recently, we learned it was Agatha all along. After trying on at least four names, the Disney+ WandaVision spinoff series seems to have settled on a brand new (and perhaps final) name: Agatha. Were the multiple names just ruses so we could say, “Hey, it was Agatha all along?” We may never know. But at this point, we really must chuckle.
Here’s everything we know about Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, potentially just Agatha.
Title
Although the first title we heard for Agatha’s MCU series was Agatha: House of Harkness, and the second was Agatha: Coven of Chaos, it seemed the series would actually be called Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. But now a fourth title has emerged, just Agatha. For now, we’ll retain use of Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, but will keep everyone updated as more name details emerge.
Agatha: Darkhold Diaries‘ Plot
Marvel Studios has kept plot details for Agatha: Darkhold Diaries under wraps. But the last time we got to see Agatha, the witch lost in a fight to Wanda Maximoff. And then Agatha ended up trapped in her Agnes persona.
We imagine the show will reveal to us how Agatha breaks out of the spell she’s under and then follow her along on some exciting shenanigans. And it seems like we’ll get to meet a number of witches from the pages of Marvel Comics. And we do love a witch.
Although it’ll likely still be a while before we see too much from the show, we officially have our first looks and footage from the Agatha-centric series. Set to be released on the WandaVision Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD editions, a special “Agatha Bonus Clip” takes us behind-the-scenes of Darkhold Diaries.
Whatever helps happens, we hope that Agatha gets yet another catchy jingle to her name. “Agatha All Along” needs a successor.
Behind the Scenes
WandaVison‘s Jac Schaeffer returns as executive producer and head writer on Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. Additionally, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Schaeffer, alongside Wednesday‘s Gandja Monteiro and Resident Evil‘s Rachel Goldberg, will direct different episodes of the show.
Agatha: Darkhold Diaries‘ Cast
We’ve learned about quite a number of potential coven members cast so far. Of course, Kathryn Hahn returns to play the titular MCU witch Agatha Harkness. Joining her is Emma Caulfield Ford, who will reprise her role as Dottie for the Disney+ show. Dottie was one of the women Wanda trapped in her Westview fantasies. Could Dottie be another secret witch? Only time will tell. Variety also reports Heartstopper‘s Joe Locke has joined the cast in an undisclosed role. However, many fans speculate Locke will play the role of Billy Kaplan, a.k.a. Wiccan, the son of Scarlet Witch and Vision. Mashable further notes that Miles Gutierrez-Riley will play “Billy’s boyfriend, Hulkling.”
Aubrey Plaza will also star in the series, potentially as a more villainous character on the Agatha show. Ali Ahn and Maria Dizzia have reportedly joined the cast as well, as has Patti LuPone. LuPone revealed she will play the role of Marvel Comics’ Lilia Calderu. Debra Jo Rupp is reportedly in the cast, too, presumably reprising her role of Mrs. Hart from WandaVision. Sasheer Zamata, meanwhile, is confirmed to play the role of sorceress Jennifer Kale.
Agatha: Darkhold Diaries‘ Release Date
For now, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries will be a part of the MCU’s Phase Five. According to Mashable, it will be nine episodes long, a bit longer than the typical Disney+ Marvel show. Agatha: Darkhold Diaries will release on Disney+ in 2024.
Originally published on November 4, 2022.
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