Are the Morlocks evil in X-Men '97? While we barely got a glimpse of this mutant race, a line from episode 5 implies the X-Men would never consider them their friends. But why is that?
In order to understand, we have to dive into X-Men comics lore.
CONTENT SPOILERS: This article contains spoilers for X-Men '97, so proceed with caution.
'The X-Men are No Friends to the Morlocks': Line Explained
Episode 5 of X-Men 97 sent fans into a tailspin with a single line of dialogue: "The X-Men are no friends to the Morlocks." What does that mean?
As the Godzilla Sentinels wreak havoc across Genosha, the Morlocks take shelter underground, but still hold out some hope for rescue.
One of them, Leech, tries to keep everyone's spirits up, saying he hopes Callisto or perhaps the X-Men's new leader, Magneto, will come and save them.
But his monologue is cut short by another Morlock, who reminds him "the X-Men are no friends to the Morlocks." What gives?
Even though we've seen little of the Morlocks so far in X-Men '97, this is a hint that trouble may be brewing between the two kinds of mutants.
In fact, the only time we got to see them interact with each other was way back in episode 2 when Magneto had just claimed his role as the X-Men's leader.
And while Magneto may have saved Leech in the past, but this doesn't entirely explain whether the Morlocks are good or bad guys, or even why they are suspicious of the X-Men. Especially considering Magneto doesn't discriminate among mutants, this left fans with lots of questions.
READ MORE: X-Men '97 Star JP Karliak Shares His Excitement on the Mutants' MCU Debut [EXCLUSIVE]
Are Morlocks Good or Evil in the Marvel Comics?
The Marvel Comics show a bit more of the complicated relationship between the X-Men and the Morlocks – and the latter group's heartbreaking backstory. As always, the answer to the question "are the Morlocks evil in X-Men 97" is complicated.
The Morlocks were misled into believing that their unconventional appearance made them the bad guys by default. While the X-Men mutants are somewhat closer to looking like humans, the Morlocks' disfiguration kept them from blending in with the rest of humanity (and mutant-kind).
Throughout the comics, the Morlocks get plenty of opportunities to nearly kill the X-Men until Storm claims victory in a duel against the Morlocks' leader, Callisto. With Callisto defeated, Storm treats the Morlocks as the X-Men's allies.
The X-Men '97 series, however, hasn't shown any of this backstory so far, though the mutants did all stick together during the Godzilla Sentinels' massacre in episode 5.
Here's hoping that Marvel Studios explores more of this dynamic more as the series unfolds.
READ NEXT: X-Men '97: Why is Madelyne Pryor in Genosha in Ep 5? Her Personal Resolve Explored
Meanwhile, X-Men '97 episode 6 titled Lifedeath, Pt. 2 premieres on Disney+ on April 17.
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