Morph in X-Men ’97: Exploring the Marvel Comics Inspiration

The return of Morph to the X-Men ‘97 series brings a new design that incorporates elements from two well-known X-Men characters. With the show's release drawing near, fans can already find various toys and merchandise available for purchase. Earlier in the production process, it was revealed that Nightcrawler, Bishop, and Magneto will also be making a comeback in the series.

Morph was a surprise inclusion, having originally appeared in the first two episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series before being killed by Sentinels. He was later resurrected by Mister Sinister and saved by the X-Men, but ultimately left the team to deal with his PTSD.

Despite many fans thinking Morph was an original character, it turns out he was not. His appearance in X-Men '97 indicates that he will now be a combination of two X-Men characters.

X-Men: The Animated Series’ Morph is a repurposed X-Men villain

The original Morph from X-Men: The Animated Series is based on X-Men villain Changeling. The character is a fairly obscure villain with a confusing history. 

In Marvel Comics, Changeling agreed to impersonate Xavier and ultimately died in his place, seeking closure.

Changeling first appears as a member of a mutant terrorist group but leaves when he discovers they are actually led by an alien. Years later, he approaches Professor Xavier, terminally ill with cancer, and hoping to make amends before his death.

X-Men ‘97’s Morph is a mix of two characters

During that time, Professor X was getting ready for a potential alien invasion and decided to go into hiding. Changeling utilized his abilities to shift his form and took Xavier's place. In issue #42 of X-Men in 1968, Changeling, posing as Xavier, met his demise. The team remained under the belief that Xavier had passed away until the events of X-Men #65 the following year.

Changeling was featured in X-Men: The Animated Series due to his relative obscurity. However, his popularity in the show led to a new iteration in the comics, now known as the Morph codename. The new X-Men ‘97 Morph combines aspects of Changeling with the X-Men: Age of Apocalypse and Exiles versions of the character.

Marvel ComicsSaved from the timeline before their deaths, the Exiles fixed problems with the multiverse.

In the Age of Apocalypse, the character would have a visually distinct appearance with ivory white skin, muted facial features, and notably, no nose. In a later version from another Earth, this character would join the Exiles, a team of mutants who travel between dimensions to repair damaged timelines, similar to the Spider-Society in Spider-Verse.

The Exiles version of Morph has become the most popular to date and has served as the basis for new iterations of the character. The upcoming X-Men ‘97 series will update Morph’s appearance to match the newer design while retaining the classic X-Men costume and bomber jacket from the original cartoon.

For more X-Men ‘97 news, be sure to stick with Dexerto. 

Editor's P/S

As a passionate fan of the X-Men, I am thrilled about the return of Morph in the upcoming X-Men '97 series. The new design, which combines elements from Changeling and the Exiles version of the character, is a creative and exciting way to bring Morph back to life. I appreciate the show's creators paying homage to the original character while also updating his look to fit in with the modern X-Men universe.

The fact that Morph was originally based on the obscure X-Men villain Changeling adds an interesting layer to his character. It's great to see that the writers are drawing inspiration from lesser-known corners of the X-Men comics, and I'm curious to see how they will develop Morph's story in the new series. The combination of Changeling's tragic backstory and the Exiles' multiverse-hopping adventures has the potential to create a complex and compelling character.