To Me, My X-Men: Merch for X-Men ’97 Lovers
X-Men: The Animated Series was part of a golden lineup of Saturday morning cartoons that I looked forward to each week when I was in middle school. I remember loving how central and powerful they made Storm, one of the few Black woman characters I saw on TV at the time, and I’ve counted myself as a casual fan of the franchise for the longest as a result. When I heard there was going to be a reboot/sequel of this animated series by Disney, I admit I was a little doubtful about how well it would go. I was wrong, though. X-Men ’97 — which picks up right where the original show left off — brings the d r a m a. If you’re a fan of the new show, the X-Men ’97 merch below will give you life.
And, if you haven’t gotten into it just yet, there’s still time. Fans of the original show that ran more than a decade ago will have all the nostalgia receptors in their brains tickled, even while their more adult sensibilities are satisfied. X-Men ’97 leans into the camp and art style of the ’90s show while still serving up soap opera-like drama, trippy violence, and wild character arcs. It’s been called “Marvel’s best release in years” by Rotten Tomatoes critics, has been among the most watched TV series across platforms, and Disney reported it had accrued four million views within its first five days on Disney+.
Suffice to say, it is That Show, which makes the merch below all the more golden.
X-Men ’97 Merch: Posters
First off, there’s this fabulously retro poster of thee mother weather goddess Storm, who has been one of my favorite superheroes since forever. $13+
This Jubilee fan art poster isn’t super true to the official art, but that’s what makes it fun. That, plus its vibrant colors and ’80s Japanese City Pop vibes. $6+
Hokayyy, this poster is also a little different from a lot of the current X-Men merch, but it is too good to resist. It features Ms. Munroe’s first character design — which is arguably my favorite of hers — when she debuted in 1975, and a quote from Dorian Corey of Paris is Burning. $20+
X-Men ’97 Merch: Stickers
Jubilee’s jubilant (ha) powers are on full display in this sparkly and fun sticker, which has a holographic option. $4+
This spicy Cajun sent some people into a tizzy with this crop top. Relive the midriff drama with this sticker for $3.
I am a Storm stan, pure and simple, and this vinyl sticker would be perfect on a laptop. Just saying. $11+
Any of these vinyl stickers of the X-Men ’97 crew would look good on a laptop, water bottle, you name it. $3+
Go fully retro with a pixel art rendition of Cyclops with this vinyl sticker. $6
X-Men ’97 Merch: Clothing
Magneto’s X-Men ’97 costume design has gagged me the most. He has real potential as an Instagram Baddie or a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race, for real. You, too, can slay by association with this tee, which goes up to size 5xl. $23+
Rogue has always been my second favorite X-Men character, and her story in X-Men ’97 is gearing up to be pretty scandalous. IYKYK. Rep this messy queen for $20+.
At first glance, people might mistake this shirt as being from the actual school Xavier University, an HCBU in Louisiana, which I’m kind of here for. $28
Rounding out the X-Men ’97 clothing merch options are a couple of T-shirts with the whole crew. This one goes up to a size 3x but also has a sweatshirt, hoodie, and kids’ options. $25+…
…And, this one is official merch from the Marvel store on Amazon. It goes up to 6x. $23
X-Men ’97 Merch: Miscellaneous
The story of the X-Men is a metaphor for the Civil Rights Movement, which makes Pride iconography + the X-Men logo such a perfect combination. This enamel pin comes in at $12.
I love the clean details of this phone case with Wolverine and Storm, and how it has Wolverine’s color scheme. $30
After you’re done reliving your childhood and getting into new, fresh drama with this X-Men ’97 merch, make sure to mosey on over here to check out some Jujutsu Kaisen goodies, and then here for the best new comics and graphic novels out in May.
