In a shocking twist, X-Men ’97’s fifth episode unleashed a catastrophic attack on Genosha, leading to the demise of beloved mutant Gambit and countless others. While initial suspicions pointed to Mister Sinister as the orchestrator, Episode 7 reveals the true mastermind behind the tragedy: Bastion.
Bastion, a formidable villain in the Marvel Comics universe, is a fusion of Master Mold and the Sentinel Nimrod, created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Pasqual Ferry. A highly evolved humanoid Sentinel with incredible strength, energy projection, flight, and Sentinel control abilities, Bastion leads Operation: Zero Tolerance, a government program aimed at neutralizing the mutant threat.
In X-Men ’97’, Bastion’s presence was first hinted at through Easter eggs in earlier episodes. However, his full reveal in Episode 5 sends a hulking Master Mold to Genosha, resulting in widespread bloodshed. In Episode 7, Bastion confronts Henry Peter Gyrich and later collaborates with Mister Sinister, who appears to have played a role in designing Bastion’s advanced cybernetic body.
The series appears to be altering Bastion’s origin slightly, portraying him as a creation of Sinister rather than a mystical fusion. Bastion himself alludes to being a familiar foe, hinting at a connection to previous X-Men adversaries like Graydon Creed or the X-Cutioner.
As the endgame villain of Season 1, Bastion poses a grave threat to the X-Men. With his Prime Sentinel technology perfected and access to the Xavier Files, he aims to expose Xavier’s survival and shatter public trust in the X-Men. Additionally, Bastion’s capture of Magneto opens up the possibility of transforming him into a horrific mutant version of a Prime Sentinel, further fueling anti-mutant sentiment.
The X-Men’s only hope may lie in Cable, who has traveled back in time to prevent the catastrophic events unfolding in the present. With Bastion’s sinister plans in motion, the remaining episodes of Season 1 promise an intense battle for the fate of mutantkind and the world.
