5 Months Before Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios Hints Mystique Has Been Hiding In Plain Sight

Published Jul 24, 2026, 11:10 PM EDT Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero. With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention. Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise. Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for X-Men '97 season 2, episode 6Although Avengers: Doomsday is only five months away, Marvel Studios is already heavily featuring many of the same mutant heroes in X-Men '97. As seen in the recent episodes of the series' second season, the threat of Apocalypse has expanded while the X-Men have reunited after being displaced across time, both in the past and future. However, another major villain may have been hiding in plain sight for far longer than most realize: Mystique. Both seasons of X-Men '97 are packed with Easter eggs and comic references, though many have become more than simple fun nods. This includes a major Easter egg in the brand-new X-Men '97 season 2, episode 6, one that may very well be teasing Mystique's full debut in the future. Here's how Marvel Studios is seemingly teasing Mystique in X-Men '97, five months before the character's confirmed MCU debut in Avengers: Doomsday. Mystique Will Appear In Avengers: Doomsday, But She May Already Be In X-Men '97 One of the more exciting and surprising Easter eggs in X-Men '97 season 2, episode 6 is featured in the office of Valerie Cooper, the head of the government-sanctioned team of mutants known as X-Factor. While she's reprimanding Polaris for her aggressive actions against the anti-mutant terrorists known as the Purifiers, it's revealed that Cooper has an orange cat with a distinctive white diamond-shaped mark on its forehead, which is far more significant than some may realize. The cat is a direct reference to the comics' Ultimate Marvel Universe, where Charles Xavier himself owned a cat looking exactly the same that was named... Mystique. That feline itself was indeed named after Raven Darkholme's Mystique, Xavier's former romantic partner in that alternate continuity. However, what makes the Easter egg incredibly important is that the cat belongs to Valerie Cooper in X-Men '97's continuity. Ever since the first season of the beloved animated series, there's been heavy speculation based on prior potential clues that Cooper is secretly Mystique in disguise, which would mirror the comics when Raven once impersonated Cooper within the government. As a result, giving Cooper a cat looking exactly like the Ultimate Universe's feline Mystique feels incredibly intentional. If the real Mystique has been posing as Valerie Cooper throughout the series thus far, it would explain why she's seemingly been so conspicuously absent despite being one of the X-Men's most iconic and well-known villains. When Will Mystique Reveal Herself In X-Men '97? Despite playing a major role in the original X-Men: The Animated Series, Mystique has yet to properly make an appearance in either season of X-Men '97. Outside a brief appearance in the updated opening credits, Raven has remained completely absent from the ongoing story, which feels increasingly deliberate, especially if she's actually been there the whole time manipulating the government's mutant policies as Valerie Cooper. Marvel · Mutant Profile Which X-Men Character Are You? “Mutation: it is the key to our evolution.” 🐺 Wolverine The Loner 🧠 Professor X The Visionary 🧲 Magneto The Survivor ACTIVATE CEREBRO → 01 Humans discover your mutant abilities. What do you do? ADisappear. Go off the grid before anyone can come after me — I don’t owe them an explanation BReach out calmly and try to have a dialogue — fear comes from misunderstanding, and I can help bridge that gap CMake a show of strength — they need to understand that mutants will not be hunted or controlled, ever NEXT → 02 Anti-mutant protesters surround a school full of young mutants. What’s your first move? AGet between the kids and the mob. If anyone raises a hand, they answer to me BAddress the crowd telepathically or publicly — show them the children are just scared kids, not threats CEvacuate the children to safety, then make the protesters deeply regret their choices NEXT → 03 A team of mutants needs a leader for a dangerous mission. What role do you naturally fall into? AI work alone, but I’ll take point — someone’s gotta make sure nobody gets killed BI coordinate the team, play to each person’s strengths, and keep morale steady CI lead from the front — my vision, my plan, my responsibility if it fails NEXT → 04 A powerful mutant threatens innocent humans. How do you respond? APut them down fast — talk later. Innocent people don’t have time for a debate BTry to reach them mentally — understand why they’re doing this and find a peaceful resolution COffer them a place at my side — their power is wasted on chaos when it could serve a greater cause NEXT → 05 A human politician offers to champion mutant rights — but has a shady past. What do you do? AGive them a chance — people can change, and this alliance could mean real progress for coexistence BI don’t trust politicians. Watch them closely, and the second they betray us, I’ll be right there CUse them — let them think they’re in charge while I control the narrative from behind the scenes NEXT → 06 What’s your biggest flaw? AI push people away — I’d rather be alone than risk losing someone I care about BI’m too idealistic — I keep believing in people even when the evidence says I shouldn’t CMy anger — once I commit to a path, I’ll burn everything down before I admit I was wrong NEXT → 07 Sentinels are hunting mutants in your city. What’s your move? AHunt the hunters — tear them apart before they find anyone else BCoordinate an underground network to hide and protect every mutant in the area CSeize control of the Sentinels — turn the weapons of oppression into instruments of liberation NEXT → 08 What do you believe about coexistence between humans and mutants? ACoexistence is a fantasy. Humans will always fear what they can’t control — mutants must secure their own future BI don’t care about the big picture — I protect the people I care about, and everyone else can sort themselves out CIt’s possible and worth fighting for — the dream of a world where humans and mutants live in peace is everything REVEAL MY MUTANT IDENTITY → Cerebro Scan Complete Your X-Men Identity 🐺 Wolverine (Logan) “I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.” You’re the fierce loner who acts first and philosophises later — but beneath that adamantium-plated exterior beats a heart that cares far more than you’d ever admit. You’ve been burned enough times to distrust the world, so you keep people at arm’s length, yet you’d throw yourself into any fight to protect the ones who slip past your defences. You don’t need a cause or a manifesto — you just need someone worth fighting for. Like Logan, your greatest strength isn’t your claws or your healing factor; it’s the stubborn refusal to let the people you love face danger alone.Fierce Protective Resilient Untamed 🧠 Professor X (Charles Xavier) “Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” You’re the visionary who sees the best in everyone — even when the world gives you every reason not to. Your greatest power isn’t telepathy; it’s an unshakeable belief that understanding and compassion can bridge any divide. You lead not through force but through hope, building bridges where others build walls. Some call you naive, but you know that real strength lies in extending a hand to your enemy. Like Charles Xavier, you carry the weight of a dream that most consider impossible, and you refuse to let it die.Visionary Empathetic Diplomatic Hopeful 🧲 Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr) “Peace was never an option.” You’re the survivor who learned the hardest lesson life has to offer: the world will not protect you, so you must protect yourself. Your conviction is unbreakable and your patience is terrifying — you’ll wait years to set the right plan in motion. You don’t hate humanity; you simply refuse to let your people be victims ever again. Every action you take, no matter how ruthless, is driven by a profound love for those who share your struggle. Like Erik Lehnsherr, you are both revolutionary and tragic — a leader forged in pain who will bend the world before it bends you.Resolute Strategic Ruthless Unyielding ↻ PLAY AGAIN Additionally, Mystique's "absence" becomes even more noticeable considering how central Apocalypse has been this season. In the original animated series, Mystique served Apocalypse as one of his agents. With X-Men '97 exploring the immortal mutant's influence in the past, present, and future, it would absolutely make sense for Raven to make her presence known before the season finale. That said, Marvel Studios may be saving the full threat of Mystique until season 3, which was just confirmed to feature the Human kinship of Mutants at SDCC. That could be the perfect opportunity for Mystique to finally step out of the shadows, especially if something happens where her role as Cooper is somehow exposed. Whether she's secretly been Valerie Cooper or not, it certainly feels like X-Men '97 is laying the groundwork for Raven Darkholme's full debut, mere months before Rebecca Romijn's Mystique makes her live-action return in the MCU with Avengers: Doomsday. New episodes of X-Men '97 season 2 release Wednesdays on Disney+ from Marvel Studios. Release Date March 20, 2024 Network Disney+ Directors Jake Castorena, Emi Yonemura, Chase Conley Writers Charlie Feldman, Anthony Sellitti, Beau DeMayo, JB Ballard Franchise(s) X-Men Creator(s) Beau DeMayo