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While the mutant killing machines known as Sentinels were already a huge threat in X-Men '97, the recent episode this season took it up a notch and introduced Prime Sentinels. Bastion, the human-sentinel hybrid, created the killer robots, which took on the X-Men and delivered a crushing defeat, establishing them as formidable enemies.
With the introduction of Prime Sentinels and Bastion, X-Men '97 has already set up this season's major conflict, and it looks like the second half of the show will be focusing on this huge threat. While Prime Sentinels do share their name with the classic Sentinels, they are much more powerful due to the way they are created.
Exploring Prime Sentinels' origins following their introduction in X-Men '97 episode 7
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Prime Sentinels were first introduced in X-Men (Vol. 2) #65 in April 1997 and were created by Scott Lobdell and Carlos Pacheco. In comics, the Prime Sentinels were an extension of the Sentinel Program and were invented by the human-sentinel hybrid Bastion, who carried a lot of hate for mutants due to his association with anti-mutant groups.
The Prime Sentinels were a part of the program known as Operation: Zero Tolerance (OZT), which saw Bastion create these machines to get a hold of the X-Men. They differ from normal Sentinels in that they are humans who have implants that, when activated, transform them into weapons-wielding, powerful beings.
The sole purpose behind the creation of these Prime Sentinels was so Bastion could continue to wage his war on mutants and the X-Men while also capturing Charles Xavier in the process. However, the X-Men did defeat Bastion in the comics, and Operation: Zero Tolerance was shut down by the government following the event.
How does X-Men '97 set up Operation: Zero Tolerance
In X-Men '97 episode 7, we see Rogue out on the hunt, trying to find Magneto and Gambit's killers. When going through a base, she stumbles into Captain America, who shares with her that Henry Gyrich and Boliver Trask are working on something called Operation: Zero Tolerance in Mexico City.
That's when the X-Men received a message from Trask too, telling them about his location. They reach there, and Trask reveals a new advanced set of Sentinels to them. Worried about the program, he decides to throw himself off a building but is caught by Rogue at the last second.
However, Rogue's anger gets the worse of her, and she throws him off the building. Simultaneously, Trask activates and transforms into a Prime Sentinel, engaging the X-Men in combat and giving them a hard time. Luckily, Cable arrives in time to help them.
It's then that Cable reveals that there is someone even more evil behind the scenes, and that's when we get our first look at Bastion in X-Men '97. He has been secretly working with Mr. Sinister, launching the attacks on Genosha, and now he is holding Magneto captive. He also possesses the knowledge of Charles Xavier's finally arriving to Earth and has plans for him.
It's clear that following X-Men '97 episode 7, we are going to see Operation: Zero Tolerance come into full effect given that Bastion and Prime Sentinels are finally on the scene. With X-Men '97 heading into its final stretch, it surely looks like they have a hard time ahead of them. The show is currently streaming on Disney+.
