There are many characters in X-Men ’97 (now streaming on Disney+), each with a unique set of powers. Though sometimes these mutants end up with similar abilities, such as Morph and Mystique. Both of them are shapeshifters and take the form of various characters. So, what is the actual difference between their powers?
The Direct sat down with Morph voice actor JP Karliak, who had a good idea of how his X-Men ’97 character’s powers differ from Mystique’s. “Morph has more of an ability to replicate physical powers,” the actor explained, referring to how he can utilize the strength of the Hulk. or even Thor’s hammer, as seen in Season 2, Episode 1. While he can use physical abilities and even the weapons of those he turns into, he “[can’t do] weather control or mind control.”
Mystique, on the other hand, “is more just replicating the image, not so much the strength or power set.” Karliak pointed out how Mystique, who will feature in Avengers: Doomsday, uses her abilities more for deception and spy-esque tasks. Morph doesn’t use his abilities for clandestine operations, but instead to expand his fighting style.
More of The Direct’s interview with JP Karliak can be read below. New episodes of X-Men ’97 Season drop on Disney+ on Wednesdays at 3 a.m. ET, with the first three streaming now.
What Is the Difference Between Morph & Mystique?
Their Powers Might Seem Identical on the Surface, But That’s Not the Case.”
- The Direct: “What are the differences there between [Morph and Mystique’s] powers?”
JP Karliak: I think two things. One, my understanding is that Morph has more of an ability to replicate physical powers. So, for instance, the strength of the Hulk or the speed of Quicksilver. He can’t do, like, weather control or mind control, or you know, anything like that… Physical stuff [he] can do using their mass and density. I think Mystique is more just replicating the image, not so much the strength or power set… But also, I think from just sort of a mindset, I think especially in ‘X-Men ’97’ specifically, Morph is less about using their power set to deceive or for clandestine operations. It’s more to expand their fighting style… Whereas Mystique is very much a spy, very much a deceiver. So I think the biggest difference really has to do with the way they approach their powers.
Season 2 of X-Men ’97 Will Introduce a New Side of Morph
Morph Cracks a Lot of Jokes, But He Can Be Serious Too.
- The Direct: “In your own words, can you just sum up where Morph is mentally going into season two?”
JP Karliak: Season 1 was coming off the end of the original series, Morph had rejoined the X-Men team after many seasons of trauma and PTSD and emotional abuse and mind control, and all this, and dying, and then not dying… So, Season 1 was really about more finding their sea legs, and sort of getting a sense of where they fit in this team now and how what their dynamics are, using a lot of humor to sort of break the tension and you know fight through their own anxiety…
Karliak noted that seeing more of the gray-face Morph shows how comfortable the character is becoming with himself and with those around him.
Karliak: And also being gray face Morph, which in my estimation is true Morph, just like blue skin is true mystique. I think gray-face is Morph, no longer trying to adapt for people’s comfort and being comfortable in their own literal skin. So, this is that was a Morph, very much just trying to find where they belong.
The actor elaborated that in Season 2, “There is more of a sense of belonging and being a part of the team:”
Karliak: I think Season 2, well, first of all, I mean, Morph has been thrown into another time dimension, and they’re trying to figure all that out… But there is that aspect of, okay, we’ve fought through one big bad together, we won, we got thrown into the future as a part of it, but there is more of a sense of belonging and being a part of the team, and so now it’s less about, ‘Oh, I need to tread on on thin ice and figure out where I belong,’ and more about I belong here now, what’s my goal, what’s my job, what am I doing, and yeah, so I think we’ll see Morph evolve.
- The Direct: “What is something that you’ve absolutely loved exploring with your character in Season 2 that fans haven’t seen before?”
JP Karliak: Morph’s seriousness. I think we’ve seen a lot of [jokes] from Morph, which is great, we love the humor, but I think it will be interesting for people to see a bit—We saw a little bit of Morph’s seriousness at the end of last season, [with] the Jean transformation, but I think we’ll see more of that.
More of our conversation with X-Men’ 97 star JP Karliak will be available to watch following the release of Season 2, Episode 4 on Disney+ on Wednesday, July 8.
