X-Men '97: 10 New Villains We Want To See
3. Namor
With Namor the Sub-Mariner making his live-action debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, now feels like a perfect time to introduce the self-proclaimed Emperor of the Deep into X-Men ’97.
Because he is an Atlantean king and frenemy to the Fantastic Four, it's easy to forget Namor is a mutant. Unlike other homo mermanus, Namor can fly and breathe air, allowing him to maintain a presence on the surface world.
Even though his loyalty is to his people, he's always had a connection with the X-Men because of his mutant heritage. During the Dark Reign saga, he joined his mutant team called the Dark X-Men. He merged with the Phoenix Force in the 12-part mini-series, Avengers VS X-Men. When Xarus tried to turn mutants into vampires, Namor was the one who battled Dracula. (Okay, that plot was a little silly.)
Considering Namor has played a pivotal role in many X-Men stories, it's bewildering how he never appeared in the X-Men cartoon.
Also, introducing him into X-Men '97 would be eye-opening for the titular heroes since his existence proves mutants are not bound to the surface world.