Spy x Family Gives Fans An Unexpected Look At Its Most Tragic Story

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Spy x Family chapter #97!

Summary War looms large in Spy x Family, affecting all lives in Ostania and Westalis.

Martha's soldier past may be revealed, hinting at a tragic love story with Henry.

Martha's combat skills contrast Henry's preference for settling disputes with discourse, showcasing their opposing beliefs about war.

War never changes no matter where it takes place, in that it's costly and uproots lives, and it's a running threat in Spy x Family. It's Loid's primary mission as part of Operation Strix and his fellow WISE agents as they penetrate Ostanian society. But behind the iron curtain in this Cold War reference lies an even colder truth: the experiences of Ostanian society with war are no different. In the latest chapter of Spy x Family, Henry Henderson and Martha Marriott's lives are upended by the beating drum of war.

Spy x Family offers many noteworthy glimpses of the tolls of war, no more so than the case for a young Agent Twilight in Volume 10. But in chapter #97, Tatsuya Endo starkly reminds us that the Ostanian people feel the deadly influence and lasting effects of war with Westalis.

Among the lives upended are those of a young Henry Henderson, a freshly dubbed history teacher at Eden Academy, and Martha Marriott, a future servant of the Blackbell family and Henry's former love interest in Spy x Family.

Related Every Spy x Family Opening and Ending Theme, Ranked Spy x Family has had a long line of incredible OPs and EDs in just two short years. While each has it's own merits, there's one that's the best.

War Never Changes in Spy x Family

All Lives Are Affected by Ostania and Westalis' Conflict

Allusions to war are usually kept brief unless exploring origin stories in Spy x Family, and this is the case in chapter #97 when the ongoing conflict undercuts Henry's induction as a teacher. It's only vaguely referred to in the closing panel but upends a potential reunion between him and Martha Marriott. The pair are star-crossed, would-be high school sweethearts in Spy x Family, but the war pulled them apart, as Martha's soldier background in the present will indicate.

The war will likely serve as a backdrop to Martha's origin story, especially given how much of chapter #97 was told from Henry's perspective. It's an exciting if grim prospect, as it'll likely show the training she had to receive to become the formidable woman she is, even in her later years. After all, in the Red Circus Arc, she's still spry enough to subdue members of a deadly terrorist cell without trouble in Spy x Family chapter #74. However, the most tragic part of this story remains how it ruined a potential love story for the ages.

Martha's Past as a Soldier Could Be Revealed

Sadly, a Chance at an Elegant Spy x Family Romance is the Price to Pay

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While Martha explains to a bewildered Becky that she doesn't get the chance to confess to Henry or understand her feelings enough, this still poses an exciting prospect for Spy x Family. Henry's origin story as an elegant Eden Academy teacher is explored in chapter #97, but chapter #98 or beyond could explore how Martha became such a skilled fighter. While hints are given in the latest installment, such as her cleverly clever use of ballet to disorient and overwhelm opponents, she gets more familiar with traditional combat arms, too.

It's a grim idea to want to see how a character operates in war, but it's also an essential demonstration of Henry and Martha's differing views. Henry consistently chooses to use discourse over fisticuffs, while Martha is busy fending off Henry's assailants when lecturing them isn't enough. Unlike other recent central Spy x Family reveals, this has potentially no bearing on the greater story. Still, it is an excellent example of how the series explores the effects of war on any front and its people.