X-Men '97: The Animated Series (Disney+)

[Nods]

Looks like Gremlin.

Or Toad....but they did an Animation error and didn't give him hair

[90'sCartoonMan]

Watching this series is weird. The original cartoon introduced me to the X-Men, and now they're adapting stories I've been familiar with for years. I love it, though, each episode feels too short.

I kind of like them dividing up the last episode. Storm's "Life Blood" story can do a lot with her character, and it feels like the old series having stingers at the end with Xavier and Magneto in the Savage Land.

Since we saw Forge, I wonder if X-Factor will pop up.

I was ready to call foul on this until we saw the X-Factor picture Forge kept. Weird that X-Factor has Rahne, Roberto hasn't become Sunspot yet, and somehow Morph is turning into teenage Ilyana. I wonder if Sam will get an appearance (he got an entire episode of the original series).

This episode felt like it wanted to speedrun through all the major beats. Some things needed to room to breathe but the pace didn't let up. I didn't expect for that whole arc to be done within a single episode

Same here, and unfortunately we didn't get an explanation for the last name "Pryor".

Well, there's how Baby Nate got the Techno-Organic Virus and got shipped to the future to become he man known as Cable! Ironic that Bishop took him back knowing the two clashed in the original show.

There's something off about Bishop and his knowledge of the future. I don't know if that's an intentional hint of things to come or some kind of sleight. He said of all the futures he saw, he never saw Magneto leading the X-Men, which happened during "One Man's Worth". They couldn't have just included Bishop as part of the team for him to leave like this. Maybe we're in store for a full Bishop episode.

Splitting it up the way they did just made me think they didn't trust people would like an entire episode dedicated to someone's spiritual journey and needed to throw some action into the ep. The result was rushing through Storm and Forge's relationship in a way that the ending didn't have the emotional weight for me they were going for. It's a shame since the original story was a real departure (esp with the gorgeous BWS guest art) - it's why that story stands out. Hopefully part 2 will redeem that.

I kind of feel that way, but I want to wait for it to play out first. Maybe in hindsight I'll enjoy the pacing.

[phonogram12]

Probably depends on your age when watching the original. If you were a kid, you were likely more invested in it -- and didn't recognize its flaws.

That makes sense. I was a teenager at the time.

[Catlady in training]

Well, that was a rollercoaster.

[kidfresh512]

This was back on track. So many cameos on Genosha. This had some of the most emotional relationship beats of the series. Gambit’s showcase. Wow. It felt like a movie so many storylines jammed into this episode.

[Nods]

Well....damn we all know where this is going but still that was perfect.

Next week is Life Death Part II so we have to wait two weeks before we get resolution to that.

[Nate Grey]

Ha Tommy was seen again AND had a speaking voice this time. That was kind of a treat for me, she was always my favorite Morlocke.

Interesting use of "Happy Nation" by Ace of Base.

[Celgress]

The best episode yet 4 out of 5 stars excellent, IMHO. The only things I didn't like were the lack of speaking Morph (a series highlight for me), and why the heck was Sunspot okay with being recorded at the X-Mansion that seemed OOC. I deducted half a point each for those reasons. Sadly I cannot give a perfect rating due to those reasons. Not perfected but pretty close. And that ending, wow.

[Tofali]

Happy Nation Genosha.

[j9ac9k]

I did a double-take when the Watcher appeared in the sky above Genosha. Definitely a bad sign...

[Celgress]

I did a double-take when the Watcher appeared in the sky above Genosha. Definitely a bad sign...

That was a nice detail/Easter egg.

[Deathstroke]

Well that escalated fast now didn't it?

My question: How did Magneto have his powers when he had Leech held close to his body? Isn't Leech's powers to shut off the powers of other mutants?

[j9ac9k]

My question: How did Magneto have his powers when he had Leech held close to his body? Isn't Leech's powers to shut off the powers of other mutants?

I thought that as well, (was that how it worked in the animated series as well or just the comics?) but of course the easy answer is that he found a way to control his powers.

The ending is going to get the most attention for obvious reasons, but I have to mention the cuckification of Scott Summers storyline. Remember how awesome Cyclops was in the first episode? Done. That guy's left the building as we've moved onto "mopey Summers" mode. Sad about Nathan, bitter about humanity,(not sure how he blames humanity for losing his son - not like he sacrificed him to save people) confused about Maddy/Jean, (nice homage to the "psychic cheating" Scott did with Emma by using Maddy instead which makes sense and would really hit Jean a lot more) and now Jean's kissing Logan. I hope Scott finds a way to bounce back - just because the most memorable storylines are ones that leave him traumatized, sometimes it seems that's all we get to see.(similar to Wanda) It'd be a shame if one episode of him at his best is all we get.

[Frontier]

Well...that escalated quickly!

Opening update! Cable fighting Apocalypse, teasing our man from the future showing up in this episode.

This was really an episode for fans of the Grant Morrison X-Men run...Genosha destroyed! Jean and Scott's marriage problems! Psychic affair! Jean kissing Logan! The works!

Trish Tilby meets the X-Men! I love how Beast got all dressed up and blushed around her, since they were love interests in the comic!

Jean recalling how powerful and cosmic she was as The Phoenix and then kissing Logan...also happened in the Morrison run. Though at least Logan has enough sense not to be the homewrecker he could easily be and take advantage of Jean's fraught emotional state.

Is this the first time they've used the term "Psychic Rapport?"

In fairness to Trish, she was just doing her due diligence as a reporter by bringing up Nate and the doctor not knowing how triggering that would be to Scott...and, to be fair to Scott, there really is no way you could properly explain what happened to your kid to people.

I was kind of surprised to see Maddie in Genosha because I felt like she would've steered clear of Mutant stuff afterwards...but I guess a good chunk of her personality is still Jean's, so of course she would help.

NIGHTCRAWLER!!! Man, it's nice to see Kurt, and it's nice to see Adrian Hough again even if his voice sounds a little weird when Kurt's design makes him look a few years younger than in the original show. But he's still got the charm, the wit, the faith, the heart of gold, and the cool teleportation powers.

Look at all the Mutant cameos! Pixie! Glob Herman! Nature Girl! Multiple Man! Dazzler! Frikkin' Exodus! And most of them were doing exotic dancing! They even threw in The Watcher!

So just like with the Quiet Council in the current Krakoa era of X-Men we've got a governing body made up of half villains (the Inner Circle) and half good guys (Moira and Banshee). With the plan to be to place Magneto in charge, which has always ended well. Just like in Wolverine and the X-Men!

It was cool to see Emma, Sebastian Shaw, Moira, and Banshee/Sean finally. I didn't think anyone could top Kari Wahlgren as Emma, but Martha Marion did a solid job (both as Emma and Moira). Todd Haberkon does his best Travis Willingham impression as Shaw. David Errigo Jr. does a convincing Banshee.

Who needs an psychic affair with Emma Frost when you can have a psychic affair with the woman you thought was your wife and the mother of your child? Honestly makes more sense than Scott going along with his sexy and less than ethical therapist. Though Emma was also privvy to the affair here.

I get that Scott and Jean are both in a very emotionally volatile state in themselves and their relationship and not thinking completely straight...but Jean lecturing Scott for psychically getting consoled by and kissing Maddie rings hollow when she was locking lips with Logan not long before. Like, where was her grounding love for Scott then?

So I guess Rogue lost her virginity to Magneto? I dunno, they said they promised never to bring up their love affair again to explain away why it never came up until now...but it really feels like something that would've been relevant in all the seasons or moments where the X-Men were dealing with Magneto.

Not only did Beau DeMayo write most of the season and put his heart and soul into it...he also literally put himself in as well. Disney can now never completely get rid of him.

Gambit got called a scoundrel but in this episode he was a class act (and a hero). He accepted Rogue's confession, was willing to still be friends with her, but called her out for following physical lust versus her heart when it came to Magneto...and she realized the truth too late.

Cable! I didn't expect to see him trying to warn everyone about the Sentinel attack, even if he was too late and too quickly gone to make any difference...but at least he got to see his mom again, though now only Maddie knows Cable is Nathan Summers. I wonder...is this Cable before or after all the events of the original series? Also I wasn't sure how Chris Potter would sound as Cable, but he seems pretty solid. It was also kind of appropriate to have the original voice of Gambit in an episode where he was a major player...even if he also died.

So was that some kind of Tri-Sentinel Uber Master Mold? Not only was it near-unstoppable and a mobile Sentinel factory, but just absolutely terrifying. I can only hope it takes so much to make that thing that they won't be able to mass produce it.

Jeez, they're dropping bodies left and right. Were all those characters lying on the roof dead!? Is Callisto dead, her eyes were still moving...they killed Banshee!? THEY KILLED GAMBIT!?

We didn't see Emma so I'm guessing she survived by unlocking her diamond powers like in the comics?

I like that Val was prioritizing saving civilians but I feel like she's probably going to take a lot of flack for the Sentinels she probably had no idea about. I have to assume Bastion was behind them.

Magneto getting knocked into a stone statue of his old friend Charles that lands on Mutant civilians...Magneto putting his all into protecting the Morlocks, remembering his time in a concentration camp...I don't think Magneto actually died, but it was a powerful moment.

Gambit played the only card he had left to play...himself. And he played it phenomenally.

Nothing says tragedy like Rogue finally touching Gambit...and she can't feel or absorb anything because it's his seemingly lifeless corpse.

[90'sCartoonMan]

A place where Morlocks, the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle, and guys like Nightcrawler can thrive? Yeah, that wasn't going to last. Cool episode, and with some great Gambit moments.

The ending is going to get the most attention for obvious reasons, but I have to mention the cuckification of Scott Summers storyline. Remember how awesome Cyclops was in the first episode? Done. That guy's left the building as we've moved onto "mopey Summers" mode. Sad about Nathan, bitter about humanity,(not sure how he blames humanity for losing his son - not like he sacrificed him to save people) confused about Maddy/Jean, (nice homage to the "psychic cheating" Scott did with Emma by using Maddy instead which makes sense and would really hit Jean a lot more) and now Jean's kissing Logan. I hope Scott finds a way to bounce back - just because the most memorable storylines are ones that leave him traumatized, sometimes it seems that's all we get to see.(similar to Wanda) It'd be a shame if one episode of him at his best is all we get.

Scott Summers is a complicated character, and we are going to have to take the mopey version of him if we want the cool version. Scott was worried about mutant kids not being able to survive a human world even in the original series. It's no surprise he'd aim his frustration at mankind.

My question: How did Magneto have his powers when he had Leech held close to his body? Isn't Leech's powers to shut off the powers of other mutants?

My question is how Jubilee is now 18 and Leech still looks like he's 10. Maybe his mutant power also cancels out puberty.

This was really an episode for fans of the Grant Morrison X-Men run...Genosha destroyed! Jean and Scott's marriage problems! Psychic affair! Jean kissing Logan! The works!

I kind of didn't like that. The cameos of characters who didn't even exist in the 90's and the psychic affair should have been a Wolverine and the X-Men thing. That show deserved to go on for longer, and I felt like it was setting up a Logan/Jean romance and then a Scott/Emma one (which is closer to what happened in the comics than what they're doing here). I love X-Men The Animated Series and all, but I also love the idea there are multiple X-Men cartoons that have their own strengths.

Is this the first time they've used the term "Psychic Rapport?"

They used it a few times on the original show. I believe during the Phoenix Saga.

Todd Haberkon does his best Travis Willingham impression as Shaw.

I could have sworn that was Travis Willingham. How was that NOT Travis Willingham?!