After a scene-setting premiere episode that nicely set up the show’s intention to try and seamlessly blend that hyperbolic 90s aesthetic to a more modern type of storytelling, X-Men ’97 was now free to roll up the sleeves of its garishly coloured, spandex costume and get down to the thing that the original show did best – hurling classic, X-Men comic storylines at us at a ridiculous rate.
While the orginal run managed to cover such iconic plots as Days Of Future Past and the Dark Phoenix saga, it still only managed to scratch the surface of all the dramatic shit the X-Men would often find themselves in and right from the very second ” Mutant Liberation Begins” starts, the show starts riffing on not one, not two, but three simultaneous plot lines that have been torn right out of the comics during the 80s.
After the shock revelation that, in the event of Charles Xavier’ “death”, he’s left the running of the X-Men to their most persistent enemy, Magneto, the team struggle (and mostly fail) to contain their indignation. It’s particularly bad timing for Cyclops, who was planning to leave the team in favour of settling down with the heavily pregnant Jean Grey to raise a family. But now Magneto has suddenly flounced in with his added mutant power of melodrama to back him up, Cyclops – who frequent acts like the world revolves around him like a tightly wound sun – now feels he has to stay.
The thing is, even though Magneto is visibly uncomfortable at the idea of healthy mutant/human relations, he actually seems to want to give things a go despite the likes of Wolverine predictably giving him the Canadian stink-eye every five seconds. However, if he’s really going to prove to the world that he’s changed his ways, then he’s going to gave to prove it, so after performing the odd heroic act here and there, Magneto promptly gives himself up to the authorities to stand trial for his crimes.
When word that the trial of the century is about to occur, anti-mutant faction Friends Of Humanity realize that this is their chance and their leader tools himself up with a snappy name (the X-Cutioner pops, right) and a mystery weapon and wages an all out assault once things are under way, but during the battle, two added complications rock the status quo. Firstly, back at the X Mansion, Jean finally goes into labour and has to be driven to the hospital by a nervous Wolverine (not the best choice of a birth partner, I think you’ll agree) and secondly, in an attempt to save Magneto from a blast of the X-Cutioner’s weapon, Storm finds that her mutant ability to control the weather has vamoosed for good.
With Cyclops fleeing the battle to be by Jean’s side, who will stop Mangento’s outrage at the neutering of the Goddess of the Storm?
I’m not gonna lie, but when I saw how fast the pace of this second episode was moving, I first thought that the show had Kent too far back into the more frenzied story telling of the orginal show, but while the script tore through its setup like a dragster with no brakes, I noticed something rather marvelous. Yes, the set up that sees Magneto take control of the X-Men speed reads through some of the more dramatic aspects of the story, but in doing so, it actually has the time to drop in little character beats that made the whole thing suprisingly affecting.
Yes, there’s still way more characters than the show knows what to do with, but sprinkled throughout the impassioned speeches and slick action are countless moments that allow select characters time to shine. Of course, Magneto is the central focus here as he floats into proceedings being as extra as he ever was with his snow-white, Fabio locks, ripped biceps and his insistence that he be tried for war crimes while dressed in a purple cape and lycra bodysuit that has a giant, white “M” emblazoned on his chest. While all interactions of the X-Men have tried to make Erik Lehnsherr a complex character who stands on the razor thin divide between hero and villain, the story of him wanting to willingly stand trial stands as the greatest example. Still, the show gets his point across admirably and affords some smaller moments that hints at the broadening of his character such as quiet moment where he tells a storm how much he admires her abilities (he also has a keen mutant ability for foreshadowing too) and a curious run in with Rogue that hints heavily at some previous, unrevealed history between the two.
Speaking of Storm, during the climax she saves Magneto from taking a blast from the X-Cutioner’s gun that strips her of her elemental abilities and mirrors what occured in the comics. All all the X-Men to lose their powers, it’s Storm who proves to be the most tragic as of all team, she has never seen her powers as a curse and has positively reveled in being regarded as a goddess who can bend the elements to her will. While the original series might have dealt with the plot point with Ororo Monroe screaming and wailing in despair, ’97 handles it with admirably subtlety, having the sound drop out of the scene as Beast informs her of the traumatic ramifications. Later still, the de-stormed Storm chooses to leave the team and leaves a truly heartbreaking letter in her wake – but to look on the bright side, at least it shrinks the expansive cast a little.
Elsewhere, the episode handles Jean Grey giving birth with a similar amount of storytelling maturity that the original series could never have been allowed to do and it also gives Wolverine a neat little comedic bit as it is he who has to drive her (dangerously) to the hospital. While the birth itself isn’t glossed over, it proves to provide a telling character moment (Cyclops uncharacteristically leaves the trial, mid-fight, to be at the birth, thus unconsciously making his choice) and even gives Rogue something to do by absorbing a surgeon’s knowledge in order to help bring little Nathan Christopher Charles Summers (aka. Cable) into the world.
Once again, the writers have managed to bring all the excitable hyperbole from the 90s series and more modern storytelling together to find an impressive balance. There’s not many series that would have Magneto change sides after elevating the UN council into the stratosphere to make a point (so extra) in only the second episode of a series may feel like overkill, but that’s just how the 90s rolled when it tried to offer up blockbuster sized thrills on a weekly basis.
Proof of this is offered up with this episode’s cliff hanger where a united team and their new leader are confronted with a disheveled form of…. Jean Grey!? Anyone already familiar with the tangled love life of Scott Summers will have an inkling what’s to come but be prepared to witness the spilling of some juicy mutant tea.
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