Episodes 9 and 10 bring the show to new, dizzying heights
When I last reviewed the X-Men, I was curious about where the new threat would come from after it appeared that Magneto had put an end to Bastion’s plans re: the Prime Sentinels. There were still two episodes left, after all!
Of course, I should’ve seen that the X-Men would be fighting on a dual front; Magneto powering down the Sentinels has caused a world-wide blackout, and Bastion’s plan might’ve hit a hurdle, but the half-human/half-Sentinel was still alive and kicking.
Episode 9: Tolerance is Extinction – Part Two
Xavier’s return to Earth at once gives the X-Men a lever against Magneto while also sowing more distrust among humans, who really don’t need much of an excuse to start rallying against mutants at this stage. Prominently featuring human reactions to the mutant-based events of the show has been something that X-Men ’97 has done well from the beginning and has been vital in showcasing the level of hatred some have for the group.
This pretty much reaches its climax in quick scene where Roberto and Jubilee are being chased through the streets by an angry mob. There’s a real sense of menace to the humans, and when Roberto later chooses to join Magneto, we get it.
Magneto creates ‘Asteroid M’—a floating asteroid that acts as both his new base of operations, and an imposing threat, looming over Earth. Not only is this an incredibly cool visual but Magneto’s complete distrust of humans at this stage really strikes a chord. The best villains are always the ones where we understand their motivations, and Magneto is the prime example of this. He tried it the human way with Genosha, but now he’s done. Watching him cross the line once again into borderline-justified villainy is just so fun to behold.
The plot really kicks into gear here as we begin crosscutting between the two teams simultaneously attacking Bastion and Magneto, which is really effective in creating a sense of kinetic energy and pace. As always though, the show finds time for small character beats that really worked for me. I particularly like the Jean/Scott/Cable dynamic, but Jubilee and Roberto do their bit to ground the show in some relatable interactions, too.
Overall, this is a blood-pumping mad-dash towards the climax, ending pretty much in the middle of an action scene, which is just fine for a penultimate episode.
Episode 10: Tolerance is Extinction – Part Three
The final episode of the season begins with Xavier invading Magneto’s mind in order to force him to reverse the effects of the world-wide blackout. Magneto resists with all his might, forcing Xavier to press harder and harder in a risky attempt to control his former friend that might shatter both their minds. I really liked the portrayal of Magneto’s inner psyche, and having the series climax in a battle of the mind and philosophy between Charles and Magnus feels appropriate.
Ultimately though, most of the action centres on the X-Men’s continued fight against Bastion and Sinister. Naturally, the stakes are raised even further when the U.S. government decides that blasting Asteroid M to pieces would be the best strategy. When that fails, instead causing the Asteroid to start plummeting to Earth, the X-Men are faced with stopping an extinction-level event.
The gradual raising of the stakes throughout the series has been pitch perfect. Obviously, this all feels like crazy comic-book action on the surface, but there’s a real sense of threat here. Yes, in the back of our minds we might accept that the X-Men will probably stop the world from ending, but Gambit and thousands of other mutants were killed on Genosha, so I really found myself fearing for these characters’ safety.
One of my favourite moments in the episode though has to be Scott and Jean psychically projecting themselves to Cable so they can say goodbye to him right before they think they’re going to die. The fact that it’s so touching only serves to show how well-developed the relationship between the three of them has been on the show.
Previously I mentioned how I hoped that the Avengers might show up after Captain America made an appearance to slow down a rampaging Rogue and if it was going to happen, it was going to happen here. What we got instead was almost better: Captain America and Iron Man do nothing. Cap voices his objections to bombing the asteroid and is ignored. Then they let it happen. The Avengers being firmly in the palm of the government in this universe really highlighted to me how alone the mutants are. They have to be their own saviours—their own heroes.
Obviously, I won’t spoil how the episode wraps up, but I found it to be satisfying in a way that both brings closure to this first season while also offering a tantalising glimpse of the second season to come.
Conclusion
Overall, the past three episodes in particular have been astonishing. The season suffered through a few hiccups in the early-mid season, but it absolutely stuck the landing. I know I’m not alone in saying I didn’t expect much from X-Men ’97. I’ve watched a few episodes from the original series now, and while it’s a fun time for X-Men fans, the animation is a little janky and some line deliveries can be unintentionally funny. Nobody expected such a drastic evolution for the franchise with X-Men ’97.
Once again, I would implore anyone even remotely interested in this show to give it a watch, because it really is one of the best shows I’ve seen in recent memory.
***
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