First Things First…
This originally aired as Episode 5.3.
Omega Red returns! I liked him, so I’m glad he gets a second appearance. Although if I remember correctly, the first episode he was in ended with him being frozen. So he gets thawed out again?
3 Things I Like
3. Still out There
“He’s out there. I can smell him.”
Wolverine
I have no idea if Omega Red will be back for a third episode (or maybe an appearance in X-Men ’97). And it sucks for the team—especially Wolverine, who takes it really personally that Omega Red got one over on them, even though he knew to expect something. But I like the idea of another supervillain back on the board.
2. Getting Through to Logan
“Please, Logan, control yourself. You know small spaces overwhelm me. You must stay clear-headed if we are to survive.”
Storm
Storm implores Wolverine over and over to control his anger during this mission. Not surprisingly, he has a hard time with that. But when she brings up her claustrophobia, he immediately runs over to her to make sure she’s okay.
Despite his anger issues and problems with authority, you can’t say Wolverine doesn’t love his friends.
1. Red Rivalry Renewed
“I did not expect old wounds to heal easily, even for Wolverine. It is a great irony, no, a man whose body is able to heal itself, but whose spirit never can.”
Omega Red
Wolverine despises Omega Red. He hates him almost as much as he hates Sabretooth. So he’s on edge immediately when he’s in Omega Red’s presence. And, as mentioned already, he barely controls his anger.
He’s actually incredulous they’re even being asked to do this. He can’t believe the military is stupid enough to work with Omega Red, despite whatever precautions they think they have in place. The first thing we hear from him when Professor X delivers the news is…
“Somebody wake me up from this nightmare, ‘cause I’ve got to be dreaming. Who do these genius spy-catchers think they’re dealing with? Winnie the Pooh?”
The tension between them really makes the episode. Especially because it’s obvious Wolverine is right, and that Omega Red will try to pull something.
Despite all that tension, though, and the threat of nuclear warheads destroying some of the world’s most populous cities after Omega Red commandeers the sub for his own purposes, Wolverine still can’t help himself from cracking jokes. When Omega Red first gets the power and lights on in the abandoned sub, Wolverine says…
“Well, what do you know. They ought to use this tub in one of those battery ads with the rabbit.”
0 Things I’m Mixed On
1 Thing I Don’t Like
1. Losing Their Leverage
The colonel in charge of this salvage mission, who oversaw the recovery and thawing out of Omega Red, says they’ve implanted him with a sealed vial of liquid nitrogen, which they can activate at any time.
Before Wolverine and Storm leave for the mission, Beast says it seems like a reasonable precaution, but Wolverine disagrees.
As usual, Wolverine is right. But I still found this part confusing. Does Omega Red simply pull the vial out of his body with one of his tentacles?
It’s not totally clear if that’s what happens—but if it is, why is it so easy for him to take out this implant?
Tim Matassa
