First Things First…
Part 1 set up some potentially huge things, including a team-up between Apocalypse and Mister Sinister, who have kidnapped Jean. Plus, Cable and Bishop are both looming, eager to join the fight (whatever that fight is).
I don’t know where this story is going yet, but I’m extremely anxious to find out.
8 Things I Like
8. Bishop Still Looms
Bishop only appears in this episode for about three seconds, and he has no lines. We just see he’s still where we left him, in the Axis of Time.
The important point now, though, is that Apocalypse has set up his base of operations in the Axis of Time.
After Apocalypse tells Jean that’s where they are, we get a tracking shot away from his lair straight to where Bishop is roaming. It seems they haven’t found each other yet, but they’re in proximity.
This tells me Bishop might be the only person in position to battle Apocalypse and his crew, so Bishop could play an even more critical role in this fight than I originally thought.
7. Cable’s New Plan
Cable is the other favorite of mine still looming. He only gets slightly more time in this episode than Bishop, but he gets the closing moments, and it looks like his plan sets up the next episode.
That’s because there’s another time machine where Cable is.
This could be incredibly lame. And maybe it is a deux ex machina of sorts. Y’know, time traveler loses his time machine, and suddenly we find out there’s another one just waiting for him to take.
But I find the explanation not only believable, but smart.
Tyler reminds Cable that the government deemed time machines too dangerous and destroyed them all. But Cable counters with an example of nuclear disarmament in their 21st Century. He says none of the world’s nuclear powers actually destroyed every last bomb. They all saved one… just in case.
He’s sure it’s the same with the time machines. And I think both the history of geopolitics plus plain old human nature will prove him right.
6. Sabretooth and Mystique Get in on the Action
“Every mutant on Earth seems to be in on this thing!”
Wolverine
Wolverine is right. It does seem like every mutant in the world is part of this story.
I love that.
Sabretooth and Mystique ultimately prove to be more distractions than anything. Sabretooth doesn’t even make it out of the clutches of the X-Men, while Mystique makes it back to Apocalypse, but she’s not the one who catches Psylocke, as she intended to.
Still, it’s cool to see two more important adversaries show up in this story, even if their role winds up pretty small.
5. Bait?
“You cannot endanger innocent people just to save Jean!”
Storm
Once the team has a bead on which type of mutants Apocalypse is targeting, Cyclops says they can use Cerebro to locate them, and then they can watch over them.
Storm angrily tells him they can’t just use innocent people as bait to draw in Apocalypse—not even to save Jean.
I love when teammates argue in this show, especially when they both make reasonable arguments.
In the end, Professor X breaks the tie and says…
“Cyclops is right. If Apocalypse and Sinister have joined forces, and are able to instantaneously travel in time and space, all existence is in danger.”
And he doesn’t even know about Magneto joining forces with Apocalypse yet. That’s the scariest proposition of all. This has become more of a “win at all costs” mission than any of them are probably comfortable with.
4. Calling All Psychics
“It seems that Charles Xavier has deduced the pattern of my plan. All the better as he will be my final prize.”
Apocalypse
And now, the bait in question…
Apocalypse is gathering mutants with psychic abilities.
It explains why Mister Sinister only kidnapped Jean while leaving Cyclops behind, even though he’s tried to kidnap them both before.
I’m still not sure how psychics will be able to bring Sinister’s plan to fruition. But more than likely, Apocalypse has his own plans that supersede Sinister’s anyway.
Still, it’s just a cool idea that Apocalypse is targeting telepaths. And Professor X is his primary target.
3. Starting with the Shi’ar
I didn’t expect this arc to extend into an intergalactic affair, so I was surprised the episode opens with the Shi’ar. But this is why I love having a world that feels lived in.
The goal of this escapade is just for Apocalypse to kidnap Oracle, a telepath who works for Lilandra and who we’ve never met before.
But there’s a whole other piece to this where Lilandra’s sister, who we’ve also never met before, is attacking Lilandra. She’s made a deal with Apocalypse, who she believes will kill Lilandra and give her the throne, in exchange for access to Oracle.
Gladiator tries to fight them off. And in the end, the coup fails because Apocalypse straight up lied. He only ever cared about getting Oracle.
But here’s the point…
Even though this story within the story about the Shi’ar is probably unimportant to this arc we’re in, it’s still interesting in its own right. We know Lilandra and the Shi’ar. I like Gladiator. It’s just another sign that being in a world with all these different corners we care about, populated with characters we care about, makes the show much more fun.
2. Magneto Has a Price
“Resurrections are delicate procedures. When all the psychics are in place, you shall see your beloved wife.”
Apocalypse
When Magneto first shows up, I thought he was there to help the good guys. He’s kinda been a good guy—or, at worst, neutral—for a while now. So I was ready to criticize this for inconsistent characterization.
But then we see Magneto interact with Apocalypse. Which, first of all, is a HUGE thrill.
Even Apocalypse recognizes the value in Magneto, saying…
“Your lack of sentimentality is refreshing. You make a worthy partner, Magneto.”
But more to the point, we learn Magneto’s price—Apocalypse has agreed to resurrect his dead, beloved wife in exchange for Magneto’s help.
This tracks with what we learned about Magneto when he visited Wundargore in “Family Ties” earlier this season. I can see him making a deal with the devil for this, even if it puts him at odds with his old friend Charles Xavier.
Of course, I doubt Apocalypse has any intention of keeping up his end of the bargain with Magneto, either. But we’ll see.
1. Sparks Fly
“What do you care about your fellow mutants? You use your wealth to deny your mutant heritage. You had a scientist try to cure you, and you waste your life hunting a creature who can never die… you brood over your own troubles when you could be using your wealth and power for so much more.”
Psylocke
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Psylocke. She’s one of those characters I’ve known the name of for a long time, and I know she’s popular, but I don’t know much about her.
Turns out she’s a hot, cool badass.
And she infiltrates Castle Worthington, bringing Archangel back into the story.
There’s instant sexual tension between these two, even as he berates her for being a thief, while she calls him out for trying to be “cured,” not really caring about mutants, and not using his wealth for any good.
It’s definitely one of those “conveniences” that she just happens to rob him at a time when Archangel’s arch enemy, Apocalypse, is targeting her because she’s telepathic. But I’ll let it slide because I found their scenes so entertaining.
Tim Matassa
