First Things First…
I’m psyched for Magneto.
Most people would choose the Joker as the GOAT comic-book villain, but I’ve always leaned toward Magneto. As iconic as the Joker is, he’s more of a nihilist. That can be fun, but Magneto is a villain with a point of view. He often makes a lot of sense, even as he uses well-justified arguments to do heinous things. I want to see how he’s going to factor into this story.
I also want to see if we pick up where we left off. I don’t remember just how serialized this show is, but as long as Morph is still dead, Beast is still in jail, and Jubilee is at Xavier’s school, we’ll be in good shape.
4 Things I Like
4. Jubilee’s Not Ready
Jubilee just discovered her powers recently and then came to Xavier’s. I get the sense she’s already training with the X-Men, but Professor X stops her from joining the fight against Magneto because he’s too powerful.
Very smart.
Jubilee’s powers are no joke, even as a teenager. But I’d have a hard time buying her as a threat to Magneto so soon. And the Professor would be a shitty leader if he put her in harm’s way too soon against someone he knows is incredibly powerful and dangerous.
3. Professor X’s Double Standard
Wolverine nearly gets booted out of the X-Men. He’s beside himself that they’re nursing Sabretooth back to health in their infirmary. He just wants to finish him off. But according to Cyclops, if a mutant is in need, it’s their job to help them—even if it’s an enemy.
Except Magneto, apparently.
Wolverine rightly points out this double standard when he says to Professor X, “How come we’re supposed to trash your old enemy, but we got to go easy on mine?”
It makes you wonder where the line is. How deadly does a mutant have to be before the X-Men take a “by any means necessary” approach to stopping them?
2. Beast Meets Magneto
“They do understand. Our mutant powers make us superior. That is why they fear us.”
Magneto
Magneto cuts an imposing figure and makes a hell of an entrance as he breaks into Beast’s jail cell to free him.
Beast, though, refuses to leave. He wants to prove his innocence in court.
Magneto then pointedly asks, “What chance does a mutant have, tried by normal humans.”
And so begins the first of what I expect will be many philosophical discussions with diametrically opposed viewpoints about mutants’ place in a human world.
Here, Beast is Professor X’s proxy. He doesn’t believe humans are evil. He says, “They only fight because they fear us. Because they don’t yet understand.”
Meanwhile, Magneto offers his arguments. He seems to have a more pragmatic grasp of the situation when he says humans don’t share Xavier and Beast’s sense of brotherhood. But this is where he starts trying to justify his evil plans, saying, “Our mutant powers make us superior,” and “The humans must be crushed. And I have the power to do it.”
1. Bail DENIED
“To paraphrase the Bard, ‘I am a mutant. Hath not a mutant senses, affections, fed with the same food, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a human is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?’”
Beast
Beast gets to shine during his bail hearing. He shows the biased judge, the asshole prosecutor, the jury, and all the other humans in the crowd his intelligence, thoughtfulness, patience, understanding, and grace.
He shows that his outward appearance is in no way reflective of his character.
But it all amounts to zero.
Still, it’s a great scene for showing anyone open-minded and brave enough to pay attention that mutants shouldn’t be so easily judged, scorned, and tossed aside.
1 Thing I’m Mixed On
1. Magneto’s Background
“You’re a fool, Charles. Look at them. They can’t even make peace with each other.”
Magnus
There’s no Erik Lehnsherr here, just Magnus. I know Magnus also comes from the comics, but I don’t know the full story behind each name.
Either way, in this show it seems they’ve eliminated Magneto’s Jewish heritage, and everything that came with it.
It’s a shame, because Magneto’s role as a Holocaust survivor is such a powerful part of his character. I have to assume the showrunners felt it was too adult for a kids’ show—even a kids’ show that actually tackles more mature stories.
So instead, Magnus was an aide in a hospital, and that’s where he became friends with Xavier.
It sucks to change something so fundamental to an amazing character. But I understand why they might’ve felt they had to. And as far as writing him an alternative background, he’s still lost his family to war and injustice. That’s still a big part of what drives him. They could’ve done a lot worse.
3 Things I Don’t Like
3. Someone Needs to Remove Cyclops’ Stick
The stick up Cyclops’ ass is especially prominent here.
When he’s like, “No. That’s an order!” in the courtroom… and the way he orders Woverine to back off from Sabretooth… he moves from a strait-laced character—very fundamental to who he is—to really annoying. Once we cross that line, it feels like we’re doing him a disservice.
2. Sabretooth Done Dirty
Sabretooth’s outburst in court comes out of nowhere, and then he’s immediately taken out and nearly killed by a few cops with guns. To the point where the X-Men are nursing him back to health.
How are we ever supposed to take him seriously as a threat after this?
He needs some serious villain rehabilitation—and fast.
1. Storm Disarms Missiles
Professor X uses Cerebro to get into Storm’s mind as she’s planning to sacrifice herself to stop the missiles Magneto has launched. He simply tells her to open her mind to what Cerebro knows about the missiles’ computer system, and she instantly understands what to do.
It’s like Neo getting a download and instantly knowing kung-fu… but much, much worse. This whole scene plays out so silly and nonsensically.
Tim Matassa
