First Things First…
Mister Sinister just got his ass whooped by Cyclops, so I suspect we might be moving away from him for a minute. But we ended on a “To Be Continued” with Professor X and Magneto in Antarctica. I’m anxious to see what that’s all about.
3 Things I Like
3. The Consequences (and Continuity) of Time Travel
“My guess, and that’s all it is, is that our friend Bishop’s time travel may have had far greater consequences than we imagined.”
Beast
I say it all the time—I’m a sucker for continuity.
And we get another example here. This episode is about the Shadow King escaping the Astral Plane, where Professor X trapped him sometime before the start of the series.
But how does the Shadow King escape?
A tear opens in the planet’s astral plane, possibly thanks to Bishop’s time travel during last season’s “Days of Future Past” arc.
They don’t dwell on it. But the stakes feel higher when current events tie back to prior events. And because time travel is so massive, we’re ripe for more anomalies like this to occur, all relating back to that one event.
And if Bishop travels through time again—as I’m definitely hoping, since he’s my favorite X-Man—even better.
2. Stumbling into the Savage Land
I’m aware of the Savage Land’s existence in X-Men lore, but I don’t know much about it beyond being a hidden place where prehistoric animals and monsters exist. I didn’t even realize it’s in Antarctica, otherwise I would’ve had a better idea of what was on the horizon when Professor X and Magneto traveled there.
I’m intrigued to see what it’s all about. And I have a couple of specific questions—like how is Mister Sinister connected, since he’s the one who brought them there? And how does Charles regain use of his legs there, but he and Magneto both lose their mutant powers?
1. Come Back, Morph
“Whatever you’re going through, Morph, I’ve been there. The Professor saved me. I’m gonna save you.”
Wolverine
Wolverine took it hardest when the team lost Morph. And he’s the most upset that Morph doesn’t rejoin the X-Men and accept their apologies now that they know he’s alive. So he’s doing all he can to find Morph, be there for him, and bring him back into the fold.
As much as I love Wolverine going berserk and kicking ass, I also like this side of him. He’s said multiple times that Morph was his friend… and the only one who could make him laugh.
Whether or not he’s under Mister Sinister’s control, Morph has a lot to wrestle with after his team abandoned him. He outmaneuvers Wolverine here, and it looks like he may disappear for a bit. But he’ll almost certainly be back, and there’s a compelling dynamic going on with him and the rest of the team.
0 Things I’m Mixed On
1 Thing I Don’t Like
1. The Shadow King
“Now I shall rule my beloved Cairo as never before. With my mind, these powers, every criminal in the city will have to work for me!”
The Shadow King
It’s cool to see a villain the team knows from before the series began. As soon as Storm realizes it’s the Shadow King terrorizing her home, she’s scared.
But besides that, I disliked most of what they did with this.
They make it seem like he’s such a formidable opponent. The Professor was barely able to defeat him last time. And Storm is ready to sacrifice herself to get rid of him. Yet she, Rogue, and Storm’s mutant son Mjnari—with no help from the rest of the team—take him out in just one episode. That’s no way to make him feel like a massive threat. He needs an arc.
There’s also a lot of missing context about the Shadow King. We learn he used Storm for his ends when she was a kid, so she has the most history with him. But what’s his deal? Is he from Egypt? Is that why he’s only concerned about Cairo? He comes across as a villain who’d be looking to dominate the world, but he only cares about one city? Why?
It also looks like he had a body back then, but now he’s more of a spirit that has to possess someone. Again, why?
He’s also another villain looking for slaves. Enough already.
Even the fight itself comes across as silly. The Shadow King and Storm’s negotiation is so melodramatic, and that’s before Rogue chimes in, “No! Don’t throw your life away!”
And Storm actually flies into space to rid her body of the Shadow King. Then this dumbass takes the bait and chases Mjnari right back into the astral plane.
It’s a shame, because he seems like he could be another strong villain. But I’d need to know more about him and his motives.
Tim Matassa
