Let’s Talk about X-Men Episode 1-8

The core tenet of the X-Men franchise is a philosophical debate.

Is Charles Xavier correct that humanity and mutants can coexist in a peaceful society?

Or, is Magneto correct that humans will oppress, torment, and possibly even wipe out mutants?

The latest X-Men episode leans hard into the idea with a surprising thought. What if Magneto is totally right?

Let’s talk about X-Men ’97 episode 1-8, where Bastion draws inspiration from Psycho…and Evil Dead.

The One Pulling the Strings

While this episode takes many directions, the focus is the new Big Bad, the person pulling the strings.

Cable has returned from the future to warn his father and the other X-Men about a villain named Bastion.

Born human (kinda), Bastion has been bred since birth as a mutant-hating monster. He even says as much in the episode.

Cable informs the team that Bastion has created “Prime Sentinels” through the same Techno-Organic Virus he has.

Yes, I mean the one that forced Cable into the future, where his daddy, Cyclops, hoped his son would find a cure.

This virus rewrites the DNA of humans, creating a new species of apex predators.

Even worse, Bastion created a “utopia” of sorts by using mutants as slaves for centuries.

Cable has tried to return to the attack on Genosha to reset events, but it’s like time itself stops him.

Beast posits that “the mystics of Kamar-Taj speak of absolute points” and that the Genosha terrorist attack may be one.

Bastion orchestrated all that, although we aren’t sure for what purpose yet.

Cable considers Bastion a machine and specifically the machine that killed his mother. They ain’t gonna be friends.

Meanwhile, the undertone of the episode is that humans, fearing inevitable war with the mutants, have turned the news toward propaganda.

In one example, the government has specifically leaked the news that Xavier isn’t dead as the X-Men had claimed. Instead, he’s an intergalactic overlord.

Admittedly, that one sounds bad for all involved. Also, Magneto did recently fly a bunch of UN people into orbit.

Speaking of Magneto…

As a reminder, Bastion and Mister Sinister took one prisoner at Genosha: Magneto.

Now, we learn that he’s in a science facility facing his betrayer. Cyclops’ “ally,” Val Cooper, has been working with the baddies.

Cooper is feeling a bit guilty since they’ve got Magneto strapped to a wall, and he’s only got a speedo to boot. It feels very Pulp Fiction.

The government official explains her thinking, but Magneto won’t even acknowledge her. His worst fear is unfolding, and he knows it.

Speaking of which, Trish Tilby brings coffee to Beast as a peace offering.

After the would-be lovers fought last time, their love appeared doomed. It’s apparently not…but hold that thought!

We’re ready to get creepy again, as we did in episode three. It’s another horror scene.

Do you know that film, Abigail, where the people invade the house with the girl, only to discover she’s a vampire?

Well, we get a variant of that when the Summers family – Cyclops, Cable, and Jean Grey – enters a home.

They discover a kindly old woman there, as well as signs that Bastion used to live here. Yup, this is his mom.

That’s not the worst part, either. It’s a trap! Bastion has turned his elderly mother into a Prime Sentinel. She’s the Abigail here.

At this moment, Bastion’s mom reveals her identity and attacks. Simultaneously, many other Prime Sentinels awaken as well.

Sky Police

In another uncannily well-timed villainous plot, Bastion explains his plan to Val Cooper. He intends to solve a math problem.

Mutants will outnumber humans by 100 to 1 in a century. To solve that problem, Bastion has seeded humans with that virus.

The victims don’t know what’s happening. So, they wake up the next day without realizing they’re infected.

Bastion has turned humans into ticking time bombs, a flying terrorist police force that will bring mutants to their knees.

The villain doesn’t intend to kill mutants but rather to enslave them so that he can use their skills to create a more efficient future.

Right on cue, we cut to Jubilee and Sunspot out shopping before the rich kid’s mother’s big fundraiser. Sunspot’s butler attacks them.

Around the world, other Prime Sentinels activate, including Trish Tilby, Beast’s “never gonna be a girlfriend now.”

Poor Beast never can catch a break…but the Summers family can.

Their road trip turns into a survival adventure, a kind of summer vacation where they fly a Blackbird through a flying Sentinel zombie horde.

These are strange days for the X-Men. But there’s still plenty of fight left in our heroes.

Wolverine kills bunches of them, which is pretty much his gig this season.

Other than one birthing plot, he’s the “appear and kill stuff” guy. And using him in small doses like this is really, really working.

In fact, Wolverine gets a partner here when Nightcrawler appears, wielding three different weapons. Sentinels are about to get diced.

Wolverine and Nightcrawler start bamf-ing around Xavier’s mansion, slaughtering the robot undead along the way. It’s apparently possible.

Anyway, the mansion winds up on fire, and no insurance company in the world will honor this claim.

Magneto Was Right

The fight sequences are once again awesome, a recurring theme this season.

Wolverine and Nightcrawler stab one Sentinel as the latter mutant drags all three into his bamf void. It’s a cool shot.

Later, the three Summers family members blow up their ship, only to show there’s a sports car inside it. Road trip!

All of them wind up having a grand ole’ time killing robot baddies as a family. It’s very The Mitchells vs. The Machines.

Of course, the fun ends when Sunspot and Jubilee become outnumbered at his mother’s fundraiser.

Sunspot bends the knee, thereby starting the “utopia” Bastion had envisioned. What does Jubilee see in that kid?

Meanwhile, Cooper frees Magneto, who does the most remarkable thing in the character’s history.

After uttering a single line, “Enough,” the master of magnetism shorts out every electronic device on the planet, thereby disabling all the Prime Sentinels.

This is X-Men ‘97’s “No more mutants.” It triggers literal shockwaves around the world and hints at a scary aftermath.

For instance, X-Men: The Animated Series foe Omega Red is now freed from his captivity. So, that’s gonna be a thing.

A Sort of Homecoming

Despite Magneto’s actions, the damage has been done, though. Bastion’s plan has come to fruition.

Meanwhile, Cooper tells Bastion that Magneto was right all along. His grim view of humanity has been born out thus far this season.

Wolverine laments that Magneto has declared war and wonders, “Where’s the professor when you need him?”

Seconds later, a starship crashes into the mutant, and you can guess who the passenger is.

Charles Xavier returns home to discover the flaming wreckage of his mansion and the shattered dream of coexistence.

Xavier then says the thing. “To me, my X-Men.”

Beast, Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm heed the call…but who else will?

We’ll have to wait until next week to see, but this episode was grrrrreat!

 

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