Marvel’s X-Men ‘97 continues to provide us with awesome mutant adventures and a blast of nostalgia each week on Disney+. This week’s episode though, brought things to whole new level and packed an emotional punch fans were not likely expecting to get.
Once again, this week’s episode, which is titled “Remember It,” opens up with some changes to the introduction. This week’s intro features a clip of Cable battling Apocalypse, Storm defeating Callisto of the Morlocks and Gambit and Nightcrawler fighting side by side.
The episode then begins with a news reporter, Trish Tilby, doing a story on the X-Men. Tilby is a character in the comics, in which she is also a journalist who does a story on a mutant team. She appears to be shining a light on the X-Men to earn them some favor in the public eye. Tilby reminds us that the UN is admitting the mutant nation of Genosha and we cut to Magneto, Rogue and Gambit on the Blackbird making their way there.
They arrive at Genosha to find that it is a mutant paradise. We see various mutants including Leech (whom we’ve met previously in this series) as well as newcomers like Pixie and Glob, both characters from the comics. We also see signs in support of the X-Men as well as ones that read “Magneto is right.” Madelyne Pryor and Valerie Cooper are there to greet the team as they arrive.
Rogue explains that Madelyne was chosen as a member of the Genoshan council. Magneto lets us know that they are there for a Gala, perhaps insinuating that this is the first Hellfire Gala we will see on screen. The event has become an annual crossover in the comics. Magneto expresses his surprise upon receiving his invitation and Cooper doesn’t seem all that welcoming of the former villain. Pryor tells Magneto the council wants a private word with him before the gala.
Nightcrawler arrives to greet Rogue and Gambit and show them around the city as tourists. He references their first meeting from X-Men: The Animated Series before showing them around. Gambit takes notice at the high prices in the market as we see apples priced at $10. Rogue brushes it off but Gambit asserts he’s willing to ask questions no one else is, taking note of a massive statue of Magneto.
Rogue flies off to watch a performer and we see another comic character, Multiple Man, dancing. The music-accompanied montage shows us several other familiar mutants, including Exodus, Dazzler and others. Nightcrawler teases Gambit about his connection to Rogue, urging him to simply marry her. Gambit refuses but it’s clear his friend’s words have at least slightly changed his attitude toward the idea.
Back at the mansion, Tilby interviews Scott and it goes poorly. A cameraman notes the glare off of his sunglasses and ask him to take them off. After a cut, Tilby changes the subject to his relationship with Jean – whom she refers to a Marvel Girl, a name she held in the comics – and brings up Nathan, their son. After Scott says they don’t have a son, she explains she found hospital records of the birth and asks him why he would lie. Struggling with the loss, Scott flies into a rage, calling humans ungrateful, and storms off.
Meanwhile, Jean escapes the interview by testing her powers in the nearby lake. Wolverine joins her and she explains that she and Scott have not been talking because he is still grieving. She begins to explain a memory she has from when she was the Phoenix, a moment she shared with Scott. Wolverine urges her to move past her memories and she kisses him, which catches Logan off guard. He tells her she simply forgot the rules for a second and she’s supposed to be with Scott.
Back at Genosha, the council meets and we see the collection of characters who have come to power here. Sebastian Shaw, Callisto, Banshee, Moira MacTaggert, Emma Frost and Pryor make up the council. They explain that they want Magneto to serve as the nation’s Chancellor. Magneto questions their decision but eventually agrees on one condition…
Rogue argues with Magneto over his decision to make her his queen. He explains that it is a political decision and he needs her help to lead and live out Xavier’s dream.
At the mansion, Scott and Jean talk but their conversation is disrupted when Jean telepathically breaks in. It turns out, Scott had been communicating with Madelyne via psychic rapport. Jean questions how long he’s been doing this and he admits it’s been a month. He admits he loves both of them, which angers Jean further. Their argument is interrupted when she suffers some kind of psychic attack.
In Genosha, Rogue visits Gambit in his room as he is dressing for the Gala. She explains her history with Magneto and his offer for her role in Genosha. Gambit is angered by her unwillingness to ever make their relationship official while she is willing to commit to Magneto. They share a tearful moment that ends in Gambit walking off and saying they will just be friends.
In one of the most interesting and exciting moments of the series to this point, we very briefly see an unexpected character in the night sky. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot, the faint outline of Uatu the Watcher can be seen amongst the stars before fireworks fill the sky to denote the start of the gala. The Watcher is perhaps best known from Marvel’s other animated Disney+ original series What If…?. The cosmic entity is tasked with watching major events but cursed to never interfere. In the comics, when the Watcher shows up, you know something big is about to happen. As for this series, his arrival signifies the potential connection to What If…?, which itself has tangential connections to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. In other words, this is a very exciting presence in this series.
Magneto enters the gala and we see dozens of mutants celebrating. Cooper finds Magneto, Shaw and Frost and orders them to assemble the council. Magneto infers that she is upset with their decision to put him in charge of Genosha, saying “most other nations don’t allow a terrorist to be their leader.” Magneto responds with “yet so many allow their leaders to be terrorists.” A powerful line for an animated series about super heroes.
Shaw explains that Magento only accepted if Rogue was invited to govern with him and she arrives at the gala. Rogue and Magneto share a dance as everyone at the gala watches on. It is an especially powerful moment when they see them make actual contact and eventually share a kiss.
Sitting at the bar, Pryor is stricken with a psychic attack. She hears the voice of cable yelling to turn off the music. We see Jean suffering the attack at the same time. They share a vision of a coming apocalypse. Blood pours out of Pryor’s nose and she leaves the gala.
As Rogue seems to be turning down Magneto’s offer, Pryor stumbles outside. Cable is seen yelling at guests to turn off the music, like Pryor heard moments ago, and ordering them to get everyone out. Cable finds her as he sees explosions in the distance. He rushes to her and burgers her to get everyone out. She recognizes him as Cable but after a moment she notices his eyes. Cable’s tech informs him that he his about to be pulled back to his time as he says “not again.” Cable has been here, in this moment, before. Pryor looks into his eyes and recognizes that he is Nathan, her son. As he gets pulled away he says “I’m so sorry, Mom.” She questions what he sorry for as a flash of light engulfs her.
An explosion rocks the gala and Rogue wakes up to chaos. Magneto joins her and they see a massive Sentinel fire a green beam, causing another explosion. Banshee calls for Rogue to get to the gardens before he is also blasted by the machine, seemingly being killed. The Sentinel tries to blast Magneto and Rogue but Nightcrawler saves them.
On a rooftop, with several other survivors, Rogue sees that Nightcrawler is unconscious. She wants to help him but can’t touch him. Luckily, Gambit arrived to check and confirm that their friend is still alive.
As the giant Sentinel and an army of normal ones wipe out countless mutants, Magneto, Rogue and Gambit leap into action. The X-Men take out several Sentinels on their way to the big one, but eventually Magneto is overpowered. Under the fight, Leech promises the other Morlocks that Magneto would save them. Gambit arrives after taking out a Sentinel and leads them out.
The giant Sentinel announces that an Omega level threat is detected and takes aim at Magneto, who has now been embraced by Leech. Gambit and Rogue look on as Magneto shields himself, Leech and the other Morlocks from the blast. Rogue tries to rush to their aid but Magneto uses his power to hold her back and eventually shield both her and Gambit. Magneto looks down at Leech and, in German, tells him not to be afraid. Remember, Magneto’s parents were killed in the Holocaust. After an explosion, the Sentinel announces that the Omega threat has been eliminated.
In a rage, Rogue charges at the machine, which turns its sights to her. Gambit races behind her on a motorcycle. He charges the vehicle and launches it at her, knocking her out of the way of the Sentinel’s blast at the last moment. As the machine fires up its blast on Nightcrawler and other survivors, Gambit charges in. The machine turns its attention to Gambit and stabs him through the stomach as he leaps at it. The machine brings him close and calls him a mutant intruder, saying he has been neutralized. Gambit cracks a smile and utters the line “The name’s Gambit, mon ami. Remember it.” He charges the entire Sentinel and blows it up.
Gambit’s last words, and the episode title, are a reference to a fan-favorite line of his from X-Men: The Animated Series. In season two, episode 13, in a fight against Mister Sinister’s mutant slaves, Gambit says those same words before throwing his signature cards.
At the mansion, the X-Men watch the news and Scott yells for answers regarding how many are dead. The news report shows Genosha on fire and we jump back to the mutant nation. Crying, Rogue holds Gambit’s body in her arms and says “I can’t feel you” as the screen goes black.
I can’t be the only one who was not expecting this series to get so incredibly emotional. While the third episode set a very high bar, this one certainly surpassed it. X-Men ‘97 continues to impress and now it seems it has a very big story to tell as we go forward.
X-Men ‘97 is now streaming on Disney+.