My Mind Is Blown #4

Part #1 Part #2 Part #3

Final Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

The X-Men weren't the only ones staring at their televisions, shocked and heartbroken about the attack on Genosha two Wednesdays (April 10) ago. The episode showed us the stakes are higher with X-Men '97 and that no one is safe.

What about everyone who died? Are their deaths a finality or is there some way to reverse them? And to add, there are so many we can only speculate are dead, such as Madelyne.

- My Mind Is Blown #3, Alexandria Stanwyck

I wanted to take the moment to talk about this from before. Of course, I was going based on the comics when it came to the speculations of who died and if they were permanent. An article from CBR gives a list of the main characters who died. And at this point, we shouldn't presume these characters will come back right away or at all. I, of course, am still holding out hope that at least Gambit and Magneto will come back.

A quick recap:

1. Genosha was attacked by a different type of Sentinel, killing many mutants, including Magneto and Gambit.

2. Storm, along with Forge, are trying to get her powers back. In the midst of this, Forge admits that he is love with her and he had a part in the device that took her powers. They are then attacked by The Adversary.

3. Xavier was nearly killed at the hands of Henry Gyrich over one year ago. In order to save his life, Lilandra of the Shi'ar empire takes him to her home world, leaving most in the world believing he is dead.

Episode Six: Lifedeath - Part 2

After the explosive episode that was "Remember It," I feel like "Lifedeath - Part 2" pales in comparison. But, I'm choosing to give this episode some grace; killing off two main characters amongst so many others is a tough act to follow. We aren't given any hints to a potential return of Gambit or Magneto. Both are missing from the roster, further solidifying their demise. But, it was a pleasant surprise to see Nightcrawler join the ranks, (which also means he alive, hooray!)

Love seems to be the name on the game with this episode, featuring two romances - Storm & Forge and Xavier & Lilandra. Before there is romance, however, there is adversary. Literally.

The creators take us to a battle between the Shi'ar and Kree, which is quickly interrupted by a joyous announcement - Charles is getting married! But their news isn't accepted joyously by all. Understandably, many are concerned that the marriage would split their empresses' attentions between her people and her Terran lover.

Things seem to be setting up at least a visit from Professor Xavier as he tries to convince his love to spend some time on Earth. Their conversation gives us a taste of what love should be, compromise and understanding despite their different backgrounds. And Lilandra's comparison of family to a black hole may seem harsh, but oh so true. It seems like Xavier is not yet aware of what has happened to his "children," but if he did, we know that the drama would suck Xavier right back in.

From there, it is a back and forth between finishing up Storm's recent story arc and observing Charles amongst the Shi'ar people.

One usually forgotten aspect of Storm is addressed throughout the episode-- her claustrophobia. The only other time I remember seeing this addressed is in an episode on X-Men Evolution, though things go differently for Storm this time around. I always admired that they gave this powerful woman such a paralyzing fear. It drives home the point that even the seemingly strong people in our lives have to deal with huge fears. The Adversary, the villain of this story arc, seems to be an embodiment of all of Storm's fears and negative thoughts, attempting to influence Storm through anger and terror.

Its not the only thing attempting to influence the stars of this episode. Deathbird, under the guise of concern for her people, evokes a test of loyalty before Charles can marry Lilandra. He has to give up all his memories and ties to Earth, and to add to it, Lilandra has to be the one to wipe it all from his mind. For a moment, it appears Charles, out of devotion and thankfulness to Lilandra, is going to go through with it.

Before we see what he decides, we see Storm on a mission to save Forge's life. Storm continues to show us why she deserves her place as one of the frontrunners of the vast X-Men '97. Her struggle and honesty humanizes her, making her more relatable for the audience. Even her admitting that though originally angry with Forge's part, she does view the power-stripping incident as a blessing. Storm, along with the other X-Men, have faced constant ridicule for the abilities, no matter how many times they have put their lives to protect humanity. After a while, even the best people would be tired of such hardship.

But then to see Storm overcome the Adversary and her fears is a work of art. We see her flex her power, hopefully destroying the Adversary once and for all. As if a symbol of her rebirth, Storm gets an upgrade to her costume. Again, it is as if it was taken from the pages of the comics, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates the accuracy.

Speaking of flexing...

Charles using his psychic abilities to teach the Shi'ar and us a vital lesson. Gathering strength at the cost of others is a lie. Instead, true power is derived from a willingness to understand and accept one another. While some cultures have been around for many generations and others for only decades, we can all learn something from one another.

So yes, while this episode pales in comparison to its predecessor, it stills strikes a powerful chord for me. While this may seem premature, this episode is one of my favorites, only topped by "Remember It."

There is something that hasn't been addressed. We saw how the rest of the X-Men reacted to the Genosha Genocide, but what about Storm and Charles? We only see Storm's and Forge's reaction briefly, a mix of heartbreak and anger. It will be no surprise that we see them join the rest for what bodes to be history in the making.

But Charles' reaction tears at our heartstrings. His anguish overcomes him, interrupting his psychic lesson, and causes him to declare his unwavering intent to return to his X-Men. Yes, even at the cost of losing his chance at love and happiness. We can't be sure if this will end things with Lilandra forever, but as evidenced by what follows, that is the last thing we should be worried about.

For the supposed mastermind behind the genocide is Sinister and it seems to only be the beginning.

My Three Favorite Moments:

Charles and Lilandra's flirty moment: Charles has been through so much; it was nice to see him have a moment to be happy and in love. Plus, not soon afterwards, we see how far the creators allow their flirting to go.

Storm calls Forge her love: Aww, I love love! But in all seriousness, those two words demonstrates not only her true feelings to Forge's confession, but also her forgiveness. Sometimes the initial reaction to something isn't the truth of what a person is feeling, sometimes it takes a little time to get to the root of matter.

Storm gets her powers back: To first see her overcome her fears and that amazing sequence of Storm regaining her power is so empowering and beautiful!

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I hope you enjoy reading! The first five episodes of X-Men '97 are available on Disney +. New episodes are available every Wednesday after 3am EST.

Oh, you were probably expecting episode 7 right about now, weren't you? So was I, but about a third of the way into writing it up, I felt like it was going too much at one time, so I am writing up episode 7 as a separate part.

Sometimes, plans change. With this realization, I might end up dividing up the "Tolerance is Extinction" episodes. If that is the case, I might plan on releasing each one as the rest of the season progress. Or I might just publish them all around the same time. What do you think?

Be on the lookout for Part #5 (Episode 7).