Warning: this article contains full spoilers for X-Men ’97: Episode 5!
X-Men ’97 has so far done a fantastic job of tapping into the nostalgia surrounding the original X-Men: The Animated Series and that singular era of the franchise. It would be very easy for the series to rest on its laurels and simply coast through Season 1 on the strength of those fond feelings. Thankfully, the writers show far more ambition than that in Episode 5. Here, the series proves more than ever why it’s a soap opera in the best sense, delivering a winning blend of mutant melodrama and larger-than-life stakes as the world of X-Men ’97 receives its biggest status quo shakeup ever.
Early on, there’s little indication that “Remember It” will go as hard as it eventually does. The focus at first is on the aftermath of the Madelyne Pryor incident. The fact that these tensions are boiling over just as the X-Men are meant to put on a good face for the world makes the whole situation that much more awkward.
It’s an inspired choice to frame these early scenes around the X-Men taking part in a TV interview with ace reporter Trish Tilby. Cyclops’ scenes in particular highlight the sheer absurdity of their lives and the idea that, no, the X-Men aren’t anything resembling normal people. How many of us have had to deal with discovering that our spouse is an evil clone and been forced to send our baby into the future to fight off a techno-organic virus? There’s a certain self-aware humor to the interpersonal drama on this show that works very much in its favor. It balances out the more maudlin aspects.
All the same, the drama hits home. It’s hard not to feel for both Cyclops and Jean as their marriage starts to come apart at the seams. Now Wolverine is dragged into the fray, as the iconic X-Men love triangle surges to the forefront once more. Jean and Logan’s kiss is handled especially well; we get the sense that Logan is less thrilled at his romantic victory than he is disappointed in Jean for losing control. It should be very interesting to see where these three are headed in the latter half of Season 1.
This episode succeeds equally well in exploring the Rogue/Gambit/Magneto love triangle, too, despite not having a foundation from the original series to build upon. “Remember It” deftly fleshes out Rogue shared past with Magneto and does an excellent job of exploring her turmoil. Does she give into temptation with the handsome but arrogant Master of Magnetism or remain faithful to the ever-loyal Cajun? This episode even throws in a stylish dance sequence for good measure, with Ace of Base on hand to provide the pitch-perfect ’90s soundtrack. And it all pays off tremendously in the end, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Part of the fun of this episode is how it draws less on classic X-Men storylines from the ’80s and ’90s than it does more modern fare from the likes of Grant Morrison and Jonathan Hickman. Cyclops’ telepathic affair is straight out of Morrison’s New X-Men run, with Madelyne taking the place of the duplicitous Emma Frost. Meanwhile, the political dealings on Genosha bring to mind the Krakoa status quo and the Quiet Council from Hickman’s House of X. The series may lean on the ’90s for its visual style, but storytelling-wise it wisely borrows the best elements of all eras.
One minor niggle with “Remember It”: As great as it is to see Nightcrawler back in action, he does feel a bit underused here. There are some teleporting hijinks, and a brief pep talk about love with Gambit, but that’s about it. It’s not surprising such a brisk, eventful episode would struggle to make full use of its guest stars, but it’s disappointing nonetheless. Though, given where this episode ends up, maybe the X-Men will have cause to recruit Nightcrawler to fill out their thinning ranks.
On that note, how incredible is that climax? Cable’s brief appearance sets just the right tone of foreboding before the chaos and carnage unfold. There’s even a “blink and you’ll miss it” cameo from The Watcher to let us know things are about to get real, real bad. From there, the episode reaches new dramatic heights as the mutants of Genosha make their desperate final stand against the Wild Sentinel. That sequence is easily the strongest showcase yet for the show’s gorgeous animation style, and it results in strong character moments for Rogue, Gambit, and Magneto alike. I’ll admit to never being the biggest Gambit fan in the past, but seeing him sacrifice himself to destroy the unstoppable scourge of Genosha is a terrific sendoff for the character.
The same goes for Magneto, though given his habit of cheating death in the comics, there’s always the question of whether he’s actually gone. Regardless, this episode gives him a fitting last stand against an unstoppable foe, hearkening back to his monologue from X-Men: The Animated Season 1 about how the brave are always the first to die. His death is made all the more powerful by his final line, as Magneto lapses into German and urges Leech one last time not to be afraid. If this is the end for Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, it’s a fittingly noble one.
By the end, what we have is a profoundly changed series. Two core X-Men are dead (seemingly, at least). The show’s central romance is in ruins, and the X-Men and mutantkind as a whole have never been in a more precarious place. The series is clearly going to have to reinvent itself as the team moves forward from these losses. That’s an exciting prospect. Rather than playing it safe, X-Men ’97 is perfectly willing to break a few toys in order to tell the best possible stories. It’s anyone’s guess what this show will look like by the end of Season 1.
