There's a couple family reunions in this one.
Last time on X-Men: The Animated
Series, the X-Men came crashing to Earth. After crash landing on Earth
after their mission in Space, Jean arises from the ashes in Hudson Bay and
announces herself the Phoenix before collapsing yet again. While Jean recovers,
Charles attempts to leave the hospital but has a psychic fit that causes him to
pass out and creates an evil doppelganger of him. The evil psychic projection
goes to the X-Men and makes them see visions of their greatest fears to try to
drive them mad. They have a hell of a time fighting him as Evil Charles is just
a mental image, he can’t be hurt by any of them. He tries to attack Scott and
Jean but Jean’s new power lets her blast him away, destroying the villainous image.
Charles explains that the projection was basically a manifestation of all the negative
emotions he bottles up. He decides to take a leave of absence from the team for
a bit, traveling to Muir Island for some R and R. He meets Moira and her fiancé
Sean Cassidy before heading to his room. In private he gets hit by another
massive psychic blast and connects to Lilandra. He pulls her into his room from
the astral plane or something and we learn what her whole deal is. Namely, she’s
sister to D’Ken, emperor of the Shi’ar and has recently learned her brother is
going to use their people’s sacred relic the M’Kraan Crystal to make a weapon.
She also explains that she and Charles share a deep psychic connection despite
not having met before this point. Before they can talk more, Juggernaut breaks
in, saying he’s after his step-brother’s new lady friend. Enough recap. Let’s
get to it.
We open with Moira and Sean talking
outside the Muir Island research station about how Sean wonders if Charles still
loves her, but she doesn’t think so. He needs a friend and she’s basically the
only one he has. They kiss but are interrupted by hearing Charles screaming
from the station. She tries to run to him alone, but Sean insists on coming
with. Inside, Juggernaut is throwing Charles around and saying this is more fun
than bumper cars. Lilandra, for some reason out of her space suit and now in a
sexy costume, shoots at Cain with a blaster. It doesn’t hurt him, obviously, but
Charles tells her to go for the helmet since his mind is his weak spot. Cain
hurls a bookcase at Charles, who quickly evacuates his chair. Lilandra blows
off Cain’s helmet. He slaps her aside and says that he loves crushing people
that know Charles. Charles, having had enough of his brother’s shit, mentally blasts
him, telling Cain to feel all the pain he’s caused. We see mental flashes of a
younger Cain bully Charles, and Cain knocking over a vial and starting a huge
fire. Before Charles can finish him off, a fella with a stick sneaks up behind
him and blasts him. This is Black Tom Cassidy, a friend of Juggernauts who’s
hear to help with this bounty of theirs. He tells Cain that he’s wasted enough
time rampaging and to just grab the woman so they can get paid. Cain says screw
you, as he’s here more for killing Charles than getting paid. He redons his
helmet and picks up Charles. He says he’s been wanting to do this for a long
time, says “So long, Chuck,” and throws him out the window. Moira and Sean see
him falling and Sean dives after him. Sean, as it turns out, is a Mutant (his
codename is Banshee) and he’s able to fly using his powerful scream to generate
lift. He grabs Charles and they bring him back inside. Charles asks where
Lilandra is, but Moira and Sean didn’t see anyone so assume he was having a
vision or something. Charles insists that she is real and when Moira asks how
he knows that, he says it’s because he loves her. Disney princess have nothing on
Charles Xavier.
Back in New York, Jean’s powers go off
again, manifesting a giant Phoenix around herself and scaring the Bejesus out
of Scott. She announces that she and the Phoenix are now one. Gambit, Storm, Jubilee
and Rogue come in and ask if she’s okay. Scott says he’s not sure, her powers keep
going off and while she can’t speak this ‘phoenix’ seems to. Rogue says that
she should have been the one flying the ship, as with her powers she could have
done it and her constitution is obviously tougher than Jean’s. Gambit tells her
to not blame herself as she was on her own mission and can’t be everywhere at
once. Logan comes in and tells them about the situation with Charles and
Lilandra. Scott says that he won’t leave Jean. Logan, pissed off, tells him that
he’s not the only one that worried about Jean, and that the world is turning
upside down, and they need to do something about it. Storm says she spoke with
Moira and Moira insists this is a paranoid delusion Evil Charles created.
Scott, realizing that they do have to check this out, tells the others to head
out. He and Storm will stay with Jean, though, as he’s sure her condition is
tied to this.
We cut to a castle and Black Tom asking
Juggernaut where his contact is. A ship touches down as he complains about tardiness,
good timing, and Erik the Red comes out. He demands to see the Princess, but
Black Tom says that ain’t happening until he’s paid. Erik, being a dick, says
here’s your payment and blasts him. Before he can shoot Black Tom again,
Juggernaut grabs him and starts squeezing. Erik orders his mind-controlled minions
to shoot Juggernaut. Juggy just tosses him at his goons and Black Tom asks
about their money, and Erik agrees to pay them.
The X-Men, Wolverine, Jubilee, Rogue
and Gambit, touch down at Muir Island. Moira insists that they shouldn’t do
this as it’ll just reinforce Charles’ delusions. Wolverine tells her not to get
in his way and storms off. Sean grabs him and says that Moira knows what’s best
for her patient and that someone should teach Wolverine some manners. Before a
fight breaks out, Moira insist a fight won’t cure Charles’ hallucinations. Wolverine
says “if” he’s crazy, and that he’ll be able to tell definitively if he is.
We cut back to the castle, revealed
to be Cassidy Keep, where Black Tom and Erik the Red are counting the payment.
Black Tom loves the sound of 10 million dollars. Juggernaut comes in with an unconscious
Lilandra. Erik wakes her with a blast and asks the princess condescendingly how
she’s doing. She names him Shakari and that he’s a spy. He says on Earth he’s
Erik the Red and demands to know where the M’Kraan Crystal is. Lilandra looks
around and focuses on a coat of arms over the fireplace before mentally
reaching out to Charles.
In Charles’ room, Wolverine is
sniffing around and confirms that Juggernaut was there with two other people he’s
never smelt before. And confirm one is an alien. Charles feels Lilandra and tries
to connect with her. Erik the Red blasts her before he can get more than the
coat of arms, a Stag and a Dragon. This shocks Sean Cassidy, who says he knows
where Lilandra is. Shock of shocks, the two Irishmen named Cassidy are related.
At Cassidy Keep Erik the Red realizes
that Lilandra may have had time to contact Charles, but Juggernaut insists he
killed him. The X-Men and Banshee fly in. When they land, Wolverine says that
with Banshee’s scream they may as well should have tried sneaking in with a
marching band. Sean tells him he should hear his singing voice. Rogue reminds Wolverine
that they can’t beat Juggernaut, so they’re just here to grab Lilandra and run.
Jubilee asks if they know what she looks like, to which Wolverine says she’s
from another galaxy, so if ya see a strange woman just grab her and run. They’re
suddenly blasted by Erik’s minions, Banshee screaming at them to knock them out
painlessly. The villains hear Banshee’s scream, and Black Tom remarks that the
lord of the castle has come home… to be buried. The X-Men burst in, Banshee
declaring Black Tom has disgraced their family for the last time. Black Tom
says that his big brother has stood in his way for too long and they start
fighting. The others try to stall Juggernaut and grab Lilandra but Black Tom
keeps getting in the way. It’s revealed both brothers Cassidy are immune to the
other’s power, so they start fist fighting. Juggernaut tries to crush Rogue, but
Jubilee blasts him for long enough for her to dodge and get them both away.
Lilandra free herself but Juggernaut grabs her as Erik the Red says they just
need to get to his ship. Erik throws an ice grenade and freezes them in place,
but they break free a moment later and cut the villains off.
Suddenly, someone enters Earth’s atmosphere
and flies to the cate. This is Gladiator, leader of the Shi’ar Emperors Praetorian
Guard. Erik tries to suck up to Gladiator, but Gladiator isn’t having it, he
demands to why Erik the Red isn’t ready with Lilandra and the M’Kraan crystal. Erik
tries to earn some credit for having Lilandra but that’s not enough. Lilandra
asks why Gladiator serves D’Ken when he’s a man of honor, and Gladiator points
out he serves the Shi’ar throne and D’Ken is emperor. Juggernaut, annoyed with
all the talking, tries to attack Gladiator but his punch doesn’t phase the
alien. Gladiator grabs Juggernaut and throws him clear across the country. They
X-Men try to stop Gladiator to save Lilandra, but are stopped by a cold icy
breath from Gladiator and then eye lasers. … FYI the Praetorian Guard are
homages to the DC Comic’s Justice League and yes, Gladiator is their Superman.
Black Tom hands Lilandra over and runs. Gladiator demands she turns over the
Crystal. Lilandra refuses, mentally calling out to Charles, who mentally calls
out to the X-Men to save Lilandra, and wakes up Phoenix. Scott tries to stop
her but the Phoenix must go. She transforms into her new form and flies to Cassidy
Keep and says Lilandra is under her protection. Erik the Red runs away but
Gladiator tries to fight. Despite how powerful he is Phoenix is stronger,
literally hurling him back into space. But before she does she tells Gladiator
to tell his master to back off. Lilandra asks if Jean is truly the Phoenix,
when she confirms it, she says the Phoenix is the guardian of the M’Kraan Crystal
and must help her protect it. She tells Lilandra that D’Ken has arrived. Out in
space, Gladiator stops his flight just in time to see D’Ken’s ship arrive, the
Shi’ar emperor announcing that he can feel the Crystal in this galaxy and
laughing evilly.
Well, that was a hell of a
continuation. It’s always nice to see Juggernaut and his irrational hatred of
Charles again. Black Tom has been his partner in crime on a few occasions in
other stories so it’s good to see him too. They make a formidable duo. It was
interesting to see how everyone is reacting to Charles’ mental condition after
his evil rampage, with Wolverine still willing to believe anything Charles’
says as reliable, where Storm, Scott and Moira are more taking Charles at his
word that he can’t be trusted right now. Good thing he did go there or else
Erik the Red might have made off with Lilandra… though I am questioning why
Muir Island doesn’t have security cameras that could have confirmed Juggernaut
and Black Tom leaving with Lilandra… Whatever. The battle between the two
groups was good, even though the dialogue between the brothers Cassidy was
clunky as hell to explain why they have a beef. And really, we just learn that
Black Tom is a criminal and Sean is a goodie two shoes from their back and
forth. Gladiator’s entrance sure was memorable. He’s a real powerhouse, as he
demonstrated by tossing Juggernaut a few hundred miles. Like I said, he’s basically
Superman, so he’s one of the strongest characters the X-Men go up against. Typically,
the goal isn’t even to beat him, it’s either to run, or to get Lilandra on the
throne to make him switch allegiances. Yeah, he takes that oath of office to
the throne super literally. The Phoenix is now active, which is a sort of good
news/bad news thing, as her power is definitely needed for this but Jean really
can’t handle all this cosmic energy flowing through her. But we’ll see more of
why that is later. Next time, the race to find the M’Kraan crystal is on. See
you there.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/120856867
Bluesky: @basicssuperhero.bsky.social
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