Warning: this review contains full spoilers for X-Men ’97: Season 1, Episode 8!
Unpredictability is easily one of the greatest strengths of X-Men ’97. As much as this series draws heavily from the comic book source material, there’s always a swerve or an unexpected plot twist to shake up familiar storylines. Unpredictability remains the name of the game in Episode 8, which kicks off the final Season 1 story arc in epic fashion.
As befits a story titled “Tolerance Is Extinction,” this new three-part arc seems to be drawing equally from 1996’s “Operation: Zero Tolerance” and 2001’s “E Is for Extinction.” We have the rise of the all-powerful Bastion and his horde of Prime Sentinels, as well as the notion that humanity now faces an existential threat from the growing mutant population. Episode 8 neatly integrates these two halves into one organic whole. It efficiently lays out who Bastion is, how he came to be, and what his plans for the world are well before the end credits roll. As ever, it’s impressive how much ground this series is able to cover each and every week without feeling completely rushed and chaotic.
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That being said, I do wish this episode had lingered a bit longer on Bastion’s origin. We get a glimpse of his troubled upbringing and unique existence, but even more would have really served to further humanize this terrifying villain. A deeper focus on his childhood could have reinforced the tragedy behind Bastion’s decision to turn his own mother into a pawn against the X-Men. Even so, this one episode does a far better job than the original comics of fleshing out the character and molding him into a compelling antagonist. It’s an inspired twist to really lean into the idea of Bastion being a mutant himself – a living machine who exists as the ultimate evolution of the Sentinel program.
The series has done its best to juggle its large ensemble cast, and Episode 8 is surprisingly effective at utilizing the full team in the fight against Bastion. Obviously, the strained dynamic between Cyclops, Jean, and Cable is a major focus right now, as it should be. It’s been fun to see the show delve headlong into the complex web that is the Summers/Grey family tree. The Summers scenes contrast nicely with Nightcrawler’s musing on the nature of blood and the idea that real family involves a conscious choice. Adding Nightcrawler to the main cast is turning out to be one of the most inspired decisions in Season 1.
Episode 8 finds plenty of time to further develop the bond between Jubilee and Sunfire. After the unexpectedly positive reception to Roberto’s coming out in Episode 7, it seems sadly appropriate that the other shoe drops now. It’s one thing for a mother to accept her son, but another for her to deal with the consequences when he’s outed before her judgmental friends. Between that and the many allusions to Nazi Germany and Magneto’s past as a Holocaust survivor, this episode makes strong use of the mutant metaphor.
It doesn’t hurt that this character development unfolds alongside some truly dynamic and entertaining action scenes. Sentinels are old-hat at this point; Prime Sentinels offer a newer and deadlier threat for our heroes to contend with, and “Tolerance Is Extinction” succeeds in ratcheting up the tension and making it feel as though the X-Men are locked in a battle for their very survival. It’s especially entertaining seeing Wolverine and Nightcrawler unleashed. There’s no way we ever would have gotten scenes of these two hacking and slashing their way through humanoid Sentinels on the original animated series. And perhaps more importantly, their battlefield camaraderie helps establish a friendship that’s such a pivotal part of the comics.
As a quick sidebar: How awesome were the cameos this week? Both Doctor Doom and Baron Zemo are given speaking roles, which both highlights the threat posed by Bastion’s coalition and helps this series feel like a component of a much larger Marvel Universe. Compare that to the original animated series, which likely would have had to settle for silent cameos. We even get a brief appearance by Spider-Man for good measure, though in this case it is purely as a silent cameo. Still, between these iconic Marvel faces and the reference to Kamar-Taj and absolute points in time, X-Men ‘97 is doing a bang-up job of drawing on the larger Marvel multiverse.
Episode 8 stays surprising right up to the finish line. This opening act powers through the Prime Sentinel conflict faster than expected, clearing the way for another game-changer of a plot twist as an escaped Magneto declares war on humanity. It quickly becomes clear that this final Season 1 storyline isn’t simply “X-Men vs. Bastion,” but an even bigger and more ambitious conflict that pushes the tension between humans and mutants to new heights. After watching Magneto try to prove himself a changed man in the first half of the season, it’s chilling seeing him throw it all away. Just how much darker will this war get before the dawn? At this stage, it’s anyone’s guess.
