Seriously Rogue, Storm…You’re Blockin’ the Title!!!
The X-Men are back! Jean and Scott get married but find themselves facing the immediate challenge of a being called Mr. Sinister who seems to have been shaping their entire lives. When the X-Men learn their old teammate Morph is alive, Wolverine vows to bring him back. With Xavier and Magneto tricked into teaming up in a strange world called the Savage Land, the X-Men find themselves leaderless and facing the challenge of a group called the Friends of Humanity who wish to destroy mutants everywhere.
X-Men—Season 2 aired from October 23, 1993 to February 19, 1994 in FOX’s Saturday morning cartoon block. The series continued to include more and more of Marvel’s heroes and was well received by critics and fans. X-Men—Season 2 has been collected on DVD as part of X-Men—Volume 1 and X-Men—Volume 2.
It’s getting hot in here so take off your Apocalypse armor…
I love the X-Men animated series. I loved it when it was on, and I still love it now. The reason being is that it feels really open and like a real Marvel comic. The series doesn’t seem to have much a problem with property rights or who can appear in what episode. You get appearances from the Punisher, Ms. Marvel, and Skrulls and tons of X-Men spanning from old issues into the ’90s when the series was made.
In this season, the series really starts to form these long continuing plots. Throughout X-Men—Season 2, Xavier and Magneto have adventures in the Savage Land (with appearances by Ka-Zar, Shanna, and Zabu…more favorites), and the X-Men deal with the Friends of Humanity, Sinister, and Morph’s return. The series manages to have stand-alone episodes while they still feel like part of something bigger.
Longshot’s got a secret…he’s actually pretty lame
There are drawbacks to the series as a whole that can’t be fixed in any season. While it is cool that in the comic book that the X-Men could encompass anyone (and mutates becomes a thinly veiled equivalent to homosexuals…especially in this period), the language of the characters doesn’t always carry over well. Rogue’s Southern accent is too Southern. Gambit’s continuous talk in third person is grating, and Storm’s decision to announce every time she is going to use her powers is kind of obnoxious. It is that aspect of the “comic book” that does hinder the series a bit.
The X-Men animated series is a must watch for any X-Men fan, and X-Men—Season 2 develops nicely on the concepts set-up in X-Men—Season 1. For a weekly serialized cartoon show, the show is amazing complex and must denser than other cartoons at the time.
X-Men—Season 2 Episode Guide:
“‘Til Death Do Us Part–Part 1”
2.1 ’Til Death Do Us Part—Part 1 (Episode #14) Airdate: 10/23/93
Beast has been freed and cleared by President Kelly, but Graydon Creed and the Friends of Humanity have other plans. When Jean and Scott are married (much to Wolverine’s chagrin), they are unaware that Morph has returned to enact revenge. With anti-mutant sentiment growing, the X-Men find themselves under Storm’s control and facing media criticism. Morph infiltrates the mansion, and all the X-Men’s secrets could be used against them.
“‘Til Death Do Us Part–Part 2”
2.2 ’Til Death Do Us Part—Part 2 (Episode #15) Airdate: 10/30/93
Jean and Scott try to celebrate their honeymoon as Mr. Sinister continues his plot against the X-Men using Morph as his agent. Sinister goes after Scott and Jean and reveals he intends them to be the parents of his race of superhuman slaves. Morph is exposed by the X-Men and pursued to Sinister’s island base pursued by the X-Men. Xavier’s attempt to find Magneto (by Morph’s trickery) leads him to danger.
“Whatever It Takes”
2.3 Whatever It Takes (Episode #16) Airdate: 11/06/93
The X-Men find a strange reading from Cerebro from Ororo’s home village, and Storm and Rogue investigate MjNari who Storm reveals is her godson since she saved him at birth. With MjNari possessed by the Shadow King, Ororo and Rogue set to free MjNari at the risk of Storm. Wolverine sets off to locate Morph and tries to bring him back to the X-Men.
“Red Dawn”
2.4 Red Dawn (Episode #17) Airdate: 11/13/93
Magneto and Professor X find themselves trapped in the Savage Land without their powers and fight to stay alive. The Russians release Omega Red, and Darkstar warns of the danger. When Colossus comes looking for help from the X-Men, Wolverine finds himself facing off against his old enemy. The X-Men battle Omega Red and question if anything can stop him.
“Repo-Man”
2.5 Repo Man (Episode #18) Airdate: 11/20/93
Vindicator is leading Alpha Flight to reclaim Canada’s secret weapon Wolverine. When Wolverine rejects the attempt, he finds himself remembering the Weapon X experiment that gave him his powers. Xavier and Magneto are faced by mutants in the Savage Land, and Xavier learns that they represent Magneto’s past. Alpha Flight learns that Wolverine is meant to be a guinea pig, Alpha Flight find they must free Wolverine.
“X-Ternally Yours”
2.6 X-Ternally Yours (Episode #19) Airdate: 12/04/93
Gambit gets a call that his brother Bobby is in danger in Louisiana when the Thieves’ Guild has no tithe for the gathering. Gambit finds himself trapped by his former love Belladonna, and the X-Men must rescue him from the Tithe when the Assassins plan a double-cross.
“Time Fugitives–Part 1”
2.7 Time Fugitives—Part 1 (Episode #20) Airdate: 12/11/93
Bishop’s actions in the past has created a time storm with the realities trying to realign themselves. Forge reveals to Bishop that a plague has surfaced after Kelly’s saving, and Bishop heads back to stop it. Cable and his freedom fighters battle Apocalypse in the future and learn that their world will be destroyed if Bishop isn’t stopped. The X-Men find mutants being blamed for the techno-plague but are unaware that the Graydon Creed and the Friends of Humanity are responsible.
“Time Fugitives–Part 2”
2.8 Time Fugitives—Part 2 (Episode #21) Airdate: 12/18/93
Cable discovers that the stopping of Apocalypse’s plague by Bishop has damned the future and realizes he must help Apocalypse to guarantee that his future exists. Cable questions how to save his future and how to stop the plague.
“A Rogue’s Tale”
2.9 A Rogue’s Tale (Episode #22) Airdate: 01/08/94
Sinister reports to Mystique that Xavier has left the X-Men and that it is her opportunity to get Rogue back. The X-Men’s encounter with Mystique’s team leads Rogue to have a flashback of her past. As she begins having a mental breakdown, Rogue finds herself haunted by the memories of Carol Danvers.
“Beauty and the Beast”
2.10 Beauty and the Beast (Episode #23) Airdate: 01/15/94
Beast tries to help a blind girl named Carly see but faces opposition from the Friends of Humanity. When Hank finds himself in love with his patient, Hank finds Carly’s family rejecting him. Wolverine goes undercover within the Friends of Humanity in an effort to get revenge without exposing the X-Men and finds the Friends of Humanity have targeted Carly. Beast goes on a rescue mission, and Wolverine exposes Graydon Creed’s secret. Magneto and Xavier continue to try to escape the Savage Land Mutants.
“Mojovision”
2.11 Mojovision (Episode #24) Airdate: 02/05/94
Mojo finds his Longshot show is on the skids and decides to recruit the X-Men to increase his ratings. The X-Men find themselves thrust into the Mojoverse where they are battling for an audience and their lives, but Longshot might be the X-Men’s only hope. Magneto and Xavier find themselves facing an enemy named Sauron in the Savage Land.
“Reunion–Part 1”
2.12 Reunion—Part 1 (Episode #25) Airdate: 02/12/94
Professor X and Magneto are captured in the Savage Land, and as Mr. Sinister goes after Jean and Scott as they try to reclaim Morph. With Jean, Morph, Magneto, and Xavier as his prisoners, Mr. Sinister forces Xavier to summon the X-Men to the Savage Land to trap them.
“Renunion–Part II”
2.13 Reunion—Part 2 (Episode #26) Airdate: 02/19/94
The X-Men arrive in the Savage Land and find their powers negated. As Wolverine escapes into the Savage Land without his healing powers, Wolverine teams with Ka-Zar to help rescue Xavier and the X-Men.
Related Links:
X-Men—Season 1 Review and Complete Episode Guide
X-Men—Season 3 Review and Complete Episode Guide
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