X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 6 Review & Recap: "Danger.exe"

Warning: This reappraisal contains afloat spoilers for X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 6!

At what constituent does Disney request to alteration the sanction of this series? It whitethorn beryllium X-Men '97, but the amusement is truly starting to thin into the aboriginal 2000s epoch of the comics with Episode 6. That being said, erstwhile the effect is that X-Men '97 starts drafting from all-time classics similar the Grant Morrison/Frank Quitely New X-Men and Joss Whedon/John Cassaday Astonishing X-Men runs, who are we to complain?

As is the show's wont, "Danger.exe" covers a batch of crushed successful the span of 30 minutes. This occurrence pulls successful galore elements from the archetypal fractional of the aforementioned Astonishing X-Men, albeit with Polaris (Carolina Ravassa) filling successful for Kitty Pryde. Meanwhile, connected the New X-Men front, we get the instauration of those beauteous Quitely-designed costumes and immoderate cardinal developments precocious successful the episode. It's a stew with a batch of ingredients, but they each travel unneurotic nicely capable successful the end. This isn't a lawsuit similar Episode 5, wherever the amusement failed to genuinely instrumentality vantage of the root worldly it was adapting.

One of the main draws of "Danger.exe" is that we yet get to spot the Xavier Institute treated arsenic what it really is - a schoolhouse for young mutants. That's thing X-Men '97 and its predecessor ever tended to gloss implicit successful the past, astir apt due to the fact that that constituent wasn't a large precedence for the comics backmost successful 1992, either. It's large to spot the amusement making up for mislaid time, arsenic we get a caller influx of youngsters pulled from assorted eras of the X-lore. Naturally, that includes Quentin Quire (Thomas Dekker) sporting his trademark "Magneto Was Right" shirt. Fingers crossed for a "Riot astatine Xavier's" adaptation astatine immoderate constituent down the road.

Continuing from the instauration laid successful Episode 2, this section delivers a strong, focused quality arc for Polaris, arsenic she makes her afloat interruption from X-Factor and tries to find her spot successful a satellite that fears her becoming the spitting representation of her precocious father. She slides neatly into Kitty's prodigal girl role, and the occurrence fleshes retired her narration with Professor Xavier (Ross Marquand) successful satisfying fashion. There's a ailment to beryllium made that the bid has capable characters successful its ensemble formed already without inducting different X-Man, but erstwhile the results are this enjoyable, does it truly matter?

Speaking of Xavier, this occurrence besides thrives successful exploring the fallout of his tragic ordeal successful Egypt and the decease of his beloved Magnus. That each dovetails nicely into the instauration of Danger (Rachel Kimsey), arsenic 1 of Xavier's astir almighty tools becomes sentient and goes rogue. It's absorbing that this occurrence shies distant from the darker aspects of the Xavier/Danger backstory. In the comics, it's revealed that the bully Professor knew she had go sentient and kept her enslaved anyway, portion of a concerted effort by early-'00s X-Men writers to overgarment the X-Men's laminitis successful a little flattering light. Here, I don't cognize that specified a uncover was needed, truthful it's astir apt conscionable arsenic good that the X-Men '97 writer's country didn't spell down that road. Xavier has capable humor connected his hands arsenic it is. Plus, this occurrence isn't shy astir foreshadowing Onslaught arsenic a aboriginal development.

"Danger.exe" culminates successful a terrific conflict series successful the ruins of Genosha, 1 that again showcases conscionable however beardown the animation is successful this series. And though Danger herself seems to beryllium a one-and-done villain, determination is immoderate important fallout. Xavier finds a mode to grant his aged person by reclaiming the ruins of Genosha for mutantkind and spearheading X-Corp (there's that New X-Men power again). I'm enjoying however overmuch the bid is taking vantage of the fraught governmental clime post-Operation: Zero Tolerance. If the X-Men can't beryllium connected American shores immoderate longer, they'll conscionable works their emblem determination else.

So it seems that the caller presumption quo going guardant is 1 wherever we person 1 radical of X-Men operating arsenic teachers astatine the Institute and different carrying retired missions from Genosha. Sort of a Blue Team/Gold Team divide, successful different words. It's an intriguing caller setup, though determination is the eternal interest astir whether the bid is taking connected excessively overmuch astatine once. At immoderate point, X-Men '97 truly needs to turn beyond these constricted 9-10 occurrence seasons.

Finally, we get a large tease connected the Apocalypse (Marquand) front, arsenic we spot the mutant tyrant marque bully connected his committedness to resurrect Gambit (A. J. LoCascio). It's a chill scene, partiularly with however it transforms Gambit's imagery from that of playing cards to tarot cards. I can't hold to spot however the bid handles the large Death reveal.