Rise of Jubilee & Fall of Storm: X-Men ’97 Episode 4

Mutants are just like us — they all have pasts. Some run from their pasts, others ignore them, and a pitiful few are unable to escape. This week, Marvel’s X-Men ’97 features two stories.

The first story is centered on Jubilee. As one of the younger X-Men, Jubilee often straddles the line between teammate and child. This leads to some conflicting situations. Meanwhile, Storm continues to suffer through the loss of her powers. X-Men ’97 episode 4, “Motendo/Lifedeath – Part 1” is a thrilling ride. Take a seat, X-fans.

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“Motendo”

The episode opens with some tense banter between Rogue, Gambit, and Magneto. Who knew coffee orders could carry so much weight? Meanwhile, it’s Jubilee’s birthday. Beast and Wolverine say she should be allowed to celebrate it, but Magneto says she needs to train. If it were up to Jubilee, the whole team would go to the arcade just like the old days. Instead, the rest of the team is preparing for Genosha’s inauguration into the UN.

In her room, Jubilee vents to Roberto Da Costa. They discover a video game console, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, called Motendo. By this point, we’ve seen two quick glimpses of Longshot. We know where this is going. The
console starts up, tendrils shoot out to ensnare the teens, and a dial-up sound plays.

Suddenly, Jubilee and Roberto are dropped downtown into a Sentinel attack!

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Cyberpunk Mirage

Roberto is still refusing to use his powers. Jubilee does her best to get them out of harm’s way. Out of nowhere, a phone rings and a loading screen launches. In a glitchy flash, they’re in Genosha — but it’s the version from X-Men: The Animated Series. Sunfire, Blob, and Domino make cameos as Genoshan slaves.

Bolivar Trask’s soldiers fire on the teens but they’re saved by a mysterious figure. Jubes tries to approach the figure but she’s locked behind a screen while a voice says “System Error.”

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The Future of Mind Numbery

As to be expected, the interdimensional showman Mojo appears. He’s the one behind all this video game trickery and he reveals a plan for higher ratings. With Jubilee as the star, he’s developing a memory-based video game.

In his evil speech, Mojo looks back on his success in the past with the X-Men. He even quips, “Dazzler had a gig, don’t ask.” But now his focus is on Jubilee, a “gamer girl in a gamer world.” Mojo appeals to her sense of nostalgia with his new game, X-Men: The Rise of Jubilee.

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Choose Your Player!

A character selection screen shows Jubilee, Colossus, Roberto, Magik, Longshot, and a suspiciously empty spot. The two teens are thrust into a Days of Future Past callback in the Dystopian Future level. They battle Sentinels, then Saurons next in the Savage Lands.

With Jubilee at the lead, they manage to get to the final stage, though Jubilee loses a lot of health by this point. That same mysterious hacker from before gives Jubilee back her lost health. Mojo yells at Spiral to get rid of the bug. This wasn’t in his script!

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Boss Battle Time

At last, it’s the final stage, Asteroid M. Even amid all the 16-bit chaos, Jubilee reminisces on simpler times. She doesn’t want to leave this video game world where everything is as it should be. On the other hand, Roberto remembers a past interaction with his mother, watching Asteroid M crash to Earth on the news. With shame, he shares the hateful words he spewed about his fellow mutants.

In the ensuing big boss battle against Magneto, Roberto is taken out. All his health is nearly depleted. Finally realizing the real-world stakes at play, Jubilee tries to figure out Magneto’s boss battle pattern. She uncovers the boss’ cycle and defeats Magneto before, somehow, the mysterious hacker sends in an x-tra life for Roberto. They share a quick embrace.

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Cheat Codes

As Boss Magneto respawns, a giant hand swoops in from above to snatch up the teens. It’s the hacker who keeps saving Jubilee and Roberto!

Turns out the hacker is Jubilee, sorta. She was a beta tester created by Mojo so he could see how his video game performed. This older Jubilee is the only digital clone left. Off screen, Mojo is losing patience.

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Cue the Fireworks

Hacker Jubilee gives her real-world self a much-needed pep talk. It’s tempting to stick around when you know how the level is going to end. But life doesn’t work that way — for better and for worse.

Fed up, Mojo interrupts to do his thing as the game’s final boss. Hacker Jubilee displays her evolved powers (high-speed light-based rollerblades and concentrated blast structures!). Real-world Jubilee taps into her full potential and they team up to blast Mojo out of his own game once and for all.

Back in the real world, Jubilee and Roberto share a look. They realize that Mojo’s game could have gone a lot worse and then they kiss. Literal sparks fly.

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“Lifedeath – Part 1”

At an intimate place setting, Forge cooks Ororo dinner. She asks Forge about how his power works. With downcast eye, Ororo says she misses her powers — she misses soaring and all the freedom that came with being Storm.

Forge takes Ororo horseback riding and for a few precious moments, she’s soaring once again.

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The Weather Changes

They return to Forge’s workshop. An X-Factor photo and others from Forge’s past decorate the wall. Forge believes his mind has worked through a power differential that could help solve his solution to Ororo’s affliction. She steps into his device’s chamber.

Outside, they test the results. Ororo tries everything to move the winds. She starts with a simple statement, then moves into one of her iconic Mistress of the Elements commands. Finally, she pleads with the winds. Nothing works. Dropping to her knees, bitter tears fall from Ororo’s eyes and it’s gut-wrenching to see her at her lowest point.

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Weaver of Lies

Well, sometimes at your lowest point, there are new depths to reach. Ororo brings some food to Forge, who is tinkering late in his workshop. She questions why he’s so determined to fix her.

Forge confesses that when he returned from the war, he worked for the Defense Department to receive funding. He made horrific weapons — ones that led to the construction of the X-Cutioner’s power neutralizer. The same one that took away Ororo’s Omega-level mutant power.

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Powers Be Damned

Because one wasn’t enough, Forge has another confession. He apologizes to Ororo and reminds her that she’s a goddess. He tells her he loves her.

In response, Ororo slaps Forge — as she should. A declaration of love can’t undo her pain. Ororo rides off into the plains during a storm, until glowing red eyes flash. Her horse is startled and catapults her into a glowing-red abyss … that leads her to crash back down into Forge’s house.

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A Feast of Misery

From within the shadows, The Adversary reveals itself. Taking the form of a towering demonic owl, perhaps the owl that Ororo had noticed earlier, The Adversary flings Forge across the room. Then, the entity whisks Ororo away to its spirit realm.

In The Adversary’s winged grip, Ororo questions whether this is death. The Adversary assures Ororo she’s very much alive, and that it plans to devour all of her misery — and possibly her as well.

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What are your predictions for X-Men ’97 “Lifedeath – Part 2?” Should Ororo forgive Forge?

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