X-Men S:01 E:03

Episode Title: Enter Magneto

Original Airdate:  11-27-92

Hello X-Fans. We are back for another exciting entry into the X-Men The Animated series.  What new adventures await are mutant friends.  Well, when we last left our heroes.   Beast was being captured by the Sentinels because of the break in to the Mutant Registration Building and is being held to be put on trial. Will The X-Men break him out or will Beast be able to pass his bar exam in time for the trial.  Let’s not sit around like Professor X (too soon?)  and get going with this week’s  adventure.

So while Beast is just hanging out in his cell reading Animal Farm.  He is soon visited by everyone’s favorite refrigerator ornament, Magneto who tries to help him escape.  Beast declines the gesture by stating that he must show humans that mutants are not a threat to society, but are a part of it.  Frustrated Magneto leaves, but not without showing off his powers to the night security crew.  Hey if you have super powers.  What fun is there if you cant show em off once in a while.  Professor X  gives Jubilee(aka The audience) some background info on Magneto.  Explaining that they were once friends at a hospital, before a tragedy befell poor Magnus(AKA Magneto.  I really didn’t haft to tell you that.  I mean it’s pretty damn obvious what he would be called by a name like that, right).  An army of some unknown country attacks some people Magnus loved. This event causes him to hate all humans and it’s there he believes that there will never be peace between them and people like him.  This was quite a departure from the original source material.  In the comics it was told that Magneto survived the holocaust and seeing the hatred and fear the Nazi’s had at the Jews.  That prejudice lead to him thinking that humans would have the same ideals over mutants.  At the actual trial.  Beast and his lawyer bring up several instances where the Mutant Registration Building is making mutants disappear.  Since these facts were irrelevant to this case,they are ignored by the Judge and the members of the jury.   Wow this may be the first time I have ever seen a real life court case drama inside an animated program that used real live humans who were not acting all silly and were not animals(well mostly).  Of course Beast is found guilty, but when that happens.  This big hairy thing storms in and starts attacking everyone in the building,  He is subdued by the guards, and is about to be taken in before Cyclops steps in and saves him.   This act does not go well with Wolverine who explains that this creature,  Whom we’ll name Snaglepuss, Whoops sorry I meant Sabretooth is not to be trusted.   Professor X thinks the same rage that torments Sabretooth is the same that plagued Wolverine when he first came to the school.   Soon the news comes that Magneto has nuclear weapons and is planning on using them on a military base.   Professor X orders Storm Wolverine and Cyclops to stop him and destroy the war heads.  The three get to the base and do battle with Magneto but are unable to stop him because the nukes get launched.  Storm uses her powers to off set the guidance chip and send them off into sea.  Old Magnus is left wondering why Xavier would turn on his own kind. This I’m sure will plant the seeds to have him start The Brotherhood of Mutants.

This episode introduced the battle between Wolverine and Sabretooth.  Two iconic characters in the X-Men universe.  While it is understandable that Professor X and the rest of his students would want to help Sabretooth.  Wolverine has been staying there a long time.  Wouldn’t that give him a bit more trusting ability into if this other mutant is a threat or not.  I also do kind of wonder why they removed the whole holocaust aspect from Magento’s origins.  I guess because this is a kids’ show and the line between the good guys and the bad ones has to be displayed quite clearly.   Still I’m interested to see what happens in the next episode. Until next time X-Watchers.  This is The Vern, saying goodbye.