Review: X-Men ’97 “TOLERANCE IS EXTINCTION – Part 2”

Overview

The X-Men work to settle the score before it’s too late…


Our Take

In the wake of Magneto’s escape from Bastion’s base and after launching a global EMP bomb intended to shut down Bastion’s Prime Sentinels, the X-Men find themselves in momentary respite with their conflict against Bastion. Charles Xavier’s return stirs up tension as the team grapples with the truth surrounding his faked death and his attempts to justify his actions. Rogue’s awakening from her mini-coma later adds further discussions that compel her to challenge Xavier’s perception of the X-Men as more than mere students needing guidance.

As the X-Men split into two teams (One against Bastion and Mr. Sinister, while the other half confronts Magneto), tensions escalate, revealing Magneto’s pain and the complex motivations driving his actions to mess with the Earth’s electromagnetic field. Alliances are shifted, loyalties are tested, and potential casualties in the face of impending conflict, Magneto forces the team to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and their place in the world, leading to fractures within their ranks and raising questions about the true nature of their struggle with the fate of both human and mutant kind hanging in the balance…

Overall, aside from the fun visual easter eggs and references to past X-Men history (Including a mixed array of classic outfits from various eras in the comics), it was a serviceable episode that helped raise the stakes and catch us off guard with its twists and heel-turns. It even went as far as to adapt/reference an infamous storyline within the comics known as “Fatal Attractions” a story-arc that for better or worse, marked a significant change for a certain X-Men character. In addition to the unexpected and fractured team/character dynamics, the stakes are higher than ever. And with how that massive cliffhanger ended, and with the 3rd and final part coming next week, I’m curious how they could top this in the season finale.