We’re continuing our summer TV binge here at Multiversity Comics and for my part, I am following along with the seminal 90s Saturday morning smash hit X-Men: The Animated Series. After establishing the threats of the sentinels and Magneto the team tries to take a break in a few ways, all of which only bring more dangers and enemies. “Captive Hearts” and “Cold Vengeance,” while not technically being multi-part episodes, showed how this series had an overarching story it would carry across the season and most of the series. It shouldn’t need to be said for a twenty-plus-year-old show but, as always, beware of spoilers.
1. The Most Memetic Super-Heroes of All
X-Men: The Animated Series would later spawn several internet memes, such as the GIF of Wolverine gut-punching Cyclops from episode 2–a personal favorite of mine on Twitter. “Captive Hearts” features the now-prolific image of Logan longingly holding a photo of Scott and Jean. It’s not the last meme-treatment the show would get, and in future installments I’ll try to make a point of tracking later instances of such.
2. Covered With Scorpions!
“Captive Hearts” also provides the introduction of the Morlocks in X-Men: The Animated Series. The team is featured throughout the series about as much as the original comics, though presented with far less importance. They’re also the source of some unintended hilarity here in moments such as a pan-shot across a group of Morlocks of which are mostly barely-rendered blank figures save for one bird-faced man with purple pants who sticks out like a sore thumb.
The biggest belly laugh of “Captive Hearts” however comes from Wolverine yelling the line “covered with scorpions!” after being mentally manipulated by Annalee. This scene is best viewed with a soundtrack of Rock You Like a Hurricane by 1980s heavy metal supergroup The Scorpions.
3. Leadership of the Morlocks
X-Men: The Animated Series is often lauded for its comics-accurate treatment of classic storylines, but outside of “The Dark Phoenix Saga” this isn’t actually all that true. “Captive Hearts” touches lightly on ‘Dancin’ In the Dark’, which saw Storm battle Callisto to return Angel home from their captivity and also granted her leadership of the underground group.
Given that this was a 90s children’s cartoon we certainly weren’t going to see Ororo drive a dagger into the heart of her opponent, but amusingly “Captive Hearts” opts to make the scene even more ridiculous by giving the combatants lightsabers. Though it is worth noting this predates Darth Maul by six years.
4. Vengeance Is a Dish
“Cold Vengeance” stands far above the ridiculousness of “Captive Hearts” by telling one of the better Wolverine stories as he takes off after the events of the latter episode. Spurned by his unrequited love for his rival’s girl, Wolvie goes skiing in Canada. Unfortunately, party-pooper Sabretooth decides to ruin the winter wonderland getaway by blowing him up on an ice bridge. The scamp.
Much of the episode, which sees Logan taken in by a camp of Eskimos, is played well. Wolverine finds a sense of peace helping the camp with day-to-day tasks but alienates Kiyoek, the leader of the young men who then puts his people in danger by making a deal with Sabretooth, who then betrays him. Never trust that dirty scoundrel Victor Creed.
5. Genosha
“Cold Vengeance” offers a B-plot that sends Gambit, Storm, and Jubilee to the island of Genosha to investigate rumors that the country is welcoming mutants. The trio believes they’ll simply be enjoying a holiday of sun and sand because nothing could possibly go wrong with a nation claiming to welcome mutants while the rest of the world hates and fears them.
For an elite team sworn to protect the world, these characters really let their guards down in the worst moments. Sleeping on the job sees them kidnapped by a Genoshan crew and sets up the next episode, which we’ll get to next week as I am currently off to an island resort claiming to welcome critics of comics and film. They also seem to be avid fans of Zack Snyder but I’m sure everything will be fine and I’ll be back to review “Slave Island” and “The Unstoppable Juggernaut.”
Take care true believers!
