X-MEN '97 "Motendo/Lifedeath" Recap: A Fan-Favorite Villain Returns As Storm's Journey Continues - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97 "Motendo/Lifedeath" Recap: A Fan-Favorite Villain Returns As Storm's Journey Continues - SPOILERS

Today's episode of X-Men '97 featured two individual stories, with one focusing on Jubilee's battle with Mojo and another revolving around Storm's budding romance with Forge. Find our full recap here...

By JoshWilding - Apr 03, 2024 11:04 AM EST
Filed Under: X-Men '97
Source: Toonado.com

This article was originally published on Toonado.com - head there now for all the latest on X-Men '97!

Today's episode of X-Men '97 features two stories: "Motendo" and "Lifedeath." The former sees Jubilee and Sunspot transported into a video game by the villainous Mojo, an iconic X-Men villain who puts both heroes through their paces on Jubilee's 18th birthday. 

After being forced to revisit past battles, Jubilee receives a helping hand from her digital doppelganger, Abscicca. Holly Chou voices the mutant in this X-Men: The Animated Series follow-up, but the original Jubilee - Alyson Court - returns to the franchise as this older version. 

With several helping hands from Spiral, Jubilee and Sunspot escape Mojo's video game reality and return to the X-Mansion where they share a kiss, leading to even more romantic tension (earlier in the episode, Gambit's jealousy over Rogue and Magneto's continued flirtation is apparent).

In "Lifedeath," we catch up with Storm as she works with Forge to restore her powers. We learn that he was once a member of X-Factor and that he helped the government create technology to control dangerous mutants.

He regrets his past actions and confesses his love to Storm, only for her to angrily reject him. 

Later, she has a bizarre vision which culminates in her and Forge being attacked by Adversary, a villain who, in the comics, was an ancient mystical entity, possibly demonic in nature, and sought to destroy the universe to create a new one in its stead. The Cheyenne also referred to the Adversary as the Great Trickster and Forge was trained from birth to combat it. 

Could this demon be what leads to Storm regaining her abilities? We won't find out next week as the second part of "Lifedeath" isn't set to air until April 17. Next week, we anticipate catching up with Cyclops and Jean Grey after the real deal returned ast week and revealed the team had been spending time with a clone created by Mister Sinister.

In our review of the show's first three episodes last month, we concluded by saying, "A triumphant return for X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men '97 is an eXtraordinary epic which, while a little overreliant on nostalgia, should satisfy fans of the original show and serve as an eXcellent entry poin

X-Men '97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.

The first four episodes of X-Men '97 are now streaming on Disney+ with new instalments following weekly.

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Comicmoviejunki
Comicmoviejunki - 4/3/2024, 11:41 AM
"Fan favorite villian". MOJO sucks
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 4/3/2024, 11:57 AM
@Comicmoviejunki -

Mojo is scarily contemporary. He's more necessary than ever.
Evansly
Evansly - 4/3/2024, 11:42 AM
Looking forward to watching this tonight.

This show should have been released on Saturday mornings
mountainman
mountainman - 4/3/2024, 11:46 AM
@Evansly - Love this suggestion. The pre-release marketing seemed like it was pulling on old Saturday morning cartoon nostalgia. Releasing episodes on Saturday mornings could have leaned into that.

If not that, I prefer the timed evening releases vs in the mornings like this. I can’t watch until after work in the evenings and I need to dodge spoilers all day (which isn’t too much work to do) before I see it.
Evansly
Evansly - 4/3/2024, 11:53 AM
@mountainman - I don't doubt that it was proposed, it's seems like an obvious thing to consider. I also wouldn't doubt that it was shot down to be based on viewing data and their mid week releases that they have done for other shows.

I am also avoiding spoilers, just scrolled down to comment that but. That said I'm familiar with most of these story lines and if they continue to be fairly accurate if not building more into the story than the comics did then it'll be fine.
mountainman
mountainman - 4/3/2024, 11:59 AM
@Evansly - Hear that. I would think Tue, Wed and Thur evenings maximize viewership and people sharing the content. Most adults (who this show is aimed at) are busier on weekends than weekday evenings.
mountainman
mountainman - 4/3/2024, 11:48 AM
Kind of crazy how Storm’s Lifedeath arc is getting more fleshing out than Inferno did. Would have been cool if they fleshed that story out more. It was a good episode, but the turn from real Jean showing up to Madelyn going Goblin Queen was very abrupt.

Looking forward to some good Storm/Forge content and more fun craziness on Mojo World!
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 4/3/2024, 11:52 AM
This article was originally published on Toonado.com - head there now for all the latest on X-Men '97!

No
GhostDog
GhostDog - 4/3/2024, 11:56 AM
The excellent run continues
kylepm7
kylepm7 - 4/3/2024, 12:25 PM
It's a shame that in an episode featuring Mojo, there were only easter eggs referencing Longshot, one of my favorite characters. Ah well, at least we got Spiral.
Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 4/3/2024, 12:28 PM
E is for Extinction.
K is for Kino.
MisterDoctor217
MisterDoctor217 - 4/3/2024, 12:38 PM
I feel like Forge’s feelings for Storm were a little bit rushed no? They just met an episode ago

Idk this episode , loved it , but felt a bit rushed to me
marvel72
marvel72 - 4/3/2024, 12:52 PM
Fall Of The Mutants might be touched on.
mountainman
mountainman - 4/3/2024, 12:55 PM
@marvel72 - I bet elements of this story will be in the 3 part finale.
Polaris
Polaris - 4/3/2024, 1:12 PM
Lorna easter egg this ep :)
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 4/3/2024, 1:20 PM
If Disney was smart they would just take the comic book material and turn it into an animated series. take the images and take the words. it's all there. Imagine if they started with

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marvel72
marvel72 - 4/4/2024, 11:22 AM
@WEAPONXOXOXO - The Uncanny X-Men #205 was the first comic book I ever bought.
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 4/4/2024, 6:16 PM
@marvel72 - That was a great way to start the X-Men.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 4/3/2024, 1:25 PM
wasn't a huge fan of this episode, tbh, but, maybe its cuz the previous episodes have all been fire and this was just seemed like filler. even with that... its still the best content that Disney+ has put out since Loki S2 and the best MCU anything since Spiderman NWH
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 4/3/2024, 2:20 PM
@MotherGooseUPus - There was Wakanda Forever between this show and NWH.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 4/3/2024, 3:07 PM
@FinnishDude - i stand by my statement. Wakanda forever wasn't good and was pretty forgettable... imo
Mercwitham0uth
Mercwitham0uth - 4/3/2024, 3:13 PM
@MotherGooseUPus - I agree with this. It is one of the few movies I even forget exists.
mountainman
mountainman - 4/3/2024, 8:54 PM
@MotherGooseUPus - weakest episode of the season. Not bad, just not as good as the others. Splitting the two stories made both feel rushed. I know there will be a part 2 of Lifedeath, but this one was just off pacing wise. And the Mojo World stuff just didn’t seem as exciting as it could have.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 4/4/2024, 7:59 AM
@mountainman - spot on my friend
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 4/4/2024, 7:23 AM
Have loved everything from this show so far! Great Job Disney.

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