X-Men `97 #2 Review!

 Re:cap - X-Men `97 #1; the X-Men have rescued Dazzler from FOH and Jubilee gets a concert ticket to use with Bishop. At the Danger Room, Cyclops activates the Magneto scenario for Wolverine, and Logan questions his leadershop. Cyclops appears and gives an optic blast at Wolverine’s back! This is heard by Beast who is contacting Dr. MacTaggert. This moves to the Charles Xavie Memorial Concert at Governors Ilsand. Bishop is uncomfortable I plain clothes, but reassured by Rogue and Gambit while Jubliee runs to the concert. Dazzler begins her show to the cheers of the crowd. Jubilee is excited and Bishop says muic was illegal in his time. The mutant lader of the Nasty Boys, Ruckus, uss his sonic power to blast Dazzler! 

The Nasty Boys were a team first appearing in X-Factor #75 (1991). Rogue picking up Dazzler recognizes them from their appearance in “Til Death Do Us Part (Part 2)” (1993). The crowd starts to panic and run for the exits. Gambit charges up his playing card to use on Hairbag and Slab. Dazzler blasts Gorgeous George, and through his tar-like body, to the Savage Land mutate, Vertigo. They start to retreat with Gorgeous George wrapping his body to carry away his team. Dazzler continues the concert. At the mansion, finally alone, Jean Grey tells Scott that she’s pregnant. Wolverine looks distraught hearing the news from the next room. The Nasty Boys return arguing amongst themselves when their leader, Mister Sinister appears and blasts them! 

He says he has learned of Jean Grey’s pregnancy, his “genetic key” which we saw in “Fire Made Flesh.” He says he will need a stronger team and on a screen sees Sabretooth and the Marauders! This villanous team was introduced in Uncanny X-Men #210 (1986). The cover for issue #2 by Todd Nauck has Wolverine facing his rival, Sabretooth! Steve Foxe and Salva Espin continue the story. Trish Tilby covers the events from the concert and that the team has bcome popular now. The next story begins coverage of Psylocke, but the television is shattered by Mister Sinister! He says that “Xavier’s whelps” are close to fulfiling his dreams of acceptance. He tells this to his group in the shadows whom he dubs his Sinister Seven! The scenes run like the X-Men `97 animation, excellent work by Espin! 

At the X-Mansion, Jean shows Scott the test results, and they kiss. Wolverine drives off and Storm flies to talk with him. Cyclops has a number of questions, but then the mansion alerts go off and then an explosion! The cause of it is the man in a battle suit called Hazard! He first appeared in X-Men #10 (1992). He sends rubble to smash Cyclops and Jean Grey, but she puts up a telekinetic shield. Jubilee loved the concert, but then Bishop piloting the Blackbird, says they hit an electromagnetic pulse! Rogue goes out to help land the jet in Central Park. They face the woman, Siena Blaze, introduced in Stryfe’s Strike File #1 (1992). It is interesting to see the X-Men to face threats beyond the usual villains! 

Storm is there to talk to Wolverine about Jean Grey's news, but he senses something and pops his claws! Riptide enters throwing spikes form his spinning body! Storm tosses the spikes away from bar partons with her winds. Then, they face Sabretooth and the Marauders!  At the X-Mansion the Beast checks on the alert and sees Hazard slammed into a wall by Cyclops’ optic blast! Hazard holds his side as Cyclops explains the situation. He escapes and then vows to destroy the mansion since he blames Xavier for leaving when his mutant powers emerged. Cental Park, Bishop fires his rifle, dodged by Siena Blaze who blasts Jubliee! Rogue touches Siena’s face, but her wild power causes her to scream! Wolverine tackles Sabretooth to the outside of the bar. Arclight smashes the floor, Storm brings down the lightning, but it is refracted by crystalline Prism. Great battles and threats to all of the X-Men in X-Men `97 #2! 

Five Sentinel Blasters out of Five! 

#XMen97, #SteveFoxe, #SalvaEspin, #MisterSinister, #JeanGrey, #Cyclops, #Wolverine, #Storm, #Jubilee, #Rogue, #Gambit, #Bishop, #Hazard, #SienaBlaze, #Sabretooth, #Riptide, #Arclight, #Harpoon, #Prism, #Marauders 

X-Men `97, “Motendo/Lifedeath - Part 1”, Review!

"Motendo/Lifedeath - Part 1" is a combo episode with the escapism of Jubliee's birthday in a video game and the quiet moments with Storm in Lifedeath! Re:cap; “Fire Made Flesh”, Mister Sinister is revealed behind Jean Doe, the double of Jean Grey, and Jean is transformed by Sinister into the Goblin Queen! The X-Men find nightmares of themselves, but reform with Magneto and Rogue to face Sinister. The Goblin Queen faces Morph turned Magik and corrupts he into attacking the others. Magneto shatters the windows, but she uses the glass shards to take him down. At the X-Mansion, Wolverine checks on the other Jean Doe, he brings back her memory. Then, she senses the pain inflicted on Cyclops. In psychic form, Jean Grey faces the Goblin Queen, and confronts her time as the Phoenix. 

They flash back to Professor Xavier meeting the young Jean Grey for the first time. Then, they see the fateful moment when her friend Annie chases a basketball into the street. The Goblin Queen presents portraits of the past, covers of X-Men comics, and the psychic form of Jean swallows her! She sees baby Nathan being born and Jean wakes up screaming! Nathan cries and this shatters Sinister’s ruby. The Goblin Queen takes Cyclops hand to tak on Sinister. She blasts him in the laboratory and Cyclops blasts Nathan free from his tube. Sinister retreats and they find the baby covered by a techno-organic virus. Sinister’s part is a retcon in Cable Annual `99. Beast knows that the Mister Sinister’s treatment is too advanced. 

Bishop says he knows someone who could help the baby in his future. Cyclops doesn’t want to abandon his son like his father had done with him. We see Baby Nathan and then Jean reflected in Cyclops visor. Good shot. Cyclops walks away from transporting the baby. Taking Nathan by the lake, Jean reassures Nathan, and then Bishop opens his time portal. She gives Nathan to Bishop and he walks into the portal. Nathan was transported in the comics by Askani in X-Factor #68 (1991). Time travel always makes things complicated. Jean meets with the Jean Doe who is about to leave and calls herself Madelyne Pryor. This was a coincedental look when she was introduced in Uncanny X-Men #168 (1983). 

Jean quietly sees Cyclops with a shattered picture of the family. The teaser at the end has Storm at a bar in Dallas. She has the mohawk and black leather of her punk rock look. Ororo is joined by Forge (Gil Birmingham), “an old friend of Charles Xavier”, one of my favorite characters, he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #184 (1984). Forge appeared in several episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series starting with “Days of Future Past, Part One” (1993). He offers to help her get back what she lost! The fourth ep is directed by Chase Conley who was also directed p. 2. Beau DeMayo, executive producer, and Charley Fldman are the writers. “Motendo” begins with Gambit offering a cup of coffee to Rogue, but Magneto has already given one to her. He takes a seat and says the X-Men will go through drills in the Danger Room to prepare for Sinister. 

Beast says it is Jubliee’s 18th birthday. She enters with her fireworks. She wants to go to the arcade, Magneto glowers, and Jubliee imitates him in Roberto’s room. Jubliee turns to see a Motendo game. A fun mash up of Mojo and Nintendo! The game suddenly turns on and tentacles reach out to grab them! Then, the tentacles go up their faces and into them like the silver into Neo from The Matrix! The room flickers with video game distortion. A Sentinel hand suddenly grabs Roberto! She blasts the Sentinel who falls. They are now in the city with another Sentinel hunting them. Roberto is reluctant to use his powers and they run from FOH gunmen! A phone booth, they don’t really exist now, but the phone rings, “Hello Neo.” They are zapped to the next level in Genosha by a river dam. This is from her past, “Slave Island” (1993) in X-Men: The Animated Series. 

The Blob and Sunfire are workers there. Genoshan soldiers start to shoot at them on a bridge. Suddenly, they fall in a video game glitch, then Jubilee and Roberto sees a mysterious woman in black with a spiked helmet. Jubilee calls her “Hot Topic stalker”, funny! She sees a grid and realizes they are in a video game. This is confirmed by Mojo, the bulky, crazy ruler of Mojoverse. Mojo made his debut in Longshot #3 (1985). He appeared in the X-Men: The Animated Series, “Mojovision” 1994). Jubilee notes that he has gotten thinner. Mojo says she is the star, a “gamer girl in a gamer world”, there has always been fun adventures in X-Men after some heavy drama. He offers her eternal youth trapped in Motendo. Roberto's defiance of Mojo shows he is the voice of reason in this world of madness. 

We see `90’s arcade game graphics of X-Men: The Rise of Jubilee. It does take me back playing the X-Men six person arcade game from 1992. The first stage is Dystopian Street! We get the classic 16-bit arcade version of the X-Men theme as we see the “Days of Future Past” wanted poster. Jubilee revels in taking on human sized Sentinels. The cheers of the Mojoverse crowds swells up Mojo’s size! The next stage is Savage Land where they face Sauron. Jubilee is attacked by Sauron and loses some of her life bar. The helmeted woman appears. She turns into Spiral who was introduced in Longshot #1 (1985). Jubilee’s health is  restored and the pterandon form of Sauron reverts to Karl Lykos. Mojo has his tech support, Spiral work until Jubliee and Roberto reach the final level, Asteriod M! It reverts back to animation which is great. Jubilee enjoys the game instead of the harsh reality. 

Roberto wants her to return to reality and is thrown into a console. Magneto appears as a video game villain. Jubilee sees his health is going down and times Magneto’s attack cycle. She distracts him with a firework burst and then leaps down at him with a heavy attack: “Total Victory!” Roberto is about to fade and then Jubilee sees a glowing X circle, she says, “An extra life!” I like Scott Pilgrim's line, "I'm gonna get a life!" Mojo asks Spiral what is happening. Jubilee places the Extra Life on Roberto and then hugs him. They face another Magneto, but a black hand reaches out to take them out of the game! Jubilee tells Roberto, “Zip it, daCosta!” which is matched by the helmeted woman, an older Jubilee! This is Abscissa (Alyson Court), an alternate version from Wolverine #52 (1992)! They discover that she is the last beta tester model. This wiser, though artifical Jubilee says life doesn’t have a cheat code, there are a few who might argue that point. 

The duo is interrupted by Mojo, the Final Boss! Abscissa slices though one of Mojo’s spider-like legs. His tentacle blaster is destroyed by Roberto’s Sunspot power! Jubilee and Abscissa combine their powers, a very cool anime/video game moment, and destroy Mojo! Court is the original voice of Jubilee so this is an incedible team up with new and old! “Jubilee Wins” appears on the screen and Spiral knocks over Mojo. The Jumanji-like video game shorts out, Jubilee kisses Roberto, and there are fireworks! This goes to “Lifedeath - Part 1” with an owl flying ove a mountain. This was an incredible love story in Uncanny X-Men #186 (1984) that had art by Barry Windsor-Smith. It flies over the cabin where Forge has prepared dinner for Storm, bison chili. Forge explains his mutant power of invention. She notes his bionic arm and leg which he says he lost in a war. "Motendo/Lifedeath - Part 1" has the lighter moments and action plus the drama and added romance that is the best of X-Men! 

Five Sentinel Blasters out of Five! 

#XMen97, #Motendo, #LifedeathPart1, #ChaseConley, #BeauDeMayo, #CharleyFeldman, #HollyChou, #GuiAgustini, #AlysonCourt, #AlisonSealySmith, #GilBirmingham, #LeonoreZann, #AJLoCascio, #MatthewWaterson, #RayChase, #GeorgeBuza, #JPKarliak

Fallout, “The End”, Review!

The Fallout series is violent, funny, and gives an apocalypse, a utopia, and a sinister high tech world! Fallout is a long running roleplaying video game stating with the first game in 1997. It was created by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky. Fallout is from Betheseda Game Studios. The series creators are Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. Wagner was the executive producer of the comedy, Portlandia. Robertson-Dworet is the writer of Tomb Raider (2018), one of my favorite video game adaptations. The premiere and two other episodes are directed by Jonathan Nolan who also created Westworld. We open on a black and white monitor. Some Nat King Cole plays as we see a lasso thrown beside trees. 

This moves to the cowboy Cooper Howad (Walter Goggins) in blue shirt with the lasso looping around himself. Cecil was voiced by Goggins in the comic book animated series, Invincible. He smiles on his white horse as he goes through his rope tricks. This is in front of an audience of families at a swimming pool. A very homey and 50’s scene though actually a retro future of 2077. A radio report of the missing president is turned off by a mother, Mrs. Spencer (Janie Brookshire) with a birthday cake. Another black and white television showing news of nuclear war is also snapped off by Mrs. Spencer. We see the skyline of Los Angeles with a few new buildings. Interesting setting. Finished with his show to applause, Cooper goes to place the birthday boy, Roy Spencer (Mason Cufari) on his horse, Sugarfoot. The happiest audience member is Cooper’s daughter, Janey (Teagan Meredith), in the same cowboy outfit. 

The father, Bob Spencer (Mike Doyle), takes the picture and then another with his wife. He refuses to give his signature thumbs up with the current situation. Mrs. Spencer gives him a card and Cooper takes away his horse with his daughter. Roy takes his birthday cake and turns on the television. Outside, Janey watches from the door, she is joined by her father. He explains that in the Marines that the thumbs up was a way to check a mushroom cloud. If it is smaller than you run otherwise there is no use to running. The little girl is too adorable! She asks if she could have a piece of the birthday cake. The camera flash and the overexposure of the sunlight outside seems to hint at the explosion. A massive flash and Janey holds up her thumb. Cooper brings her the cake and she panics. He looks up, the music is eerie as we see the birthday party frozen behind them, the city reflected in the glass door. 

Cooper says it is smoke. The explosion begins to bloom from the city. It starts to form into a mushroom cloud, the party is watching the tv, and then the shock wave hits.The glass shatters and Cooper takes away his daughter. Eveyone starts to run a shelter is opened at the side of the house. Cooper sets Janey on Sugarfoot as the others scramble, the cloud starts to build, heading towards them! They gallop away, on the curving road, the nuclear explosion is seen joined by others. It goes silent and then we get “219 Years Later.” Next, we get a happy introduction by Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), the actress voiced Gwyn in Star Trek: Prodigy. She wears a blue uniform with a gold stripe. Lucy notes her repair skills and science skills also noting her father, Hank MacLean (Kyle MacLachlan). He is of course known for playing Paul Artreides in Dune (1984). She teaches American history and also practices gymnastics, fencing, and riflery. The target is the smiling face of the mascot, Vault Boy. 

She spends time with her father, walking, which is really pedal machines, they pedal while watching television. It looks like Cooper Howard. At the dinner table, her brother, Norm (Moisés Arias) is too busy with his game on his wrist device, the Pip-Boy. Arias starred in the sci fi film, Divinity (2023). She mentions her “reproductive organs” are intact, funny!, shuffling through her note cards for her interview with three person panel. They are Betty Pearson (Leslie Uggams), Woody Thomas (Zach Cherry), and Reg McPhee (Rodrigo Luzzi). She is submitting to the Triennial Trade with Vault 32. The council starts to work on their Pip-Boys. Lucy checks her Pip-Boy and there is a Vault Boy giving the thumbs up. She smiles and then we get the title, “Lucy.” Lucy’s friend, Stephanie Harper (Annabel O’Hagan) helps her prepare for her wedding while the rest of her family is busy setting up tables. Lucy signs her wedding dress passed down through the years. 

Lucy says she had ten years of “cousin stuff”, the comedy is great for this show. Stephanie says she is excited for their kids to be raised together which gives Lucy pause. She joins Stephanie to look out to the tables, fields, and mountains. Her father waves to her. Then, we see a projector, a Telesonic Magic of 3D, showing the scene. Below it are the levels of Vault 33. Lucy goes to hug her father who tells her he never stepped outside of Vault 31. We see a flashback of Hank meeting his wife, Rose (Elle Vertes). Betty gets the attention of the Overseer. They walk through fields until reaching a door. An industrial tunnel is illuminated, Norm wonders about her husband, the door opens to reveal the Vault door of 32. Overseer Hank has the Gatekeeper Chet open the door, she checks on him, and he says he loves her. She says that “messing around” with her cousin is not sustainable. Funny!, they must not know about Game of Thrones. 

He activates the door which is massive and Overseer Hank introduces himself. The Vault 32 Overseer, Lee Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury) introduces herself in turn. He mentions that Overseer Jackson had died, the message delivered by telegram!, and Lee tells him that the marriage will help them through the loss of their wheat crops. The exchange is for a breeder whom Lucy wants to know who she is marrying. He steps from the door and says his name is Monty (Cameron Cowperthwait). Stephanie whispers, “Lucky.” They are wed, kiss, and the celebration is at the tables in the field. The people of Vault 32 are a bit rougher than the caught-in-the-50’s Vault Dwellers. For some reason, Monty doesn’t seem interested in Lucy, a poor breeder. Overseer Hank makes an announcement that the next generation will be ready to face the outside world with the drop in radiation. 

Hank says they don’t know what to expect, it could be violent, this is why they are preserving civilized ways. They start the dance with the projector showing an evening sky. Hank dances with his daughter and then Monty dances with Lucy. Chet looks heartbroken. Then, we get the music outside in the corridor, kinda sinister. Monty wants to go to his new home. There is a strange look with Overseer Lee. A betrayal? He closes the door. Then, takes off his clothes. She says, “Okey dokey” and runs into his arms. They kiss and then go to the kitchen table. Norm walks into the opened Vault 32 and finds the crops are withered. Monty leaves the bed. Norm sees the rest of the Vault is a wreck. The people are not from Vault 32? He enters a nursery room and finds a corpse in a chair! Hank fills a pitcher of water and gulps it down as a scream is heard. An invasion! She takes out her Pip-Boy and finds that Monty is radioactive, from the surface!   

Monty slams her around, Lucy is able to fight, but he tosses her across the room! He takes out a knife and tells her it was the best day of his life. They struggle, Lucy takes the knife and cuts him, then we find that Monty has stabbed Lucy in the side! Alarms sound and Lucy shatters a glass pitcher on his head, then uses the shards to slice Monty! She goes to the bathroom to inject herself with a stimpak. Lucy walks out, a man is pinned to the wall, and she goes to the armory. She arms herself and kills an invader with the 10mm pistol. Lucy finds the wedding party is something out of Mad Max. Violence in a small town, in this case vault, makes me think of Truman Capote's novel In Cold Blood (1966). Norm sneaks past the killing. Councilman Woody finds more killing. The Vault 33 people are not prepared, little defenses. Lucy gets involved in the fighting, the projector is destroyed, Stephanie is lying with the body of her husband. She starts to scream and uses a rifle to gun down invaders even with a fork jammed in her eye! 

Norm hides under a table until a woman invader drags him out. She holds up a knife, but is shot by Lucy! She takes Norm to a shelter and then confronted by Monty with jagged, bloody mouth and he chokes her! Her father strikes him with a shovel and then begins bashing him again. The armed bride reminds me of the horror movie, Ready or Not (2019). Hank shoves Monty’s head into a water barrel until he stops struggling. They start to run and Hank stops to see the survivors including Stephanie held prisoner. He sees Lee and says he knows her identity. Lee gives him a Sophie’s Choice of choosing the death of the survivors or his daughter. He takes Lucy to a sealed door and tells her, “You are my world.” Hank is shot and Lee tells Lucy that she looks like her mother. Intriguing a connection with the mysterious mother who is also taken away? Then, Lee says he is being taken to the real world. Lee tells the others that they should “run and hide” activating a bomb. It explodes and we fade to black.

Next, we get military recruit, Maximus (Aaron Moten), beaten by other soldiers on the surface. Moten starred in the historical action movie, Emancipation (2022). His friend, Dane (Xelia Mendes-Jones) helps him up. The flag of the Brotherhood of Steel is pulled up a flagpole. It is a sword around gears with red and white stripes. The recruits run into the camp. In a hangar, they attend a class about the Brotherhood of Steel where the recruits are told the purpose is to “secure the Wasteland.” Cleric Felix (Jacinto Taras Riddick) says they will be eventually be squires helping knights to find prewar tech. He calls on Aspirant Maximus to identify some tech, he says it is a rotor, and gets smacked in the face with a long ruler! They turn to see looming in the sky, a gigantic Prydwen ship dispatches rotary aircraft. Several T-60 power armors walk from the aircraft. This feels like a variation on Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. Maximus works at digging latrines when Dane calls him over. 

They see the power armor in a hangar. Maximus reaches out to touch one and we see a flashback of the young Maximus (Amir Carr) saluting a power armor. Aspirant Dane is brought by Officer Shortsight (Brendan Burke). Maximus is wakened in his bunk by cheering. He finds Dane is chosen to be a squire. Dane is taking away by a crowd cheering his name. At night, Dane screams in frustration at his work. The next morning, Dane is screaming, Maximus goes to see him, and Dane pulls out a bloody stump of a foot! Officer Shortsight finds a razor blade in Dane’s boot. Maximus is led by Officer Shortsight with a hood over his head! We return to Vault 33 where the blood is covered over with white paint. Bodies are dragged away to a room labeled Compost! Lucy staples the wound at her side. She slips on her uniform. At the field, Lucy stands up to make a proposal to send a search party for her father. Reg is stunned that she would open the outer vault door. Betty says the priority is security. Lucy’s quest to find her father will bring in Maximus and the mysterious bounty hunter, The Ghoul (Goggins). Fallout is a great look at a post apocalypse from an idyllic small town wrecked with violence, to sci fi power armor, and the harsh Western inhabited by these survivors! 

Five Pip-Boys out of Five! 

#Fallout, #TheEnd, #GrahamWagner, #GenevaRobertsonDworet, #JonathanNolan, #EllaPurnell, #KyleMacLachlan, #AnnabelOHagan, #WalterGoggins, #XeliaMendesJones, #AmirCarr, #JacintoTarasRiddick, #CameronCowperthwaite

Thrawn: Alliances #4 Review!

Re:cap - Thrawn: Alliances #3; The past and present mysteries start to be revealed on Batuu! Darth Vader and Thrawn have discovered hibernation cylinders. Anakin and Thrawn during the Clone Wars have found out that the Gamorean Janott is leader of smugglers who found Padme’s handmaiden Duja thinking she was a thief. They return to the cantina and Vader uses the Force to take knives. Thrawn has analyzed the blade to find that it is not from their attackers. He questions the bartender, Nodlia, and shows a hologram of a new alien, the Grysk. They are from the Unknown Regions. In the past, Thrawn has worked out the planet, Mokivj, and a duke that brings involvement of the Clone Wars! 

On Mokivj, we follow Padme crash lands her escape pod to a river. Padme starts flooding the capsule hoping it will take them to the Separatist base. In the current time, Thrawn tells Vader that the Darshi kept the cylinders, then the Grysk arrived. This was the fear, the disturbance in the Force, detected by the Emperor! Thrawn contacts Commodore Faro to find Grysk soldiers! Rod Reis is the cover artist for the final issues of the adaptation! It has Thrawn looming over the figures of Anakin next to Vader, circles have Padme and a TIE fighter on the other side. Thrawn: Alliances #4 is by writers, Timothy Zahn and Jody Houser, and Pat Oliffe and Andrea DiVito, artists. It is Then on Mokivj, Padme is following, wearing a backpack. She found the coordinates for the base.  

Padme sees what looks like workers in the distance so begins climbing the cliffside. I like seeing Padme’s resourceful skills. She sees the base and then gets yanked back! The man, mustached with dark hair, Lebjau sees his colleagues, bearded Huga and short Cimy, walk up. Cimy worries that the metalheads, droids, will trace her back to them. Huga is about to take Padme to the duke and she takes out a corusca gem to keep her in custody. The gems are what gives the planet, Coruscant, it’s name. She wants them to contact her Uncle Anakin (!) to arrive with their ransom. This shifts to Now with a ship, a Corellian XS Light Freighter, more compact than the Falcon, headed to Batuu. It is flown by Commander Kimmund and Commodore Faro in civilian clothes. 

She notes the gravity projector that cloaks once it is shut down. Kimmund says that the two systems can’t function at the same time. In his stormtrooper armor, Kimmund waits as there is a hull breach, a reverse of Star Wars (1977). The aliens enter blasting, but they are blinded by the appearance of Darth Vader igniting his lightsaber! In a splash page, we have Vader slashing the first line of invaders with the lightsaber, impressive! The Grysk have skull-like heads almost like stormtrooper helmets with blue, armored bodies. I was actually a little confused there since teh Grysk look like stormtroopers so I thought Vader was taking troopers until I looked back a page. He makes short work of the others using the Force and Kimmund finishes off the last one! 

He orders the others to follow Vader to take the second ship! On Mokivj, Then, Padme and the others head toward the base, Lebjau says that they are maintenance workers for the factory. Still, they don’t know what it is the final product since it is finished by droids. They take Padme into a cave that runs through the base. Lebjau says Padme should be safe in the west building without an i.d. bracelet. Otherwise that droids will throw her into “the bins.” Lebjau leaves her in the empty room. Now, at a trophy room of damaged helmets, Thrawn expalins that gravity projectors were used to plunder ships except the Chimaera was too large of a threat. Vader asks about the trophies and Thrawn says they ae a key to the Grysk homeworld. He realizes that Thrawn knows the secret of the disturbance in the Force. 

Closeup of Thrawn’s eyes as he tells Vader that the Emperor has confidence in him. Stormtroopers are searching the ship. One mentions Rukh, this is the Noghri bodyguard of Thrawn, he was introduced in Heir to the Empire (1991), EC-TT-1. Rukh was made canon in the Star Wars: Rebels episode, “Kindred”, (2017), FC-SWR-4/7. They suddenly see Grysk who are blasted! Then, Padme looks out the window and is blinded as she sees the landing of the ship. She recognizes Anakin! The part of the past are coming togther! Anakin is under the ship with R2 and Thrawn in pilot uniform. He tells the duke, flanked by super battle droids, about trouble at Black Spire Outpost. The duke has the mustache from “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” song from The Pirates of Penzance (1879). It is also the style of a Rebel geneal, Bob Hudsol, who monitord the Death Star battle. The duke is dressed by Count Dooku in black with a cloak. 

Anakin tells Thrawn that he can sense Padme in the Meese Caulf Trade language. This has been a clever way for the two allies to speak privately. Thawn points out switches to floodlights and R2 pops up Anakin’s lightsaber! This is a great call back to Return of the Jedi  (1983) with Luke’s move! Now at the ship, the stormtroopers are under heavy fire from the Grysk and can’t call for backup with jammed comlinks. “It’s a trap!”, had to say it. I like the coordination and communication of the stormtroopers; something we haven't really seen in films, animated shows, and othe media. There is the sound of battle and Kimmund sees the short Rukh with is batons over the bodies of the Grysk! It is great to see Rukh written by Zahn and returned to his assassin status! Kimmund orders to continue the attack with Rukh going in low! Then, on Mokivj, Thrawn tries to talk with the duke, but warned by the droids to stop. 

The duke is startled as a lightsaber slices a circle cutting through the droids! Anakin sends the lightsaber to hit the floodlights and Thrawn goes to Anakin that they had a stowaway Jedi! Anakin and Thrawn run into the base saying they want to escape the Jedi. They are faced with super battle droids and we get a closeup of the duke’s smile as he is going to put them in the bins, trash compactors? The prisoners have escaped and Thrawn asks Faro if she recorded their conversation. They took the Darkhawk freighte to Mokivj. Thrawn brings up that they were both went to the Separatist factory, but this is corrected by Vader. Underlying this is Thrawn suspecting Vader is Anakin. He has a great sense of mannerisms, but it was a great change of Anakin into Vader. We get Thrawn telling Faro to set the Chimera on a course to Mokivj. It is finished, but the rest of the story has yet to be told, a second limited series? Yes! Also, the adaptation hints that there are scenes that were not in the comic so a reading of the 2018 novel is required! Thrawn: Alliances #4 reveals much about the master villain, Thrawn, and his team ups with Anakin and Darth Vader! 

Five Lightsabers out of Five! 

#ThrawnAlliances, #TimothyZahn, #JodyHouser, #PatOliffe, #AndreaDiVito, #GrandAdmiralThrawn, #DarthVader, #AnakinSkywalker, #PadmeAmidala, #Lebjau, #Huga, #Cimy, #Rukh, #Duke 

Civil War Review!

Writer/director, Alex Garland, presents a vision in Civil War of watime journalists on a Heart of Darkness-like journey through parts of America! Garland’s last film was the horror thriller, Men (2022). His films are provocative, they pose questions and doesn’t give easy answers. This is the case with this movie, it is set in America, and deals with a second Civil War, but it is to put audiences in what may be familiar contexts. There are other countries and leaders mentioned so this setting makes it more of a metaphorical situation than a possible reality. There are no political parties or causes of the war, I don’t think Garland is interested in those aspects, it is to show what it is on the ground during a modern war, and can apply to any country. Forest from the trees. Note: this film depicts war, the shocking sound design by supervising sound editors, Ben Barker and Glenn Freemantle, so be prepared for startling bursts of violence. 

We open on the President of the United States (Nick Offerman) rehearsing his speech. Offerman starred as Forest in Garland’s sci fi mini-series, Devs (2020). In terms of drama, I think Offerman should also be noted as Bill in The Last of Us episode, “Long, Long Time” (2023). A private moment seen in closeups. This is intercut with scenes of violence on the streets; commentary on the president not reflecting on the reality outside. He notes the Western Force, which has Texas and California, that is opposing him. A shift to the New York City hotel room of Kirsten Dunst’s photographer. We later find that she is Lee Smith, the only character with first and last name. Dunst’s last film was the Western drama, The Power of the Dog (2021). She was also in the biographical drama, Hidden Figures (2016). She is watching the president’s speech about the Florida Alliance failing to get the Carolinas to join them. 

An explosion outside in the city gets her attention. What is interesting about her photo journalist is that the thousand-yard stare, her war time experience, is written on her impassive face. It is an impressive performance. There is a pan across the almost empty city, a caged restlessness, with a building filled with smoke. We get the press truck of the reporters who are stopped by a protest. The driver played by Wagner Moura gets out yellow vests marked press. Moura was in the spy movie, The Gray Man (2022). He also played Pablo Escobar in Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. He is the veteran reporter partenered with Dunst’s photographer. Police struggle with the rioters. Also recording the event is a young photographer played by Cailee Spaeny. The last film for Spaeny was the lead role as Priscilla Presley in the drama, Priscilla (2023). I later realized that I had seen her in the sci fi sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018). 

She is watching the president’s speech about the Florida Alliance failing to get the Carolinas to join them. An explosion outside in the city gets her attention. What is interesting about her photo journalist is that the thousand-yard stare, her war time experience, is written on her impassive face. It is an impressive performance. There is a pan  across the almost empty city, a caged restlessness, with a building filled with smoke. We get the press truck of the reporters who are stopped by a protest. The driver played by Wagner Moura gets out yellow vests marked press. Moura was in the spy movie, The Gray Man (2022). He also played Pablo Escobar in Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. He is also the veteran reporter partenered with Dunst’s photographer. Police struggle with the rioters. Also recording the event is a young photographer played by Cailee Spaeny. The last film for Spaeny was the lead role as Priscilla Presley in the drama, Priscilla (2023). I later realized that I had seen her in the sci fi sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018). 

She is struck and falls with the seasoned photographer coming to help her. The young woman recognizes her and says, “You’re Lee Smith.” Lee (Dunst) gives her the yellow press vest. They both take photographs after a bombing.  At night in the hotel, at the bar reporters are joking during their dinner. The discussion turns to the war, but then the power goes off. Among the group is Lee, the reporter, Joel (Moura), who are talking to veteran journalist Sammy (Stephen McKinley Hendeson). The actor was brilliant as Thufir Hawat in Dune (2021). He also appeared as Stewart in the Devs mini-series. I had the feeling that I wanted Sammy as president, Lee as his vice president, Joel as secretary, and the other photographer as press secretary. It would make for an interesting West Wing-type drama. Lee says to Sammy that she is going to D.C. and tells him, “I’m going to photograph the president.” Sammy notes that “they see us as enemy combatants.” They outline their plan to head west to Pittsburgh and then circle round to West Virginia. Sammy wants to head to the front line in Charlottesville. He walks with a cane so is not able to get around the war zone. 

Lee is about to leave, tells Joel to work out if Sammy will join them, and gives her vote Sammy. The others are joined by two reporters; Tony (Nelson Lee) and Bohai (Evan Lai). Lee was last seen in the Star Wars series, Ahsoka, as Senator Xiono. Lai played a lawyer in an episode of the action comedy, The Brothers Sun. Lee is about to take the elevator and told by the concierge about possible power failures. She is told to take the stairs and replies that her room is on the tenth floor! The other photographer introduces herself as Jessie Cullen. She is our pov character. Jessie knows Lee Smith who was named after the first photographer at the concentration camp at Dachau. Lee tells Jessie that she should start wearing kevlar. Later, she covers her face in the bathtub and sees the memory of a war in Africa. A man is shot point blank. There are empty streets the next day with soldiers scrambling to take a rooftop. Cyclists ride by and then Lee sees Jessie in the truck. She takes Joel to the side who says she went to their table the previous night. Lee says, “She goes not further than Charlottesville.”   

#CivilWar, #AlexGarland, #BenBarker, #GlennFreemantle, #KirstenDunst, #CaileeSpaeny, #WagnerMoura, #StephenMcKinleyHenderson, #NelsonLee, #EvanLai, #NickOfferman  

Godzilla: Kaiju Wars VR review!

My favorite game at the arcades is Godzilla: Kaiju Wars VR! The game maker is Raw Thrills who also created another favorite; Halo: Fireteam Raven, a four player shooting game. It is a sit down two player shooting game. There are two VR headsets, the DPVR e4, which was a snug fit. I have to remember to bring a wipe to clean the headset before playing. I think there were wipes for the game, but I didn’t notice them. The seats are backward facing so the game play is in the headsets and projected for others to see on two 65” video displays. The weaponry is two “force-feedback” blasters. The set up is not explained, soldiers for G-Force?, introduced in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)?  

Neither is the weapon or how the players are moved around the battlefield, I’m thinking it may be the ship Garuda, from the same film. It may be something different if it is a rights issue, but there should be some kind of introduction. It is set on a motion platform and there is a button to stop any motion, but c’mon are you in the battle to fight Godzilla or not? I’m sensitive to motion, but didn’t feel any kind of rocking like in a racing game. I most impressed not just with the vibration effects, but that there was wind effects! I kept going during play is that wind?, great immersion, and the best way to convey movement. More theme park ride than arcade game! I don’t know what the blasters use; masers, a Kaiju favorite, I would suggest cadmium shells, the element is used to control nuclear fusion. 

Godzilla: Kaiju Wars VR cabinet! 

The G-Films that had such weaponry; Super X in Godzilla 1984 aka The Return of Godzilla used cadmium shells. Also, the Super X3 in Godzilla vs. Destroyah (1995). Another consideration, there is no explanation about the blasters, a trigger of course, and a special button, grenades in other games, but I didn’t really use it. An offscreen voice says, “Welcome commander.” The gun has what looks like a targeting laser. The power ups include “shotgun”? I would like the electrical blast-like masers. You can choose Manda, the serpent-like beast from Destroy All Monsters (1968) or Megaguirus, a kaiju that took many insectoid forms in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000). There are five promised extra levels. 

So the missing introduction also leaves out why the Kaiju are attacking. Just landed in a city, I’m assuming Tokyo, for no reason but to rampage? Controlled by the Kilaaks? In ither game there are Meganula swarms, the dragonfly version of Megaguirus, it is like Centipede, work your way up the swarm or just cluster blast to eliminate them. A Meganulon or two will leap out at you. Manda has sea serpents or lil’ Mandas attack you and players also have to save boats from being torn apart by them! There is the rocking of the blaster as well as the synth rock soundtrack. I would really the Akira Ifukube “Attack Godzilla” that is used in most army scenes. Then, bring in Ifukube’s “Main Theme.” The music really identifies Godzilla for me. 

Godzilla: Kaiju Wars VR blaster! 

Bear McCreery did versions of those themes for Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). So a variation, use a synth score with the same instruments could be used if the rights prevent it. Your Kaiju opponent attacks you opening its jaws and then several targets appear that you have to shoot. The graphics and game play are like Raw Thrills’ Jurassic Park Arcade game. The Manda level is following a course through the river that weaves through a city. Megaguirus’ level is above the city. You also have to blast apart rubble and strangely mecha for some reason. Are they sent by aliens or out of control G-Force mecha? Players also should blast apart the Meganulons clinging to a helicopter to rescue it. Your problems just begin when Godzilla rises up! 

Again shooting targets in his mouth or when his claw is about to crush you or almost get stomped by his foot! The best part is Godzilla uses his atomic breath which you have to counter with your blaster! The appearance and size of Godzilla going down his tail are awesome! I think there is a Kaiju about to chomp on you that ends the level. I would like the opponent to attack Godzilla and then a short fight scene where Godzilla defeats it and then escapes! This is a great shooting game, constantly shooting is basic, I would like stopping more Kaiju destruction. A Kaiju smashes down a building and you have to blast the targets. Plus, it is only two levels so there isn’t much to accomplish when you finish them. I hope the other levels would be Mothra, Rodan, and the final boss, Ghidorah! Godzilla: Kaiju Wars VR is still great to take on Godzilla and other Kaiju! 

Five Kaiju Wars Blasters out of Five! 

#GodzillaKaijuWarsVR, #RawThrills, #GForce, #GodzillaVsMechaGodzillaII, #Godzilla1984, #GodzillaVsDestroyah, #Manda, #DestroyAllMonsters, #Megaguirus, #GodzillaVsMegaguirus, #AkiraIfukube,#AttackGodzilla, #BearMcCreery, #GodzillaKing OfTheMonsters, #JurassicParkArcade, #Mothra, #Rodan, #Ghidorah 

Lilo & Stitch #2 Review!

 Lilo & Stitch #2 brings some adventure at a comic con in New York! Re:cap - Lilo & Stitch #1; Lilo is encouraging Stitch at his artwork telling his story. She later finds that the drones of the Cluster Sovereign have kidnapped Stitch! Lilo chase after him with Jumba and Pleakley in their ship. Stitch manages to break free and lands in Central Park. He walks and finds out that he is at a comic convention! Nicoletta Baldari provides the cover with Stitch on top of a skyscraper with a his picture of Lilo and himself. Greg Pak is the writer and Giulia Giacomino is the artist. 

At the house in Kaua’i, Nani goes looking for Lilo and Stitch, she finds a track from a ship. In New York City, Nani contacts Pleakley asking about Lilo, but he pretends to know nothing. Nani threatens him and Pleakley explains everything, funny! Lilo is on a street light post using one of the Dr. Jumba’s binoculars, a man rolling a hand truck with boxes bumps into her, and finally detects the robotic drones. The shark-like drones at the cosplayers, Stitch-Captor 2 likes that they are having fun. A robot cosplayer compliments Stitch-Captor 2 who is gleeful. I like the dangerous looking robot is fun, turning an enemy to an ally is the greatest accomplishment. 

The man pushing the crates, Mike, working for K-29 Kawaii Koalas looks at his box and finds a strange order. He looks Asian with a red t-shirt and top knot. "Kawaii" means cute in Japanese. One koala has five arms, this still might sell at a comic con. Stitch turns to see a drone. Stitch hurries to the Kawaii Koala booth and the worker is surprised when Stitch jumps into the booth!  The drone pushes through the crowd and grabs Experiment 626! He opens his hand to find a koala! It tears the stuffie apart and Mike says he should pay for it. The drone gumbls and walks off. There should be con security checking out the situation. 

Stitch says, “Tanks” to Mike. A woman with her baby and her baby in a stroller are drawn to the booth. She finds that the koalas are horrible and wants to buy one. There are Ugly Dolls and Fugglers. I hope to see a Kawaii Koala at a comic con. The baby happily holds the koala. Alone, Mike tugs on Stitch’s ear and he returns the gesture! He realizes that it is not a costume. A drone says it is searching for Experiment 626 and the cosplayers love the dramatic speech. Stitch hides among the koalas and tells Mike that he is now Kawaii Koala. Mike likes the idea. Stitch-Captor 2 meanwhile is getting a sketch of himself. 

At the Kawaii Koala booth, Stitch is making faces and sketches which brings in a long line of cosplayers! Sketching is a big part of comic cons and the theme of loving something that might be different is great! Stitch-Captor 2 is about to ask for a sketch and notices it is Stitch. Lilo notices the blast of energy that sends the rest of the con attendees running! Stitch dodges the plasma blasts and Stitch saves Mike throwing him into the Kawaii Koalas! Stitch dodges the plasma blasts of the two Sovereign drones. Still, he is hit with a blast. Lilo comes to the rescue throwing a koala and Mike joins in throwing off the drones. Stitch knocks into both drones and Lilo and Stitch are reunited! 

Lilo slaps a wrist communicator on Stitch’s wrist. Still, he is grabbed by a Sovereign drone, but Mike leaps on top of it and the robots flies away! Lilo checks on Stitch and then we find her tearfully picking up his drawing. Wow, wacky adventures and a little emotion! We see a page of several drawing of Lilo and Stitch spending time together, love the crayon like artwork! Nani followed by Jumba and Pleakley find Lilo. She brings up the meaning of ohana. Lilo shows her the drawings and says Stitch is her kuleana, responsibility. 

I love the themes running in the comic along with the fun. Nani says Lilo left her behind and that Stitch is also her kuleana. Jumba works on the fallen drone, Stitch-Captor 2, taking away his Cluster Sovereign programming. It says that it is looking for DNA samples from Stitch to make the drones more dangerous. Pleakley has found the drone’s sketchbook and loves the drawings. This is perfect depiction of some of the fun of comic cons. Giacomino's artwork is very kawaii. Lilo & Stitch #2 has fun with the classic characters, adventures at a comic con!, and filled with heart!  

Five Plasma Bombs out of Five! 

#LiloAndStitch, #GregPak, #GiuliaGiacomino, #Nani, #Jumba, #Pleakley, #StitchCaptor2, #Mike, #KawaiiKoala 

X-Men `97, “Fire Made Flesh”, Review!

Episode three, "Fire Made Flesh", of X-Men `97 tests the team with a villain from the past! Re:cap - “Mutant Liberation”; Magneto has given himself to a trial by the UN and the X-Cutioner is there to end his mutant powers! Storm stays with Magneto as the rest of the X-Men are there to stop him! At the X-Mansion, Jean is about to deliver her baby, Wolverine takes her in a race to the hospital! Rogue flies to the hospital and absorbs the skills of the doctor who refused to help a mutant! FOH breaks into the council chambers and Magneto holds off their gunfire. He bends the room’s metal into giant swords hanging over the protestors like the sword of Damocles! Magneto slams them down as Storm electrifies the swords into a cage! Innovative power combo! She sees X-Cutioner aim his rifle and flies into the way taking the blast!  

Magneto uses his powers to pin X-Cutioner to the UN symbol. Storm has fallen, she reaches out, and says, “The breeze is gone”! In Uncanny X-Men #185 (1984), Henry Gyrich brought the neutralizer to use on Rogue, but Storm was the victim! I like the twist on the story, but the same result. Magneto turns to Val Cooper and the council. He rips up the council and X-Cutioner into the sky. He says he could crush them with his boots over X-cutioner’s face. Still, he brings up Xavier’s dream, as we see Cyclops with Jean. Magneto tells them not to let him down. We the baby in Jean’s arms whom she names Nathan. A perfect contrast of birth and something fantastic. A news report explains the UN’s pardon of Magneto and aid to Genosha. 

Magneto and Cyclops are watching and Scott admits that he has to trust Magneto from Xavier’s wish. Beast is at the lab says that the rifle worked like a concentrated inhibitor collar taking away her powers! Jean hugs Storm who is shocked. She goes to her room to see her blasted unifom. Ororo is startled by a thunderclap. I like the reaction of Storm without her powers. Jean finds her farewell letter. Rogue takes off her glove to hold Magneto’s hand. Morph has brought beer to a sulking Wolverine. He transforms into Sabertooth to get into some friendly rivalry. Rogue leaves Gambit whose card drops to the floor. Ororo leaves on a bus from the X-Men. Powerful work by Alison Sealy-Smith. Jean reads the letter to the X-Men. 

They hear a doorbell ring and a woman who looks like Jean Grey who says, “I need the X-Men”! “Fire Made Flesh” picks up from there. Emi Yonemura is the director of the third ep. The writers are Beau DeMayo and Charley Feldman. Beast is checking on his unconscious patient. Jean is by her side and uses her power to examine her doppleganger’s life. The woman’s life is like Jean’s life except faceless and Jean says it is like she was “born yesterday.” Her double wakens in a laboratory out of Castle Frankenstein! She runs into the woods and then sees the trial of Magneto on a television. This Jean stumbles to the X-Mansion. Then Jean is shocked by a vision of fanged teeth and a laugh! 

Morph dubs her Jean Doe shifting into six-armed Spiral (Abby Trott). Beast tells the X-Men of the test results that Jean Doe is genetically older than their Jean Grey, a clone! Scott carrying their baby is silent!Jean tells the X-Men that she was the first of them and then takes baby Nathan. In their room, Jean holds Nathan, as Cyclops enters. It doesn’t matter who is Jean Grey, if this is the one who has his child. She sends him away. Impressive work by Jennifer Hale, the voice work on this show is outstanding with character moments that are familiar, but more dramatic in the animated series! She hears a creepy voice over the baby monitor, it’s giving me shivers, who says he can give answers if she is Jean Grey. Bishop sees his time band almost finished by Beast. 

Scott asks Bishop why Magneto taking over the X-Men isn’t in his future. Bishop says that the future isn’t set, “Your future hasn’t been written yet”, haven’t they seen Back to the Future Part III?, it was released in 1990. Beast suddenly tells Scott that they have to find Nathan, scientists, leave signatures. He says he knows who could be behind the mystery and calls him “Sinister”!  Over the baby monitor, the voice introduces himself to Jean as Mister Sinister (Chris Britton)! This is the villain who first full appearance as in Uncanny X-Men #221 (1987). He made his appearance in X-Men: The Animated Series in "Till Death Do Us Part, Part Two" (1993). She sees flashes of Mister Sinister in the darkness. Jean should just turn off the baby monitor. She realizes that he wants Nathan! Mister Sinister says she belongs to him and she has flashbacks of herself and Jean Doe on hospital beds with Mister Sinister next to them! 

He places a crimson gem on her brow which is similar to his own. Jean lashes out and throws down pictures of her wedding day and the X-Men. Suddenly, energy courses around her and she is transformed into the Goblin Queen, a black outfit! Jean says, “They shall know my inferno!” The Goblin Queen was introduced in Uncanny X-Men #240 (1988). Gambit, Wolverine, and Morph leave a Danger Room session. Morph sees the next sessions are taken by Rogue and Magneto, private time! Morph mocks Gambit who leaves to find Rogue. At the lockers, Morph sees some mist. Gambit sees a green glow from under a door. Roberto and Jubilee are watching television when he hears a whisper, “Muties.” Classic Nightmare on Elm Street! Morph finds Wolverine in the shower who says he is joking to hide what they already know. 

Gambit finds the room filled with jungle vines as Rogue holds Magneto! She tells him in a wicked voice that she found a real man while her flesh is pulled into Magneto! Watching television, the Gwen Stacy-like character’s eyes glow green and a blobby monstrosity out of anime, spills into the floor. It speaks like Roberto’s Brazilian mother, Nina (Christine Uhebe)! Morph falls back in fear of someone he already encountered, Mister Sinister, and screams! He returned revived by Sinister in the “Till Death Do Us Part, Part One” (1993) episode of X-Men: The Animated Series. Cyclops and Bishop enter his room, but Jean and Nathan are gone! Instead, Nathan’s playthings are changed into tentacles that hold the X-Men. A distorted Professor Xavier puppet who says Scott has failed. Bishop is confronted by the face of his sister, Shard (Kimberly Woods), who says he left her. 

Roberto’s power flares, but the face of his mother saying he is a mutant freak keeps him against the wall. Jubilee’s pyrotechnics blast the creature away! The elevator opens for the Beast and a giant face vomits purple fluid! The X-Men gather, but fall into a hellish vision. Beast leaps onto a demon out of Lewis Caroll’s poem, funny! Cyclops fully charges up Bishop who uses his power to blast apart the demons! A skeletal Sentinel rises, but is destroyed by Jean Doe. Cyclops catches her and he tells the Dark Jean that she is controlled by Mister Sinister. She says she is Goblin Queen. Goblin Queen has Nathan contained and blasts the X-Men. They are all recovering from the battle when Rogue enters with Magneto. Cyclops updates Magneto. Morphs tells them that Sinister was a scientist in the 1800s and used mutants to extend his life. 

Magneto has Rogue, Wolverine, and Beast stay behind to help their wounded teammates. He will lead the others in an attack on Sinister! The villain is about to drop the seemingly happy infant into a vat. Sinister intends to make Nathan “invulnerable”! The X-Men enter the mansion of Sinister; Magneto, Bishop, Cyclops, and Morph. The Goblin Queen is there and sends out a mystic blast at Cyclops. Morph shifts into Magik (Courtenay Taylor), the sister to Colossus with a mystic Soulsword. Goblin Queen corrupts him into serving her and attacks in her demonic form! Magneto faces the Goblin Queen whose magical power is beyond his own! Another fantastic episode of X-Men `97 that wrestles the continuity of two Jean Greys that was retconned and tells some really personal stories with touches of anime horror!  

Five Sentinel Blasters out of Five! 

#XMen97, #FireMadeFlesh, #EmiYonemura, #BeauDeMayo, #CharleyFeldman, #JenniferHale, #RayChase, #GeorgeBuza, #JPKarliak, #GuiAgustini, #HollChou, #AJLoCascio, #CalDodd, #IsaacRobinsonSmith, #MatthewWaterson, #KimberlyWoods, #ChristineUhebe, #AbbyTrott, #ChrisBritton, #MisterSinister, #GoblinQueen