X-Men – 04

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

The U-Man cyborg doctor attacks Hisako, who is saved when Emma knocks her out of the way, taking the blast and then being about to deflect it. Cyborg-Doc continues in his insanity to screech about organs and to attack.  He is eventually taken down for good when Hisako kicks him off a building for Cyclops to blast and then Wolverine to destroy.  Emma apparently has a new power, which Beast describes as a secondary mutation that came because of her love for Hisako. However, there’s a risk it could go out of control, something known as Daemon Hall Syndrome. Concerns noted, the group returns to Hisako’s home to her happy parents and best friend.

Beast wants to take Emma back to New York for a vaccine against Daemon Hall Syndrome, something Cyclops isn’t keen on. However, Wolverine reminds him that Emma underwent secondary mutation just to protect Hisako and Cyclops agrees to bring Emma with them. Hisako wants to go with Emma to New York and her parents hesitantly agree since Emma will be with their daughter.  On the flight out of Japan, the Blackbird craft of the X-Men is attacked by a mutant that begins attempting to smash the cockpit glass. Wolverine goes out and has a pitched battle with the thing, eventually defeating it and bringing it inside. “It” is a mutant boy with Daemon Hall Syndrome, whom Emma recognizes from her days with the Inner Circle.

After landing at the Xavier Institute and being greeted by Xavier, Beast has the boy brought to the infirmary but he soon dies and turns mummified. In the X-Men recreation room, Cyclops asks Emma about the boy and his time with the Inner Circle. Emma says that all they did was train him and enhance his abilities. While the Beast examines Emma, Scott and Logan play some pool. Xavier comes in and reports that he still cannot telepathically scan the Tohoku region. Xavier asks Hisako, who’s waiting for Emma, if she remembers a Sasaki Institute but she does not. Emma’s exams are over and though she has the same level of mutation that killed the boy, she will be OK. Emma takes Hisako to go get some food while Beast reports to Xavier. Xavier feels that with two secondary mutations coming from Tohoku and his inability to scan there, more is going on.

Thoughts/Review:

The whole “Secondary Mutation” and “Daemon Hall Syndrome” are new concepts to me.  I don’t know if they are Marvel creations or not but I’m going to assume they probably are (I’m loathe to look it up lest I read something spoilerish).  Regardless, having Emma have a secondary mutation apparently gave her a new power but I’ve no clue what it was other than she could block the energy blasts from the Cyborg-Doc and appeared to have ice on her or something. Maybe she has some kind of ice ability to go with her surname “Frost.”  *lol*  It sounds cheesy but I could see it happening since Ice Man isn’t here.  Then again, would ice, even if constantly formed, be able to block an energy blast?  Probably not.

I did like the combination moves whereby Cyclops and Wolverine took over after Hisako attacked the Cyborg-Doc. Teamwork was often a hallmark of the X-Men and so it was nice to see here.

On the other hand, Wolverine’s solo fight with the mutant boy was terrible as far as I was concerned.  Madhouse appears to have performed a cost-cutting maneuver by having the scene dark and foggy so that it is nearly impossible to follow the fight.  That way, they can get away with almost anything but the results were not satisfying for this audience member.  ^_^;

So, if the U-Men have bugged out of Japan (or at least the Tohoku region), then what is causing telepathic scans to detect mutants to be blocked?  What is causing the secondary mutations? How does Mastermind ultimately fit into this equation?  These are things I guess we’ll learn as the series progresses.  For now, I guess Emma and Hisako join the X-Men.

Ultimately, I was rather ambivalent about this episode. There were some mildly interesting bits and some mildly uninteresting bits.  Well, we’ll see how next episode goes.