REVIEW: ‘X-Men ‘97’ Episode 3 — “Fire Made Flesh”

X-Men ’97 Episode 3 wastes little time jumping straight into the action of “Fire Made Flesh.” The quick escalation of drama is impressive as the established team of the first two episodes is shaken immediately. They take the Jean-lookalike in and Beast (George Buza) quickly learns that she is the real Jean (Jennifer Hale.) The team must then deal with the emotional fallout of the revelation, especially once they realize that this was all due to the work of Mister Sinister (Christopher Britton).

This is a lore-heavy episode, so those familiar with storylines of the original series and the comics will be quick to pick up Easter Eggs. The narrative runs at a breakneck pace for newer fans of the series. Monster Sinister cloned Jean to take control of her son with Scott/Cyclops (Ray Chase), Nathan, to make him invulnerable. Sinister has spent centuries stealing mutants’ powers to prolong his own life. X-Men ’97 Episode 3 beautifully demonstrates the true horror of what he’s done, stripping the agency of not just one woman but two. It makes sense that Clone Jean would quickly descend into fury, turning into the Goblin Queen when facing distrust from Scott and the others.

Real Jean, meanwhile, spends most of the episode bedridden, overwhelmed by her powers and the immense pain she feels from memories bombarding her psyche. However, she arrives just in time on two significant occasions to help save the day. The series highlights her tremendous powers through two different versions of her. But the pain comes in how neither knows when the cloning happens. So, when Real Jean gets all of her memories back, the two can’t distinguish whose memories are authentic. Which one of them became the Phoenix? Which one of them was present to marry Scott? That level of confusion makes what Sinister did all the more wicked.

X-Men ’97 Episode 3 has a lot of fun with ’90s-style imagery and direction. Most notable is when the school becomes a funhouse of horrors due to the Goblin Queen’s psychic manipulations. The members of the X-Men have their fears and insecurities preyed upon. A particular horrific highlight is when Remy/Gambit (A. J. LoCascio) walks and hallucinates Rouge (Lenore Zann) in the arms of Magneto (Matthew Waterson), their bodies morphing and melding into one another. It’s simple but effective.

Cross swipes punctuate these nightmarish sequences to transition between scenes, a flurry of bats swarming the frame as we move to the next scene. There’s almost something Scooby Doo about the sequence, especially with the Dante’s Inferno haunted house aesthetic of the episode. Because it’s not just Gambit who deals with the wave of fever dream imagery. Morph (J.P. Karliak), too, seems to be reminded of their past through the guise of Logan/Wolverine (Cal Dodd). Scott faces insecurities about being a bad leader. In contrast, Roberto (Gui Agustini) faces a showdown with a monstrous, The Ring-style version of his mother, who condemns him for being a mutant.

It’s brief but captures a wonderful, playful tone that never undermines what the X-Men are feeling. But the best fight sequence happens later between the Goblin Queen and Cyclops, Magneto, and Morph. It’s a glorious action set from the Goblin Queen quickly infiltrating Morph’s mind and forcing them against the other two to the showdown between her and Magneto. While the animation itself still leaves something to be desired — especially the close-quarter character movement — the use of color is electrifying. There’s no seeking to dull the vibrancy of these characters and their world. Instead, the show goes full throttle with them, letting them burst and consume the frames.

The episode manages to marry genuine stakes with the undercurrent of soap opera theatrics. Clones? Interpersonal relationship strife? Unrequited love? This is true blue melodrama, and it’s all the better for it. More superhero-based projects should go this big and bold. Not everything works, and certain one-liners land with little to no impact, but the overall effect remains satisfying. These characters are already well-established. The fun comes from how the series introduces new hurdles. Episode 3 throws more than one.

The episode ends at a crossroads. The Goblin Queen regains control of her mind, and she and Scott, much to their dismay, realize that while they were able to save Nathan, they aren’t able to cure him from the virus Sinister infected him with. The only move is to send him with Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith) to the future, where a cure might be available. Due to this, Clone Jean leaves, taking the name Madelyne Pryor. “My next life will be mine,” she claims to the original Jean, leaving the latter to pick up the pieces of her life with Scott and the emotional shambles they stand on. We even get a sneak peek into Storm’s (Alison Sealy-Smith)storyline, running into a man named Forge who tells her he can restore her powers.

It’s a good balance of upsetting the status quo while shaking the foundation. The real Jean is back, but there’s an immeasurable cost. Storm might be able to regain her powers, but recent events shake the current group of X-Men. There’s stability, but there’s a looming threat overhead.

X-Men ’97 Episode 3 continues to demonstrate confident writing and action scenes. The series finds rich, thematic material as the X-Men members deal with personal upheaval. These characters might be powerful but they’re not infallible, something that the show rightfully hones in on as they deal with new challenges and emotional strife due to internal and external threats.

X-Men ’97 Episode 3 is available now on Disney+.