Episode:Have Yourself A Morlock Little X-Mas

Twas the day before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring because a Morlock needed help.

Story
It's Christmas time and the X-Men are decorating the house. Rogue, Jubilee, and Scott are dressing up the tree and signing Deck the Halls, which Scott doing a terrible job. Jubilee tries to get Logan to sing Jingle Bells with them, since Scott isn't doing too good of a job, but he refuses and leaves. Rogue then picks Jubilee up so they can put on the Christmas Tree Star.

In the kitchen Gambit and Jean Grey are trying to cook some Christmas dinner, while trying to put up with each other. Gambit wants to add some Cajun spices while Jean wants him to stay away. In his lab, Beast is also preparing a yule tide beverage. Down below, Charles Xavier and Storm watch the others on video monitors commenting on how happy everyone seems. Suddenly a blast occurs and they fear they are being attacked.

The X-Men all rush to the site of the disturbance only to find that Beast's Cranberry Glaze exploded everywhere. Logan finally arrives and also finds it was a false alarm. Distressed by all the good cheer he decides to leave the mansion. Jubilee convinces him to go Christmas shopping with her and Storm.

While shopping Jubilee is so excited she doesn't know where to stop. On the other hand, Wolverine just can't wait to get out of the store. The three decide to go ice skating at Rockefeller Center. Again, Jubilee is having a great time while Wolverine wants to leave. Logan then smells something happening with sirens in the distance. Eventually an ambulance almost crashes onto the ice, if Storm hadn't used her powers to move it away from anyone.

Two Morlocks, Ape and Annalee, exit the cab and tear the back door off. They tell Storm that Leech is very sick and needs medicine badly. They tried to take him to a hospital but his powers were out of control and he was refused service. Storm believes them and commands the others to follow. Jubilee grabs all her presents before leaving.

Callisto, who is currently watching over Leech, is not to happy that their "glorious leader" has just arrived. Despite their differences they agree to help Leech together. Logan notices a small branch with a broken ornament on it standing in for the Morlock's Christmas tree. He is interrupted by Storm who orders him to take Leech to the mansion immediately so Beast can help. However, Logan believes it is too late and moving him would be fatal. Jubilee then sees a small girl, Mariana, and the two comfort each other while they watch.

Storm refuses to accept that Leech is already lost. Jubilee questions whether Logan can use his powers to help, but he claims it's impossible. Storm wonders whether he is letting his personal feelings guide his decision but Logan maintains that it's only been done twice before but may not work at all. Storm continues to be berated for ignoring the Morlocks for so long but decides to try a transfusion, and will contact the mansion to have Rogue fly Beast and his medical kit there. Meanwhile, Logan remains the only way to keep Leech alive.

Back at the mansion, Jean and Gambit are still arguing over how to cook dinner. Xavier bursts in to tell Rogue to fly Beast to the Morlock tunnels. While waiting for Leech to get better Mariana shows Jubilee their Christmas tree. Mariana tells her that Leech was the one who found the tree for them. She then shows Jubilee the food that Leech brought for them for a Christmas dinner, before the cold made him sick. Mariana then asks if they can stay for dinner.

Meanwhile, despite the transfusion Leech does not seem to be getting better. Beast arrives and the Morlocks beg him to help. However, it seems the transfusion helped after all and Leech appears fine. Storm then uses her position to take the Scepter of Power and Callisto questions her claiming she has been no leader to them. She then relinquishes her command and gives it back to Callisto.

Her first decision as leader is to extend an invitation to all the X-Men for dinner, though it is not much. Jubilee decides to give the Morlocks the presents she bought since they need it more than she does. Understandably both Gambit and Jean are not quite happy that their meal will not be eaten. Xavier tells Jubilee how proud he is that she decided to help the less fortunate despite wanting a big fancy Christmas Eve.

Quotes

 * "Kid, the day you catch me singing Jingle Bells is the day pigs fly."

-Logan


 * "This is your first Christmas as an X-Man and we intend to make it extra special." "It already is."

-Rogue and Jubilee


 * "The day that I need your help in the kitchen is the day that I stop cooking!"

-Jean Grey to Gambit


 * "Twas Christmas broach'd the mightiest ale; 'twas Christmas told the merriest tale; A Christmas gambol oft could cheer; the poor man's heart through half the year."

-Beast quoting from Sir Walter Scott's 1808 poem "Marmion."


 * "Storm, I don't think I've had a happier Christmas. All of my X-Men together with so much to be thankful for."

-Xavier


 * "Delightful! Though the chemical formula proved distressingly volatile, the harmony of flavors is impeccable."

-Beast


 * "Did I hear an attack alarm? Or would that be hoping for too much?"

-Logan


 * "Christmas Eve shopping? You're crazy!" "Please, Wolvie? For me?" "Aw, kid, turn it off. I'd do better tryin' to fight Sabretooth."

-Logan and Jubilee


 * "You are supposed to be the leader of the Morlocks. But you are never around. You should help us when we need it."

-Annalee to Storm


 * "We have come to help." "Why? You never have before."

-Storm and Callisto


 * "Not survive? Leech? No. No! He can't! Not today! It's Christmas Eve!"

-Jubilee


 * "Wolverine. Please. You're so good at healing yourself. Can't you help Leech?" "Don't be crazy. He ain't me."

-Jubilee and Logan


 * "You have failed trying to save others?" "Yeah. They looked at me, scared, hoping, like I had the answer. And I let 'em down. Over twenty of 'em. The last one was a kid, smaller than him [Leech]."

-Callisto and Logan


 * "He wouldn't be dying if you looked after these people!"

-Wolverine to Storm


 * "Leech be okay?" "Do you believe in miracles, Mariana?" "What's miracles?" "Maybe in a little while we'll see."

-Mariana and Jubilee


 * "How do these people keep going? They got nothing." "You're wrong child. They have each other's love. As long as you are part of a caring family every day of the year is Christmas. It would do all of us well to remember that."

-Jubilee and Storm


 * "Welcome back to the world of the living, like dutiful Aeneas leading his people to Rome."

-Beast referencing Aeneas, the Trojan hero who, according to the legend in the book The Aeneid, founded Rome.


 * "Callisto is now the one true leader of all Morlock people."

-Storm


 * "Leech hungry too." "A good meal is exactly what the doctor prescribes."

-Leech and Beast


 * "Thanks kid, for makin' it."

-Logan


 * "What do you mean not eatin'? Gambit has spent days on this meal! My oyster loaf! My daube glace!" "We could warm it up tomorrow." "Warm it up!? You do not warm up such a meal! Gambit does not make TV dinners!"

-Gambit and Jean Grey

Trivia

 * The title is based off the popular Christmas song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
 * Versions of the songs Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Jingle Bells, and Deck the Halls are heard several times in the soundtrack.
 * When Xavier mentions that all his X-Men are together he seems to be forgetting Morph, Angel, and Iceman. He may no longer recognize them as part of his X-Men. However, the X-Men he is referring to are the main characters of the series, and the producers probably chose to ignore the others for this episode.
 * When the alarm goes off Cyclops touches his left breast to communicate with the others even though he is not wearing his uniform. However, he may have it on underneath, just in case, or had a similar communicator built into his sweater.
 * First usage of Wolverine's nickname "Wolvie."
 * Given the nature of the Marvel Universe, Leech may have been refused service at the hospital for having powers and not simply because they were out of control.
 * Logan's failure to help others that he talks about is never mentioned or elaborated on again. Leaving one to wonder just what happened.
 * Only Beast and Rogue appear in their X-Men uniform. Jubilee does wear her thermal outfit from "Red Dawn".
 * Last significant appearance of any of the Morlocks.
 * Only episode to feature a direct message to the audience (pictured). Though Storm does come close to breaking the fourth wall when talking to Jubilee.

Inconsistencies

 * Jubilee claims to never have had a Christmas with the X-Men. However, season two claimed that "The Final Decision" was a year before that. Unless this is meant to take place much earlier in the series or she always spent the holiday with her foster parents this is a mistake.
 * The size and amount of presents Jubilee has changes from scene to scene. Also, the bows tend to disappear and reappear from time to time.
 * When leaving the store, notice how everyone in the store freezes in place for a moment.
 * Logan and Jubilee unlace their skates, in the middle of the ice for some reason, but are laced again in the next shot.
 * Callisto's eye patch and scar switch sides when Storm examines Leech.
 * For some unknown reason Rogue changes into her X-Men uniform before Storm calls for help, changing out of her civilian clothes she had earlier.
 * Leech is at least shirtless and hatless for most of the episode. However, when he receives a blood transfusion he appears fully clothed. If he was so bad that they couldn't move him, why dress him?
 * Plague, who became a Horseman of Apocalypse in "The Cure", appears with the Morlocks just as she did before her transformation, without any explanation as to how she returned to normal.

Continuity
Storm finally gives up her position as leader of the Morlocks that she attained in "Captive Hearts".

Background
Episode director and producer Larry Houston is not credited. He had left the show by the time this aired, and either chose not to be credited, denied credit by those in charge, or just accidentally left off.

Mariana was created especially for the series. Though she bears a resemblance to a non-Morlock character named Marrina Smallwood.

Reaction
"Stu" of Marvel Animation Age said the episode was one of the weakest of the series. There was little to differentiate it from the numerous other holiday specials that deal with the less fortunate. He pointed out weak characterization of the Morlocks, particularly Leech, and how Wolverine shopping was awful to watch. Though he did point out some good humor such as Gambit and Jean in the kitchen.

On TV.com it has a rating of 8.2 Great.