Episode:Deadly Reunions

This article is written from the Real World perspective

◄ "Deadly Reunions" ►
Series	X-Men
Release Date	January 23, 1993
Episode Number	4 (Season) 4 (Overall)
Writer	Don Glutt
87 images More information Guest Stars David Hemblam (Magneto) Don Francks (Sabretooth) Len Carlson (Robert Kelly)

Following his defeat, Magneto faces off with the X-Men once again. Meanwhile, Wolverine deals with his own friend turned mortal enemy.

Story

Somewhere, Sabretooth falls backwards through a void screaming. Suddenly a bright light appears behind him. Images of Logan, a man in a red mask, a helmeted man, a robot, a blonde woman with glasses, and white-faced man appear around him.

Professor X asks if there is a limit to the torment in his psyche. He wonders if Sabretooth has only know betrayal by his friends and persecution by humanity. We suggests probing deeper.

Sabretooth falls into an ocean of red. He pops out and reaches up crying for help. Xavier notes that his life as a mutant has been difficult and he has failed to find acceptance.

Sabretooth rips off a cloth and is suddenly behind metal parts. There is a group of men, women, and children standing there laughing while they point at him. Some, however, call him scary. One man holds a wood branch as if meaning to attack.

More men walk towards the cage along with Xavier, who notes that cruelty to those they do not understand seems limitless. As he approaches the cage he begins to fade and the stars behind him appear through him.

Sabretooth roars as the people poke him with sticks and another throws a rock. He backs off as Xavier walks forward offering to become one with his pain.

Sabretooth and Xavier as one

Sabretooth glows then transforms into a combination of the two. Xavier says that together they will find the cause of his torment.

The men continue shaking the bars and yelling. Suddenly, they transform into monsters and rip the bars apart to get inside. Xavier wonders what inner demons drive him.

A devil-like monster leaps in front of Xavier/Sabretooth forcing the merged person back. It slashes at their chest so Xavier/Sabretooth punches it. It falls back engulfed in sparks. Xavier claims they can find these things together.

A green monster approaches and Xavier/Sabretooth punches that too. A blue tail wraps around their throat and pulls them forward while another monster watches behind them. As the blue creature pulls Xavier/Sabretooth in and wraps its arms around them, Xavier wonders if they are any closer to the reason for Sabretooth's rages.

The other creature's eyes flash then it transforms into flames. From it emerges a yellow creature with claws and large eyes and carrying a large staff looking like a monstrous version of Wolverine. The creature leaps onto the floor and howls before slamming Xavier/Sabretooth back.

The two crash into the wall and slump down. Then Sabretooth gets up and leaves Xavier. The professor calls out to him not to break their psychic link.

Sabretooth leaps away and into a brick wall. Xavier goes to follow but the wall closes off then turns into a cube above a large area of spikes. Xavier wonders what Sabretooth is hiding from him and why he keeps these thoughts from him. Xavier floats around but each wall is protected.

He floats to the top wondering if these thoughts are so painful. He urges Sabretooth not to resist him as he will know it all in time. He floats down and touches the side wall again causing Sabretooth to cry out. He notes how much hurt and rage there is.

Sabretooth moves back and the area goes dark. He floats around and returns to a sitting position in the infirmary next to the sleeping Sabretooth. He thinks that this is why Magneto believes there is no hope of peace. He turns to Sabretooth saying they must never give up trying.

Later, the mansion stands tall in the daylight.

In Xavier's office, Cyclops tells the professor that Magneto wanted them to join him. Storm and Wolverine stand nearby. He continues to explain Magneto wanted their special powers in his battle for mutant liberation. Wolverine drinks from his glass.

They flash back to Magneto descending down at the military base and Wolverine addressing him. Magneto floated up and attacked them. Cyclops explains that when they refused they were declared Magneto's enemies. They remember being lifted into the air and dropped to the ground.

Xavier explains that Magneto believes mutants are the next stage of human evolution, from Homo sapiens to Homo superiors. Magneto believes they are destined to rule a mutant-controlled world with his at the top. Wolverine takes another sip.

Storm holds up her coffee and points out how much more dangerous fighting for human-mutant peace has become and takes a sip.

Wolverine tells them to stop the philosophy and go kick his butt. He pops out a single claw to open his can and chugs it.

Xavier hovers over his desk and towards the door. He tells them that he has good news. Storm jokes that they could use some. She stands and follows. The X-Men follow Xavier out into the hall.

They hear Sabretooth growling and are shocked. Wolverine stops drinking his can and stares. Sabretooth looks around. Rogue and Jubilee are standing there waiting.

Wolverine pops his claws and demands that Sabretooth get out of there.

Sabretooth, captured in the war room

Sabretooth floats high above them in the war room. Xavier explains he has been spending time with him, probing his mind to help with his rages as he did for Wolverine. Sabretooth looks around and snarls.

He goes on to say that there are recesses of Sabretooth's mind that he has failed to penetrate. But he believes that given enough time he will. He presses a button on his chair and Sabretooth is lowered down.

Wolverine steps forward extending his claws saying he will penetrate his recesses. Cyclops grabs his shoulder and addresses him. Wolverine shakes with rage.

Sabretooth wonders why he and Wolverine haven't kissed and made up. Wolverine tells him to kiss his claws. Sabretooth smiles and tells the team that they used to be old friends, even working together, but they had a little misunderstanding.

Wolverine reveals that Sabretooth "wasted" from friends of his for no reason and asks if he misunderstood.

Xavier tells them both to calm down. He points out that since he helped Wolverine conquer similar rages that he should understand what Sabretooth is going through. He says he needs Wolverine's assistance with the next phase of Sabretooth's therapy.

Wolverine asks if he is joking. He decides that as long as Sabretooth is there he is going to be somewhere else. Jubilee calls out to him to return but the door shuts behind him.

Rogue reassures the teenager that Wolverine will calm down when he's ready.

Xavier says that they will deal with Wolverine's attitude later. He moves around the table saying they cannot be distracted from their more urgent problem. Cyclops knows it is Magneto.

Xavier explains that Magneto's missile attack failed but he will attack again and soon. He warns that next time Magneto will not be as merciful.

Elsewhere, Magneto ponders where to attack next. He decides on Metro Chemical. When he arrives he causes the vats to spill and explode.

Cerebro monitors all the emergency communication and alters Xavier. Xavier knows that Magneto specifically chose that spot because of all the workers that could be harmed, a direct challenge.

Jubilee stays at the mansion to monitor Sabretooth while the rest of the team goes to the chemical plant.

Meanwhile, Magneto eagerly awaits the arrival of the X-Men. The X-Men try but again none are able to stop him. Magneto grows angry as he only wanted to face Xavier.

Cyclops is knocked out by some gas, Rogue is pushed into some chemical drums, and Storm is buried under a wall igniting her claustrophobia. Finally, Xavier enters to stop Magneto.

Rogue endangers Cyclops by saving his life

Rogue gets up and digs out the unconscious Storm. She then spies the unconscious Cyclops who is not breathing. She has no choice but to perform CPR on him.

After he starts breathing his optic blasts come out of her eyes, knocking her back and destroying part of the building. Cyclops wakes up long enough to tell her to shut her eyes to make them stop.

Magneto then gives one last chance for Xavier to join him. But Xavier questions his methods and refuses. Magneto grows angry and knocks Xavier out of his chair.

Just as Magneto moves in for the kill Xavier enters his mind and forces him to relive traumatic memories of himself as a child during the war. Unable to deal with the memories Magneto flees.

Rogue blindly flies around the burning plant and finds Xavier. He mentally becomes her eyes to guide her out of there while she carries Storm and Cyclops.

They escape just as the plant explodes and finally burns down.

Afterwards, Senator Robert Kelly holds a press conference to discuss the recent events of the Mutant Registration Act, Drake Missile Base, and chemical plant.

There he announces his candidacy for President of the United States of America. He then states that he wants to put all mutants in internment camps.

At the Xavier Mansion Jubilee watches the conference on the television. The Senator's comments anger Sabretooth who in turn damages his own wrist.

Jubilee then foolishly loosens the grip so he can move it around to make it feel better. When she goes to leave he grabs her, it was a trick. He had been lying to Xavier during the whole time of his treatments. Magneto had ordered him to find that place and take it over knowing Xavier would take him in.

Two friends at it again

Wolverine then appears, he had never left. Sabretooth throws Jubilee across the room and into a wall knocking her out. He and Wolverine decide to battle one on one. The two duke it out destroying some pieces of equipment in the process.

The rest of the X-Men return home and hear banging in the War Room.

Wolverine knocks Sabretooth down when the X-Men enter the room. Xavier scolds Wolverine for letting go of his temper but Jubilee defends him saying that Sabretooth tricked them all and was going to destroy the mansion.

Sabretooth jumps up and slashes at Wolverine and about to finish him off when Jubilee knocks him through a wall and outside. Sabretooth runs off into the night.

After stabilizing Wolverine's condition, Xavier apologizes saying that he let his ideals blind him to the truth. He only tricked Magneto this time. He tells them that they cannot afford to lose again.

Over the city, Magneto promises to raise an army of thousands to overthrow humanity and destroy Xavier.

Quotes

"Is there no limit to the torment in your mind, Sabretooth? Have you only known betrayal by your friends and persecution by humanity? We must probe deeper. Your mind is full of torment, Sabretooth. Your mutant life has been difficult. Your search for acceptance, a failure. Cruelty to creatures we don't understand seems limitless. Let me become one with your pain. Together, we can find the cause of your torment."

-Professor X

"What are you hiding from me, Sabretooth? Why do you keep these thoughts from me? Can they be so painful? Don't resist me. I will know it all in time."

-Professor X

"Such hurt. Such rage. No wonder Magneto believes there is no hope of peace. But we must never give up trying."

-Professor X

"Magneto thought we would join him, Professor. He wanted us to use our special powers in his battle for mutant liberation. When we refused, he declared us his enemies."
"He believes we are the next stage in human evolution, beyond Homo sapiens to Homo superior, and that we are destined to rule a mutant-control world under his domination."
"Fighting for humant-mutant peace has just become more dangerous."
"Stuff the philosophy. Let's go kick his butt."

-Cyclops, Professor X, Storm, and Wolverine

"What's wrong, Wolverine? No kiss and make up?"
"Kiss this."
"We used to be old pals. Even worked together. But we had some...little misunderstandings."
"Yeah, right. He wasted from friends of mine for no reason, and I misunderstood?"

-Sabretooth and Wolverine

"After conquering your own rages, Wolverine, you more than anyone knows what Sabretooth is going through."

-Professor X

"His missile attack failed, but he'll attack again soon. And next time he won't be so merciful."

-Professor X

"Now we must face the master of magnetism."

-Xavier

"I wonder how you'll look, Charles, after so long. Perhaps a toupee."

-Magneto

"Have you forgotten that electricity and magnetism are related?"

-Magneto to Storm

"Don't worry, I won't tell Jean"

-Rogue after resuscitating Cyclops

"The years have been kind to you Charles. Too bad they haven't brought you wisdom."
"You're wisdom? You find wisdom in this destruction?"

-Magneto and Xavier

"When I was a child my people talked while others prepared for war! They used reason while others used tanks! And they were destroyed for their troubles! I won't stand by and let it happen again!"

-Magneto

"You were the best of us."

-Magneto

"I intend, this very evening, to declare my candidacy for President of the United States."
"Yeah, and I will be the Queen of England."

-Robert Kelly on television and Jubilee

"I heal real fast!"

-Sabretooth

"Wolverine should never have let me live!"

-Sabretooth

"You used to backstab people for fun. What turned you into a rat for hire?"

-Wolverine

"Alright you egg-sucking piece of gutter-trash! You always like pushing around people smaller than you! WELL I'M SMALLER! TRY PUSHING ME!"

-Wolverine

"We'll have to do it again sometime."
"Yeah, well, um…"

-Rogue and Cyclops

"You always were second best!"

-Wolverine

Trivia

• Some the people seen in Sabretooth's mind are cameos of Deadpool, Maverick, a Talos robot, Janice Hollenbeck, and Omega Red.
• The comics would eventually explain that Cyclops could not control his powers because of trauma. Here, Rogue is unable to control the powers even though she has not had any such trauma. However, that explanation came after this series so Cyclops' uncontrolled powers have a different reason.
• Apparently, Xavier can either control his chair psychically or was able to move a button with his mind to make it come to him.
• Magneto is partially correct. In his flashback he was apparently taken by Nazi men to probably a German internment camp, which he promises to never let happen again. Kelly, in his address, states he wants to send mutants to internment camps.
• It is shown that the X-Men's War Room is on the ground floor of the mansion.

Continuity

• First appearance of Deadpool, Maverick, Talos, Mystique (possibly), and Omega Red
• First mention of Storm's claustrophobia.
• Homo superior, the scientific name for mutant, is stated for the first time. Indicating that at least some believe mutants to be a separate species.
• Although Wolverine indicates more than one person, he believes that Sabretooth killed Silver Fox. The episode "Weapon X, Lies and Videotape" would reveal that Fox had not been killed but that memory was implanted. Which leaves open questions of whether Sabretooth killed any of Wolverine's friends or if they were even friends at all.
• The Blackbird's seaside hanger door is seen for the first time.
• First indication that Sabretooth can heal and has an acute sense of smell like Wolverine.
• Senator Kelly announces his intentions to run for President of the United Sates. He would win the election in "The Final Decision" and take office in "Till Death Do Us Part, Part One".

Reception

"Stu" of Marvel Animation Age felt the episode had one great moment after another. Xavier vs Magneto. Wolverine vs Sabretooth. Rogue absorbing Cyclop's powers. Magneto is a credible threat but his motivation makes him sympathetic. Jubilee may have hindered the series but was nice to see that "her stupidity is rewarded here."

On TV.com the episode has a rating of 9.0 Superb.

External Links

• Marvel Animated Age
• Internet Movie Database
• TV.com
• Internet Movie Database
• Marvel Database