Episode:Have Yourself A Morlock Little X-Mas

This article is written from the Real World perspective

◄ "Have Yourself A Morlock Little X-Mas" ►
Series	X-Men
Release Date	December 23, 1995
Season Number	13 of 17
Episode Number	57 of 76
Writer	Eric Lewald Larry Parr Bob Harras (Story Consultant)
Director	Larry Houston Fred Miller (Supervising Director)
22 images More information Guest Stars Ross Petty (Ape) Susan Roman (Callisto) Kay Tremblay (Annalee) John Stocker (Leech) Unknown (Mariana)

Twas the day before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring because a Morlock needed help. The X-Men rushed off to provide some health care, in hopes that the Grim Reaper would not be there.

Story

It's Christmas time and the X-Men are decorating the house. Rogue, Jubilation Lee, and Scott Summers 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 Remy LeBeau and Jean Grey are trying to cook some 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, Hank McCoy is also preparing a yule tide beverage.

Down below, Charles Xavier and Ororo Munroe 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 Chrsitmas shopping with her and Ororo.

While shopping Jubilee is so excited she doesn't know where to stop. On the other hand, Logan 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 Ororo 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 Ororo 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.

Ororo believes them and commands the others to follow. Jubilee grabs all her presents before leaving.

In the Morlock tunnels, 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.

Ororo refuses to accept that Leech is already lost. Jubilee questions whether Logan can use his powers to help, but he claims it's impossible. Ororo 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.

Ororo 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 Hank and his medical kit there. Meanwhile, Logan remains the only way to keep Leech alive.

Back at the mansion, Jean and Remy are still arguing over how to cook dinner. Xavier bursts in to tell Rogue to fly Hank 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. Hank arrives and the Morlocks beg him to help. However, it seems the transfusion helped after all and Leech appears fine.

Oror 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 over the Morlocks 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 Remy 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 Jubilation Lee

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

-Jean Grey to Remy LeBeau

"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 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."

-Professor X

"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 Jubilation Lee

"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 Ororo Munroe

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

-Ororo Munroe and Callisto

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

-Jubilation Lee

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

-Jubilation Lee 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 [Leech]."

-Callisto and Logan

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

-Logan

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

-Mariana and Jubilation Lee

"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."

-Jubilation Lee and Ororo Munroe

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

-Beast referencing The Aeneid

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

-Ororo Munroe

"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!"

-Remy LeBeau and Jean Grey

Trivia

• The title is based off the popular Christmas song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
• X-Mas is an acceptable and popular alternative term for Christmas, with X being a Greek symbol for Christ. It also ties in well with the X-Men's use of the letter X.
• 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, Iceman, and Lorna Dane. 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.
• 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. This is also not based on any event in the comics.
• Only Beast and Rogue appear in their X-Men uniform. Though Jubilee does wear her thermal outfit from "Red Dawn".

• Only episode to feature a direct message to the audience. Though Storm does come close to breaking the fourth wall when talking to Jubilee.
• The scene during the end credits is Morph saying good bye during "Courage".

Goofs

• 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. It's possible this episode is meant to take place much earlier in the series or she always spent the holiday with her foster mother and father.
• 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, all the background people 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 revealing that the footage was merely reversed.
• 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 despite the warning that he was too ill to move.
• 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.
• The color of the Morlock's tree changes color.

Continuity

• The only Christmas-centric episode in the Marvel Animated Universe.
• First usage of Wolverine's nickname "Wolvie."
• First major appearance of the Morlocks since "Out of the Past, Part Two".
• Only appearance of Mariana.
• Storm finally gives up her position as leader of the Morlocks that she attained in "Captive Hearts".
• Other Morlocks seen in the episode include Plague, Sunder, Glow Worm, Scaleface, Erg, Masque, Tommy, and Tar Baby.
• Thing mentioned the Christmas figure Santa Claus and his reindeer in the Fantastic Four episode "Prey of the Black Panther".
• Christmas would not be mentioned again until the Spider-Man Unlimited episode "Sins of the Fathers".

Cast

Main Actor	Role(s)
Cedric Smith	Charles Xavier/Professor X
Norm Spencer	Scott Summers/Cyclops
Cal Dodd	Logan/Wolverine
Alison Sealy-Smith	Ororo Munroe/Storm
George Buza	Hank McCoy/Beast
Alyson Court	Jubilation Lee/Jubilee
Catherine Disher	Jean Grey
Lenore Zann	Rogue
Chris Potter	Remy LeBeau/Gambit
Ross Petty	Ape
Kay Tremblay	Annalee
Susan Roman	Callisto
John Stocker	Leech
Unknown	Mariana

Crew

Job	People
Director	Larry Houston
Supervising Director	Fred Miller
Writers	Eric Lewald Larry Parr
Story Consultant	Bob Harras
Story Editor	Eric Lewald
Developers	Eric Lewald Sidney Iwanter Mark Edward Edens
Creator	Margaret Loesch
Based on Marvel's "X-Men" Comics By	Jack Kirby Stan Lee
Executive Producer	Avi Arad Joseph Calamari Stan Lee Eric S. Rollman
Producer	Larry Houston
Line Producer	Frank Squillace
Supervising Producer	Scott Thomas
Music by	Shuki Levy Kussa Manchi
Composer	Ron Wasserman
Production Manager	Karen Goora Karen Kollis Leanne Moreau Kathleen Thorpe
Executive in Charge of Production	Dana C. Booton Stephanie Graziano
Post-Production Supervisor	Dan LaBorico
Storyboard Artist	Gery Acerno Troy Adomitis Patrick Archibald Del Barras Francis Barrios Armando Carrillo Romeo Francisco Greg Garcia Tenny Henson Rick Hoberg Tom Nesbitt Dave Simons Mike Sosnowski Frank Squillace Keith Tucker Daniel Veesenmeyer
Storyboard Cleanup	Pat Agnasin Gerald Forton Romeo Francisco Tenny Henson Abel Laxamana Romeo Lopez Mike Sosnowski
Storyboard Cleanup	Darrel Bowen Ernie Guanlao Mark Lewis Tec Manalac
Prop Designer	Darrel Bowen Claude Denis Warren Greenwood Mark Lewis Andres Nieves Steven Olds Shayne Poindexter
Audio Assistant	David W. Barr Brian Densmore Andrew Kines Don Sexton
Re-Recording Mixer	Mark Ettel
Sound Effects Editor	Martin Flores
Dialogue Editor	Michael Garcia Jamie Simone Laurie Wetzler
Sound Operations Manager	Xavier Garcia
Executive in Charge of Sound Operations	Clive H. Mizumoto
Foley Artist	Kalea Morton Taryn Simone
Recording Engineer	Rick Pacholko Paul Shubat
Sound Effects Design	Ron Salaises
Sound Effects Editor	Ron Salaises
Track Reader	Laurie Wetzler
Model Designer	Frank Brunner Mark Lewis
Layout Designer	Pat Agnasin Claude Denis Tenny Henson Cesar Magsombol Frank Squillace Zhaoping Wei
Timing Director	Dora Case Richard Collado Marlene Robinson May Erik Jan Peterson
Color Backgrounds	Sung Woo
Animation Director	J. K. Kim Sue Peters
Color Backgrounds	Yung Woo Kim Laura Rasey Miller
Clean-Up Artist: Character Design	Mark Lewis
Layout Producer	Frank Squillace
Layout Director	Frank Squillace
Ink and Paint Artist	Helga van den Berge
Videotape Coordinator	Jerry Buettner
Color Key	Patricia Mendelson
On-Line Editor	Scott Reynolds
Executive in Charge of Post-Production	Eric S. Rollman
Supervising Editor	Ron Salaises
Post-Production Coordinator	Francesca Weiss
Off-Line Editor	John C. Walts
Telecine Colorist	Lee Anne Went
Music Editor	Barron Abramovitch Mark Ryan
Music Engineer	Barron Abramovitch
Music Supervisor	Lloyd Michael Cook II Mark Ryan
Music Producer	Noam Kaniel Amotz Plessner Christopher Rife
Executive in Charge of Music	Ron Kenan
Music Assistant	Jeremy Sweet
Production Assistant	Linda De La Rosa
Overseas Supervisor	Cam Drysdale
Story Consultant	Bob Harras
Voice Director	Dan Hennessey
Voice Talent Coordinator	Elaine Justein
Developed for Television by	Eric Lewald

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 was accidentally left off.

Mariana was created specifically for the series. Though she bears a resemblance to a non-Morlock character named Marrina Smallwood, who has ties to Namor and has been a member of both Alpha Flight and the Avengers.

The episode aired on December 23rd, 1995 airing after the conclusion of the Beyond Good and Evil story-arc, though it was developed to be set before "The End of Time".

Reaction

"Stu" of Marvel Animation Age said that he never cared for special Christmas episodes mostly because they were badly written and he thought this was no exception. He never did care for the Molock episodes thinking their designs were bad, characters dull, and Leech being the most annoying making it hard to pluck at his heartstrings. He never really understood why so many Christmas episodes focused on pointing out that there are less fortunate ones out there when it should be a time of celebrating and being with family. He felt Jubilee taking Logan shopping was painful to watch and didn't think he would ever do that. He noted some humor but felt it was poor. He did like the final scene with Remy and Jean. "Having Yourself A Morlock Little Xmas is arguably the show's weakest episode. If you didn't see this then you haven't missed anything."

Comic Book Resources ranked this as the eighth top tear-jerking episode of the series. "The Morlocks have always been outsiders to the outsiders. The underground mutants have had their scuffles in the past with the X-Men. Their initial appearance in episode five of season one, "Captive Hearts", showcased Storm winning leadership of the Morlocks from Calypso, their original leader. In season four episode twelve, new light is shed upon these sewer-dwelling mutants along with Storm's ignored responsibility. During Christmas Eve, the Morlocks raid an ambulance to aid their fellow Morlock, Leech. While Leech's health dwindles, Calypso pecks at Storm's guilt. Storm's determination pushes Wolverine to attempt a blood transfusion with Leech. This is all in hope of a Christmas miracle to have Wolverine's healing factor fuel Leech's recovery."

The episode has a rating of a 6.2 on the Internet Movie Database.

External Links

• Marvel Animation Age
• Internet Movie Database
• Marvel Database