| This article is written from the Real World perspective |  |
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| Series | X-Men | ||||||||
| Release Date | October 23, 1993 | ||||||||
| Episode Number | 14 | ||||||||
| Writer | Mark Edward Edens | ||||||||
| Director | Larry Houston | ||||||||
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When everything seems to be going right for the X-Men can they stay together while facing enemies from without and within?
Story
Cyclops, in his uniform, runs around a dusty abandoned building while Logan, in a nice suit, chases after him.
Meanwhile, at a church Scott is getting married to Jean Grey. The wedding goes on at the same time Logan and Cyclops are fighting.
Logan stabs Cyclops and he is revealed to be a robot with the holographic image of Cyclops that can shoot lasers. Logan decapitates the robot but is attacked by another "Cyclops" from behind. This one turns into a large Sentinel-like robot. Logan decapitates this one but even without its body it proves to be dangerous.
At the reception Jean senses Logan's distress and leaves. Remy tries to kiss Rogue as part of a Cajun tradition but she stops him. Scott asks the Reverend to stay but he says that he has other commitments and must go.
Outside, the reverend suddenly becomes the long lost, and thought dead, Morph.
Meanwhile, during Robert Kelly's inauguration a man dresses himself as a monster.
Back at the Xavier Mansion Jean throws the bouquet. Jubilee wants it, but Rogue tells her she is too young. However, it is Beast who ends up with it.
At the White House Kelly's first act as President is issuing a full pardon to Dr. Henry McCoy.
Just as he does a mysterious man speaks into a communicator and the monster dressed man bursts into the room. Before he is captured he breaks a window and runs out. The man mysteriously says that phase one is complete and to begin phase two.
In the Danger Room Logan, now beaten and battered, is greeted by Jean Grey. He makes an excuse as to why he didn't show up at the wedding, but she has to leave to catch a plane with Scott.
At a hotel, Morph is arguing with himself. One side remembers that the X-Men are his friends. The other remembers that they abandoned him and left him to die. He vows to kill all the X-Men but wonders what is making him do this.
A gang running loose sets fire to a burger place and spray paints a large M on the door. They also surround a mutant who only appears different and has no powers to speak of. They attack various places that advertise that they serve mutants and chase two Morlocks through the streets.
No one knows why this group is doing this except for Charles Xavier. When the X-Men saved Kelly's life he switched positions and became a supporter for mutant rights. His then-followers felt betrayed and went out on their own.
Storm wants to stand up to these men or else their intolerance will grow. Xavier gets a message on his private video line and leaves.
The message is from Magneto. He appears in great pain and desperately seeks his help. He tells Xavier to meet him at a certain point, in Antarctica.
However, it is revealed to be only Morph standing in front of a screen projecting fire.
Logan, Gambit, and Beast are playing pool when an explosion goes off. The place is being attacked for serving mutants.
During the fray Beast takes a man's rifle away from him, unbeknownst that he is being filmed. After the gang leaves the three hear police sirens and decide that a crime scene is not the best place for a person recently pardoned.
At the mansion, the X-Men view a message from Xavier telling him he had to leave on a personal mission and that Storm will be in charge until Cyclops gets back. Jubilee then tells them about a news report showing Beast wielding the weapon and "attacking" a car of civilians.
The gang set them up so their defense appeared as an attack. Storm wishes to expose this new anti-mutant conspiracy and not add to the fire, but Wolverine simply wants to go after them.
Morph witnesses Wolverine leaving in his Jeep and turns into him with the intention of causing some mayhem. He passes Rogue who tells him that she's going to sleep in the rec room.
Morph then becomes Rogue and begins flirting with Gambit. Morph-as-Rogue says that she's been lying and can touch others, and to meet her in the rec room soon to find out. Outside the War Room Morph becomes Storm and tells Jubilee to go to a mutant halfway home where violence is expected to occur.
In the rec room, Gambit finds the real Rogue sleeping. He kisses her thinking that is what she wants but instead she absorbs his powers and he falls unconscious.
Jubilee arrives at a Veteran's Club only to find it filled with the gang members.
Storm watches the news as more anti-mutant violence breaks out. Rogue enters with the unconscious Gambit and the inability to control his powers. Storm decides to try to help but cannot find Jubilee. However, Beast promises that if they go on ahead he will catch up.
Of course this Beast turns out to be Morph and the real Beast is in the Danger Room training. Morph then turns the danger level to high and watches as Beast jumps and flips for his life.
In the streets, the gang attacks and sets fire to a Mutant Counseling Center.
Rogue and Storm arrive to put out the fire and to try to stop the gang. Rogue leaves after Storm assures her that she can handle the gang alone until Beast arrives.
Morph arrives wanting to see his former friends pay. When the police do nothing he transforms and orders them to fire on Storm with full power. Storm is hit multiple times and is taken away in an ambulance.
A mysterious person watches news footage of Storm being taken away and wishes Morph good luck with his revenge. Just as he's having with his.
Quotes
"YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!"
- -Logan to the Cyclops android
"Where I come from we always kiss the bride."
- -Remy LeBeau
"I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep."
- -Reverend (Morph) quoting Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
"I, Robert Jefferson Kelly, do solemnly swear that I will defend the Constitution of the United States of America, and that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of the President."
- -Senator Robert Kelly becoming President Kelly
"No fair flying Rogue"
"Gal, you're too young to be catching bouquets anyways."
- -Jubilee and Rogue
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."
- -Beast quoting Romeo and Juliet
"You were elected to protect us from mutants! Mutant lovers!"
- -Graydon Creed Jr.
"We missed you at the wedding."
"I...I must have lost track of time. I'm sorry I couldn't be there."
- -Jean Grey and Logan
"You will destroy them all."
- -Mister Sinister in Morph's flashback
"NO MORE MUTANTS! NO MORE MUTANTS!"
- -Friends of Humanity chant
"I hear ya don't like mutants. Well we don't much like you."
- -Logan to a Friends of Humanity member
"Don't ya'll leave now, the fun's just startin'."
- -Gambit
"Makin' copies!"
- -Morph, quoting Saturday Night live
"Looks like I keep you waitin' too long. Or maybe you want me to wake you up with a kiss."
- -Gambit
"'Gambit, you could not have chosen a worse time to be a fool."
- -Storm
"Good luck with your revenge Morph. I know I am."
- -Mister Sinister
Trivia
- Morph as the Reverend quotes the Robert Frost poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.
- At the wedding Scott is wearing white glasses. While the comics state that only ruby can stop his eyebeams, the series does not give that same explanation. Therefore it could be comprised of another substance which stops the beams, or it could somehow be colored rubies.
- Beast quotes William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 Scene 2.
- The mutant disguise appears to be based off Sabretooth.
- One of the license plates at the wedding is CAM-D.
- One of the few times to use the word "kill."
- Mole, the mutant who only looks different, does have powers in the comics, matter manipulation.
- Morph's line "Makin' copies" is a quote from a Rob Schneider skit on Saturday Night Live.
- The coordinates that Morph gives Xavier are 75°SW 139°E.
- This episode offers a rare, if pseudo, glimpse into homosexuality as Morph flirts with another man, although he is doing so in the guise of a woman.
- Apparently Morph believes that Jubilee took his place, since she did join at the same time Morph "died."
- Jubilee has a poster of what appears to be Elvis Presley, the later fatter version.
- Gambit references Sleeping Beauty when he tries to wake Rogue.
Goofs
- It's highly unlikely just anyone could get past the Secret Service into the White House to attack the President. It's even more unlikely that he would have gotten away, thus revealing that he was simply a human in a disguise.
- When Morph-as-Wolverine goes into the Mansion Rogue has a steaming cup of something (probably coffee) in her cup. When she walks away the cup is on it's side and nothing spills out even though she clearly did not drink any of it.
- The latitude coordinates Morph gives should be 75° S iso SW.
- Why would Rogue leave the fight at all when she seems to be helping in spite of the uncontrolled usage of Gambit's powers?
Continuity
- Begins a season long story-arc involving the Savage Land, Mister Sinister, and Morph.
- This would mark the first full appearances of the major villains Graydon Creed Jr., Friends of Humanity, and Mister Sinister (who only had a voice-over cameo in the previous episode). Creed and Sinister are not named in this episode.
- Robert Kelly's middle name is revealed to be Jefferson. In the comics, his middle name is Edward.
- Jean Grey and Scott Summers get married in this episode. However, Morph does not have the proper license to marry others. They would get married for real in "The End Of Time".
- It is claimed that "The Final Decision" took place "last year." However, it may not have been a year since. This episode takes place on inauguration day, which is January 20th. Anything taking place on December 31st, just twenty-one days before, would still be considered "last year."
- Robert Kelly is sworn in as President of the United States of America and remains so for the rest of the series. This would create ambiguities with Fantastic Four and Iron Man where real life president Bill Clinton is shown in office. A possible in-universe explanation would be that Fantastic Four Season One and Iron Man Season One take place before the election of the Unnamed President, either four or eight years earlier, and thus before the events of X-Men.
- Morph is revealed to be still alive from "Night Of The Sentinels, Part Two". This also shows the actual blast that supposedly killed Morph. Previously it was left to the imagination.
- Mister Sinister mentions his revenge but it is not elaborated on until "Descent".
Background
Originally, Morph was intended to be a throwaway character, an attempt by the show's creators to show the dangers the X-Men face, that even one of their members can die. But he proved so popular in his two appearances, he was brought back in a large role for season two and would reappear throughout the series.
In the comics, Senator Kelly was seeking the presidency when he was killed. He was killed by an anti-mutant extremist who felt betrayed that Kelly softened his stance on mutants, like the attack in this episode, though he did not fully abandon them.
Reaction
"Stu" of Marvel Animation Age praised the new animation that came with this season. He felt that Sinister made an excellent villain, and unlike Magneto was really evil, and even "scared the crap out of" him. The FoH were the perfect enemies for the X-Men, a symbol of the prejudice that they fought against. Morph coming back was not only a major surprise but shocking to see what he had become.
The episode has a 9.1 superb rating on TV.com.