Episode 4 of X-Men ’97, titled “Motendo / Lifedeath Part 1,” throws Jubilee and Roberto into a terrifying world: a deadly video game! While investigating a mysterious video console called the Motendo, Jubilee and Roberto get sucked into its digital world. Forget side-scrolling adventures and cute power-ups. This is a twisted arena where survival is the only reward, and the stakes are anything but pixelated.
The mastermind behind this virtual nightmare is Mojo, a sadistic villain who thrives on forcing mutants to fight for his amusement. Imagine a grotesque game show host crossed with a troll doll dipped in radioactive waste with robotic spider legs, and you’ve got Mojo. He throws Jubilee and Roberto into a series of brutal challenges based on Jubilee’s own memories, making things extra personal. But Jubilee’s not one to back down from a fight, especially not in a world where her firecracker powers are actually useful. Ok – let’s be honest with ourselves here for a moment. Jubilee’s powers were garbage 30 years ago and it’s garbage today. There, I said it.
Here’s where things get interesting: Jubilee encounters an older, digital version of herself within the game. This alternate Jubilee, a seasoned warrior with years of survival experience, becomes her unlikely guide. This future Jubilee is a fascinating twist. We learn that in this digital reality, Jubilee hacked her way out of the game made by Mojo during the beta testing phase, where other copies of Jubilee and Roberto never made it. Together, they fight their way through the game’s twisted landscapes, facing off against digitized Sentinels and other digital foes (some serious nostalgia kicks in a la X-Men arcade style) with the older Jubilee serving as sort of a mentor very briefly to her younger counterpart.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, Storm is struggling to come to terms with her lost powers. Seeking help, she finds herself in the secluded cabin of Forge, a brilliant inventor with a mysterious past. There’s a sweet moment where Forge takes Storm horseback riding through the desert and provides a brief respite from her sorrows. Forge, whose mutant ability allows him to invent seemingly anything, has created some sort of chamber that can restore Storm’s connection to the weather.
During this conversation, he reveals the collars that are used to restrict a mutant’s powers were originally his design, but were altered and misused by the government. Of course, Storm feels betrayed because the same tech that was used for the collars was used in the gun’s blast that hit her back in episode two. But Storm abruptly ends their conversation and goes out riding during a thunderstorm, or so she thought. Her therapeutic ride is interrupted by a monstrous, shadowy figure – The Adversary – who attacks her, and somehow ends up back in Forge’s cabin.
The creature looks like a living nightmare, a gigantic, demented-looking bird with glowing red eyes and teeth to match. Storm, powerless and desperate, can only watch as Forge scrambles to her defense, resulting in him being bitten and seemingly infected with…something, and is then hurled against the wall like a sack of potatoes. The episode ends on a cliffhanger with the Adversary embracing Ororo in its terrifying grip, with her eyes filled with fear. I’m sure there will be much more to witness in Storm’s journey, hopefully restoring her to greatness with more power than before. Stay tuned as we recap episode five!
X-Men ’97 is currently available to stream on Disney+. New episodes debut every Wednesday.
Hey! I’m Lais a.k.a. Chipz-N-Stix and I love video games and nerd culture overall. I typically do reviews and impressions on video games as well as offer some helpful tips and tricks to enhance your gaming experience. From time to time I tend to touch on certain topics that get you thinking – things that would matter to the individual. I’m also a self-proclaimed Pokemon Master but that doesn’t mean you can outright challenge me. I have to “motivate” my team for that!
