‘X-Men ’97’ Episode 5 Recap – Gambit’s Sacrifice And A Mutant Future In Doubt 

Episode 5 of X-Men ’97, titled “Remember It,” throws a mutant-sized wrench into everything. The episode opens up to a TV special, an exclusive interview of the X-Men by Trish Tilby, a news reporter for FC News. We get to see various X-Men interviewed in this special and at the same time Gambit, Magneto, and Rogue are on their way to Genosha which has now become a member of the U.N. Genosha, a nation specifically for mutants, is portrayed as a beautiful paradise filled with happiness, celebrations, and smiles from everyone living there. 

What greets our X-Men into Genosha are two monumental statues of both Magneto and Charles Xavier – visionaries who fought for mutant rights and acceptance, even though they both went about achieving that goal in different ways.  We see some familiar faces, such as Leech from The Morlocks as well as some new ones, and everyone’s having a grand old time. Just watching this scene alone automatically paints a picture of freedom. Of peace. It makes you want to join them so much, the contrast between Genosha and the USA is literally night and day. Madelyne is back in this episode and she greets our heroes upon their arrival.

After the brief meet-and-greet, we see our beloved old friend Nightcrawler poof onto the scene! It’s always a joy to see Kurt Wagner in anything, really. This guy’s optimism and scholarly wisdom always fit any occasion, and this time it’s no different. His role in Genosha is to help with the various communities of faith – I mean the guy’s a devout Christian so it only makes sense. As Kurt takes Gambit and Rogue on a tour of the city, Gambit asks a poignant question: “Why is Magneto suddenly mutant MVP?”. 

The scene shows a reflection of Magneto’s gigantic monument in a building’s reflection. Pay attention to what happens in this episode because there’s a lot of foreshadowing going on and it’s quite telling what will happen. Kurt and Gambit’s conversation about his love for Rogue isn’t necessarily a sad one, but more so advice for Gambit and it even gives our loveable Cajun a spark of hope. Scott and Jean’s love story is a whirlwind of telepathic connection, love, and complicated choices. Initially, their bond thrives on their shared love both physically and…er…telepathically, creating a deep emotional connection. 

However, things get messy when Jean comes back into the mansion. During her absence, Scott unknowingly forms a telepathic rapport with Madelyne Pryor, a woman with an uncanny (see what I did there?) resemblance to Jean. This emotional intimacy blurs the lines because now that the truth is out, Scott doesn’t know who he’s really in love with. This leads to a psychic affair that creates a further wedge between Scott and Jean, once she finds out. This has been going on for about a month, but can we really blame Scott?

Scott, guilt-ridden and confused, tries to navigate this new reality. To add fuel to the fire, an interview with reporter Trish Tilby turns into a public spectacle. Trish, fueled by hidden motives, hits a severely soft spot by asking him questions about him, Jean, and their son Nathan (Cable). This doesn’t go over well with Scott and he flips out during his interview leaving Trish in utter shock. This complex web of love, loss, telepathic entanglement, and now public scrutiny paints a picture of a romance constantly teetering on the edge of collapse.

Meanwhile, back at Genosha, The Interim Council consists of former foes Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, and Callisto from the Morlocks, as well as known allies Banshee and Moira Taggert. It’s here we find out that the council invites Magneto to rule Genosha and be their leader. It’s a shocking offer, considering Magneto’s past attempts at “terrorism”. But here’s the twist: Magneto wants Rogue by his side as his queen. This throws Rogue into a major emotional blender. On one hand, there’s Gambit, the charming lover-boy with a heart of gold. On the other, there’s Magneto, a powerful figure who promises a safe haven for mutants.

Remember the foreshadowing I spoke of earlier? It starts to kick into high gear when Magneto quotes his friend Charles. “Magneto, any dream worth having is a dream worth dying for.” Magneto continues to say, “ We thought we’d perish before seeing the day when humanity accepted our people. Like Moses and the Promised Land, we would carry the dream but never live it”. After discussing it with Rogue, he reveals the contingency of his rule is a political one. They would gain more trust with the U.N. if an X-man were to rule by his side. 

This next scene bounces between the mansion and Genosha so stick with me, because things are about to turn up. Scott and Jean’s argument gets interrupted by a psychic flashback -but more on that in a bit. Back on Genosha, Gambit gets a visit from Rogue and tells him all about her history with Magneto, and of course, we kind of saw this coming. The complicated love triangle between Gambit, Rogue, and Magneto has been built up over the last four episodes and it’s finally coming to a head. It’s sad to watch their relationship come to an end as we see Gambit saying he would still be her friend.

The next scene opens up with some beautiful nighttime fireworks and an outline of The Watcher – you just know things are going to go wrong whenever this guy shows up. Sebastian, Emma, Magneto, and Valerie Cooper briefly discuss Magneto’s new position as ruler but is reassured everything will be alright because Rogue decided to join him as Queen. This is where things start to get very interesting – Rogue makes an entrance like no other and invites Magneto for a dance…but in the air! Some of you may recognize this song from the 90s by a group named Ace of Base called Happy Nation. Feel free to enjoy this ominous yet happy tune while the free-spirited mutants dance the night away – because for some of them, it’ll be their last.

Back to that psychic blast Jean experienced – Madelyne gets hit with one just like it at the same time. This psychic connection that both Jean and Madelyne share gives us a flashback to the bone-chilling vision Madelyne experienced in episode one: utter devastation. The music is still playing as Madelyne stumbles onto the balcony, only to find Cable there to deliver the warning to get everybody out. Turns out, the vision becomes terrifyingly real when a giant Sentinel named Mastermold attacks Genosha!

Picture this: a monstrous robot with three heads rampaging through a city, destroying everything in sight including mutants. Panic erupts as mutants desperately fight and run for their lives. Right before this new version of Mastermold attempts to turn Magneto and Rogue into dust, our boy Kurt comes out of nowhere to save the day and teleports them to safety. However, Kurt sustained some damage from the blast and is down and out. It’s here on this battered rooftop we see various familiar faces also out for the count. One of them is Callisto, who dies from her injuries.

The X-Men, including a heartbroken Gambit, arrive to face Mastermold and the sentinels head-on. What follows is an epic battle – hard-hitting fists, kinetic blasts, and magnetized debris meet laser beams, with the fate of Genosha hanging in the balance. Magneto steps up to be the hero and unleashes his full magnetic power, trying to hold Mastermold back and give the remaining X-Men and mutants a chance to escape. But Mastermold is just too powerful. Magneto makes a heart-wrenching decision. 

He uses his remaining strength to keep both Rogue and Gambit away from the oncoming blast, as he gives Rogue a mixed look of admiration and sadness, a gaze only a lover can give. One that would be imprinted upon one’s mind forever. A young and frightened Leech Looks up at Magneto, with a hopeful look that maybe his newfound King will protect him and his comrades. With a sorrowful expression, Magneto tells Leech in his native tongue “Do not be afraid” as his strength gives way, embracing the inevitable. 

With eyes filled with tears and a heart full of rage, Rogue makes her move to take down Mastermold with all of her might. However, a level-headed Gambit knows she can’t do this on her own. Instead, he grabs the leaking motorcycle and charges straight for her, knocking her out of the way just in time to dodge Mastermold’s death beams. Gambit has one more ace up his sleeve – with his flashy moves and kinetic prowess, he makes the ultimate sacrifice, saving everyone from death from above. Mastermold gets the better of him, or so it seems. As Mastermold foolishly thinks Gambit is “eliminated”, he charges the mechanic arm with all of his kinetic powers and blows Mastermold to smithereens, taking himself out in the process in a blaze of glory. 

X-Men ‘97 has been an amazing ride up until this point and I know for a fact the rest of the season will keep that same energy. As tough as it was to watch this episode and not feel heartbroken over the many losses we’ve experienced, it dawned on me this episode is packed to the brim with so much meaning behind it – from the philosophical quotes to the music selection, everything is truly a work of art. I stated earlier that the song Magneto and Rogue danced to is from Ace of Base called Happy Nation. The very beginning of the song is in Latin but seems to be muddled to fit their song and can be translated into the following:

Laudate omnes gentes laudate
Praise him, all people
Magnificat in secula
Greatly praise [God] forever
Et anima mea laudate
And praise, my soul
Magnificat in secula
The greatest in all time

When you listen to this song and watch the episode over, it can be interpreted as Magneto being the one worthy of praise (and not necessarily looked at as a god). This is supported by the love he received from the people of Genosha when he first arrived. The rest of the lyrics fit everything perfectly and are a capsulation of all the episodes up to this point. We shall remember our dear Erik Magnus, not as the villain we thought him to be, but as a shining beacon of hope for mutants. And to honor our fallen hero in his native tongue:

Lang lebe der König 
Es lebe Magneto
Long live the King
Long live Magneto

X-Men ’97 is currently available to stream on Disney+. New episodes debut every Wednesday.