This week is a super happy and joyful episode.
We kick things off with TV journalist Trish Tilby doing a special segment on the X-Men. She goes around interviewing different members talking about human and mutant relations. She shows the X-Men doing different things like playing basketball and standing around looking depressed in the kitchen. Good job Trish.
The segment is wrapped up with an update that the U.N. has accepted the mutant-nation Genosha into the fold, which is great for all mutants, which is also a perfect transition to our romantically complicated trio of Gambit, Rogue and Magneto who are flying to Genosha to do X-Men-like things. As they arrive at the lush tropical island, they are fascinated to see how far Genosha has come along, almost looking like a mutant version of Wakanda. As they land, they are greeted by our favorite version of Jean Grey, Madeline Pryor and Val Cooper. It’s revealed Madeline sits on the council that heads up Genosha and this said council wants to meet with Magento. Our girl Madeline has really moved up!
Back at the mansion, Trish gets super gossipy as she starts to interview Cyclops, asking about his relationship, Jean Grey aka Marvel Girl the boring original. If only Trish knew what a mess that was, she would be calling up People magazine right away. This transitions to Jean Grey playing with water outside the X-Mansion in a lagoon where she is replaying all her memories, or at least trying to figure out which ones are really hers. Logan shows up for some friendly chit chat which leads them to a more intimate conversation, which makes Jean go in for a kiss. Logan pulls away revealing he shouldn’t do it, because she belongs with Scott. Damn, not even Logan wants this version of Jean…
Trish keeps pushing Scott on his personal business, asking about baby Nathan (as Scott said he didn’t have a baby with Jean) accusing him of lying. Cyclops gives her a pretty brutal rebuttal that displays he has growing resentment towards humans. Not a good look, but she sure as heck was pushing him there.
Back at Genosha, we find out the council is composed of a colorful cast of characters that includes Madeline Pryor, Callisto, Banshee, Moira McTaggert, Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost. As they all throw shade in their own way and get snarky with each other, Magneto grows annoyed by them. However, they have summoned him there because they think he should be the one to lead the council and Genosha. Before making a decision, Magneto does what he does best, and gives a monologue on Professor X’s dream. He decides to take them up on their offer, but has one request before he does so, he needs a queen to rule with him.
Later on, elsewhere in Genosha, we quickly find out it’s Rogue he wants to rule by his side. Rogue is not happy about this feeling that he’s been tricking them all along, and that he was only with the X-Men to get a role in Genosha as the head honcho. He reassures her that was not his original plan, and convinces her to accept.
Back at the X-Mansion we find Cyclops talking to Jean in the bedroom, in what appears to be a vulnerable conversation discussing baby Nathan. They kiss, but all of a sudden we find out that’s not Jean and it’s not what it seems. It’s Madeline and Scott who are actually having a psychic affair, and Jean interrupts it angrily. Jean storms down the stairs angry at Scott for “cheating” on her. I mean, Jean, did you not just kiss Wolverine only moments ago?! And Scott’s situation is a bit more valid due to the circumstances. It’s a difficult situation but Jean seems to be unreasonable. Scott rebukes asking Jean if she really loves him or just the memory of him. But Jean is shot with a psychic blast in the head that neutralizes her, but unfortunately doesn’t kill her.
Back In Genosha it is now evening and Gambit is dressed all suave and sexy as he always looks. Rogue appears all teary eyed ready to talk to him. Rogue discloses to him her history with Magneto and how they were romantically linked back in the day. It might sound all romantic in theory, but when you look at the flashbacks Magneto almost comes off as a little…predatory towards Rogue. But that doesn’t matter because Rogue reveals that she is taking up the offer to be queen of Genosha. Gambit, being that champ he is, says it’s best if they just remain friends before walking away. Talk about missing out on a great guy.
We are then shown a beautiful starry night in Genosha where it appears someone is watching down below, as fireworks erupt in the sky. We are taken to a gala, where everyone is dressed super fancy. Madeline and Gambit are reconnecting over some drinks (maybe they should ship these two). In conversation with Emma Frost, Sebastian Shaw and Val Cooper, Magneto reveals that Rogue has agreed to rule beside him. Rogue then appears in a beautiful red dress as she floats down creating a scene. Magneto joins her in the air, as they rock to some Ace of Base. The dance gets super intimate and very PG-13 as Gambit watches in sadness below, eventually walking away. However, Rogue herself decides that perhaps Magento isn’t right for her and she rejects him.
Suddenly, Madeline is hit with the same psychic blast that Jean had back at X-Mansion. She runs off outside as visions of death flood her mind. Cable emerges from the crowd desperately telling everyone to leave and reaches Madeline. She is confused as to why he is there and he reveals once again he is too late. Madeline realizes then that Cable is Nathan, that her baby boy did survive. However, it’s too late, as Cable is transported back to his time before apologizing to his mom and leaves this timeline.
Then everything goes boom. A bright green light blasts everyone, as explosions surround the mutant citizens of the Genosha. There is chaos, confusion, and death all around them. Magneto and Rogue emerge from debris ready to fight and figure out what’s happening. A three-headed wild sentinel emerges, displaying its intense power, almost blowing up the duo, before Nightcrawler comes in and saves them. Nightcrawler is injured from the heroic act, and Gambit tends to him. Gambit reveals to Rogue and Magneto that countless mutants have died in these attacks, and we are shown numerous victims dead on the ground.
The wild sentinel unleashes more sentinels from within itself, creating more explosions and the massacre of more mutants. Rogue and Gambit team up to save the Morlocks who are trapped and make quick work of the sentinels that target them, showing everyone what a great duo they are. Magento is focused on the wild sentinel itself, trying to take it down, but even he is struggling with its potent blasts, knocking him into a large statue of Charles Xavier that comes crashing down, killing several mutants. Magneto can’t take it anymore after seeing so much death, he loses it and attacks the wild sentinel with a train, but it still seems to leave the beastly machine unscathed.
Gambit goes in to save the Morlocks, and brings them out to Magneto and Rogue. The Morlocks run to Magneto for protection, while Gambit tends to Rogue. The wild sentinel identifies Magneto as an omega level threat, and hone its blast directly onto him and Morlocks he is protecting. However, he creates an electromagnetic force field that prevents the blast from hitting him, protecting them. Rogue tries to help him, but Magento pushes her and Gambit back with his powers, protecting them. It becomes clear to Magneto that he is no match for the wild sentinel and is about to die. He looks at Rogue one last time, before he and the Morlocks are blasted into nothing.
Rogue emerges from the rubble pissed, flying directly towards the wild sentinel ready to take it down, but Gambit interferes by riding a motorcycle and lighting it up with his powers, hitting her with it, before knocking her out of the way. Gambit then goes to finish off the wild sentinel, but before he can the wild sentinel impales him with a sharp metallic tentacle. It pulls the now fatally injured Gambit in front of it. Gambit dying, smiles and tells the wild sentinel his name, as he lights up his kinetic power, now engulfing the wild sentinel in all his power like a glazed turkey, before uttering the last words of “Remember It” before it blows up into pieces.
Back at the X-Mansion, the X-Men watch in horror as the massacre and genocide of Genosha is displayed on TV before we are taken back to the island itself. There we pan over to a crater in the ground, and hear a woman crying.
It’s revealed that it’s Rogue and she is holding Gambit’s dead body, telling him she can’t feel him. 🙁