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Quote1 So much for our night off. Quote2
Jean Grey

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Synopsis

The X-Men train in the Danger Room, supervised in the control room by Professor Xavier and Cyclops. When the walls and ceiling close in, Storm is stricken by claustrophobia and loses control of her powers. After the program is deactivated, Storm admits she would rather not lead the team. Jean goes to visit Wolverine, who is still recuperating after being attacked by Sabertooth (in the previous episode, "Deadly Reunions"), only to find that he is exercising rather than resting. There is a moment of tension between them: Jean says that Cyclops is waiting for her, and Wolverine confesses that he is waiting for her too.

Jean and Cyclops, in civilian clothes, go to see The Phantom of the Opera. As they leave, they see a small mutant boy (Leech) steal some fruit from a stall, only to be chased by a violent human mob. He runs into a subway station where he meets his friends, the Morlocks. The Morlocks attack the humans, and Jean and Cyclops go to defend them, only to be rendered unconscious by Annalee. Sunder and the Morlocks' leader, Callisto bring Cyclops and Jean and the other humans down to the Morlock tunnels.

Cyclops wakes up without his visor, and discovers that he is tied down and that his mutant powers are not working. Leech reveals that he has taken away Cyclops' powers, as thanks for trying to help Leech earlier. Cyclops is brought before Callisto, who reveals that the Morlocks are mutants too deformed to pass as human on the surface. Callisto wants him as her companion, to provide her with an heir. Cyclops refuses and demands to see Jean, who is chained up. Nevertheless, Jean breaks free, fights off the guards with her telekinesis, then sends a telepathic message to Xavier before she is re-captured.

Xavier sends the remaining X-Men (except Jubilee) into the subway to rescue Scott and Jean. The Morlocks ambush the X-Men, but they escape and crawl through a tunnel. Rogue and Gambit are concerned about Storm, but she says she is fine and Wolverine insists that this is Storm's decision. Later, when they are forced through even narrower gaps, Wolverine insists that they let Storm ask for help.

The X-Men find Jean, who now believes that she is Annalee's daughter. When Wolverine scares Annalee away, her hold on Jean ends. They go to find Cyclops, only for Callisto to reveal that Cyclops is dead. Wolverine, however, sees through the deception due to his heightened sense of smell: Cyclops' body is actually that of Ape, a shape-shifting Morlock.

The X-Men battle the Morlocks. The X-Men seem to have the upper hand until the Morlock Plague gives Gambit a fever, and Storm tells Rogue to get him back to the Mansion. Meanwhile, Wolverine locates Cyclops while chasing a fleeing Callisto. He briefly considers getting rid of Cyclops, but decides against it as he could not stand to see Jean cry. An eavesdropping Callisto realizes that Wolverine is in love with Jean. Once Wolverine rejoins Storm and Jean, Annalee uses her powers to try and convince Wolverine to go through with it and kill Cyclops. Jean stops him, and disables Annalee, breaking the spell.

With the X-Men surrounded and about to be executed, Storm challenges Callisto to a duel for Cyclops' life and leadership of the Morlocks. Callisto agrees, as long as Storm does not use her mutant powers. Storm nevertheless wins, and offers the Morlocks safe haven at the Xavier Mansion. They chose to remain in their tunnels, and Storm says that Callisto will rule the Morlocks in Storm's absence.

Back at the Mansion, Gambit is recovering well and Xavier congratulates Storm for a job well done. Scott and Jean go to thank Wolverine, only to discover that he has left the Institute.

Notes

  • This episode is loosely based on events depicted in Uncanny X-Men #169 (May 1983) and Uncanny X-Men #170 (June 1983), except that the X-Man kidnapped by Morlocks in those stories was Angel, rather than Cyclops.
  • Cast regular Beast does not appear in this episode.
  • While the X-Men train in the Danger Room, Professor Xavier refers to Morph's death (from "Night of the Sentinels, Part 2").
  • After Jean and Scott leave the theater, pictures of Magneto and a Sentinel can be seen as they pass a newsstand.
  • Callisto shows clips from "Night of the Sentinels, Part 2" to show why she chose Cyclops as her heir.
  • Cyclops reveals in this episode that sunlight fuels his power.
  • Wolverine is in love with Jean, and resents Cyclops for being involved with her. At the end of the episode he disappears. It is revealed in the next episode, "Cold Vengeance", that he has traveled north to Canada.

Trivia

  • Jean and Scott going to see The Phantom of the Opera seems appropriate, since the title character in that play hides himself away in tunnels underground, just as the Morlocks do in this episode.
  • Cyclops' eyes are revealed to be brown.

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