"Hated and Feared" Re-Watch: "A Rogue's Tale," "Beauty and the Beast" & "Mojovision"

 X-Men

We've got three episodes to cover in this post and they are all pretty different. We've got an origin story for Rogue, a love story featuring the Beast and the team's first visit to Mojoworld. It's a good time. Here we go.

"A Rogue's Tale"

Blob: "It's Miss Marvel."

Ms. Marvel: "That's 'Ms Marvel' to you, round boy!"

Rogue has been having bad dreams. It all seems to be linked to her time with Mystique, her foster mother, and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. When Rogue was working with them, she had a confronation with Ms. Marvel, that ended badly for the superhero. When Ms. Marvel re-appears in Rogue's life, it may be the one thing that Rogue can't deal with.

This is awkward.

This is another great example of "X-Men" being faithful to stories from the comics, but adjusting them to fit the tone and tenor of the animated series. In the comics, Rogue got her powers of flight, super strength and invulnerability from absorbing the powers of Carol Danvers, the Avenger known as Ms. Marvel. She also absorbed her memories and left her in a bad way for a while. 

I really do think that the animated series really is what helped make Rogue the fan favorite character that she is today. It all starts with the exemplary voice work of Lenore Zann. For as long as I read X-Men comics, I will forever read Rogue in her voice. And that is a huge deal. For me, she's up there with Kevin Conroy. And I can't wait to hear her reprise the role in the "X-Men '97" show that is premiering on Disney+ next year.

This whole episode is basically an origin story for Rogue. We see her as a child, absorbing the energy of the first boy she ever kissed. Trauma! And getting kicked out of the house by her redneck dad. I loved the nuance of her dad's shirt not covering his stomach. It really is little stuff like that that I really love.

This episode also explores the deeply dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship between Rogue and Mystique. It's difficult to know for sure if Mystique really loved Rogue or just wanted to use her or both. It's clear that the Mystique did love Rogue in her own way, but definitely saw her as a weapon and it feels like the only reason she is contacting Rogue now is to try to get her back with the Brotherhood. The appearance of the spirit of Carol Danvers taunting Rogue is really impactful and shows that this still sticks with her. And Rogue's parting shot to Mystique that she made her worse than a killer really hits hard.

Grade: A-

"Beauty and the Beast"

Graydon Creed: "We are the Friends of Humanity. We believe that mutants have their place. It's just not here with us... if you know what I mean."

Wolverine: "Extermination, like the rats that they are?"

Graydon Creed: "Well, you'll never hear me say that in public."

Beast is working to help restore the sight of a woman named Carly, who he's also fallen in love with. The FoH are not happy that a mutant is working a doctor for normal humans and neither is Carly's father. Beast recuses himself from the case, but Wolverine has had it with the FoH. He disguises himself as a human and infiltrates their base, learning some interesting information about their leader Graydon Creed in the process.

Get away from my daughter!

After spending the majority of season one in the clink and being sort of relegated to the background for a lot of season 2, we finally get an episode where Hank McCoy aka the Beast is the focal character. And it's fitting that this episode is a love story for the sensitive blue furred mutant. Now, if you're an X-Men comics fan you may be familiar with a miniseries from like the '80's called "Beauty & the Beast" that featured Beast and the pop star sound powered mutant Dazzler. This episode really only shares a name with that mini and Beast being a main character. Though I wouldn't mind seeing an animated adaptation of that. It'd be fun and Dazzler needs more screen time.

While I enjoy the focus on Beast, I do feel like this episode is a bit run of the mill. A little paint by numbers. I appreciate this mutant/human romance, particularly since Beast isn't the most human looking mutant. It definitely gives me the Thing/Alicia Masters vibes. The Thing is a rocky creature and his longtime girlfriend is blind. I guess it's fine to crib from your fellow properties, right? One of the issues is that it's difficult to get too invested in Beast and Carly's relationship because this is the only episode she appears in and we never see her again. I'm pretty sure she's not even mentioned again after this. Plus her dad is kind of a bad caricature. It's cute overall, I guess, but really just kind of meh.

The secondary plot of the episode is the part I like the most. Logan is sick of these FoH losers and so he decides to take matters into his own hands by infiltrating the group. As you all know, the X-Men are an analogy for any oppressed group and I always see them as an analogy for queer people. When Logan shows up at the FoH headquarters in his ball cap, tight black t and aviators, it definitely gives me like queer dude trying to mask as straight vibes and I'm here for it. The big revelation here is that the father of Graydon Creed is Logan's nemesis, Victor Creed aka Sabretooth. And like, this just goes to show that Wolverine is messy as hell. The look on his face when he finds out Creed's last name. Really priceless. 

The episode ends with Beast giving Carly the classic "my life is too dangerous for you normies" speech. Whatever. 

Grade: B-

"Mojovision"

Beast: "Power tends to corrupt. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. As seems evident."

Mojo: "Hey furball. You had all your shots?"

While shopping, the X-Men are kidnapped by an interdimensional media mogul called Mojo. He wants the X-Men to star in his deadly tv shows to try and boost ratings. This doesn't sit well with Mojo's current star and cash cow, Longshot. He decides to help the X-Men to get his star status back and maybe take the corpulent Mojo down a peg or two.

Yikes.

Honestly, there's not a ton to say about this episode. Mojo is an over the top character. He's like the worst parts of any sort of tv producer, agent etc made flesh. And there is a lot of flesh there. Mojo's inspiration was the idea that television was having negative consequences on society and the wires holding his eyes open were an homage to Malcolm McDowell in "A Clockwork Orange." 

There are some cool things in this episode. I liked the promo for the Longshot program that opens the episode. It's super '90's and there are a ton of flash cuts. It's super over-the-top and that is what makes it so great. We also get a glimpse of Psylocke and I believe there is a brief Punisher cameo, which is kind of weird but also sort of makes sense here. In that same scene, we see some robots that look the Imperial Guard. Foreshadowing for the Phoenix saga in season 3. And we get a non speaking appearance from Dazzler fawning over Longshot.

The mini tv shows that Mojo puts the X-Men in are fun. Cyclops and Storm are in some futuristic "Miami Vice" scenario. Rogue and Beast are in a space drama. Wolverine and Jean are paired up. It seems like Mojo senses that sexual tension, too. This is really fun and there are some funny moments. The whole episode is pretty frivolous and I'm kind of surprised that this is the episode right before the two part finale. I kind of thought there would be more tying this episode to that. 

Speaking of, we check in with Xavier and Magneto in the Savage Land. And I have to commend the episode on that transition between Mojoworld and the Savage Land. It was pretty dope. Magneto and Xavier have reached Magneto's old Citadel, setting the scene for a final showdown between Sinister and his mutates.

Grade: B

Next up, it's the season two finale as the X-Men finally make it to the Savage Land to confront Sinister and save their mentor. 

What did you think of these episodes. Did you like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Mojovision" more than I did? Was Logan trade in the his human disguise? Let me know in the comments.