"Hated and Feared" Re-Watch: "The Dark Phoenix" Parts 1 & 2: "Dazzled" & "The Inner Circle"

 X-Men

We made it to the Dark Phoenix everyone. The triumphant return of Jean Grey to "X-Men: The Animated Series." It has been six long episodes but she's finally back. She's still possessed by the Phoenix and she's ready to go bad. Let's get started.

"The Dark Phoenix" - Part 1: "Dazzled"

Cyclops: "The man who tried to kidnap that mutant, Dazzler, might return. I have to go back to that club tonight."

Phoenix: "You would leave me to be with another woman? Go then!"

Cyclops: "Jean! There is nothing to be jealous of!"

Phoenix: "Maybe you'll have to protect her from me!"

Cyclops: "You don't mean that."

Jean Grey: "No, of course not. But I'm afraid the Phoenix does."

Having returned to Earth, still possessed by the Phoenix, Jean Grey is on Muir Island being tested by Moira and Charles. It seems like the cosmic entity is enjoying her human host and is in no hurry to leave. Jean heads back to New York but the Phoenix routinely takes control causing her to lash out. An elite group of mutants, the Inner Circle, hatch a plan to bring the Phoenix to their side, using a mixture of telepathy and illusions. Can the X-Men free Jean of the Phoenix before this happens?

These new sunglasses are fab.

I am sure I mentioned this when I went over "The Phoenix Saga" but if you're looking for the best adaptation of "The Dark Phoenix Saga" then look nor further than these four episodes. If you've read the original Chris Claremont/John Byrne comics, these episodes just get more and more impressive. There are moments and dialogue that are pulled directly from the comics. The basic story is exactly the same just tweaked a bit so it fits the animated series. Chris Claremont is even credited by the writers. It's all just stellar.

A change that the show makes from the comics is treating the Phoenix as a separate entity, almost as an alternate personality. In the comics, for all intents and purposes, Phoenix and Jean are the same. By differentiating these two personalities, it makes it a little more palatable for the show's younger audience. 

The comics introduced the mutant Dazzler during "The Dark Phoenix Saga" and the animated series does the same. Dazzler is Alison Blair, a singer who can convert sound into light. The design for Dazzler is a little different than her comics counterpart. She's a brunette! Dazzler is a blonde. She's always a blonde! The audacity! I'm kidding. I don't mind. It's just a little strange. After her set, which Gambit and Cyclops witness, Dazzler is attacked by Donald Pierce and the guards of the Hellfire Club. Dazzler is a lot more saucy than in the comic books. Hitting on Cyclops hard, which I don't understand but it's fine.

The Hellfire Club is re-named the Inner Circle Club, which is understandable. The members remain the same. There is Sebastian Shaw, Harry Leland, Donald Pierce, Emma Frost and Jason Wyngarde. The weakest part of this episode is probably all the exposition that takes up a lot of the episodes run time. Emma gives the rest of the Inner Circle a full recap of what went down during "The Phoenix Saga" which includes a lot of footage we've seen before. We do see Jean return and get found by the X-Men, which is nice. I know this kind of recap might be necessary, but maybe make the episode recap at the beginning longer rather than putting in the middle of the episode like this?

We also get a bit more of Jean in bed, which I'm not sure we needed after "The Phoenix Saga" but this show loves a chance to make Jean look weak, so here we are. I do like that we sort of get glimpses of the Storm/Jean friendship here. It's so prevalent in the comics, so I like to see even brief flashes of it. Also, Storm looks so good in that red dress and hooded cloak. I mean, damn. 

Using Emma's telepathy, Wyngarde is able to project his illusions into Jean's fractured mind. Wyngarde makes Jean believe that they are in the 18th century and he saved Jean from drowning and they are madly in love. This fits in perfectly with the comics, except this happened over a few issues. They really speed things up, which strains credibility but since it is so faithful, I will give it a pass.

Jean shows up at the club just in time to see Dazzler and Scott making out. And is it just me or was Scott into it? He doesn't shove her away or anything until he realizes Jean is there. Hmmm... This is the straw that breaks Jean's mind. She leaves with Wyngarde and the X-Men follow. The X-Men throw down with the Inner Circle and we get a look at all their powers. Leland can increase the mass of anything which he does to Wolverine, sending him into the sewers. Shaw absorbs the energy of the attacks directed at him and each one makes him stronger and stronger. And Pierce is a cyborg. The Inner Circle end up taking down the X-Men with the help of a fully converted Phoenix.

Grade: B+

"The Dark Phoenix" - Part 2: "The Inner Circle"

Dark Phoenix: "The mortal Jean Grey is no more. I am fire made flesh! Power incarnate! I am the Dark Phoenix!"

The X-Men are helpless. At the mercy of the Inner Circle and their new Black Queen, Phoenix aka Jean Grey. They have one hope and it's Wolverine. He is in the sewers, fighting his way through the guards of the Inner Circle to his comrades. The psychic rapport that Scott shares with Jean is still open and through it he engages in a psychic duel with Wyngarde to free her from his control. It looks like Wyngarde has won, but soon, the Inner Circle learns that trying to control a cosmic entity is a fool's errand.

Jean, you've changed.

This episode pulls heavily from the classic "Uncanny X-Men" #133. In that episode, Wolverine takes down the Hellfire Club mainly on his own. He starts in the sewers and works his way up. This is a great issue and there is so much thought put into it. Simply some of Claremont and Byrne's best work. If you wonder why so many people were obsessed with the character of Wolverine, honestly, just find this issue and read it and you will see. There is a panel where Wolverine slashes some cables with his claws. It feels like a throwaway but soon the rising water in the sewers causes a blackout which causes Wolverine to be able to handily dispatch the majority of the Hellfire Club's guards.

So much of this episode is just a recreation of that classic comic and I love it so much. It's been a while since I've watched these episodes, so it's a real treat. The episode starts with two Hellfire Guards searching for Wolverine in the sewers. (And listen, I know that they are the Inner Circle Club, but I'm going to call it the Hellfire Club because that's what it is.) He easily takes them down and begins his assault on the club. Wolverine on the dumbwaiter and attacking the club employee. Him crashing into the room where the Inner Circle is holding the X-Men, with guards holding onto him, all this is pulled directly from the comic.

Another sequence pulled directly from the comics is Cyclops entering Jean's mind through their psychic rapport to duel with Wyngarde. I do wish they had sort of explained the psychic rapport and how it worked a little better or maybe even had it be something that was used or talked about prior to this episode. Again, kind of a minor quibble. Jean and Scott have always appeared psychically linked so now that link has a name.

Wyngarde changes Cyclops clothes to look like that of a colonial soldier and the two duel. It is pretty one-sided, particularly when the Phoenix reveals that she is on Wyngarde's side and wants to help Wyngarde sever this connection to Scott. Wyngarde stabs Cyclops in the mindscape, but he lives, because enough of Jean is still active to save her love. It is pretty crazy that they stab Cyclops and that he's presumed dead for a moment. They don't show the actual stabbing full on, but you know what they were doing. 

The Inner Circle swiftly learns that talking openly about how they are going to use the Phoenix for their own gains isn't a great idea. The Phoenix is sick of being used for these pathetic human games and sets the X-Men free to deal with the Inner Circle. We get a re-match that again pulls many moments directly from the comics. There is Beast juggling Shaw with his feet. And Storm using her weather powers to drop the temperature around Shaw to make him lethargic. 

Phoenix goes to the roof as the rest of the Inner Circle except for Wyngarde who tries to use his power on the Phoenix one last time. In another scene stripped straight from the comics, Phoenix gives him what he wants, a full taste of her power. She reveals his true, old, decrepit Mastermind form and leaves him a drooling mess. I know I keep talking about how much of this stuff is pulled straight from the comics, but I love it and I have to point it out. As someone who loves this story so much, seeing these images animated just brings me pure joy. It's like watching serotonin. 

The episode ends with the Phoenix fully taking the Dark Phoenix form and things are only going to get worse for the X-Men from here.

Next up, The Dark Phoenix is released and the Shi'ar are not happy about it.

What do you all think of this episode? Is that marriage between Wyngarde and Jean binding? Do you love this as much as I do? Let me know in the comments.