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m1ckeyb3rry · 5 months ago

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── THE TAMING OF THE CROW

Synopsis: Despite an initial reluctance, Tabito heads off to a mysterious soccer program by the name of Blue Lock. Luckily, it’s not long before you get to see him again. Continuation of Five Ways to Kill a Crow and How to Drown a Crow!

Event Masterlist

Pairing: Karasu x Reader

Chapter Word Count: 16.1k

Content Warnings: spoilers for the u-20 arc of the manga, otoya slander to an unhealthy degree, reader’s best friend is crazily down bad, the bllk boys have karasu STRESSING, half of them think reader is fine af 💯, did i mention otoya slander because there is a LOT of that, 99% crackfic so don’t expect stunning characterization in this one it’s mostly silly compared to the first two parts, chigiri’s sister is also referred to as chigiri, reader & co. accidentally become famous

A/N: here is the final continuation of fwtkac that you requested karasu anon 💖 incidentally also the longest…w this installment the mini-series is over 30k words LMAOAO i hope you have enjoyed the ride because ik i have!!

Additional: part of my 500 follower event! see the event description and rules to make a request of your own. now closed!

Surprisingly, it wasn’t that difficult to reveal your relationship with Tabito to the rest of your friends and classmates. There wasn’t an official announcement or anything along those lines — neither of you were that big on social media, so you didn’t bother with launching each other there, and since half of the school already thought you were dating, things settled into an even rhythm quite quickly.

Tabito’s friends and teammates weren’t all-too-shocked, either. Apparently, you were just about the last person to find out about the crush he had had on you since middle school, so to everyone else, him asking you out had been all but foregone conclusion. What your respective circles were surprised about, at least at first, was that you had said yes.

You’re way too hot for him. This was what Tabito’s group said upon finding out about the news, which was met with crabbiness from Tabito and nothing more than a snort from you. They were just messing with him in any way they could, considering how difficult it typically was to find cracks in his flawless demeanor, so it was easy to dismiss. On the other hand, your own friends gave you confused looks — weren’t you just talking about how much you hate him? You could only shrug, because they weren’t wrong, exactly. You had been complaining about him only days previously, but it was funny how quickly things could change. They accepted it without much more questioning, however, congratulating you on finally getting a boyfriend, and after that life continued as it previously had, except now whenever your friend groups decided to hang out together, you would find yourself at Tabito’s side instead of as far as possible from him.

Being his official girlfriend was everything you had expected and more. He got along well with your parents — your father remembered his name and asked you how he was doing constantly, and your mother was always pleased by the steady supply of flowers he provided for your kitchen counter — as well as your friends, managing to strike that elusive balance of showing them kindness without being overly involved in their lives. His family adored you, especially his older sister, who frequently took you out shopping or for coffee, much to Tabito’s chagrin. All in all, things were going well, and though you two still competed over your grades, it was without the fervor of the past, so that you were gladder for one another’s success than you were incensed by them.

“I hate couples,” your best friend announced one day at lunch. You had finished eating early, so you were leaning against Tabito’s arm and playing Subway Surfers on his phone while he talked to one of his teammates about their upcoming match. Ever since you had discovered his penchant for the childish game, it had become a personal goal of yours to beat his high score, though you had not yet even come close.

“Hm,” you said. She scowled.

“I’m serious!” she said.

“You’re just mad because you’re single,” you said. “I told you I’m working on it, didn’t I? It’s not my fault all of Tabito’s friends are losers!”

She sighed. “I know. Actually, you two aren’t the ones that prompted me to say that this time, oddly enough.”

“Oh, then who did?” you said.

“You know how I went to visit my cousins last weekend?” she said. You nodded. “Well, we went to watch a movie while we were there, that new one I was really excited about, but somehow it ended up that we got stuck behind this guy on a date!”

“How’d you know that he was on a date?” you said.

“Because there was a girl sitting next to him, and he sucked her face off for the entire movie, thereby completely blocking the screen. Can you believe it? The worst part is, he was totally stupid looking!” she said.

“That’s annoying,” you said, secure in the knowledge that you and Tabito would never do something like that. Public displays of affection beyond hugging or holding hands weren’t really your vibe, and just the thought of making out in a movie theater caused you to feel nauseous. “How’d you know he was dumb looking, though? Wasn’t the theater dark?”

“I confronted him afterwards,” she said.

“While he was on a date? That’s a bold move,” you said. “What did the girl say?”

“Huh? Oh, she had already left. Guess she wasn’t that into him,” your best friend said.

“Yikes,” you said before pouting as your little Subway Surfers character was hit by a train. “Aw, man, I died. At this rate, I’ll never beat the high score.”

“Hey, can I have my phone for a second?” Tabito said, turning to you and plucking the device out of your hand before you could answer. You frowned, so he patted you on the head. “I’ll give it back. I just need to text our coach and remind him to bring my cooler back during the game tonight.”

“Whatever,” you said before directing your attention towards your best friend again. “Okay, describe this guy. I’m really interested in what could have driven you to judge his appearance so harshly.”

“Listen!” she said. “His hair was green!”

“Green?” you said.

“Yes! Well, mostly it was a grayish white, but there was a green streak, and the undercut part was also green,” she said. You tried to picture it and found you were entirely incapable of imagining anything but the most ridiculous of styles.

“That’s wild,” you said. “Who told him that was a good idea?”

“I just wonder how much bleach he has to use to get it to be that color,” she said. You shuddered.

“I know for a fact that he had the most damaged, dead, crunchy-looking hair ever,” you said. Your best friend shook her head.

“It was actually pretty shiny and luscious,” she said. “If it weren’t for the weird choice of color and his terrible theater etiquette, I could see why someone might consider him attractive.”

“Maybe you can fix him,” you suggested. She immediately scowled in a clear-cut refusal.

“The main thing I’ve learned from your relationship with Karasu is that you can never fix a man’s hair, no matter how much he likes you,” she said.

“Huh? Did you say my name?” Tabito said, handing you his phone back. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” you and your best friend said in unison.

“That was suspicious,” he informed you.

“Just know that I’ll break up with you if you ever dye even a strand of your hair green,” you said.

He gave you an odd look. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Anyways, that’s my rant for the day,” your best friend said as Tabito evidently decided it would be for the best to leave you to your own conversation, which he was missing far too much context from to possibly understand.

“That really is awful,” you said. “Don’t worry. Someday soon, we’ll find you someone to date, and then you can be the annoying couple everyone slanders. Trust me on that one.”

“I do,” she said. “I have faith that you’re just being picky because you love me so much that you refuse to let me be with a substandard man.”

“Exactly,” you said.

She made a heart with her hands. “You’re the best.”

“I try!”

Now that autumn was bleeding into winter, it was getting chillier and chillier out during Bambi Osaka’s games. Thankfully, Tabito had draped his large jacket over your shoulders before running off to yell at his coach for once again forgetting to bring his cooler back, so you were mostly protected from the frost in the air. You could not say the same for the Bambi Osaka boys, who all looked miserably cold as they jogged in place, trying to warm up in their shorts and jerseys while Tabito and the coach argued.

“Y/N! I didn’t realize you were coming today!” a familiar voice said, its owner leaning over the fence separating the bleachers from the field. You extended your hand to ruffle his hair.

“I come to all of your games, Hiori, why would this one be any different?” you said. He gave you a sheepish grin.

“I know, but now that’s it not as nice out, I thought you might not,” he said. You pulled on the sleeve of your jacket to draw attention to it; Hiori grunted in approval when he noticed.

“Don’t worry, Tabito’s on top of it. Just between us two, I think he would cry if I had to miss one of his games, so he always makes sure I’m as comfortable as possible when I come,” you said.

“He’s a really considerate guy,” Hiori said. As if on cue, both of you turned to look at where he and their coach were still going at it.

“Holy fucking shit!” Tabito screamed. “Give me my cooler back, dude, you’ve had it for weeks!”

“I need it for the party I’m throwing this Saturday!” their coach shouted back.

“I don’t give a damn about your party! Give me back my cooler!”

“Right,” you said, stifling a laugh. “Super considerate.”

Hiori cringed. “I guess nobody’s perfect.”

Ever since you had started dating Tabito, Hiori had become something of a permanent fixture in your life. He never tried to flirt with you or anything — you didn’t even think he was capable of having those feelings — but he was just so used to trailing after Tabito that, by extension, he began to follow you around as well. It wasn’t really that bad; you both lived close to one another, and frequently he’d ask you to come to the convenience store with him so he could ask you for advice under the guise of buying snacks together. You always went along with it, as you sensed he didn’t have many other sources of reliable help and wisdom.

For his part, Tabito didn’t really mind that Hiori’s attachment to him now included you. The thought of being jealous of the younger boy never even crossed his mind, mostly because he, too, didn’t really believe that the gentle and benign Hiori was capable of anything as underhanded as stealing his girlfriend. Overall, he was more bemused than anything, treating him with the careful fondness of someone who had been given a puppy they had no idea how to care for but found cute anyways.

Soon enough, Tabito joined you and Hiori, dragging his feet and hanging his head as he flopped against the fence. Exhaling, you reached out and stroked the side of his face with the back of your hand.

“Any success?” you said.

“Nope,” he said. “Another week without my cooler.”

“At least it’s getting to be winter,” Hiori said. “You won’t really need it to keep your drinks chilled for a while, right?”

“Tell that to my sister,” Tabito said. “She keeps bugging me about where I put it. I guess she needs it for college or something. Don’t ask me why.”

“I’m sure he’ll bring it to the next game,” Hiori said optimistically. Tabito let out a defeated sigh.

“We can only hope,” he said.

“In the meantime, you two should go over with the rest of your team before you both get yelled at for slacking off and get me banned from coming to anymore games,” you said.

“If he keeps holding my cooler hostage and bans you from games, I’ll fight that dumbass coach!” Tabito said. You pushed him away affectionately.

“Alright, alright, I feel very comforted by that. Thank you for defending my — and your cooler’s — honor,” you said. “Go play soccer.”

With a joking salute, Tabito, and also Hiori, ran off to join the rest of their team, and you settled back to sit with the rest of the attendees of the game, who were mostly parents of the players. All of them knew who you were at this point, though, so you were welcomed with open arms, easily joining in on their discussions about such subjects as how their children were doing in school and what their plans for dinner were.

It was a comfortable existence, and as you pulled Tabito’s jacket tighter around you, you thought that you could get used to it. If only things could stay exactly like this, you would be quite happy. If you could spend every day with Tabito and Hiori and the rest of your friends, you would never complain again.

Unfortunately, life was always changing, as you knew all too well. One day, both Tabito and Hiori received letters summoning them to some soccer training camp far away from your corner of the country, and though Hiori leapt at the chance, Tabito was initially uncertain at the prospect of leaving everything behind for a program that wasn’t even a sure thing.

“What if it doesn’t help me and I give up my schooling for it?” he said, pacing around his bedroom. You raised your eyebrows at him from your seat at his desk, where you were working on a lab report for Chemistry. “Do they really expect me to run there during my last year of high school? What about board exams and college? How am I supposed to get into a good university if I’m playing soccer when I should be studying?”

“Why do you think you won’t succeed in the program?” you said. “You’re amazing at soccer. If you join, you’ll definitely do well, and then you’ll become a professional athlete, so you won’t have to worry about college or anything like that.”

“Of course I’ll do well,” he said. This actually wasn’t anything like his normal self-confidence; when he was in this kind of mood, he didn’t brag, he only evaluated himself and the situation honestly, weighing the costs and benefits until he could come to a conclusion that he was satisfied with. “I just don’t like the thought of not having a fallback option. Even if I become a professional athlete, things like injuries can happen to anyone. It’s not smart to not have a backup plan. That’s why I wasn’t planning on trying out for the U-20 squad until after I got accepted to a university.”

“You can’t give up on your dreams for the sake of a backup plan, though,” you said, finishing up the report and clicking the submit button, shutting your laptop and spinning the chair around so you were looking at him. “I know it’s nerve-wracking, but isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”

“No,” he said bluntly.

Blue Lock and its outcomes were like the water — entirely out of Tabito’s control, and hence something he was automatically opposed to. But unlike swimming and wading, this was also an opportunity for him to pursue his greatest dreams, so you stood and grabbed him by the shoulders. He halted in his tracks, cocking his head at you as you clasped his hands in between your own and gave him the sternest look you could muster.

“Listen to me,” you said. “You are not going to drown. You’re not because I say you’re not, and have I ever led you astray? You’re going to go to this Blue Lock place with Hiori, and then the two of you are going to come back and be so good at soccer that you immediately join the national team and end up so rich and famous that I can’t help but marry you and become your trophy wife.”

“When you say you, you’re referring to me, not Hiori, right?” he checked with a snicker. You poked him in the chest.

“Obviously,” you said.

“Do you really think it’ll be okay?” he said.

“I think you won’t know if you don’t try. You’re so smart, Tabito; even if you somehow fail as a soccer player, I don’t think you’ll be unable to go to college. In fact, you could probably do this camp, come back and take your exams while on a break, and still get second in our class,” you said.

“Second?” he said.

“Of course, I’ll be the one getting first,” you said. “Second is still respectable, though. Any university of note would kill to have you, but a chance to improve your soccer career like this might not come around again for a while, if ever. Take it. Take it with both hands and don’t regret it a bit, okay?”

“You’re convincing,” he said, embracing you tightly, burying his face in the crook of your neck. “Thank you.”

“So you’ll do it?” you said.

“I’ll do it.”

A week later, he was gone. Even his phone was taken away, leaving you without any manner of contacting him in the meantime. To be sure, it was lonely, but you were too busy being proud of him to be depressed about it. Besides, you weren’t the type to abandon your friends just because you were in a relationship, so your invitations to events had never stopped coming. Now, you just said yes to them more often, much to everyone’s excitement.

That was what you did while Tabito was busy at Blue Lock: you hung out with your friends, having sleepovers and going for platonic dates with the ones you were particularly close with, and you visited his sister at her college when she was free, so you could hear embarrassing stories about his past, which you carefully filed away for later use. Occasionally, you even met up with Yukimiya’s girlfriend — in a shocking twist, he had also been invited to Blue Lock, much like Tabito — and the two of you would speculate about what your boyfriends might be up to in that strange facility and whether they might’ve met each other yet or not.

It wasn’t horrible. Undeniably, you missed him, but it was bearable, and you knew he would be back as soon as he could be, so for the most part, you didn’t let yourself grow too sad. Your father was probably the worst off out of anyone, actually, always nagging you about when Tabito would return. He had grown used to having a friend to watch sports alongside, and was now entirely forlorn without any company to discuss his beloved games with.

Some weeks after Blue Lock began, you received two emails with nearly identical subject headers. With a confused frown, you opened both of them in turn, but slowly, your expression turned to a smile as you read over their contents.

Congratulations, Y/N L/N! Blue Lock 11 player number 6, Tabito Karasu, has designated you as the recipient of his friends/family ticket to the Blue Lock 11 vs Japan U-20 match! Scan the attached QR code upon your arrival to the stadium in order to make your way to your VIP seat.

Congratulations, Y/N L/N! Blue Lock 11 substitute number 16, Yo Hiori, has designated you as the recipient of his friends/family ticket to the Blue Lock 11 vs Japan U-20 match! Scan the attached QR code upon your arrival to the stadium in order to make your way to your VIP seat.

Both Tabito and Hiori had chosen to give you their seats, which meant you technically had an extra one, so you could bring someone along with you. Your first thought was your father, considering how much he loved soccer, but then you pondered it further and decided that you probably did not want to spend the whole match listening to him explaining the rules. Plus, the game was in Tokyo, so if the two of you went together, you both would have to share a hotel room, and he’d make you spend the entire trip with him instead of exploring and possibly seeing Tabito, if you got the chance.

No, there was really only one choice. With an aunt who lived in the city and a deep-rooted desire to get a boyfriend, your best friend was the clear pick to take along with you to the game, and you knew before you even asked that she would agree to it. After all, what better way was there for you both to spend the two weeks of your last winter break before university?

As you had expected, she agreed enthusiastically and readily, texting you that her aunt was alright with you two staying at her place, as long as you didn’t mind that she’d probably be busy with work most of the time. Of course, this was more of a benefit than a drawback, so you forwarded the email containing Hiori’s invitation to her and immediately began the process of packing for your two week vacation.

Since you would be staying with a responsible adult — meaning your best friend’s aunt, not her herself — your parents didn’t mind that you were going on a mini-trip without them. Your father already knew about the game thanks to his subscription to the JFU’s magazine, and he was so exhilarated at the thought of you getting to attend it in person that you almost felt bad not telling him that he could’ve come, too. Then you imagined having to sleep in a twin bed while he snored in the one across from you and stopped feeling guilty entirely.

“Do you think it would be corny if I wore blue to the game?” you said when the day of the match dawned. You had made a mess of your suitcase trying to decide what you wanted to wear, and when you looked over at your best friend’s side of the room, you noticed that it was in a similar state.

“Maybe a little bit,” she said. “At least, if you went for an all-blue Smurf aesthetic. It would kind of make you look like a mascot or something.”

“I was thinking about that,” you said. “Ugh! This is so hard. Normally, I just wear one of Tabito’s jackets or extra jerseys at his games, so that I look all supportive and whatnot, but it’s kind of hard to do that when I haven’t even spoken to him in weeks and have zero clue what his Blue Lock jersey looks like.”

“That one coat you brought is his, right? You could wear that with a blue shirt underneath it so that it’s subtle but still clear which side you’re on,” she suggested. You closed your eyes, mentally putting the clothes on and deciding that it was a great outfit idea, giving off the exact effect you were aiming for.

“I knew ‘Hiori’ invited you for a reason,” you said. She chucked a pillow at you, fully aware that she was only even going to the game because you had been invited by both Bambi Osaka boys.

“I’ll be sure to thank him when I see him,” she said.

“Do you know what he looks like?” you said.

“No, but won’t his jersey say his name?” she reasoned.

“Touché,” you said. “Anyways, what are you going to wear?”

“It needs to be something casual but also cute, so if any of the players — the single ones, anyways — happen to look up at me, they are instantly smitten and ask me for my number once they win the game, after which we date until I’ve graduated college and they’ve made it in the big leagues, whereupon they will propose to me and we will get married in the most extravagant wedding the world has ever seen,” she said.

“Um,” you said, your mind working overtime to comprehend the run-on. “Sure. In that case, maybe you should go with the sweater dress you brought. It’s not blue, but you look really pretty in it, and if you put on a longer cardigan along with some tights, you should stay warm. Maybe your aunt has a blue scarf you can borrow? If you want to look spirited.”

“You’re a genius!” she said.

“Thanks, I do my best,” you said before a silence lapsed between the two of you, both too busy getting ready to gossip, as you had been non-stop since you had arrived in Tokyo.

The ticket scanner definitely looked suspicious at the fact that both of you claimed to be named Y/N L/N, but there was nothing that she could do about it. After all, you both had unique invitations from two separate members of Blue Lock, so what did it matter what your names were? With a curt nod, she approved your tickets and described which way you had to go to get to your seats, though you were certain she was glaring at you as you walked in the direction she had indicated.

“Are you excited?” your best friend said, rubbing her hands together to warm them up.

“I’m more excited to see Tabito again than anything. No matter how the game goes, I’m happy if he’s there,” you said.

“I can’t believe you just said that,” she said. “Pining has made you a changed woman. The Y/N I once knew would never say anything along those lines.”

“Oh, but you can plan your wedding and it’s perfectly normal?” you said, raising your eyebrows. She gave you a double-thumbs-up.

“That’s all hypothetical, so it’s not an issue,” she said. “On the other hand, you being all sappy about Karasu is reality.”

“You have a point,” you said. “My apologies. Moving on, are you excited?”

“Just to see if the players are good looking,” she said. “I don’t know that much about soccer.”

“It’s okay, I don’t, either,” you said.

“Your boyfriend is literally on the team?” she said.

“Look, as long as someone on our side kicks the ball into the net, I’m happy,” you said. “If someone on the other side kicks the ball into the net, then I’m sad. That’s kind of the gist of it. Tabito and Hiori have tried explaining the finer details of the sport, but to be honest, it’s a bit beyond me.”

“Excuse me, but is anyone sitting with you two?” a bright voice said. You looked up to see a tall girl with cascading red hair and a brilliant grin pointing at the seat on your left with a questioning tilt to her head.

“Nope,” you said. Unfortunately, Yukimiya’s girlfriend’s school break didn’t align with the game, and she had regretfully told you over the phone that she would be unable to make it, so you and your best friend were on your own. “All yours!”

“Thanks!” she said. “My mother went to go sit with the other parents, and I was planning on going with her, but you two look closer to my age, so I was hoping it would be alright if I stayed here instead.”

“Believe me, I get it,” you said. “I’ve had to hang out with way too many parents at Tabito’s games. They’re nice and all, but most of the stuff they talk about is hardly relatable.”

“Exactly!” she said. “I can’t explain how happy I am to have found you two. I’m Hyoma Chigiri’s sister, by the way! According to the email we got, he’s number 4. Which players do you both know?”

“I’m number 6’s girlfriend,” you said, motioning down towards where the players were beginning to enter the field, getting some last-minute practice in before the game. “Tabito Karasu.”

You wished he would look over so you could wave at him, but he was utterly focused on his teammates and their warm up, so you contented yourself with admiring him from afar. It was clear to anyone that he was in his element, and a lump formed in your throat when you remembered that he had almost given this up. He had almost stayed back, and you could not even begin to fathom how much he would have regretted it if he had.

“I see him!” Chigiri said, shading her eyes with her hand so she didn’t have to narrow them against the sun. “My brother’s right over by where he is.”

Her brother was almost identical to her, a lean boy with flowing hair and a pointed face, and even if she hadn’t pointed him out, you would’ve made the connection.

“He looks just like you,” your best friend said, vocalizing what you had been thinking.

“We get that a lot,” Chigiri said. “What about you? Who are you with?”

“Technically, I’m not with anyone,” your best friend said. “The thing is, both Karasu and number 16, Yo Hiori, invited Y/N, so I just took her extra — what the fuck.”

“Is everything okay?” you said. Both you and Chigiri shot her concerned looks, but she was too busy staring at the field with her jaw dropped to pick up on it. “Hello? What’s gotten into you?”

“Y/N L/N,” she said. “Why is your boyfriend talking to that — that — that creature? Why is that thing even on the field in the first place?”

“Number 9?” Chigiri said. “Do you know him?”

True to her word, Tabito was speaking animatedly to player number 9, who according to his jersey was named Otoya. He was a slender and clearly handsome boy, his pale hair streaked through with green and his features distinctly sharp despite the distance. For some reason, there was something familiar about his description, and it was only when you noticed that your best friend was all but seething that the conversation came back to you.

“Are you serious?” you said. “That Otoya dude is the theater guy?”

“Deadly serious,” she snapped. “What is he doing here? Shouldn’t he be off ruining innocent moviegoers’ experiences?”

“Playing soccer, I’d expect,” you said. “It looks like he’s starting for the Blue Lock 11, too. He must be good — I mean, even Hiori is just a substitute, and he’s crazy talented, so their starting lineup must be nothing short of spectacular.”

The two teams got into position as the clock was set up, and a hush fell over the stadium as the ball was brought onto the field for the kickoff. Unexpectedly, Chigiri grabbed your hand, clutching it so tightly that your circulation was impaired, and when you glanced over at her, you saw that her shoulders were tense.

“Hyoma tore his ACL recently,” she murmured. “He never said it aloud, but I think he’s wanted to quit soccer ever since. This is the first time he’s starting in a game since before he was injured. I’m worried it’ll happen again.”

You rubbed soothing circles against her wrist. “He’ll be alright. I don’t think they would put him in if it was a health risk. Plus, they have substitutes, and I’m sure he’s much more in-tune with his body now, so the second he feels something off, he’ll probably ask to be put out.”

Chigiri dabbed at her face. “Thanks. You’re right. This is an exciting game! I shouldn’t bring down the mood. Let’s get ready to cheer our lungs out!”

The referee blew the whistle, and then the match was on. You could hardly keep up with the players’ movements, so fast was it all; this was a level of skill that even you could recognize was far above anything you had ever seen. Every single player on the pitch was at least on Tabito and Hiori’s level, if not above it. Unlike Bambi Osaka, where Tabito was the captain of the team and often had to play doubly as aggressively because of that, he blended right into the mix of talents that was this motley collection of high school forwards. You could tell even from so far away that this thrilled him instead of grating on his nerves; he wasn’t the kind of person who craved the spotlight, after all. If anything, it was something he shied away from, preferring to strike at his opponent’s weak points from the dark, and it was only here, with the rest of the Blue Lock 11, that he could finally play how he preferred.

When the first goal on Blue Lock’s side was scored, by the tall, pale-haired number 7, you, your best friend, and Chigiri shot to your feet, screaming and clapping as loud as you could. Your enthusiasm, which was a stark contrast to everyone else’s quiet confusion, sparked a tidal wave. The entire stadium resounded with a roar of approval as the number 7 — Nagi — crashed to the ground before raising his fist, getting tackled by his teammates directly afterwards in celebration.

“That was amazing!” your best friend said as everyone settled for the restart. “I never realized that soccer could be so exciting to watch.”

“That guy is skilled,” you agreed. “So is everyone else. Including that Otoya—”

“Don’t even mention him!” she said. “Nagi’s the one who scored, so stick to praising him!”

“Hyoma’s doing so well!” Chigiri said, her cheeks pink from the cold and round from her grin. “I can’t believe it. It’s like he was never hurt at all!”

“Honestly, this is way more intense than I expected,” your best friend said, hugging herself tightly. “I really hope they manage to win.”

“They will,” you said. “I’m confident of that.”

Maybe the Blue Lock 11 were the underdogs, but something told you that they were going to win. There was just this fire to them, a heat and a hatred that emanated off of only their side of the field. The docile U-20 boys, who were so dependent on the efforts of defender Aiku and midfielder Sae, could never hope to compete with that overwhelming energy, which was so potent that the bleachers themselves were washed in it.

That was why you weren’t even surprised when number 10, Rin, scored another goal right before half-time, ending the first half with a lead for Blue Lock. You knew for a fact that your voice would be hoarse the next day from how much you were shouting, but based on your best friend’s and Chigiri’s faces, you figured you were in good company and didn’t even take any measures to lessen the severity of the consequence.

As the players began to move towards their respective locker rooms, Chigiri stood up and began to wave her hands frantically.

“Hyoma! Over here!” she called out. Her brother paused in the middle of drinking from his water bottle, whipping around, his face turning the same shade as his hair when he noticed his sister, who pulled out her phone and took a picture of him. “He noticed me! Ah, hello, Hyoma! You’re doing awesome!”

Tabito and Otoya walked past where the younger Chigiri was frozen in place, and before they could vanish into the locker room and out of your sight, you cupped your hands around your mouth.

“Tabito!” you said. He stopped in his tracks before twisting back to face you, his face breaking into such a wide grin when he saw you that it was a wonder his face did not ache from it. He raised his hand in greeting, and you did the same, so relieved to see him again that you thought you might vomit from the giddiness.

Beside you, your best friend stood, drawing herself to her full height. Then, before you could stop her, she jabbed her finger towards Otoya, who had remained at Karasu’s side when he had stopped to greet you. Otoya turned his head this way and that before pointing at himself hesitantly. Your best friend nodded and then stuck up her middle finger at him, causing Tabito to burst into a fit of laughter, his shoulders shaking as he dragged the helpless Otoya away from where he was suddenly rooted to the ground in perplexity.

“That’s what he gets,” she said with satisfaction, sitting back down now that she had accomplished her mission.

“He probably has no idea who you are,” you said, giggling to yourself, finding great entertainment in the one-sided feud she had with Otoya, who appeared to be a great friend of Tabito’s. “Also, you described him horribly back then. He’s really pretty good-looking, and the hair is nowhere near as bad as you made it sound.”

“I’m telling Karasu you said that,” she said. “If I was him, I’d be offended! My beloved girlfriend finds a guy who appears to be fresh out of the swamp attractive? That would really make me insecure.”

“I don’t find him attractive, I just said that he’s good looking. It’s objective,” you said. “And fresh out of the swamp? Aren’t you being a little harsh?”

She glared at you. “No way. He owes me the price of the ticket he made me waste, but since he obviously isn’t going to pay me back, I’m going to make as much fun of him as possible.”

“You do that,” you said, judging that there was no arguing with her. “Chigiri, do you want any snacks? I’m going to head to the concession stands while there’s a break.”

“Could you get me some fries? I’ll send you the money,” she said.

“As long as you save my seat,” you said.

“Of course! Go quickly, I’m sure the lines are going to be long. There’s a lot of people here,” she said.

“Good idea,” you said, racing off and cutting through the crowds swarming the many concession stands so that you could get some fries for her, candy for your best friend, and chips for yourself.

The second half was even more exciting than the first, though you hadn’t previously thought that that was possible. A boy named Shidou, who had something like a current crackling through him, joined the U-20s as their striker, and in quick succession, he managed to not only tie up the score but actually get a lead, thereby undoing all of the work that Nagi and Rin had put in. To make things worse, right after Shidou’s first goal, Hyoma Chigiri collapsed, earning a gasp from his sister as she shoved a fistful of fries in her mouth. Simultaneously, one of their defenders, the number 3, stumbled before slumping over entirely

“It looks like a cramp,” you reassured Chigiri as one of the other players helped her brother stretch out his leg and then stand. “And I think Niko must’ve sprained his ankle during that earlier play. They’re going to have to put in alternates, but it’s not serious. Both of them just need some rest and they’ll be okay.”

“If you say so,” she said, biting her lip.

“No way, is that Reo Mikage?” your best friend said, her eyes wide as a tall, well-built boy took Niko’s place on the field. He had purple hair tied back in a messy ponytail, and a desperate sort of anger simmered beneath his serene exterior. You squinted and found she was right — the name Reo was indeed written above the large number 14 on his back.

“Like the corporate heir?” you said. Everyone who was anyone knew about the Mikages, but what business did the son have playing soccer? Then again, you supposed even the wealthiest people in the world had to have hobbies. Maybe soccer was just what filled the void for him. You supposed you couldn’t really comment either way.

“I’m sure of it!” your best friend said. “Oh, man, Y/N, he’s even more gorgeous in person…do you think Karasu knows him? Can I get an introduction? He’s so dreamy and perfect and amazing and unreal!”

“I can ask. I’m sure they’re at least acquainted, considering they’re playing on the same team — wait! Look, it’s Hiori! Oh my goodness, it’s Hiori! Yay, yay, Hiori! You’ve got this!” you squealed, pointing at him insistently. He was the one going in for Chigiri, and though he seemed solemn, you knew he must be nothing less than agitated at the moment. You willed him to glance up at you, and whether it was divine intervention or just a coincidence, he happened to shift towards your direction and thus made direct eye contact with you.

Immediately, any gloominess dropped from his shoulders, and you showed him your fingers, which were crossed for luck. He mimicked the gesture before running out to the field, where Otoya patted him on the back in greeting.

“Somebody save that poor, innocent boy,” your best friend said as the game began again.

“Hiori? From what?” you said.

“From being corrupted and turned into a bad-mannered asshole by Otoya,” she said.

“Fair enough,” you said before your jaw dropped as Reo Mikage perfectly mimicked Aiku’s signature defensive move, stopping Shidou from scoring yet again. “Woah. Reo’s rich and a soccer genius? I thought you were full of bullshit earlier, but you actually might be onto something.”

“Exactly,” your best friend said with a smitten sigh. “What a man.”

Despite Reo’s prowess and the goalie’s unorthodox methods, they were ultimately unable to stop Shidou from making that second goal. As the U-20 boys celebrated and the referee called for the ball to be retrieved, Blue Lock’s number 11, Isagi, stomped over to the sideline where their coach was sitting.

“They look like they’re arguing,” Chigiri said. “Do you think everything is alright?”

You weren’t sure when or how you had become the designated soccer expert, but for some reason, both Chigiri and your best friend looked at you expectantly, like you knew what the hell Isagi was pressed about.

“Maybe he’s mad about his cooler?” you said.

“Huh?” your best friend said.

“Never mind,” you said. “Uh, if I had to guess, he’s probably either asking the coach to give them a new strategy or calling for their substitute to be put in. Shidou and Sae have backed them into a corner, and if they don’t switch things up soon, they’re going to lose.”

“Looks like Karasu and Hiori taught you more than you realized,” your best friend said as Isagi jogged back to the field and the referee whistled to call for a pause to the game. One of the benched Blue Lock members, their number 13, stood up, and you actually shivered when he did. He made every single other player look like a gentle kitten in comparison to his hulking presence, even those towering monsters like Shidou and Aiku. There was no doubt about it; this was a beast amongst men, his fangs bared as he stormed onto the field, and the only thing you could not understand was why he had not been playing from the start.

“That guy is scary,” you said.

“Scary hot,” my best friend said.

“Moving on from Reo already?” you said. “This is why you’ll never have a boyfriend. Too fickle.”

“Listen, I have to keep my options open! Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone who’s good-looking, talented, and has been obsessed with them for years,” she said, elbowing you in the side with a smirk. You rolled your eyes, though you could not help but look down at Tabito when she said that. “What if I get rejected by Reo? I need to have another option, or else I’m fresh out of luck.”

“Looks like he’s replacing Otoya,” you said. “What’s his name? Barou? I’m interested to see how he does.”

“He’s getting rid of that wannabe bog monster? Even better! He’s quickly shooting up in my rankings,” my best friend said.

“Wannabe — okay, I’ll just be happy for you,” you said. “Though his hair isn’t so green as to deserve this much slander…”

“Thanks,” she said, ignoring the rest of what you had said.

“I hope they can make a comeback,” Chigiri stressed. “It’ll crush Hyoma if they lose.”

“No matter what happens now, he should be proud of how he did in the match,” you said. “Pass that message along when you see him, please. There’s no way he’s not going to get scouted by some seriously great clubs in the future.”

“You’re really kind,” Chigiri said, leaning her head on your shoulder with a sniffle. “I hope that Hyoma and your boyfriend stay on the same team for a while. Watching games is so much more fun with you.”

“Thanks! You as well. But speaking of being on the same team…” You whipped out your phone during the lull of the match, pulling up Yukimiya’s girlfriend’s contact and typing out a quick text.

‘are you watching the game??’

She responded almost immediately. ‘i convinced my parents to let me skip school so i could lol. i’m so stressed out right now!! karasu is playing super well btw.’

‘so is yukimiya!!’

‘thx!! omg also i saw you and your best friend on the screen HAHA.’

The last text was startling, to say the least. Nudging your best friend, you showed her the message, after which she took out her own phone, flipped on the camera, and checked her appearance in it.

‘no way. when??’

‘YES it was right after nagi scored in the first half. you two + the redhead were the ones who started the cheering, so they focused on you guys at first!! dw you all looked rlly pretty. as usual <3’

‘ohhh that makes sense. and tyyyy but you’re the pretty one here!!’

‘STOP you are the sweetest. also look at this LMAO they’re already making edits of you guys!!’

‘WHAT?!?!?!’

She sent you a link, which you opened with trepidation, beckoning Chigiri and your best friend over. Turning up the volume, you held up your phone as an edit of the three of you at various points in the match began to play. You were equally impressed and horrified at the speed with which the editors had gotten to work, but you couldn’t even be upset — whether it was the song or the clips they had chosen, the video made you all look magnificent. You saved it to your folder and then put your phone away, vowing to go through the comments later.

Mere minutes after you all tuned back into the flow of the game, Barou somehow pulled off a near-miraculous sliding shot, slamming the ball into the goal and once again tying back the score. This time, nobody was uncertain about what to do; every single person was on their feet, whooping as Barou tore off his jersey and tossed it in the air, flexing his arms and raising his chin as Tabito wrapped an arm around his neck, Nagi jumped on his back, and Isagi clapped him on the shoulder.

“Wow,” your best friend said.

“Wow is right! That was an incredible play. Barou is in another realm entirely!” you said, your palms stinging from how hard you were slapping them together. Your rudimentary soccer knowledge was apparently sufficient enough for you to keep up with the game, though just barely.

“Oh, I don’t know enough about soccer to be in awe of his goal,” she said. “I’m talking about those wow muscles of his. I bet he could carry me with one arm…”

“Ew, nasty,” you said, smacking her, fully aware of where her thoughts had just gone.

“Come on, you know it’s true!” she protested.

“I have a boyfriend. I’m not allowed to answer that,” you said.

“But you’re allowed to say that Otoya is good-looking?” she said.

“That was just me being nice!” you said.

“I sense favoritism,” she said. “And not even the good kind, because for some reason, you’re favoring the worst guy in the bunch! Since Karasu isn’t around to be disappointed in you, I’ll do it on his behalf.”

“Shut up,” you said half-heartedly. “I liked you better when you were in love with Reo.”

“Believe me, I still am,” she said. “He’s not the kind of person you get over easily.”

“Ah, and remind me of how many times you’ve spoken to him?”

“That’s not the point!”

The match was decided when Sae and Rin — who were supposedly brothers, according to the guys Chigiri had overheard while she was heading to the trash can — got into a fight for dominance over the ball. Somehow, it managed to end up in exactly the spot where Isagi was waiting, and without taking a moment to think, he drew his leg back. At the very last second of the game’s overtime, he sent it streaking into the net.

“They did it!” Chigiri shrieked, tackling you and your best friend in a hug.

“They did!” you shrieked back, equally as overwhelmed.

“I can’t believe it!” your best friend said. “They really pulled it off!”

With that one-goal lead, Blue Lock had managed it. They had won the game against the U-20s, thereby cementing their place in the world of soccer for good. Those whispered hopes that Tabito had shared with you, his dreams of being an athlete and playing the sport he loved…they were as you had always assured him: inevitabilities instead of impossibilities.

After all, you would say to him, over and over until you were sure he believed you. Do you think I would spend so long hating someone if they were mediocre? You can do whatever you turn your mind to. Whether it’s winning a soccer game or managing a company or getting the girl you like, your success is a guarantee.

The Blue Lock boys were ushered back to their facility after the game, so you didn’t get a chance to congratulate Tabito, but even being able to wave at him had lifted your spirits immensely, so you didn’t feel like you had wasted the trip.

In fact, you had a new pastime to occupy yourself with: namely, watching edits of yourself and liking all of the comments hyping you up. There were many of both, and when you weren’t listening to your best friend rambling about her favorite Blue Lock boy of the hour — Barou and Reo were definitely the ones she brought up the most, but Nagi and Isagi were mentioned a fair bit, too — you spent your hours on social media, sending the best edits to the group chat that you and your best friend had created with Yukimiya’s girlfriend and the elder Chigiri.

A couple of days after the game, you and your best friend were lounging in her aunt’s living room when you got a call from a number you had not seen on your phone in ages. Springing to your feet, you answered it immediately.

“Tabito? I thought they took your phone in Blue Lock?” you said.

“Hi, Y/N. Yes, they did, but we just got our stuff back and are on the buses back to the city. We’re on break for the next two weeks! Are you still in Tokyo?” he said.

“Yes! I’m here for about that amount of time — for all of winter break,” you said.

“Perfect. Some of the guys have plans to meet up in Shibuya tomorrow, but I don’t mind canceling—”

“Wait,” you cut him off, an idea formulating in your mind. “Are Barou, Nagi, Isagi, and Reo Mikage included when you say ‘some of the guys?’”

“Uh, I think Reo’s going to be there, but not any of the others. Why?” he said quizzically. Your best friend gave you a puzzled look, obviously wondering why you had just listed off her top Blue Lock crushes while on the phone with your boyfriend.

“Is it okay if we come, too?” you said. Tabito hummed uncertainly.

“Er, I don’t know…it’s not that I don’t want you to or that they’d mind or anything! In fact, they’d probably be delighted if you showed up. Rather, it’s that a few of them are a little bit odd, and you’d probably not enjoy yourself very much if you came,” he said.

“On the contrary, I think we would enjoy ourselves a great deal. Some of us more than others, naturally, but as long as you’re there, I’ll have fun, and as for my plus one…let’s just say that she could probably listen to a speech about the drying of cement, as long as it was Reo giving it,” you said.

“I see what’s happening here,” he said with a snort. “Okay, I got it. I’ll ask them and let you know what they say, alright?”

“If they say no, then tell them you can’t go and come hang out with me,” you instructed him. “I want to be with you tomorrow. I’ve missed you for far too long.”

“Will do. I miss you more.”

The line went abruptly dead, ostensibly from a lack of signal on his part, but now that you knew you were going to see him the next day either way, you just tossed the useless device aside and grinned devilishly at your best friend.

“What was that all about?” she said.

“Just go ahead and tell me you love me,” you said.

“I love you?” she said.

“And I love you,” you said. “So much that I’m making my boyfriend take us along on his group date with his soccer group — where none other than the man himself, Reo Mikage, will be present.”

About an hour or so later, Tabito texted you in the affirmative, sending you the address of the cafe where they were planning on meeting up at and giving you a rough estimate of the time they’d all be there. You and your best friend stayed up late that night, picking out your outfits — well, mostly hers, you were at the point in your relationship where you were positive that Tabito would find you pretty even in a trash bag, so you weren’t anywhere near worried about your own clothing — and planning what she’d say to sweep Reo off of his feet. Once you were done with that, you got in your pajamas and watched romantic comedies to get yourselves in ‘the zone’ and be completely prepared for the day to come, which might have qualified as one of the most important in her life.

You were the first ones at the cafe the next morning, so you took the liberty of choosing the largest table you could find and setting your things down before looking up their menu online. Your best friend, who was the one that had convinced you to be so obsessively punctual for fear of making a bad first impression on Reo, did the same, though she left two seats in between you and herself.

“Tell Karasu to sit next to you, and then have him get Reo to sit in between himself and me,” she said to you.

“Yup, I know the plan,” you said.

“Good,” she said. “Have you picked what you’re ordering? Since no one else is here yet, I can go in and grab stuff for both of us.”

“Yeah, I want this, and this,” you said, pointing at the exact menu items so that there was no room for misinterpretation.

“Mm, looks good,” she said. “Eek, I think there’s a line.”

“It’s peak brunch time,” you said. “We’re lucky to have gotten a table at all, let alone one so big. Just leave your sweater on your chair so no one else takes it. Unless you want me to go in instead?”

“Nope, I don’t want to look like a friendless loser if Reo gets here before you come back or the others show up,” she said.

“You should hurry up and join the queue before it gets any worse, then,” you said. “It would suck if you were stuck waiting and Reo left before you could even meet him.”

“I’m going!” she said, speeding into the cafe, the glass door clanging shut behind her. You laughed softly at how easy she was to rile up, resting your chin in your hands and regarding the bustling scenery of the street with adoration. Tokyo was different from home, but you didn’t mind the change. It was fun, anyways, coming up with backstories for the people who walked past, inquiring into their lives from the snippets you were shown with the curiosity of a squirrel.

“Is it okay if I sit here?” a light, playful voice said, distracting you from your thoughts. The speaker was a boy in a dark jacket, with headphones slung around his neck and a beanie pulled low over his hair, though a few stubborn strands poked out anyways — grayish-white strands, in specific, which were cut through by brilliant green. You swore under your breath. How had you not realized that he would be here as well? You could only hope that Reo would distract your best friend well enough that she would not flip out over Otoya’s presence

“You’re Otoya, right?” you said. At the mention of his name, he grinned and slid into the seat designated for Tabito, leaning his elbow on the table and batting his eyelashes at you.

“That’s me. How did you know? I’m certain we’ve not met before, because I’d remember a lady as pretty as yourself,” he said.

“You played in the match against the U-20s,” you said.

“You watched that?” he said. “I was pretty great, wasn’t I?”

“I don’t seem to remember you ever scoring,” you said thoughtfully. “And weren’t you subbed out? Ah, but yes, I was actually in the audience that day.”

Otoya wilted. “Oh. Were you rooting for the U-20s?”

“No, I was on Blue Lock’s side,” you said.

“Hold on, are you one of the guy’s sisters?” he said, stroking his chin and inspecting you. “Probably not Chigiri’s, but maybe Barou’s? I think he mentioned having younger sisters at one point. But I hope not, he’d definitely kill me for talking to you. Speaking of which, what are you even doing around here? Wanna go somewhere a bit nicer together?”

“I’m waiting for my boyfriend,” you said.

“Boyfriend?” Otoya said, face growing unnaturally pale. He inched his chair away from you. “Who’s your boyfriend?”

Before you could respond, a hand covered your eyes, blacking out your vision. “Guess who?”

“Tabito!” you said, standing up, yanking his hand away from you and kicking your chair out of the way so you could hug him. He was already waiting for you, pulling you to his chest immediately, burying his nose in your hair as he did when he was particularly tense or had been missing you.

“That’s correct. Gold star for Y/N,” he said.

Though it had been a while, now that you were back in his embrace, it felt like no time at all had passed. That was how it was between you and him, a product of the many years you both had known one another before ever dating. Tabito was as much your friend as he was your boyfriend, a confidante and a rival and a companion and a lover all wrapped into one package. There could not be secrets nor distance between the two of you, not when you both had been studying one another’s complexities since before you had even understood what it meant to pay such special attention to another person.

“Sit next to me,” you said, tugging on his coat.

“Sure thing,” he said. “Dude, move over.”

Otoya scrambled to his feet, taking the seat on Tabito’s other side and eyeing you warily, his cheeks flushed a light pink — no doubt due to that brand of humiliation which was borne from trying to get with one’s friend’s girlfriend.

“You’re Y/N?” he said.

“That’s me. Has Tabito mentioned my name or something?” you said. When he realized you weren’t going to rat him out, Otoya relaxed and pretended to gag.

“All of the time. I thought you were his celebrity crush or idol, the way he talked about you! I couldn’t believe you were real when he waved at you during the game. You were sitting a bit too far away for me to get a good look at you, but you waved back, so I had no choice but to believe him,” he said. You recognized that this was his attempt at an apology, and, finding no merit in anything but acceptance, you shrugged.

“I wasn’t that crazy,” Tabito said.

“I don’t know. Otoya doesn’t seem like the lying type,” you said. Otoya let out a sigh of relief, catching your eye and mouthing thank you when Tabito gave you an irritated look.

“He totally is! Don’t believe a word out of this asshole’s mouth, he’s full of shit!” he said.

“So that must be why you’re friends, then?” you said. Otoya let out a choked laugh, and Tabito gave you such a kicked-puppy look that you could not help but lean over and press a kiss to his cheek. “Just joking. Who else is coming?”

“Well, you already know about Reo, but besides him, Tokimitsu said he’d come, Aryu, and Yuki,” Tabito said, counting off each name on his fingers.

“Yuki? Like Yukimiya? You two are friends now?” you said, already planning double dates with Yukimiya and his girlfriend in your head.

“We were in Blue Lock together. That kind of experience can bond anyone,” Tabito said.

“This guy really hated Yuki at first, though,” Otoya said, jabbing his thumb towards Tabito, who scowled. “So fucking funny. Yuki would just be standing there, and he’d go crazy, talking about how ‘one centimeter isn’t a big deal’ and how Yuki was ‘just an average, mediocre guy.’”

“You can stop talking now,” Tabito said.

“But all’s well that ends well, right? Now Yuki and Karasu are great pals. He never did explain what his problem was at the start, however. I’ve always wondered,” Otoya said, in a tone that clearly suggested he was fishing for an elaboration from you.

“I can’t believe you’re telling on me! And to my girlfriend of all people!” Tabito said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Why does Tabito not like Yuki? It’s a funny story, really,” you began.

“One we do not need to go over,” Tabito said. Now that the misunderstanding was well beyond cleared up, that fight right before you two had gotten together was a point of great embarrassment for Tabito, who still could not quite believe that he had behaved so irrationally.

“What don’t we need to go over?” It was another newcomer, but one who you knew — Yukimiya himself, who beamed when he saw you. “Oh, Y/N! Karasu mentioned you were going to be here, but to be quite frank with you, I sort of forgot. How have you been?”

“Can’t complain. What about you?” you said. “Great job in the game against the U-20s, by the way.”

“Thanks!” he said, sitting down across from you. “I’m in the same boat. It’s nice to be on a break. I actually slept in for the first time in forever, and I got to use my own skin products instead of the crap Blue Lock gave us.”

“I’m happy for you,” you said. “You all deserve a break. It’s obvious you’ve been working really hard.”

“Pardon, madam!” You hardly had the time to react before a spindly man with flowing black hair and dark, painted fingernails was crouching beside you. “I’m sorry if I’m overstepping, but I just — I have to acknowledge glam when it’s so obviously in front of me.”

“What?” you said.

“Here he goes,” Otoya said, steepling his fingers in anticipation.

“It’s just…I was aware that Karasu was bringing his girlfriend and her best friend to this little meeting of ours, but I didn’t know that one of you would turn out to be the most glam individual I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in ages! Please, tell me you’re the best friend,” he said.

“She’s the girlfriend, Aryu, so leave her alone,” Tabito said. Aryu pressed the back of his hand against his forehead.

“In another life, my dear,” he said, fluttering his fingers at you.

“No?” Tabito said. “In no other life! She’s mine in every one, so piss off!”

“Uh, thanks for the compliment. It’s nice to meet you, Aryu,” you said awkwardly. Otoya and Yukimiya did nothing to dissipate the tension, both of them exchanging looks and giggling.

“Sorry about him,” a stocky boy with huge, panicked eyes said, taking the chair beside where Aryu was still muttering to himself about a ‘grand love affair’ that would ‘shock the world with its glam potential.’ “You’re the girl from the edits, aren’t you? Y/N L/N? I’m Tokimitsu.”

“How do you know her full, official, government name?” Tabito said, arching his eyebrows. Tokimitsu shook his head so rapidly you thought his neck might snap or something from the speed of it.

“No, no, it’s not like that, Karasu! She’s just famous at the moment!” he said.

Tabito’s eyes flicked towards you for confirmation. You rubbed the back of your neck, beginning to explain for the benefit of the entire table.

“Right when Nagi scored, the three of us — my best friend, Chigiri, and I — were the only ones cheering, so the cameras focused on us,” you said. “After that, they would periodically show us throughout the match, and people have been making edits of those clips. At first, we were just the unnamed Blue Lock fans, but I think I liked one too many comments calling me hot, because now everyone knows who we all are…”

“Some of the edits are really good,” Tokimitsu agreed. “They’re all over my dashboard. People have even started shipping you guys with the players! Right now, the most popular pairings are you with Karasu—”

“Good,” Tabito said, sticking his nose in the air. You pinched him on the bicep, finding his uncharacteristic possessiveness as endearing as it was unnecessary.

“—and your best friend with Otoya,” Tokimitsu continued.

“Huh?” Otoya said.

“The clip of her giving you the middle finger right before halftime is super popular,” Tokimitsu said. “People have actually taken screenshots and made matching profile pictures. It’s a whole movement.”

“Huh?” Otoya said. “How am I supposed to flirt with girls if everyone thinks I’m taken by some psycho who hates me for no reason? Where can I file a complaint? This needs to be stopped at once!”

“It’s not for no reason, exactly,” you said.

“There’s a legitimate explanation?” Tabito said.

“Legitimate is a stretch, but there is an explanation,” you said. “You know her. She wouldn’t hate someone without having at least some kind of logic to it.”

A shiny black limousine pulled up in front of the cafe, and the back doors opened to reveal Reo Mikage, who stepped out and thanked the driver before walking over to join the rest of you. You were about to tell him to take the seat in between Tabito and your best friend, but then you realized that there was a massive problem: somebody was already sitting there. Namely, Otoya, who was busily swiping through his phone and reporting every account that he came across which had either him or your best friend as a profile picture.

“My apologies for the tardiness,” Reo said. His mere voice had a particular cadence to it that spoke to his wealth and upbringing, and down to the slightest, his mannerisms were genteel and refined. “I had to sneak out from a meeting to come here.”

“Sneaking out from a meeting to come to another meeting? You’re a busy guy, Reo!” Aryu said, evidently completely over his earlier heartbreak. “What a glam schedule.”

“That’s not the word I’d use for it,” Reo said, running a hand through his hair, which fell loosely around his face now that he wasn’t playing soccer. “Anyways, I hope I didn’t keep you all waiting for too long.”

“No, we haven’t gotten started yet,” Tabito said.

“We’ve been discussing the edits people made of Y/N and her friends!” Tokimitsu said. Reo looked over at you and smiled politely.

“I’ve seen a few of them. It’s an impressive marketing strategy on the JFU’s part — by sprinkling in clips of you three, they managed to appeal to a broader audience. Now, people who ordinarily never would have watched the game are watching reruns, therefore increasing their revenue tenfold,” he said, offering you his hand to shake. “I’m Reo Mikage.”

“Y/N L/N,” you said, taking it as professionally as you could, all the while wondering what was holding your best friend up. She ought to be here as soon as possible, or else she really might lose her chance.

Like she had read your mind, the glass door of the cafe swung open, and your best friend strolled out, two plastic cups balanced in one hand and two scones in a napkin held in the other.

“Sorry I took so long,” she said, thankfully oblivious to the members of the meeting you were crashing. “The barista got confused and made my drink iced. I told her it wasn’t a big deal, but she insisted on dumping it and remaking it properly, free of charge. Apparently, she’s new or something, so she’s still in that phase where she isn’t entirely jaded by the public yet.”

“It’s okay,” you said. “Tabito. Grab my drink before she—!”

“You!” your best friend said, pointing at Otoya, who groaned in defeat and buried his face in his hands. Your drink slipped from her hands and clattered to the ground, spilling out onto the concrete, though she took no notice of it, putting the rest of the goods on the table and glaring at Otoya.

“My drink,” you said mournfully.

“I’ll go get you a new one,” Tabito said, making like he was going to stand. You grabbed onto his arm and shook your head.

“No, don’t leave me here,” you said.

“What? Why not?” he said. You pointed at the infamous duo, both of whom looked about ready to blow up, and then you looped your arms around his neck, peeking over his shoulder at the pair.

“If they get in a fight, I’ll be stuck in the crossfire,” you said. “You have to stay here and defend me if it comes to that. Quick, take the scones while she’s distracted. I’m going to eat them as payback for her dropping my drink.”

He did as you commanded. “Here you go.”

“Thank you,” you said.

“You owe me ten dollars!” your best friend said.

“What? No, I don’t. We’ve never even met, so why would I owe you any money at all?” Otoya said. “Wait. We haven’t met, right? Or did we go on a date at some point? If so, I’m sorry that it didn’t work out, but you have to understand that things just end up like that sometimes. I’m not going to compensate you for that.”

“Jeez, Otoya,” Yukimiya said with a chuckle. “You’re kind of horrible, man. How many dates have you been on, if you don’t even remember whether you were with her at some point?”

“Do you really want the answer to that?” Otoya said. Yukimiya made a face.

“You were definitely on a date,” your best friend said. “I wasn’t, though. In fact, I was just innocently trying to watch a movie with my cousins, when somebody decided that they would just go ahead and make out with their date, right in front of my face, for the entire one hour and forty-seven minutes of the film!”

“Who’s somebody?” Tokimitsu whispered.

“Probably Otoya,” Aryu whispered back.

“Oh, I do remember you!” Otoya said, snapping his fingers. “You came and yelled at me after the movie, too, right? That was funny.”

“Okay, guys, how about we all relax and get to the point of this meeting instead of squabbling over past grievances?” Reo interrupted before the argument could grow anymore heated. Satisfied that things were now under control, you ceased your cowering behind Tabito, though you did make sure to shove the last of the scones in your mouth before your best friend could ask where they had disappeared to.

“Fine by me,” Otoya said when your best friend did not respond. “Yo, you gonna sit down or what?”

“You guys can have your meeting without us, since I’m quite sure it’s not anything that we’ll be able to meaningfully contribute to. In the meantime, she and I will go and get a replacement drink for me,” you said.

As soon as the two of you were inside and out of earshot of the boys, she let out a wail. “I completely made an awful first impression on Reo Mikage!”

“I can’t lie, you definitely did,” you said. “But at least it was entertaining for the rest of us. Cheer up! There’s still Barou, Nagi, and Isagi, right? You have an entire list for a reason. Reo might be a wash, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up entirely.”

“You’re right, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. If only that lettuce-headed Otoya weren’t here! Things would’ve gone perfectly, but ruining my life must be a particular hobby of his,” she said.

“You might be better off if you pretend he’s not around,” you said. “How about this? We’ll get Tabito to set you up on a date with one of the others on your roster, and I’ll personally ensure that Otoya stays far, far away.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Here, I’ll pay for your drink, since I spilled it the first time.”

“Yeah, I was going to make you do that even if you didn’t offer.”

Upon your return outside, drinks and additional scones in hand, you were met with a larger group than you had left. Even more of the Blue Lock boys had appeared, and all of them were talking animatedly with one another.

“You’re Hyoma!” you said, taking a sip from your still-hot beverage, waving at your new friend’s little brother. “I sat with your sister at the game.”

“She’s mentioned you a couple of times. Said you thought I did well in the game,” Chigiri said, scratching the bridge of his nose shyly. “I really appreciate it. You’re Karasu’s girlfriend, right?”

“Yes! Thank you for knowing that!” Tabito said, snatching your drink from you and taking a swig, bursting into a coughing fit as it scalded his throat.

“That’s what you get,” you said, taking your drink back, blowing on it to cool it before taking the tiniest sip. “Alright, I know Isagi and Chigiri, but who’s the third one?”

“That’s Bachira,” Tabito said. “He’s a fascinating guy.”

“You know what we should do? Since all of us are together for the first time outside of Blue Lock, we should hang out!” Bachira said, rocking on his heels.

“That’s good with me. Our meeting ended up not being that productive,” Yukimiya said.

“Mostly due to certain individuals,” Reo agreed, looking pointedly at Otoya.

“Me? Blame her!” Otoya said, pointing at your best friend, who was busy exchanging hair care tips with Aryu instead of putting the moves on Isagi, as you thought she might’ve.

“Reo’s too much of a glam gentleman to blame a lady for anything,” Aryu said.

“What he said,” Reo agreed. “Though, again, I wouldn’t put it like that.”

“Where should we go?” Tokimitsu said. “I’m okay with anything.”

“Wait, what about Nagi? Isn’t he with you guys?” Reo said to Isagi, who hummed.

“He was supposed to meet up with us, but he overslept, and then he saw an arcade on the way, so he stopped in there,” Isagi said.

“Reo, I bet you have Nagi’s location on your phone at all times, right?” Bachira said. Reo nodded. “Then I say we use that to go and find him!”

“An arcade day does sound like a blast,” Yukimiya said.

“Thanks for the invite, but I think I’m going to stay back and spend the day with Y/N,” Tabito said.

“She can come, too!” Bachira said. “On one condition: she has to be my partner for rhyming ping-pong.”

“That’s a fair deal in my books,” you said. Ordinarily, you would have agreed with Tabito — a calm date with him was far more appealing than the prospect of going to an arcade with a bunch of soccer players — but above all else, you were a loyal friend, and you could hardly abandon your best friend when Reo, Nagi, and Isagi would all be present at this gathering.

“Are you sure? You don’t have to feel bad for me. I don’t mind missing out on hanging with these idiots. I see enough of them in Blue Lock as it is,” Tabito said.

“I’m offended,” Otoya said dryly. “What happened to bros before hoes?”

“Considering she’s his girlfriend and he’s liked her for going on six years now, I’d say she’s probably a bit more than a ‘hoe,’” Yukimiya said.

“I don’t feel bad for you, Tabito, so you can put that out of your mind. I haven’t gone to an arcade or played rhyming ping-pong in ages. It’ll be fun, I think,” you said, kicking him under the table and angling your chin towards Reo and Isagi ever-so-slightly. His mouth formed an ‘o’ in realization.

“Then I guess we’re off to the arcade,” he said. “Lead the way, Reo.”

“Follow me,” Reo said, holding up his phone, which displayed the elusive Nagi’s location on the screen.

You all must’ve appeared an odd group to any onlookers, but that didn’t stop any of you from enjoying yourselves as you weaved through the streets of Shibuya. You walked with Tabito, your hand intertwined with his like usual, both of you pointing out window displays you found appealing or ridiculous. Chigiri and Bachira hotly debated which arcade games were the best, Isagi doing his best to mediate while Otoya egged both of them on in turn. Reo and Yukimiya continued their discussion on the economics of Blue Lock from the earlier meeting, and Aryu described every single step he took in the shower to your best friend and Tokimitsu, both of whom were enthralled by the topic. All in all, it was a blend which should not have worked but somehow did, and more than simply working, it really excelled.

“There you are, pain-in-the-ass gamer prince!” Tabito cackled as everyone entered the arcade and saw Nagi sitting at one of the booths, controls in his hands and a small frown on his face as he gunned down his virtual enemies. Letting go of you, Tabito wrestled Nagi into a headlock, messing with his hair as Nagi whined in protest. “You’re going to lose all of your friends, you jerk!”

“Caught red-handed,” Reo said with a sigh. “Classic Nagi.”

“Now that we’ve found him, it’s time to party!” Bachira said, pumping his fist in the air. “Tokimitsu, let’s go play darts!”

“Okay!” Tokimitsu said.

“I’m heading over to the claw machine,” your best friend said. “Wanna come, Y/N?”

“Sure, I’ll cheer you on,” you said. “I’m pretty bad at it myself, so I won’t waste my money on my own attempts.”

Everyone dispersed throughout the arcade. Tabito, Otoya, and Aryu followed you and your best friend towards the claw machine, much to your best friend’s disgust — you were certain that she had been hoping Isagi, Nagi, or Reo would come with you, but all three of them were preoccupied with the darts competition Bachira had set up, leaving her to side-eye Otoya and stick to conversing only with Aryu. For his part, Aryu was happy to oblige her, as sticking close to your best friend had the double effect of cooling Tabito’s ire from earlier as well as alleviating the hostility between her and Otoya.

“This has got to be rigged!” your best friend said when her third attempt at trying to nab a panda plushie proved unsuccessful. On each attempt, right before she was able to drop the plushie into the chute, the claw would give out and it would fall back into the pile, leaving her out of money and patience.

“Move out of the way,” Otoya said. “Let me show you how the masters get it done.”

“You call yourself a claw-machine master?” you said. “What, do you practice or something?”

Otoya entered a token into the machine and shouldered past your fuming best friend, grabbing the controls with casual ease. “Girls love it when you win stuffed animals for them. Check out my flow!”

“I never put you down as someone with this type of functional glam,” Aryu said, pressing his face against the glass of the machine. “I sincerely repent for the underestimation!”

“You really are a master,” you breathed, doing the same, watching in astonishment as Otoya expertly maneuvered the plushie towards the chute.

“Stop shaking the machine, idiots, you’ll make him mess up,” Tabito said, pulling you and Aryu away from the glass by the back of your collars and holding you there until Otoya had retrieved his prize.

“Bam,” Otoya said, tossing the panda at your best friend. “Ninja skills.”

It hit her in the face and fell to the ground; with a withering glare, she stooped over and tucked it under her arm before stomping away.

“You better not find yourself anywhere near the dartboards! I’m warning you, I have a bad aim, so look out!” she threatened before disappearing, presumably to join in on Bachira’s tournament.

“Isn’t that just a self-insult?” Otoya said. “Sucking at darts is even worse than sucking at the claw machine, don’t you think?”

“She means she’ll hit you with the dart and you can’t blame her for it because she warned you, you dunce,” Tabito said, face-palming. “Come on, Y/N, let’s go see how the tournament’s going.”

The tournament seemed to have split into two sections. On the right side, Reo, Tokimitsu, Yukimiya, and your best friend were tossing darts at the board with precision and care, tallying up their scores and congratulating one another after each round. On the left, Nagi was standing in front of the board with his arms spread and his back to Bachira, Isagi, and Chigiri, who were gleefully taking turns throwing darts in his direction, talking about how this was his ‘punishment’ for standing them up.

“Who’s winning?” you said, right as Bachira sent a dart shooting towards the back of Nagi’s head. Nagi exhaled heavily.

“Sorry,” he repeated for the thousandth time.

“Do you think it’s even possible for someone to win in a game like that?” Tabito said. “Better to ask those guys.”

“I think Yuki is up right now,” Reo said in response to your unasked question. “Although Tokimitsu’s catching up. It’s super close. Could be anyone’s game.”

“Now that you’re here, Y/N, let’s go play rhyming ping-pong!” Bachira said.

“Who will we play against, though?” you said.

“Nagi, for one,” Bachira said.

“I don’t want to,” Nagi said. Bachira raised another dart, causing Nagi’s sleepy frown to deepen. “Okay, I will.”

“Then Tabito can be your teammate,” you said.

“You’re challenging me?” Tabito said. “You’re going to regret that. Prepare to lose.”

“Bachira and I won’t let you get even a point, right, Bachira?” you said.

“That’s right!” Bachira said, high-fiving you and charging forwards as the entire group headed over to the ping-pong table. Picking out four paddles from the rack, he handed one each to you, Tabito, and Nagi, keeping the last for himself and joining you on your side of the table.

“If we beat you, then you have to take me to the aquarium for our next date!” you said, brandishing your paddle at Tabito.

“Fine, but if we beat you, then you have to join me during my workouts for the rest of the break!” he said, tossing the ball up and down in the air.

“We have to crush them,” you said to Bachira. “If I have to workout with him, I’ll probably die.”

“Got it,” Bachira said, rolling his shoulders. “Ready when you are.”

“Nagi, get your head in the game,” Tabito said to his reluctant partner. “We need to win this. The aquarium is so creepy and unromantic! What kind of first date back from Blue Lock would that be? I need your talents, prodigy.”

“Okay,” Nagi said. “Are we starting?”

“Yeah, you can serve. Do you know how to play?” Tabito said.

“Not really,” he said.

“Whenever you hit the ball, you have to say a word that the other team can rhyme to, and when they return the serve, they have to come up with that rhyme and say it,” Bachira said. “Pretty easy, right?”

“It’ll be a simple win,” you said. “I’m first in the class for Modern Literature, so I know a lot of words.”

“Don’t underestimate Nagi,” Reo said. “He may look like little more than a typical idiot slacker, but he actually came second in our year without studying at all.”

“I’m so torn,” your best friend said. “Who do I root for?”

“Why’s it a question? Wouldn’t you want to root for your best friend?” Chigiri said.

“You wouldn’t get it,” she said.

“Hmph,” Chigiri said. “Whatever.”

“Okay, are both sides ready?” Yukimiya said. He had been chosen to referee, mostly because he was the most impartial. All of you nodded, and he whistled. “Rhyming ping-pong, begin! Your serve, Nagi!”

“Um,” Nagi said, tossing the ball in the air and tapping it with his paddle. “Orange?”

Yukimiya whistled again. “Out! Y/N and Bachira are the winners!”

“What was that?” Tabito screeched.

“He must’ve gotten nervous in the face of Bachira and I’s combined prowess,” you said, tossing your hair.

“Not really. I just didn’t wanna play,” Nagi said. “There’s some good aquariums in Tokyo, Karasu. You can probably have a fun date there.”

“You’re the worst,” Tabito said. “I’m taking Chigiri next time. I bet he wouldn’t have picked orange as his first word!”

“I would’ve gone with bat,” Chigiri said.

“Ooh, and then I would’ve said cat!” you said. Bachira had vanished alongside Isagi and Reo, giving some excuse about karaoke before running out the door after them, leaving you standing alone across from the furious Tabito and lethargic Nagi.

“Maybe we should’ve teamed up,” Chigiri said to you. You winked and gave him a thumbs-up in assent.

“Can we go see what Reo and the others are doing?” Nagi said, limp in another one of Tabito’s headlocks, completely unbothered by the vulnerable position that he was being held in.

“Bachira said they were going for karaoke,” you said. “Maybe we should find Otoya and Aryu before joining them, though.”

“How about just Aryu?” your best friend suggested, though her ideas went unheard.

“I’ll text them,” Yukimiya said.

“No need,” Otoya said, peeking his head into the door. “We’ve been looking for you guys for a while.”

“Such unglam conduct, disappearing like that,” Aryu said in disappointment.

“Sorry!” Tokimitsu yelped.

“Since we’re all here now, we should be good to head to karaoke,” Yukimiya said.

“Karasu and I are going to do a duet,” Otoya informed everyone as you all followed the signs for the karaoke section of the building.

“Hell yeah,” Tabito snickered. “We’ll knock everyone’s socks off. They’re not ready.”

“What song?” Tokimitsu said.

“Something with a lot of belting,” Otoya said.

“Please don’t,” your best friend said. “I didn’t bring ear plugs, and I do value my hearing.”

“Wait a second,” you said. “Hey, Tabito, Yukimiya — isn’t that Aiku from the U-20 squad?”

“Huh?” Tabito said.

“It is!” Yukimiya said. “He’s talking to Reo, Isagi, and Bachira, too. That’s unexpected.”

“Looks like the whole gang’s here, in fact,” Tabito said, cracking his knuckles and motioning towards the rest of the U-20 squad, who were glowering at the boys beside you as they approached.

“A fight?” Nagi said.

“Could be,” Otoya said, striking a ninja-pose that caused your best friend to dissolve into a fit of laughter, which he ignored completely. “I’m stoked.”

“Need backup, Isagi?” Yukimiya said, his hands in his pockets and a genial smile on his face. “We’ve got you.”

“Ah, but don’t expect anything from me!” you said, flashing them all a peace sign. “I’ll cheer for you from the corner, though.”

“A girl? Hello—” Aiku began, though he was immediately interrupted by Tabito.

“Nope, don’t even think about it,” he said.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” Aiku said.

“What are you all doing here?” one of the U-20 boys, whose name you couldn’t recall, said.

“Likely the same thing as you,” Chigiri said.

“But in a more glam way, naturally,” Aryu added.

“The fuck? Don’t think I won’t mess you up, freak!” the U-20 player said.

“Freak?” Aryu said. “Say that again, I dare you!”

“How about we settle this over a game of bowling?” Aiku suggested. “That way, none of us get in trouble with our coaches for accidentally injuring ourselves.”

“Fine by us,” Yukimiya said. “We’ll beat you either way.”

“I’d prefer it if I didn’t have to watch you all pummel each other,” you agreed.

“Same,” your best friend said. “Though I wouldn’t mind too much if you roughed Otoya up a bit…”

“Hey!” the boy in question said.

“The ladies have spoken,” Aiku said. “Bowling it is!”

“Are you going to play?” Tabito asked you as you all trekked towards the bowling alley.

“Nah, this is a feud between Blue Lock and the U-20 players. I’m just an onlooker,” you said.

“Aw, but you’re the bowling champion! We’d win for sure if we had you on our side,” he said. Going bowling had been a common event for both of your friend groups all throughout high school, so he had been privy to many a round in which you absolutely annihilated everyone else, demolishing him and his friends and yours alike with a careful, needle-like precision.

“You’re not half-bad yourself. Plus, who knows how good the others are? It’ll be alright. Go beat those U-20 boys again, and then let’s get out of here,” you said.

“Just us? Or do you mean everyone?” he said.

“Just us,” you said. “I’ve been downright helpful all day, so no one can begrudge me for being a little bit selfish and sneaking off with you. I’ll only do it if you win, though.”

That was a lie, but Tabito was the type who performed better under pressure. The thought that he might miss out on a date with you — especially one not at the aquarium — would be more than enough to drive him to bowling success.

“Y/N!” your best friend hissed to you as Tabito and the others went to check in at the counter. “Check it out! It’s Shoei Barou!”

“He’s bowling all by himself? Huh, that’s a little startling. The more you know, I guess,” you said. Privately, you had believed the intimidating Barou would have had similarly intimidating habits, like powerlifting, or beating up thugs in alleyways, or activities more along those lines, but of course, everyone had layers, so maybe you shouldn’t have assumed.

“It’s kind of cute, if I’m being honest,” she said. “Like, oh my gosh, you’re a friendless loner! I need you so badly.”

“There’s a lid for every pot,” you said, not at all seeing the appeal in that kind of person but having decided long ago that you were more glad than anything that you and she didn’t have the same taste in men — you had likely avoided many awkward situations in that way. “Well, what’s your plan? You’ve got Reo, Barou, Nagi, and Isagi all in one room. Who’re you going to go for?”

“Let’s weigh the pros and cons. That should help us come to a proper conclusion,” she said.

“Got it. Cons: Reo finds you super immature for fighting with Otoya, Nagi doesn’t seem to care about you one way or another, Isagi is much more interested in hanging out with Bachira and Chigiri than trying to talk to you, and you haven’t even met Barou yet,” you said. She gulped.

“And, uh, the pros?” she said. You frowned.

“Uh…at least Nagi’s opinion of you isn’t bad?” you said. “And you haven’t had the chance to make a terrible impression on Barou yet.”

“That’s it?” she said.

“Sorry,” you said. “But kind of. It’s not looking good.”

“What do I do, then?” she said. “Is it time for me to give up on my dreams? Am I destined to be single forever? Will the closest I get to a wedding be in the form of attending yours as a bridesmaid?”

“Don’t be pessimistic,” you said. “There’s always Aiku. He seems like he’d take anything on legs for a date or two.”

In unison, you glanced over at Aiku. He, and Otoya for that matter, were talking to a pair of girls, who were hooked on their every word, irises sparkling as they listened to both boys flirt. You and your best friend exchanged looks.

“I’d rather die alone,” she said.

“That kind of relationship wouldn’t last,” you affirmed. “Don’t worry. I’ll ask Tabito if he can introduce you to Barou. He’s likely your best bet at this point.”

“You might be right about that,” she said, following after you as you made your way towards where the ones not actively bowling were hanging out.

This, unfortunately, was a fatal mistake. The route took you past Otoya and Aiku, and, more importantly, the girls they were chatting with. One of them happened to catch a glimpse of you both, and she immediately gasped, shoving past Otoya to tap the two of you on our shoulders.

“You’re the girls from the edits!” she said. You winced at the murderous expressions on Aiku’s and Otoya’s faces.

“Yeah, we are,” you said.

“No way!” the other girl said to your best friend. “You and your boyfriend are my sister and her boyfriend’s profile pictures!”

“Boyfriend?” your best friend said. “I’m single, though?”

“The guy you gave the middle finger to at the Blue Lock vs U-20 match! Aren’t you two dating?” she said.

“No!” your best friend and Otoya said at the same time.

“Wait, I didn’t recognize you because of the hat, but you’re the confused player that she flipped off!” the girl said to Otoya. “Can we get a picture of the two of you together? We’re guaranteed to go viral if we can post something like that!”

“Oh, boy,” you said. “Aiku, you seem like a nice guy, so I’m going to advise you to run right about now.”

“What?” he said.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” you said, darting off before you were caught up in the fallout that would accompany the request, not slowing your pace until you were safely over by Tabito and the rest, far away from the brewing situation.

“I think we’re going to do it!” Tabito said when he saw that you were once again at his side. “As long as Nagi is more motivated to bowl than he was to play rhyming ping-pong.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, that’s great,” you said. “Let’s go.”

“Right now?” he said.

“Right now,” you said.

“Did something happen?” he said.

“This bowling alley is about to turn into a war zone,” you said, gesturing over to where Otoya and your best friend were standing stiffly beside one another, the girl angling her phone to take as many photos of them as possible.

“Uh-oh,” he said. “See you guys later!”

“What? You’re already leaving?” Chigiri said.

“Yup, it was great to meet you all! Good luck in Blue Lock. Hope to see you again!” you said, sprinting towards the doors with Tabito, ducking out right as your best friend went off on a tirade about how Otoya needed to stay a ‘minimum of two bodies’ away from her at all times lest he ‘infect her with the green hair disease.’ “Phew.”

“We made it,” Tabito said. “Now what?”

“Now we do whatever we want,” you said, reaching up and kissing him softly. “No more worrying about everyone else. Let’s do something for just the two of us.”

“Finally,” he said, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you left the arcade behind. “I’ve been missing you for so long, and when I finally got you back, I had to share you with all of my dumbass teammates. Not fair.”

“I’m sorry,” you said. “It’s like Otoya said — bros before hoes.”

“Otoya’s a jackass,” he said.

“True,” you said. “But enough about him. I want to hear about everything you did in Blue Lock, so that when you have to go back, I can imagine what you might be up to at any given moment and feel a little better.”

“Gross,” he said.

“You act as though you hate it, but I knew deep down you like it,” you said. He wrinkled his nose, though it did little to hide his prominent blush.

“Nah,” he said, drawing you impossibly closer to his side, as much to be affectionate as to prevent you from further exposure to the redness of his face. “I just like you.”

“Oh?” you said. “That’s good, because I like you, too.”

“I already knew that,” he said.

“Never mind,” you said. “If that’s the case, then I hate you.”

“No, you don’t,” he said. You smiled, playing with his fingers as the two of you walked around the city with no destination in mind, no end goal but to enjoy each other’s company.

“No, I don’t.”

#karasu x reader #karasu x y/n #karasu x you #karasu tabito #bllk x reader #bllk #blue lock #established relationship #reader insert #m1ckeyb3rry milestone #m1ckeyb3rry writes

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popculturebuffet · 2 months ago

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X-Month: X-Men 97 Review (Comissioned by Emma Fici)

To me my x-men and welcome back to X-Month, my look at all things of X. And we're at the biggun today as i'm finally taking a look at something i've wanted to for months: yes my mutant obessed self is finally looking at x-men 97.

So for those of you like my good friend emma who sponsored this review who only have the broad strokes of what this is or have heard the buzz but simply haven't gotten to it: X-Men 97 is a recent cartoon from disney plus, the second from Marvel Studios after What If? and the first not tied to the MCU in any way.

Instead 97 is a direct followup to X-Men, aka X-Men the Animated Series a long running series that not only , along with Batman the Animated Series, helped show what animation could achive after years of censorship, telling more nuanced stories that appealed to all ages and is one of the major things that's defined the x-men in pop culture, the movies being the other.

It was also the first X-Men cartoon in a decade, following Wolverine and the X-Men, as marvel studios head Ike Pearlmutter put a ban on using the Fantastic Four or X-Men as they didn't own them, and tried to actively kill them in the comics. I kid... only the X-men were attempted murdered by a cloud of gas that killed them. The FF were simply disbanded. So naturally after a decade of my faviorite team not being able to show up, my reaction to a brand new cartoon starring them was a resounding...

While I watched the cartoon ocasionally as a kid, what really got me into the X-Men was a mix of the movies and x-men evolution. I didn't hate the cartoon, evne watched some in college but it just didn't grab me and as my attitude towards x-men went from something I really liked to

I just never got into it heavily when 97 was being rolled out. I would've preferred a fresh cartoon doing something with the decades of material since instead of what I felt was a nostalgia cashgrab for a show I had a petty grudge against for getting all this attention from marvel. It got articles, it's being added to D+ was a big deal and the icons for the x-men on D+ are based on the jim lee designs used in the show. I did try the show again and enjoyed what I saw, watching most of seasons 1 and 2 but simply never got what the hype was about. It didn't help that 97 was seemingly being buried by marvel: little info came out, the character designs looked fine but not all that impressive. It semeed like it'd be like the Animaniacs revival and ones like it: A fairly limp continuation that just sorta did the same stuff but with a modern production style.

So....

As the show got close earlier this year, I got excited: The trailer looked slick, using 3d models but with painted to fit the original's style, had gorgeous looking animation and had Wolveirne and Gambit doing a combo move which you lovely people dubbed Cut the Deck.

So shortly before the premire because I procastinate, I rewatched the original... and I thorughly enjoyed it. The show isn't perfect, having to make concesions for it's saturday morning time slot and with it's animation being rigid in people. Yet the talented cast and crew were able to distill the x-men down into what made them work, taking the bulk of Chris CLaremont's decade long run that defined it, a bit of what was going on at the time, and some of the stuff before and make a true masterpiece. It Streamlined decades of comics into a fun, frentic show that was a joy to watch. I watched Seasons 1 and 2 again then realizing time was running out watched what episodes I thought would be key to the show or just wanted to watch, as well as a few after. While there's still a handful I haven't finished, I can safely say the bulk of the show slaps and is worth your time.

This hyped me up even more.. and while I have more thoughts as to why, X-Men 97 is one of the best reboots i've seen: it continues the original story, but in a way that's both acccesible to new fans (both of x-men in general and of this continuity in paticular), and fresh, using the old astetics, but now targeting an older audience, can get away with a lot the original couldn't: blood and sex are heavily implied, and a decent chunk of characters die including one of our leads. IT's a show tha'ts mature in the way tha tshould be, using being adult animation to tell darker stories without loosing the fun and camp that makes superheroes great. In short it's the best of the four x-men cartoons. In long.. well join me under the cut for a deep dive into one of the best shows of the year.

Re-Buliding the Danger Room: X-Men 97 as mentioned is one of Marvel Studio's first cartoons and was what Disney wanted from the get go, clearly wanting to grab some of that nostlagia dollar they love so dearly. They eventually tapped Beau DeMayo who'd written for Moon Knight, along with the Witcher, been story editor for the Originals and written the witcher film Nightmare of the Wolf. DeMayo was fully qualified for the job and being a huge fan of the original lept to it with vigor, bringing in producers Julia and Eric Lewald and Larry Huston from the original.

DeMayo and his top notch crew made sure to honor the original and in casting tried to get back as many of the original cast as possible: Allison Sealy-Smith, Lenore Zahn, Cal Dodd, Cristopher Britton, George Bauza and Adrian Hough all retuned as Storm, Rogue, Wolverine, Mr Sinister , Beast and Nightcrawler, and while they weren't cast as their original parts as Jubilee, Gambit, Jean, Cable, Morph they still made sure there were roles for Allyson Court, Chris Potter, Cathryne Disher, Laurence Bayne and Ron Rubin, witht hem now playing Abyscissa, Jubilee's older alternate cocunterpart, Cable, Valirie Cooper, The X-Cutioner and Senator Kelly. Some were to match the characters: Court willingly stepped down in an awesome move so someone who was actually chinsese could play Jubilee, leading to Holly Chou's casting, while Morph, now fully seen as nonbinary, was given to NB actor J.P. Karlak. Cable as you can tell swapped to Chris Potter, Jean went to vetran voice actor and vetran jean grey from Wolverine and the X-Men Jennifer Hale, and Gambit to A.J. Locosto. Charles Xavier's former va Cedric Smith is replaced by invincible's Ross Maruqad and the late Norm Spencer and Dave Hemblen are replaced as Cyclops and Magneto by Ray Chase and Matthew Waterson. There are a LOT more swap outs as the series uses a more modern la based voiced cast for the most part, so i'm only sticking to these as X-Men in general has a lot of characters and 97 packs in as many as possible in big and small roles.

There isn't a ton of behind the scenes: I've got some bits and bobs from the various voice actors, some of which i'll sprinkle in later, and the crew, but marvel's documentary on the series primarily focused on the fact actors came back and the production of the original show. Yet they left out the part where Stan Lee was convinced by execs that a show about Xavier and Cyclops going around in a van solving mutant mysteries was the best route to go.

I don't have time to unpack that or the really intresting history behind the original show, but I highly recommend the art of book.

Anyways the main reason for this is one ya'll probably know but needs bringing up thanks to recent allegations: Beau DeMayo, the showrunner and while not the only creative force, i've been trying to retrain myself that a shows creator isn't the only one making this stuff and a lot of great writers and animators are just as responsible, he was still one of the major ones, writing all 10 episodes, showrunning things and clearly steering the direction the show went in. And.. he was fired one week before the show aired.

Disney Sucks Suprising No One

Disney, as usual was vauge about it, with DeMayo himself playing quiet. The most he spoke up was after episdoe 5 , Remember It, to provide some context as to why the episode played out the way it did and what the goal of the show was from his initial pitch, something i'll save for when we get there. Disney apparently didn't like this and stripped his credits for season 2, which he'd already written all of when he was fired. They also barred him from the Emmy's after Remember It was nominated.

Disney CLAIMS it was sexual harassment while DeMayo called bullshit, saying Disney made things hostile and wasn't happy he was a black gay man who wasn't demphasising his queerness, having an only fans and dressing as cyclops. They also apparently didn't like he wanted to adapt stories outright which I don't get but given marvel hasn't been doing that as often, makes sense.

Now as for which side I belviie.. it's Beau. And i'ts not because I like the show: Warren Ellis and Joss WHedon both wrote things I loved and I cut myself off from their work as soon as I learned who they really were this whole time. But Demayo... seems like he's simply outspokenly queer and horny as fuck, which as an adult man is his right. Disney has a history of soft homophobia, trying to quitely cancel the owl house, which backfired horribly, supporting anti gay legslation and generally not allowing protaganists in their shows to be openly gay. They've failed as all it's done is make the bulk of their leads bisexual, which is fantastic as we needed more bi rep anyway, but their history leans towards them being full of shit. Not only that as my good friend Marco pointed out when we talked about this.. Disney waited a LONNNNG time to make these allegations without any proof. So either they covered up sexual harassment to cover their own asses and only revealed it when they were being sued for being shitty, or they tried to remove a queer man's credits for not being their token black stamp of approval like they wanted (Demayo's words) or toning down his queerness and then having the "gall" to actually talk about a show he wrote in a way that didn't disparage the company or reveal why he was fired. Disney did all this because DeMayo talked about the show and had him sign a nda that apparently told him he coudln't that's HIGHLY illegal. Ther'es nothing about Disney's defense that isn't shady as fuck and filmsy as hell and I hope they get sued. The fact their legal team, probably the same one that advised this tactic, tried claming a man couldn't sue for wrongful death over his wife dying of allergies because he signed up for disney+ maybe a week or two before all this dosen't help.

So yeah tldr version: Beau Demayo was most likely wrongfully terminated and Disney once again is trying to screw over a queer creator. Fuck em. Now with that elephant shooed out of the room we can get to the actual series.

Kinetic Strut

While the show keeps the designs and astetic of the original to a point, 97 has style of it's own and i'ts pretty good. I was a bit antsy when I first saw the art style in stills and productoin deisgn, cg puppets instead of traditional animation. I'm not against 3d animation as it can be really gorgeous and sometimes fits better. Fellow reboot that slaps Fairly Odd Parents: A New Wish uses a style similar to the peanuts movie, cgi models but used to mimick stop motion and it rocks. But this style felt cheap.

As it turns out while budget was why they did this it was for good budget reasons: with not the biggest budget it was easier to do action in this style than try to do hand drawn again, while also still keeping the astetic consitant enough to feel like a sequel to the original.

And this pays off: There are moments here or there where the animation feels stiff during dialouge.. but there drops in the bucket of an expressive show and allow the show to just pile on the action set pieces. In the first ep alone we get cyclops using his powers as a parachute, storm turning a desert to glass and using it to shred sentinels into fine pieces, beast hyjacking a sentienel, and our final circut: Gambit charging wolverin'es claws, Logan then bouncing off Morph transfrormed into the blob lik ea trampoline to destroy master mold. And that's just episode 1.

The show delights in letting the mutants really flex, something budget and groundendess only let the films do once or twice, to show just what their capable of. Magneto lifts a giant chunk of the UN into the air to make a point, then tops himself later with a massive emp that's given the scope it deserves, Madline Pryor shows just how deadly her/jeans powers could be by filling Magneto with pieces of a stain glass window, Jean herself later getting to use a whole bowling alley as a weapon, Jubille's future self shows her colorful deadly pinwheels, Rogue gets to go sickhouse on the military using every move from marvel vs capcom she has and we see inside nightcrawlers teleport. It's not all but damn if the show dosen't make our heroes look good, every last one getting a showcase of just what they can do. Morph in paticular gets a fun new gimmick of changing into past characters: While I do wish we saw some of these characters, paticuarlly Magik, in the actual flesh it's a fun way to amp up his moveset and make fighting with him more than pretending to be a mook but suprise he wasn't.

97 has a kintetic strut, a term x-men writer grant morrison used to describe what they wanted for their book new x-men when pitching it. A sense of style that's gorgoeus to watch, fun to have and shows off the characters personalities. Even if not everyone gets a major plot this season, everyone gets to show off and it is glorious.

This applies to the writing too: the show leans into it's comic roots, and rather than try to downplay the goofiness, reminds us why we love it: the costumes are kept as they were (Though we may be getting the New X-Men costumes next season), Things are taken seriously, yet there's still plenty of character based humor, my faviorite being in the second episode, Mutant Liberation Begins when a very Pregnant Maddie/Jean says "it's coming", wolverine gets ready for an attack and then has to be told "The baby you idiot" while he has the most "oh fuck bub" expression on his face. There isn't a ton of humor and it's sparse in the second half as the stakes go all the way up, but it provides nice breaks from the dramatic soap opera that's going on.

So with the shows style out of the way, what's in it. Well before I can tell you that story, I have to cover the original a bit. I won't be recapping every single episode as not every episode is relevant to this show and it's , while a great show, not the one I came here to talk about. If there's intrest, and let me know in the comments, i'd be happy to another day. But for now i'ts just the easiest way to get some informatoin out that's important in 97 so I don't have to say "in the original series" every five sentences.

So...

Previously On X-Men: It's the early 90's and mankind is dealing with their next evolution: Mutants, people who usually at puberty gain super powers ranging from looking like a mole man to "being able to shut down all power on earth when they have a bad enough day". Naturally humanity is handeling this calm, rationally and of course, forming angry racist mobs of frothing bigots.

In this frought time enters the X-Men. They are:

Charles Xavier: Omega Level Telepath, meaning he has no upper limit. The founder of the team. Has less of an accidental god complex here, instead being a kind mentor who took in several mutants with nowhere to go. He can be stern and hard to move but is beloved by most of his students.

Cyclops: OPTIC BLAST! A stoic man raised by xavier to be his perfect soldier and to have a titanium rod jammed up his ass. A good tactician but hard to open up emotoinally. Said Jean a LOT

Jean Grey: Said jean. World class telepath and telkenetic.. in the revivial. In the original she was a decent telepath but mostly got knocked around a lot and got her name said a lot.

Wolverine: The best at what he does. Healing factor, adamantium skeleton given to him by a sketchy program of the canadian goverment, and a bad attitude. Wasn't aloud to drink, smoke or murder but still got the point across that he probably did those things off screen. Bad tempered, impulsive and ready to ride scott's ass at any moment. Metaphorically and literally as the sexual tension is palpable. Has a deep crush on Jean he never fully let go. Got a lot of screen time because

Rogue: A southren belle with the power to steal memory and powers from whoever she touches. Naturally this leaves her desperately wanting a cure or workaround, but spends the rest of her time as a sassy badass. She was once a supervillian, adopted by super terriorist Mystique after she traumatically sent her first kiss into a coma and was thrown out by her dad. Mystique.. wasn't much better, not helped by the fact her wife wasn't allowed to be in the show because lesbians, a ruthless monster in this continuity who gleefully used Rogue to steal the powers of superhero Ms Marvel (Carol Danvers), leaving Rogue stuck with the woman in her head. Charles did his best to partion carol off and try to help both women. She's fun loving, badass and the best.

Gambit: A cajun who can charge any object to blow up real good. A red eyed ladies man who constantly hits on Rogue who turns him down, but is clearly intrested because it was the 90s, though he has no trouble getting women. He has a shadowy past, having worked for a guild of theives and had to run out on his wedding, among other stuff we haven't gotten to, and is cagey about it but loyal to the dream and his new family. He may be snarky as hell and the second most likely to rebel behind logan but he will be there when you need him.

Storm: Has power over the weather and can do pretty much anything with it and knows it. Keeps her emotoins mostly in check as them going out of control could destroy everything around her, but is kind and empathtic. The series didn't do a ton with her apart from a few two parters, but she was memorable and unlike the comics hammy as hell. Allison Court could really belt it out and still can .

Beast: A blue beast man whose attempt to cure his mutation made him into the furry we all know and love. THe face of a hulking brute, the mind of a scholar, Beast has never met a quote he can't blurt out or a villian he can't face kick. He was intended to just be a one and done for season 1, an x-man to get captured and be the center of a trial subplot in season 1. Instead his peformace, general dmeanor and everything was so awesome he was kept on as a main character for the rest of the show.

Jubillee: A feisty teen with the power to make colorful explosions. She joins in the pilot for reasons we'll get to, and due to her birth parents being dead and her step parents being not all that great, she comes to see the x-men as her family. Tends ot get sidelined at times, and is the only one Wolverine really seems to like in the main cast.

Season 1 is seralized, something Fox put a stop to as episodes sometimes woudln't come back on time so the story got scrambled. The season largely deals with the Mutant Control Agency, a goverment subsided group of assholes that ask people to report mutants to them then send giant mutant hunting robots named sentinels to capture and imprison them. Their ran by Henry Peter Gyrinch, a bigoted asshole who was a bigoted pain in the Avengers side in the comics before graduating to running the anti-mutant project wideawake. So really 10/10 nailed it. He is the worst and works with bolivar trask, an inventor who created the sentinels.

The MCA picks up Jubilee because her stepfather dosen't know how to handle her powers and thought this was remotely okay. Her step mom at least is rightfully pissed. Jubes runs away, gets attacked by sentinels and later picked up with them and we get a great excahnge that sums up both series well

Jubille: What'd I eve rdo to you? Gyrinch: you were born.

It's the core of the x-men and why I tilted my head at so many chuds saying "X-MEN WOKE NOW". X-men always was, I won't spend forever debating the obvious, but it was. Last year I covered a storyline where the x-men fought a televangilist and his secret assasians who then tried to shoot them on live television. This isn't new. Not to this series, not to this franchise, fuck off good sir fuck off.

The X-Men meanwhile break into the MCA as they realize both how dangerous they are and how their using the records. This.. dosen't go well. While they do destroy the print records, Beast gets left behind while destroying the digtial ones, and the x-men are attacked by sentinels.. and forced to abandon another. See the pilot added one more member, Morph, a loveable jokester Wolverine was close with who could shapeshift.. and who seemingly died. They were left behind and Wolverine was left devistated. This was meant to mimic the death of thunderbird early in chirs claremonts run, changed to a white guy as executives rightfullyr ealized "maybe having the only native member of the team killed is.. fucking awful?". It was done for the same reason: to raise the stakes and give the illusion anyone on the tam could also go. morph ended up super well loved though and thus lived on. We'll get to that.

For now the X-Men save jubes and bust up the sentinels and the goverment pulls out.. but senator kelly, an anti mutant politican, plans to run for president. Later in the season Gambit, Jubilee and Storm go for a vacation in Genosha, a seemingly welcoming island to mutants.. that instead uses them for slave labors using power nullifying collars. These collars are a neat horrifying addition that are only found in x-men the animated series. Anyways, turns out Genosha also has sentinels, but thankfully our heroes are able to break out thanks to Cable, a freedom fighter from the future whose in the past for reasons that will never be explained as his backstory in the comics was finally flehsed out between seaosns so they just went with that. So he's from the future now.

Things come to the head when Mystique attempts to kill senator kelly. Thankfully our heroes are tipped off about it from Bishop, a man from a dystopian future ruled by the sentinels who took way too long to realize their the baddies and with help from Forge, a mutant who can make any invention he can think of, comes back to our time. Bishop would return a few times to help our heroes, almost causing an apocalypse till cable sets him right in the stellar "Time Fugitives" two parter, and going from an uneasy ally of the x-men to one of of their closest.

Sadly this dosen't stop Senator Kelly whose more radicalized than ever, and is easily recurited by Trask. Unforutnately for Kelly turns out the Sentinels evolved a mind of their own, with master mold realizing the obvious thing Trask and Gyrinch couldn't: Mutants.. are still human. Granted they decide to do this by conquering humanity by replacing their elected officals with robots

But the x-men save them and Kelly is an ally of there's for the rest of the series and the only one of his incarnations I can think of that really gets to reform and not die for it. Granted he'll make some huge mistkaes in 97 but for the rest of TAS he's a staunch ally of our heroes if only seen occasionally. His biggest role was exonerating beast.

During the season the x-men would also encounter a nother major player for this series and the next and my faviorite Mutant, Magneto, master of magnet. He tried to free beast during his incarceration but Beast refused wanting his day in court and soon fought the x-men. For the rest of the series he's more of a wild card: He will fight the x-men but usually for some good reason or what he thinks is a good reason. Magneto fights to secure a future for his people like the x-men do, but knows sometimes the peaceful route may not be the most paltable. That isn't to say he dosen't make mistakes ,he tries to hyjack a nuclear plant early on and has a habit of trusting the wrong people in some of his later ventures we'll get to, but he's for the most part a noble man.

The other major threat is Apocalypse, Mystiques boss in this incarnation and rather than a social darwanist, he's an immortal monster planning to conquer earth. He's hammy, terrifying and hard to put down adn it takes four seasons for our heroes to finally beat him, the x-men only surviving one encounter because Cable went back to save them. They finally seemingly beat him in the massive intended series finale beyond good and evil, only for him to use the body of greasy buttcrack pooflap fabian cortez to escape death. He'll.. be back but won't appear in the main story of this season.

So with season 2 our heroes get two more big bads to tussle with. The first is Mr Sinsiter, a creepy genetscit from the 18th centruy who hoped to help his wife life.. and she did.. but at a cost and at the cost of several mutants lives. Sinister went from a man who genuinely had good intentions if horrifying methods and was shuned by society as a charlatin, to a horrifying monster who wanted to perfect mutantkind no matter the cost. Our heroes fought him primarily in season 2, as he lured Xavier and Magneto away to the savage land, a patch of anartica that still has dinosaurs and also some mutants magneto made out of the natives there that still hasn't been properly explained. In the comics he just wanted more minons because prior to the 80's magneto was a pretty standard mustache twirling super villian and it was adapted here because

While Xavier and Magneto have a savage land vacation, Sinister sends a devistating weapon against our x-men: Morph. Brainwashed by sinister, Morphs resetmment over seemingly being left for dead and rescued by sinister is amplified and he nearly destroys the x-men. He also fake marries scott and jean. They get married for realizes a few season later. I assume it was a network thing who knows.

The x-men are able to stop him, and he runs away. They eventually are lured to the arctic by sinister at the end of the season and despite being stripped of their powers at first eventually win. MOrph however decides to stay away out of guilt. He eventually doe smostly recover with the help of dr moria mactaggert but after an encounter by a leftover master mold that isn't remotely explained in this series but 97 reveals trask and gyrinch built backups, realizes he's not ready and stays away again till the finale.

The other big bad for season 2 is Graydon Creed head of the friends of humanity, a group of bigots who in the comics lasted about a few years but here become a major thorn in the heroes side for a season. Our heroes CAN punch them but it dosen't quite solve the issue and Graydon is clever using fake mutant attacks, doctored footage and other creepily realistic tactics. Their eventually beaten down for now when it's revealed Graydon himself.. is the son of a mutant, Wolverine's arch enemy sabertooth, distablising the movement when he has a breakdown just seeing a hologram of the guy.

Season 3 is mostly taken up by two big five part serials adapting two of the x-men's biggest stories: The Phoenix Saga and the Dark Phoenix Saga

The Phoenix Saga has the x-men forced to hyjack a space craft to save it from Eric the Red, a mysterious alien meance who stalks the team. They save it.. but Jean's forced to nearly sacrifice herlsef to shield them from the cosmic rays on the way home. She gets contacted by Phoenix, in this continuity a powerful entity and guardian of reality itself and specifically the M'Kran Crystal, a powerful gem that can alter reality and that the emproror of the massive shiar empire D'Ken plans to use to become a god.

To stop him his sister Lilandra has been telepahticly dming xavier and he likes what he hears. She quickly gets kidnapped by the Juggernaut bitch and after dealing with him the x-men head into space and battle a legally distinct version of the legion of superheroes before defeating D'Ken. Along the way Scott meets his daddy guy: he'd assumed he was orphaned but instead his dad had been stranded in space, his mom had been killed and daddy instead became space pirate corsair. Whiel the two roughlyr econciled, it left Scott with a LOT of abandoment issues that will be important soon.

For the Dark Phoenix Saga phoenix did her job.. but won't leave jean, wanting to experince everything.. and leading her into the clutches of the hellfire club, called the inner circle here but since we're not having to get past fox censors hellfire club it is. They plan to add jean to their membership, but instead their member masterminds manipulations cause phoenix to go insane and take out an uninhabited, in this continuity, solar system. Lilandra comes to kill her before that happens again, the x-men end up fighting her in a trial by combat, and phoenix sacrifies herself for jean.

Season 4 is, thankfully mostly one offs but a few important events happen: The biggest involve our boy magneto: Magneto goes absolutely through it this season. He first decides

And creates a giant asteroid, asteroid m for everyone to live on inviting all mutants. The goverment is dicey about this while mutantkind is ready to pack up and get the fuck out of a world that hates and fears them. He goes the extra mile and frees Genosha something the x-men honestly should've worked on sooner. In the comics at least they simply didn't have the resources when they first found out and had a possible legal avenue to beat them theyw ere waiting on. Then when captured.. simply tore up the place because at that point why not. Here it smacks of the writers genuinely forgot it existed till this two parter.

Sadly the dream dies as one of his liteutants is greasy buttcrack pooflap fabian cortez, who betrays him and tries to conquer earth. This gets the asteroid shot down and the dream dies.

And because God somehow hadn't kicked Erik in the crotch enough what with surviving the holocaust, loosing his wife, loosing his utopia and mankinds general pettiness, he finds out his deceased wife fled because she was scared of him.. while pregannt with his two kids, The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. And neither want anything to do with him when they find out.

So while Magneto gets ready for depression, Bishop prevents a dystopian alternate timeline where xavier was killed with the help of wolverine and storm from an alternate timeline. There 50's trip leaves a sliver of nimrod, a powerful sentinel with a less than ideal name, which will again be important later.

The X-Men also make a lifelong friend this season: Nightcrawler. While on a ski vacation, Wolverine, Rogue, Gambit and Jubilee end up at a nearbye monistary after hearing reports of a monster, figuring there was a mutant in distress. It's there they meet one of my faviorite mutants Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler, a former circus star who found home and peace in religion and is a kind, thoughtful man. Despite Wolverine's doubts and issues with religion, he quickly befriends kurt, helps defend him from a racist and in general the two hit it off.

He soon finds another connection in Rogue in his next and final apperance for this series: Bloodlines. It's there his tangly family tree from the comics is laid out: he's the son of mystique and a baron of some sort, though we can probably saftely say like the current comics it might actually be destiny and mystique herself, be gay do crimes incarnate and something we'll get to later this month. She is however bi and had Graydon with sabertooth so being a racist and in hot water with his hate group, Graydon tries to kill his whole family. Heartbreakingly kurt genuinely TRIES to reach Graydon but can't get past his hatred and bigotry and leaves him to his fate.. left on Sabertooth's porch. Somehow he survivies this. The upside though is Rogue gladly embraces her new stepbrother and vice versa something the show didn't have time or budget to do more with but 97 will.

Finally the x-men invade a goverment base because one of there x members girlfriend joined a goverment team of mutants, x-factor and instead of calling him or anything left making it look like the kidnapped her. The important part is that X-Factor is, as it was at the time in the ocmics, headed by Forge's present day counterpart who will be important in the next show.

Season 5, the final season, is thankfully short, only 13 episodes they weren't expecting, so there's only a few episodes I haven't touched on of importance. We find out captain america met wolverine once and has returned from the time vortex he was stuck in in spider-man the animated series.

More importantly, Magneto is depresed: The failure of his utopia, his kids not wanting to talk to him and presumibly the shame of having trusted apocalypse for more than one second have left him out of it. It's only when Beast comes for help with an alien invasion that already got the rest of the x-men and pietro that he agrees to help. And doing so nets him someKarma as while it sadly dosen't come up in 97, Pietro warmly acccepts his dad back.

The final episode, and thankful end of this recap, comes to us with Graduation Day: Xavier is doing a confrence for mutants when an off model Gyrinch shows up and shoots him with a weapon intended to kill mutants. It both outs charles to the world, only 5 years before he'd be outed as a mutant in the comics, and leaves him on deaths door. The X-Men try to contact the shiar but are having trouble with that. Morph returns to play charles to help but his possible death has lead tensions to boil over worldwide. In this chaos a bunch of mutants beg magneto to lead them and while with his past failures in mind he rejects them at first.. he can't turn his people away.

Eventually the x-men find a solution but it's going to be a hard sell: Magneto MIGHT be able to keep charles alive long enough but he has to abandon his army, his finally getting what he watns. And unsuprisingly for the love of his life.. he does. He leaves to save chaarles and the shiar are able to save him. Charles gives each x-man some tender parting words and departs with his space girlfriend to hopefully not die, his fate left ambigious.

So that's where we left off: Charles is in space and thought dead to the world, Magneto is in a less nefarious place but still himself and Morph has rejoind the team. So ... one year later... and a bunch more in real time...

New Episodes, New Era

We can finally talk about the plot of 97 which thankfully won't take as long before I can dive into the show proper.

97 begins one year after the finale and a few things ahve changed: Morph has switched from his old design, a generic white guy, to a new one, a pale mostly featureless face that debuted in age of apocalypse and was used for the longrunning alternate universe series exiles version of the character, who combined the two to create something awesome.

The bigger change is Jean is pregnant, with a lot of tension coming from Charles death and Cyclops riding everyone even harder than usual.

The series properly kicks off with the rescue of Roberto DeCosta, one of my faviorite mutants making his debut to this continuity, a spoiled rich kid who dosen't comprehend racists don't want his money and whose saved by the x-men. He's hiding his gift because he assumes his parents will reject him but ends up hanging around the mansion occasoinaly as he finds Jubilee super hot.

His captors are the friends of humanity who now have access to both the nullifer collars and power gloves based on sentinel tech, their so bad. Jean invades Gyrinch's mind to get info after he naturaly refuses to cooperate and gets both some haunting foresahdwoing for what's to come and a location for Trask. After a dope as hell fight, the x-men beat trask, solidfiying their partnership with UN Head and xavier ally we're just learning about now Valarie Cooper. In the comics val was a goverment liason, intitally working on project wideawake and with myistques team , who sold out to the goverment as freedom force. When that failed she became head of x-factor and is pretty neat all things considered.

Cyke and jean prepare to leave the x-men, to wolverine's disgust and jubilee's worry.. but this gets put on hold when the x-men get an univited guest: Magneto who got sent a copy of Charles last will and testemant:

"Everything he built now belongs to me"

Foxy Grandpa does do his best to take the role seriously: While he's still himself, battering some friends of humanity who captured the x-mens sewer pals the morlocks (they refused the x-mens offer to live at the insittute), but not killing a one, and being arrogant as hell just kinda.. assumign the x-men should accept him after fighting them once or twice, he does try, getting the morlocks sent to genosha which is close to getting recognized as a nation state again and is now ran by mutants. Cyclops is grumpy about both his dad seemingly not trusting him and this whole thing and refuses to leave right away.

This is good timing as the UN arrive to arrest magneto. He willingly complies and most of the x-men go to his trial. His trial.. then gets january 6thed.. not even subtly as they plan to kill the un court for even giving him a trial. Magneto was doing well mind as he pointed out he never acted in outright agression only in defense of his poeple. The x-men fight this but have to face the x-cutioner, a foh member who put on a costume and rants about how "MUTANTS COMPLAIN ALL THE TIME BUT YOU DON'T HERE ME WHINING. YOUR SO WHINY. SO WHAT IF WE TRIED TO KILL YOU STOP WHINING"

Thankfully morph shuts him up but Rogue and Cyclops have to leave as the doctor as jeans in labor and Rogue has to do it since the doctor is an idiot and won't treat her. While it's because of her powers... she could do a LOT more damage not sedated and in a lobby than she could do in an operating room you ass.

The baby, little Nathan Charles Summers, comes out just fine.. but the UN Meeting ends badly. Trying to protect him storm dives infront of X-Cutioners gun, a special one he made using the collars.. that removes her powers. This pisses off Magneto entirely and he lifts the un court and the asshole into the air, making a damn good speech

Bigot, ingrate, sycophant, worm. So small I could smite you with a step. (he holds his boot over the X-Cutioner's face) There was a time I would smite you all for what was done to Storm. (pulls his foot back) But today, I have saved you from your own, for an old friend has challenged me to remember this view of Earth. How vast it is versus how small we make it. Charles Xavier entrusted me with his dream, and it does not ask you to love or embrace my kind as your own, but merely to accept that this is a shared world with a common future, and that my kind, like yours, have the right to live in it. I am trying to be better. Please...do not make me let you down...

Sadly they will.. but for now he's exonerated and Cyclops plans to leave, live a normal life trusting the x-men to Magneto. Storm also decides to leave, leaving only a note for Jean. With no clear way to get her powers back and no idea who she is anymore, Ororo leaves. And her timing couldn't be worse as on the x-mens doorstep.. another jean arrives.

Turns out this is the REAL jean. The Jean we've been following is a clone, later called Madlyn Pryor who comics fans saw a coming as she got an action figure. The x-men.. are dicks about this all backing away and not getting that maybe Maddie didn't know she was a clone and Scott's refusal to help her just causes her to storm off. Beast finds out too late who made Maddie: Mr Sinister, who quickly hyjacks her and has her turn the place into a murder house, a nice workaround to adpating the inferno storyline. I"ll talk more about how this series adapted various stories in a bit. For now it's a smokescreen to take baby Nathan who Mr Sinister pumps full of a technoorganic virus to make him indestructable. They follow and have a fight with maddie that's cinematic as hell but goes poorly for them as unlike jean she isn't holding back. Jean however wakes up and visits her soul sister, who has all her memories, and convinces her to back down. They save nathan but sadly in saving him he's stuck with the virus killing him as Sinister leaves.

Thankfully Bishop's been here the whole time. I haven't mentioned it as they never reallye xplain why he's staraneded in the past, when he joined, or any of that and he dosen't really contribute to the plot outside this episode. HIs time jump can take the two of them.. but just them and only one way. Cyclops refuses not wanting ot turn out like his dad... but like his dad has no real say in it and Maddie says goodbye to her son as he flies into the future. She leaves to go find herself and the x-men are left pretty torn up.

So next episode, we'll get to this ones stinger in a moment, is a two in one, two 11 minute episodes, as Jubilee turns 18.. and is bummed by both all the change going on and Magneto refusing to let her celebrate. She gets sucked into a video game by Mojo, a grogesque blob of a man whose naturally a network executive who fought the x-men twice before and wants to make jubes a star. The episode is a fun breezy break between two pretty heavy episodes, and mostly serves to let Jubes realize she dosen't need to fear change after meeting her beta test version, absycca, voiced by he roriginal va. She and sunspot also kiss and likely do much much more.

So leaving the lovebirds alone, we go to a diffrent pair of them: at the end of the previous episode Forge found storm and offered to restore her powers, leading into Lifedeath, an adaptation of the same story from the comics. The two work on it with their efforts seemingly not working.. but the two get along quite well, horse riding and other stuff. We also get to know Forge better: he was an inventor, worked with the goverment, is chynene, and we even get to know his name. We also get his name later, Daniel Lone Eagle, which somehow is the first time he's had a non code name in the history of the character and is one Chris Claremont came up with but never used. Nice.

That goverment past bites him as he eventually reveals the truth to a horrified Storm: he created the neturalizer tech: he quit over it, not wanting to do more and sought her out. Naturally she's pissed the man she's slowly fell in love with lied to her and tries to flee.. but instead encounters a demon. Which is normal for the x-men in the comics but a complete 180 here. We'll get back to this.

So we've come to the gamechanger for the series: Remember It. Most of the episode plays out normally as Gambit Rogue and Mags head to genosha now a mutant paradise resembling krakoa from the comics: a council of familiar faces running it (Former enemies sebastian shaw and emma frost from the hellfire club and longtime allies Moria Mactagert, her boyfriend Banshee , Maddie and Nightcrawler), propserity and music all around. Rogue is enchanted while Gambit is mor esupscious of the hiked prices.

But bigger thigns errupt: a love triangle has grown between the three as Rogue used to date magneto and is tempted to go back to him while Gambit has been buthurt about their attractoin and apparently private time all season. This comes to a head as Magneto is offered a seat at the table by the council: he's a big deal, has made more peaceful strides lately, and all of mutantkind respects him. He agrees.. but wants Rogue to be his queen. an offer she's considering turning down based on how creepy it is, but he makes a solid offer not just to get in her pants but in wanting her in this role.

Gambit and Rogue have things out over it, and Rogue seemingly chooses erik. Their not the only ones having relationship drama as we see Cyclops have a psychic convo with Maddie... only for themt o make out and Jean to interrupt. Whoops. Yeah Jean is insecnsed Cyclops was making out with, and these are her exact words "My clone"

I mean she's not wrong to be hurt but she not only nearly made out with logan before this, having experinced HOW rich his feelings where when she woke up, but Scott points out he and Maddy did share a child and othe rexperinces. He could've.. not gotten implicitly back together with Jean but still. Point is everybody done fucked up.

So far so normal x drama.. until they have a gala. Rogue and Magneto have an erotic dance, Gambit perpares to leave and maddie goes outside to find Cable, screaming for her to run and being pulled back by time before he can do anything. She realizes he's nathan.

And then.. dies in a flash of bright light. The Sentinels have arrived, specifically a massive three headed tri sentinel spitting out more. Mutants die left and right as our x-men and those aroudn them try their damndest once they come to. IN a blink of an eye the world changes: Genosha is left destroyed, thousands die including named characters with Maddie, Sebastian Shaw and Banshee all biting it and Archangel and others left with an uncertain fate. It's a true nightmare , modeling itlsef afte rthe feelings Beau Demayo had after 9/11 and the pulse nightclub shootings. I'll dive into it more in a bit, but needless to say it's horrifying to watch, you canot turn away and this episode got an emmy for a reason.

In the melee, Magneto tries his best even whipping a sentinel with a bullet train, so badass but seemingly dies protecting the morlocks. With our heroes beaten and more to die Gambit gets kidnapped by one which jams some rebarr in him. With one final push of all he has left Gambit lights the thing up... and gives his last words, quitely, cooly and definatly

"The Names Gambit, Remember It"

The Sentinel explodes.. and Remy is left dead, Rogue devistated after realizing who she wanted all too late. The x-men have lost a member, mutantkind has lost a home and things will never be the same.

This was the intention: the first half is more buisness as usual but still updated and slick.. and the second... changes everything in a way there's no going back from, largely being one contiained story.

Before we tackle that though back to Storm, who we'll tackle first as Lifedeath Part 2 deals with her and another face who left the x-men. The Demon is the adversary. In the comic, he's an ancient evil trickster god. Here she's a less impressive but still terrifying and memorable demon who feeds on fear. She reveals part of why Storm's powers haven't kicked back in is fear: fear of being a mutant again, her secret hope of WANTING ot be normal. Storm must face these fears, going into a damp tunnel to save a poisoned forge facing advesary. Storm beats it as she would: by admitting to hserlf she did want to be human and escape, accepting her mutant side for what it is and that she can't repress it and frying the bitch, escaping, saving Forge and forgiving him, dawning her first and one of her most iconci outfits in the process.. and growing her hair back because she can do that now. She and forge plan to take a vacation still, since while Storm is an x-man... she could use the break with her new beau. It's then.. she gets news of Genosha.. and everything's shattered. her family needs her and Forge is right with her. This story was taking place right after Remember It For most of the time.

So winding back the b story for this episode follows Charles.. as he's abrubtly revealed to be alive in space. Now to me whose familiar with the comics, this is just tuesday. But to many a casual fan, including my friend Jess I watched this with, they were thrown off and understandably so. The series acts like charles is dead up to this point, that maybe the shiar stuff didn't work and never mentions the shiar. THere's no hint to this so it feels out of nowhere.

Thankfully the story itself is decent: Lilandra wants to make Charles her consort but even here he faces racisim and her jealous sister blackbird who wants the throne wants him to mindwipe himself of the x-men. He reluctantly agrees: he can't move the captial to eartha nd should try to think for himself, adding tension for us as we know hwo bad things have gone. Thankfully.. he can't do it which Deathbird figured adn tries to do a coup. But in an awesome moment Charles refuses: no more bloodshed. He gives an awesome lecture on colonalism, something the empires powered on and has a decent shot at reforming it.. but like Storm... life wont' let him have peace; he gets a psychic death call reciting one of my faviorite lines from the comics

So xaiver must leave the love of his life as his children.. need him.

And after all this we find out someone.. sinister is involved.

So onto our finale lead in bright eyes It's a week or two later: the us isn't helping refugees, tensions are high and the x-men visit genosha, with a spectre of war hanging above them. With Jubes encouragment Roberto realizes he could die easliy and comes out to his parents who accept him.. but want him to keep it hidden.

Meanwhile the x-men visit Genosha with Jean feeling guilt over maddie's death and the x-men only able to find emma. Any othe rsurvivors are gone. While this goes on the rest of the x-men have Gambit's heartbreaking funeral, with Nightcrawler naturally serving as preist and one notable absence: Rogue is missing. Rogue is on the warparth tearing apart the miltiary to find Gyrinch and tear apart those who took remy from hern. Captain America TRIES to get her to back down... but his whole "lets wiat and do it proper" bullshit gets his shield understandably thrown into the distance.

She finds Gyrnch and absorbs his memories, having gotten far less forgiving and far more vindcitive and understandably so. The X-Men find her after this and Kurt gets her to greive.

The x-men, minus jubes and berto, reunite, finding trask who reveals whose behind this: OZT, aka Operatoin Zero Tolerance, a secret anti goverment group ran by bastion, a creepily monotone man in pink who plans to out xaviers survival and almost space marriage to the world. And he has much more dastardly plans than shaving magneto while he sings one eyed one horned flying purple people eater: Rogue lets trask slip, horrifying her frineds.. but he gets up. Bastion has turned willing volunteers and unsuspecting civlians into omega sentineals, unstoppable killing machines with the x-men barely able to put down ONE before a group swarm them. Thankfully cable arrives and saves them and lets them know not only is bastion worse than they can imagnie but this gets so much worse.

So next episode Rogue is left in a coma after that right and Cable is rallying the x-men, woh are under fire for the xavier thing. So they split up: Cyclops, Jean and Cable have an awkard family reunion as they go to investigate Bastions mom, while Wolverine, Beast, Nightcrawler (now part of the team) and Morph stay behind. Jubes is with Roberto getting pissy with his mom.

It's reveald Val Cooper, who was at the massacre but wasnt' expecting what happened, is alive and Bastion explains his evil plan: he created the omegas using sinisters virus, Nathan being his payment. He's had help from various other figures outside the un specificaly Doctor Doom and Baron Zemo, both of whom aren't happy with the genocide. Bastin's non plussed as he has a plan.. and a plan to get rid of the x-men. he activates ALL the omegas.

This happens as our heroes get Bastion's backstory: a bit of nimrod goo got into his father in the 50s, and his mom raised him knowing he was diffrent. And having sentinel programming in his head the poor boy became the bastard we know.. and made his own mom a sentinel. They attack the x-men at all three palces they are: bastion's hometown, the mansion as trish tilby, a reporter into hank also turns out to be one, and at the mall... again. Jubes really needs to lay off malls and swears them off. Good for her.

Things don't go great. Cyclops and Jean are barely able to survive their army, the mansion is torched to ruins though Rogue is kept safe by the remaning x-men, and Jubes and Sunspot are handed off to an omega sentinel playing nice by Roberto's mother, shattering the poor guy.

Having enough Valarie freed magneot nd declaring something chilling

"Magneto was right"

He awakens.. and blacks out the world with a massive emp. While this saves the x-men and countless others it's also, as Logan correctly figured, a declaration of war. Just as Morph misses xavier, Charlie arrives.

Thankfully Charles Xavier also arrives.

The x-men all regroup with Storm and Forge rescuing Jubilee and Sunspot. While most are willing to at least tolerate charles Cyclops, while willing to put up with him, is pissed, wanting to know why he left magneto and somehow blaming charles leaving magneto for Magneto's emp.

Thankfully we don't have time for Scott's daddy issues, but we do have time for Charles' as Magneto approaches, rising asteroid m from the sea and making it clear that yes, war were declared. He TRIED it the nice way, genuinely gave it his all.. and humanity responded with a genocide they fetered over and ignored> he's done and invited any other x-men who are done to join him while he waits for his emp to kill everything: in 48 hours it's going end everything.

And shockingly .. two x-men do. Rogue goes with him, pissed at Remy's death and the goverment's half assed response not helping, and Sunspot, while not really an x-men yet, joins too, pissed his mom left him.

So the x-men regroup at muir island, their backup base at some point offscreen and put on some new/old costumes while getting ready for war, with the exception of Storm who was way ahead of them and Jubilee who switched to her 2010's outfit last episode: Cyclops and Jean put on their 70's costume, wolverine his 80's john byrne designed brown suit, morph some generic outfit, beast er.. same as he ever was, and Cable gets his late 90's outfit wether he wants the thing or not.

So with Magneto declaring war and Bastion still a threat to be dealt with the x-men split into blue and gold teams. Cyclops blue team of himself, charles, Wolverine, and Jubilee will go deal with Magneto and friends, while Storm's Gold Team of her, Jean, Morph, Beast, Forge and Cable to go to bastion island and stop him using a modified nulifier collar.

Both plans go south: While Gold team intially makes a splash and does well storm and forge are eventually shot down, and while Jean beats the shit out of sinister for both her and Maddie, he hyjacks Cable as Beast apparently didn't think "Maybe we take just a second to check the guy who was in sinisters grasp as a baby for gene traps", with the rest of the team held down in bastion's power.

On Asteroid M things go considerably better despite the smaller team. Charle's plan of "Let me talk to my boyfriend we'll sort it out".. fails as you know.. when has that EVER worked with him Chuck? Especially after a mass genocide. A fight breaks out and the x-men do manage to beat magneto... but jean lets out a psychic scream that alerts Cyclops who fucks up and stops wolverine and charles from winning. This allows magento to just plunk his helment on charles, since it now has the psychic blocking thing from the movies and works both ways and rips the metal out of wolverine's skeleton.

Part 3 begins and Charles has escaped the helmet and is now tearing Magneto's mind apart, having used him to restore power to earth. But unlike the comics not wanting his friend's mind to end up broken to pieces goes inside it while the rest of the x-men wait outside, having patched up things best they could.

Back on Bastion's Island, Jean reconnects with the phoenix somehow, and uses this handy deus ex machina to Collar bastion, restoring his army of prime sentinels that just woke up and what punched spider-man and a bunch of other cameos to comaland where they can hopefully be helped. She reduces sinister to a shrivled husk, removing all the mutant dna tha tkept him young. As Morph basks in that the x-men have other issues: The goverment was giving xavier time to resolve this.. but decide to be their dickish selves, with only Captain Ameirca and Black Panther wondering if this is a stupid idea. It was and the misles instead knock it's engines off.. and Bastion, being pissed and vengeful decides fuck it i'll just murder you all! So Cyclops, Jean, Storm , Morph and BEast head up to join them, Cable sticking around to keep an eye on things and on forge whose in no shape to go with them.

A fucking glorious final battle enseus as Bastion takes his final form, Rogue beats the shit out of him for Remy, and Roberto formally becomes sunspot and kicks the fuck out of him. The team eventually beats him and Scott, wanting to make up for how Bastion could've bene one of them as Xavier tried to reach out, tries to reach out a hand. Bastion laughs at this and dies and the x-men unite all their powers to try and stop the meteor from hitting earth. But while they do their best.. only one of them can do it, with Charles convincing magneto he can let go of his pain, his anger and hurt and do the right thing. So with a hearty MAGNETO LIVES, the x-men save the world.. and vanish.

6 months later and Forge is operating out of what's left of the mansion. Cable, Jubilee and Sunspot, who weren't on the meteor at the time , all scattered and Forge is trying to build a new x-men out of whose left avaliable. Before he can though, Bishop shows up. While Forge is suspcious as apparently he didn't read the x-mens files , Bishop knowing his real name helps calm him down.. as does some Info. The X-Men aren't dead. It's not where they are but when. They've somehow bene scattered in time by some third party and Forge might want to keep his board out as it might take a new x-men team to find them.

For now we find out where almost everyone ended up: Cyclops and Jean end up in the distant future where they find nathan, as he and bishop got seperated over time. Storm, Wolverine and Morph are MIA, likely in their own group we'll find out about next season. And the rest of the group end up in ancient egypt, saving a young mutant. En Sabur Nur... aka... APOCALYPSE.

And if that wasn't omnious enough in the remains of Genosha, the modern day Apocalypse has returned... remarking on so much pain his children.. so much.. death.. and as he says that.. he picks up a playing card.

And with that omnious teaser for next season, we can finally fully dig into this one.

Hated and Feared

X-Men as an allegory can be frought. It works most of the time as it's easier to get a book about mutants trying to survivie hate and fear than queer people and in modern day many a mutant is queer, going all the way back to Chris Claremont not so subtly making Mystique and Destiny wives and only not saying it outright because the EIC didn't want gay people refrenced. Chris Claremont used it brilliantly in god loves man kills by using Nightcrawler to perfectly speak against the bigoted revered stryker, with kitty pryde

Other times.. it's get tricky like the Legacy Virus, a transparent metaphor for AIDS that no actaul gay people were affected by, Kitty Pryde calling two seperate black people the N-Word to equate mutant racisim to real world racism and that time Wolfsbane was beaten to death for "Hiding" she was a mutant in a clear trans allegory. The mutant metaphor is lovely and can be used awesomely and Chris Claremont was right to expand it... but some writers don't know how the hell to be subtle.

Beau Demayo however tackles it well not hiding from it but treating it realistically: the bigotry isn't just howling assholes in the streets but often the passive bigotry seen all the time, the small steps that make life hard. The big rioting assholes in the street exist, guys like Bastion plotting genocide exist.. but so do people like the doctor Jean turned to to give birth only to refuse simply because "a mutant could hurt people", again not thinking of the lives that could be hurt or the life that could be lost if the delivery wasnt' done right. The kind who'd turn someone away. You have President Kelly who on paper is a friend to mutants.. but when push comes to shove will sacrifice them to save himself and in doing so nearly doom us all. And you have Trish Tilby, who keeps pressing Cyclops when he tries talking about nathan and when he reveals the whole weird story, then goes off on her when she talks about how muants are hard for "normal people" to relate to.. when Cyclops TRIED being normal and lost his son for it through no fault of his own, but because of a mad man who decided to kidnap his son.

And of course the center of this kind of racisim.. is the DeCostas. Roberto is panicked, afraid to reveal who he is or really trainup his powers, only doing so as a gift for Jubilee. And when he finally reveals it.. they seem accepting.. but then refused to have him come out publicly. IT's this casual bigory the kind that could see you cast out just for who you ar, that 97 captures so well.

The more overt stuff still hits well from Magneto's booming speech to the un, making a simple powerful statment in the middle of the speech "What must we do to be good enough? is this the high road's destination?" how poeple who geninely try to do good or help people or help their own get stomped on just for trying ot do it the way society wants them.

It also gets into the systems: Bastion gets a ways do to his powers.. but also do to the system. We see him off center two episodes before his introduction in one of forge's photos, OZT has heads of state and the head of the UN herself in it's pocket. While Humanity is trying to be more accepting at the start of 97 far too many are willing to turn their backs when it's no longer convient. Far too many were willing to give a mad man the keys to genocide then act shocked when he uses them.

When the Genoshian Genocide happens, it's not quick like the comics. It was done quick there to belay it's speed and horror.. in an instant millions die, and the x-men could do nothing, Cassandra Nova, who did it in the comics, having already pulled the trigger before Cyclops and Wolverine could break free.

Here it's still fast and painful.. but we see it from the ground. Gambit waking up dizzy to impromptu triage, several mutants dead or injured. It's not as fast or instant.. but that makes it worse. The X-Men are there.. but they can't do anything. One is captured and broken by the events while another dies stopping it. We feel how powerless our heroes are two of them some of the strongest the x-men has. Rogues next apperance has her easily tear through the military like butter.. which makes it all the more heartning knowing two episodes ago she couldn't stop this. She tried, Erik tried, Remy tried.. but none of them could stop this.

Yet people ina merica... brush it off, refusing refugees, Kelly acting like the x-men have to fix optics after the xavier reveal is more important. It's all too realistic. As Val Cooper notes in her speech humanity says "that's terrible" then moves on with their day. It's not happening here, it's not happening to "Us". Things like the isreal hamas war or the invasion of the ukraine are known to us and some try to rally to end the bloodshed.. but we also tune it out because it's too hard to take. Or worse just don't care. Around the same time these episodes aired, you eerily have senators declaring "there are no civlians" in Gaza, that a goverment is their people when that's never the case. This series calls out that kind of easy thought, that it's easy to other people and put your surivvial above theirs, yoru wants above theres and the series.. offers no easy answers. It champions for hope, for compasion, that it's better ot fight for a better tommorow than lash out.. but dosen't make that fight easier: Remy dies for it, Magneto and Rogue both turn away from it, and the x-men nearly die for it as a whole trying to save a humanity who was all too happy to sell them out.

It's a good message though.. that we don't have to be "fuck you got mine" or bigots... that it's worth fighting for a better tommorow even though it's hard and while a world of pure peace and tolerance is a dream.. it's a dream worth trying to make real. To get as close to it as we can. We may suck.. but we CAN be better. All the bigots in x-men show us at our worst, our pettist.. but the x-men are our better, fine people who fight hard to protect a world that hates and fears them that sold them out simply because letting innocent people die, is something they can't fathom. That the world isn't so broken they can't fix it in ways. That even when the dream seemingly dies with everything they find out.. they fight on. For tommorow.

From the Pages of Marvel Comics

One of 97's other great strengths is adaptation, and it's something i've been chomping to the bit to talk about. Like most superhero adaptations, 97 takes the best parts of the comics then streamlines it down. The Civil War adaptation for instance left out Iron Man's many, MANY war crimes and bits of petty dickery in favor of honoring the spirit of two heroes and close friends reaching an impass over an issue neither is entirely in the right over. Black Panther uses some of the broad strokes of killmongers arcs from his original debut and the Christphoer Preist run, but refashions him to ask serious questions about Wakanda's habit of isolationsim. It's fine with me to pick and choose what works best as some things are just harder to adapt. Even Invincible, a pretty close adaptation to the original, changes a lot to update the work to better fit the modern day rather than the early 2000's it started in, diversifying the cast, giving debbie, amber and eve more agency, all good stuff.

What I like about 97 though is it does this.. but still adapts the stories for more than parts, something that's rareer. The original usually used the parts approach, x-men continuity is both lovely and terrifyingly complicated and some things were added as they were just being brought up in the ocmics, but a few bigger stories like the Phoenix Saga, the Dark Phoenix Saga, the Proteus arc, or days of future past got a full adaptation.

So the crew of 97 ran with that: the bulk of the season is an adaptation. The season adapts Trial of Magneto, Lifedeath, Inferno, Endgame (X-Factor 65-68), The Crunch Conundrum (Wolverine 51-53), Fall of the Mutants, E is For Extinction, Operation Zero Tolerance, and Fatal Attractions. Some are used more for parts, but most of these stories get fully adapted in some way shape or form, simply streamlining it.

These are also the kinds of stories that take advantage of the fact 97.. already has a fully fleshed out universe to play with. As the long recap shows, they had a LOT of table setting already done in the original and thus could jump into stories that would take a movie or two to set up. It'd be hard to do a story about Jean Grey's clone when you don't know jean first or care about the fall of genosha without being invested in whose on the island. With 5 seasons to go off, 97 is pre loaded with most of the setup needed for these stories and thus can do them justice, while still streamlining them to fit in their limited runtime.

So i'm going to break down these adaptations best I can. I won't be doing so for Endgame as it really only adapts Scott sending his son into the future and I barley remember it and the Cosmic Crunch Condndrum as I haven't read that yet and would like to read the rest of hama's run leading up to it.

Trial of Magneto: This one is way better than the original. THe Original had a good concept, put magneto on trial, have the x-men deal with a false flag attack in the background. But it gets cluttered fast: Magneto has reformed but while they try to play the defense that, because he was literally reborn after he was regressed to an infant then aged up by a mutant he what made, he was a diffrent person and those exempt from all his crimes minus blowing up a russian submarine. Problem is comics mags.. has way more baggage as pre chris claremont and early into claremont's run he was a pretty standard villian, plotting, scheming and making his daughter dance for him because he didn't know it was his daughter which I wish I could forget about and now so will you. So they kinda have to use the insane defense they do and his speech, while well done, comes off slightly more hollow: he does want to change.. but it's not really a kangaroo court like in the show.

He also gets attacked by the Fernis Twins, incest nazi nepo babies, who use aformentioned false flag attack as a smokescreen so they can attack the hauge and get revenge on magneto for killing nazis. Chris Claremont is a great writer.. but the guy could easily get lost up his own ass in some issues and this was one.

So 97 streamlines it: the incest nazi nepo babies are replaced with the friends of humanity who already existed, and Magneto's defense of himself is way more self righeous as while he did try to cause a massive disaster in his first appreance most of his apperances are "just leave my people alone motherfuckers". And while the original had Magneto's backstory be some generic wartorn country, 97 makes it clear like the comics he's a holocaust survivor, so he knows what he's talking about and talks circles around the court,only lifting them into the air when the x-cutioner depowers Storm.

That segues into our next adpatation, done over several episodes, Lifedeath. This compresses a long subplot into a slightly shorter one, mostly using the titular issue. And honestly it's the closest of the adaptations here. The context is changed as in the comics Rogue was being hunted by the goverment for her criminal past and breaking into a shield hellicarrier when Carol breifly took over, both things that would make no sense in 97. So they had Storm jump in front of a diffrent reformed rogue. They also removed the fact Forge made the gun to defeat the diar wraths but otherwise his quitting over the tech, hiding it from storm initially and being the one to help her recover/romance her is all accurate. The cartoon improves on this by having Forge be the one to confess what he did, a small step but it makes their romance easier to swallow when he genuinely confesses to what he did. I'ts still.. not great but like the comics it's protrayed as not great to form a relationship with her whil ehiding this and their working thorugh it feels more earned as he didn't make a mutant depowering gun and expect the goverment not to use it, but made tech that was yanked out of his hands without thinking the implications.

This leads into another adaptation as the adversary from fall of the mutants shows up but as mentioned in the recap is a demon instead of a trickster god as the story's simply grafted onto lifedeath, with Storm forced to confront her demons and the demon in her ear. In the comics she was tricked into trying to kill forge, both were stratneded in a new world as adam and eve and she restarted her powers for the greater good. Again not claremon'ts best work but still far more meaningful and well done than the incest nazi nepo babies. Her regrowing her hair from her mohawk was also part of it

Before we move on, they also had storm in her mohwawk and , post leaving the x-men, punk outfit. IN the comics this is easily my faviorite storm storyline. early on she was regal and reserved, innocent as while she'd had a rough childhood in cairo, spent most of her teen years in africa being worshipped for her powers. But when Cyclops left the x-men, she was thrust into the leadership role and slowly had to deal with her dark side: getting into a knife fight to the death, having to make harsh decisions, and forming a gay as hell friendship with yuirko, wolverine's ex. Chris was not subtle and I respect that. So she took a punk look on to match who sh'ed become: still kind and gentle.. but far more pragmatic. Moral but realistic about the lines the x-men sometimes had to cross.

So scooting back before we finished storm's story we have Madelyn Prior. And strap in because this one.. it's a lot. So here Maddie's story is pretty easy to understand: Jean was swapped out with a clone at some point so Mr Sinister could have control over the summers grey baby. Maddy is for all intensive purposes also jean grey, but has the baggage of not being the "real" jean and having her friends be dicks and not consider her jean, though Gambit and Rogue at least got better about that. She and scott have an affair. it's simple. Scott's KINDA a dick for not supporting maddy and for not breaking up with jean to be with her, but a more resonable one as the shock of this clearly got to him and the later affair was because again, she is pretty much jean... and shares a child with him. Still fucked up but understandbale.

In the comics... oh me mow. The comics. This is going to be a complicated one. See in the comics.. Maddy was never intended to be Jean's clone. Chris Claremont created her , but her looking like jean was initially juts a concidence: She was an alaskan pilot with her own life, feisty, and blunt, and Scott liked that and the concidences matching her up with gene were either just that, or Mastermind, one of the x-men's foes, fucking with Scott's head to get his revenge on the x-men. He also broke up wolverine's wedding for similar reasons.

So when it was all cleared up Scott proposed. Now granted proposing after knowing someone a few months.. is not smart, but it seemingly worked out. They had a child and Claremont fully intended to have Scott retire.

The problems were two fold: the first was the writing itself: It felt like Scott ws more.. settling for a happy married life because the x-men no longer needed him and he no longer felt home there, and staying with Maddie out of responsiblity to her than out of true love.

The other was editorial.. did not want to keep Scott off the shelf, a common issue in comics as characters simply cannot stay retired. The only time this has happened is Jack Knight, the best starman and he only escaped this fate because his creator James Robinson made DC put it in writing. So wanting more x-books, editorial launched x-factor and brought back jean.

And this.. ended up making Scott look horrible as he got a call. And rather than explain it to maddie, tried to hide why he was fleeing from her, then ignored her ultimatium that if he left it was over. God dammit scott. Granted he did TRY to go back and fix things, but by then editorial had decided Maddie needed to get out of the way of Jean and Scott. Nathan vanished, his disappearnce being a major subplot in x-factor which thankfully got better, with Jean confronting everyone over hidding maddie from her and Scott feeling actual guilt.

Things got worse for Maddie, though thankfully Claremont also got her back and did his best with the orders given. He wasn't happy about it, but had Maddie process her trauma: she suddenly had her identity erased from all databases, her child stolen and the marauders, assholes for hire who would end up being revealed to be hired by a debuting mr sinister. Maddie grappled with her husband's abandonment, finding out about jean, her sense of personhood and eventually a relatoinship with Scott's brother Havok, everyone's silver medal.

Eventually though she had to be written out for some rason, so inferno happened. And Inferno.. is fucking nuts. So a demon takes na intrest in maddie, makes a deal for her childs soul and turns all of new york into hell. She becomes the Goblyn queen and then tries to kill her kid for reasons. Louise Simonson who wrote x-factor and wrote that part is also a great writer, but did not write maddy well.

So yeah the show just.. made the demons telepathic and like more recent comics, got the hint that maybe maddie wasn't some super bitch because she got abandoned and manipulated. Her posisble ressurection was a major subplot of the excellent hellions series, and it lead into her return for the okayish Dark Web event that ended wit her, now queen of limbo, having a hell embassy in new york. She's living her best life.

So the show is an improvment, as it knew it was going to have maddie be jean and thous could plan instea dof trying to constantly salvage demands to kill a character the creator clearly liked, then various writers who hadn't read anything but the end of this long story arc pissing on Maddie's grave.

New X-Men is one of my faviorite x-men comics, one I intended to cover in full and may try to again someday. It's one of the most recent things 97 takes from the comics and Remember it Adapting both the genoshan genocide and the psychic affair was a refeshing sign the series wouldn't just be adapting storylines from the 80s and 90s. The series is even, thanks to widespread reports about season 2 footage from comic con, using the iconic costumes from this era, using the leather astetic from the movies, but making them still pop with big yellow x's. I want one of those jackets, so, fucking, bad. I'd even take a dark phoenix version as while I hate dark phoenix they dapted them well.

The series only takes a few pieces from this legendary series, but their vital ones. The Genoshan Genocide is the big one, an event that changed the x-men and was New X-Men writer Grant Morrisons big statment that the realtive stasis the x-men were trapped in was broken. It severs the same purpose here: the happy nostlagic trip back that started the series with some trauma, if still excellently is gone, and the x-men now live in a new world. They adapt it almost as is: the tri sentinel resembles the wid sentinel used and while i wish they'd used the wild sentinels in full, monsterous sentinels that absorb things from the environment, it's still a massive disaster the us dosen't care about hwere emma frost mutates further getting a diamond form, millions are dead and Magneot is seemingly killed. The basics were all it needed

The mastermind is changed to fit into another adaptation we'll get to in a moment, but it works better for the story told than Xavier's sister he strangled in the womb but survived as a psychic parasite. I just.. love getting to type crazy shit like that and I love even more than unlike the nazi nepo babies or abandoned clone wives, this bit.. was written entirely coherently and meant to be as bonkers as it is.

Nova could show up as Wolverine and Deadpool has came and went, it just didn't fit for this version of the story. Bastion worked better for the metaphor they were going for and was easier to set up in the context of the original series.

So then we have the psychic affair. So in the comics Cyclops was emotoinally repressed even more than usual at the star tof new x-men, having been possed by apocalypse and come back from the dead, pulling away from jean. New teammate emma Frost offered him therapy.. then used her position as her therapist to sleep with him. Then jean caught them and no one ever really adressed the fact that scott was manipulated into it at a vunerable time in his life and it's treated like a normal relatoinship aftewords. Which can work but I feel like no one ever wants to bring this up. And I say that up as an emma fan what the shit. No one ever brings up the relationship started in a pretty fucked up place except Joss Whedon and even he only factors in the fact they started dating for real after jean died. I didn't even fully scan how fucked up this was for years. Good lord.

So instead Scott still cheats on jean in his mind palace, but with.. jean. Maddy is basically her with a few extra experinces, so while Scott is more at fault here, Maddy din't push him into anythign. I still say scott fucked up in new x-men with how he treated his wife, he's not BLAMELESS, but the bulk of the affair was him being agressivly persued by someone who framed their affair as therapy. Here it's an affair but with someone scott never techniclaly broke up with and him avoiding the issue is the problem.

So back to Bastion. Bastion was introduced during the Onslaught saga, a whole mess I don't want to get into. Short versoin, Charles tore magneto's mind apart, and was SUPPOSED to simply have his darkest impulses released but instead they merged with magnetos because executives didn't want this to be all xaviers fault and back then treated Magneto as satan for some reason.

So as a result the goverment got charles, and the avengers and fantastic four were presumed dead but put into a pocket dimension for an ill advised attempt at a reboot of the avengers and fantastic four. So everyone blamed mutants for their "deaths", and thus Bastion was clear to start operation zero tolerance. Bastion was nimrod, a sentinel from the future that got merged with a modern sentinel that hyjacked him then sent through the seige perilous, a magic portal created by merlins daughter that can basically reset a person. No memories, new life. So he became bastion, and due to his sentinel programming set up ozt. There was also some good build up as sine he was using graydon creed as a puppet he killed a reporter.. and it was one of J Jonah Jamesons guys. So JJJ became a major recurring character, refusing bribes of tasty info on the x-men to chase him down.

Sadly the payoff.. was a mess, spread across most titles at the time. Half the x-men were in space, long story, the other half got captured and were shunted to wolverine adn the main story focused on a returning iceman. The plot for the main books was decent, bobby forming a team out of desperation out of marrow, former enemy with bone powers and Cecila Reyes, a surgeon who didn't want to be a superhero but got thrust into the life, as they fought the omega sentinels.

Then the ending was just... the goverment calls it off thanks to senator kelly, bastion fucks off and outside of the mansion getting scrubbed of all it's tech and a few new members this just kinda.. happened to the x-men. As the recap showed this verison dosen't do that. It beefs up bastion's backstory, makes the omegas a huge threat, and has all the x-men involved. It's a massive improvment over the original and only keeps the bare bones premise while grafting on the genoshan genocide shockingly well.

It also grafts it onto another storyline for the finale, Fatal Attractions. There's no boiled bunnies and I have no idea why it was called this. Fatal Attactions like Operation Zero Tolerance, has a goo dpremise: Magneto returns and does an emp on the earth while giving his new followers the acolytes sanctuary. The actual story... blows. Magneto is treated like a cardboard cutout of a villian instead of the complicated figure claremont made him into, only punishing a foe for killing hospisce patients with disablities because he didn't allow it. It... it really shoudn't be that hard to knwo Magneto wouldn't tolerate ethnic cleansaings of mutatns who had down syndrome. As such the whole things muddled, not very fun to read and really only notable for it's climax: Magneto tears out wolverine's adamantium, revealing his skeleton to be boneeeeeeee while Charles relatilates by mind blasting mags into a coma.

Like OZT 97 takes what was a very good premise and uses it well: both versions of FA have an x-men defect but while Colossus defection is clumsy, his sister died but it still feels horribly out of character, Rogue's was set up through the whole season, with bright eyes showing just how bad a place she was in. Sunspots is a bit flimsier, but still fits well enough. It dosen't waste the idea of magneto coming to the various mutants to recurit, something the comics at the time did with no one but pitor accepting.

It also has mags pushed father and still kept in who he was: this is seen as a nightmarish action even for him.. but it's after humanity subsisded the genocide of his poeple and after he genuinely tried for better. So him going this far and doing what he doe sto logan fits, especially since here Logan tries stabbing him in the heart... which also feels more on brand and Logan never trusted the man unlike the comics.

THey do do a nice swerve though: While one would assume charles would leave Magneto a vegetable leading to onslaught next season, though I wouldn't mind a better version of that.. instead Charles only hyjacks magneot out of desperation then works to restore him. As a result instead of leaving his best friend a vegetable, he saves him form himself. A better ending to a better storyline.

The end of the season hints at one or two stories, Cyclops and Jean's adventures rasing nathan in the future and Gambit's stint as Apocalypse's horseman death, but for now it adapated a fine crop of stories well.

So with the overarching story, themes and connections to the comics out of the way, let's dive into the cast starting with my boy

Magneto Was Right

Magneto is my faviorite mutant. Said it before, will say it again into infinity. A complex tragic figure who can be a compelling villain and an anti hero tortured by what his long war of attrition with humanity has cost him. This series does both and does them well. David Hemblen is probably the best animated Magneto, and one of the best up there with MacKellen and Fasbender.

97 gets mags just right, having him be arrogant. He slides into the series not happy to be an x-man, only doing it as a favor to Charles essentailly and berating the x-men for not thinking to relocate the morlocks to genosha which... to be faiiiiirr.. is entirely on point. Yet it's clear he's done some shit. The series leans into the retcons from later in x-men the animated series, that cyclops and the original x-men fought him. He's never portrayed as nearly as bad as he was in the silver age, enslaving teenagers who ended up being his own kids, but it allows for the deadly threat magneto presents to be amped up. It's very clear he's holding back. He'll pummel the friends of humanity but he will not kill.

It allows the full Magnus: terrifying ot his enemies, but having nobility. While he treats it at times like a frustrating errand his best friend/probably boyfriend at some point, the sexual tension is palpable and remains a constant for x-men adaptations, he does geninely try. His speech to the un isn't just a veiled threat that "I WILL go back to hunting you assholes for sport" it's that he dosen't want to. He dosen't belivie in charles dream.. but WANTS to see it acomplished. He lost his best friend to his space girlfriend, and WANTS to try and acomplish what charles couldn't. Not to one up him.. but because it meant so much to charles. In the original cartoon he may of seen the x-men as fools at times.. but respected their idealism. Same with the comics: he may see them as lambs to the slaughter.. but respects that they will fight anyway. So he will join them, he will lead them and he tries.

Magneto... is not a good fit for leader of the x-men though. He can't put aside that arrogance. While Charles was demanding, XTAS dialed down his control freak nature. He dosen't demote jubilee to a junior squad or yell at cyclops for treating a group of adults like adults, and that's not even getting into his many horrible deeds later retconned in, he is commanding but will listen to his students and learn from them. He lets logan wander off or cyclops leave in a rage because while he'd prefer they stay he can't FORCE them to, as much as he's capable of the act. Magneto is more used to worshipful masses who hang on his word. The X-Men.. can manage themselves. It shows most glaringly when Jubilee has her birthday. Everyone else understands the need for a day off. But Magneto, who sees every action as a war and lost his childhood to auschwitz, can't fathom why Jubilee needs that break and denies it for her out of a combination of that and not being able to meet the x-men at their level. While Cyclops has that issue at the start, constantly being on guard, berating the x-men for relaxing and Gambit for not going on a mission he wasn't really NEEDED for in the first place, he realizes he was a tight ass trying to roleplay his dad and backs off. Magneto never gets the chance. Magnus is a good man.. but he has too much ego to ever see the x-men as more than his soliders instead of his teammates.

I do wish we'd gotten more of him as leader, the clachses inherent in that, and that motendo actually called him out as while Jubes wanting to ignore change isn't good, not letting her relax is still not great.

We do see just enough though: he is trying, does take this seriously and does want it to work. When rescuing the morlocks he's kind with Leech, their youngest, smiling at the boy and assuring him he'll be okay. He tries to assure scott less out of ego and more because he wants the man to get to livfe his own life. Despite his shortcomings he tries to lead as most of the team dosen't really want to and the most capable (Scott, Jean, Storm) are all going thorugh some stuff and not in the headspace till much later in the series.

Magneto tries to be better. He even finds a good compromise between dreams: Genosha. A place of peace for mutants that would be easier for humanity to adapt to some day if they so choose. Mutants have a homeland and saftey without bloodshed. It's not Magnus dominon or Charles full acceptance but it's nicely in the middle: Saftey, security, and peace. Just as Magneto dropped his dreams twice for Charles, Charles could not begrudge Erik taking a peaceful path to his own. As much as the UN has a hardline "hell no stance" to the idea, Magnus/Erik/Jimmy The Reach almost had his dream. A bunch of hardworking mutants forming the future of their kind.

And then... the dream ended. Bastion killed millions and leech, who was in genosha thanks to him died. Despite his power... Magneto could do nothing. He fought, he gnahsed.. and he only survivied because Bastion wanted him as a trophy. And in the aftermath he finds mankinds allies like val had a knife to their throat this wohle time, Bastion was merely the one to plunge the blade in.

And as Warned.. magneto lets them down, plunging earth into darkness and planning to let it die. He's lost the hope he had and i'ts replaced only with rage. The rage of a man whose parents were murdered, who saw his people lined up in camps, and who sees the same all too close to happening. And he has onlyone word for it.

ENOUGH

He takes Rogue, i'll get into that whole mess of a relationship and roberto and has.. no real plan. When you look at his other apperances in the OG.. he had genuine thought. Destroy a plant to make them pay, get away from humanity so they stop hounding us, end times war. They weren't always stable plans, but he had one. Here he just plans to wait until everything else dies and figure otu the logistics later. It feels like Magneto has no mission, that this isn't another grand strike against humanity, but a murder suicide: he's taking the planet with him content to rot on an asteroid with those few he can take with him.

It's why charles plan to talk to him.. dosen't work. Granted "Talk magneto down" has NEVER worked for him, but Magnus dosen't want to talk... he wants earth to die. While Charles microwaving his brain isn't plesant, it's the only way to get through to him. To remind him who he was: a kind empathetic german man who'd been thorugh so much.. and who isn't alone. As reluctantly as they were to accept him, the x-men welcomed him into the family and tried to let him in. He accepted them in turn. His kids, including Polaris. He's not alone and thus he backs away from the abyss with a rousing MAGNETO LIVES and saves the world. Granted like most of these stories it's not over, there's more ground to cover next time, and the comiccon footage apparently featured another trial. But at least a man who lashed out at the world constantly and angrily, and often justifably, has found peace. Will he be able to keep it? We'll see.

Rogue and Gambit: A Romantic Tragedy

So Rogue and Gambit are one of the premire love stories in x-men... two people with checkered pasts drawn to each other but who can't touch less Gambit die. Granted man a fan will tell you "worth it", but I get Rogue not wanting to murder him with her vagina. Understnadable. Thankfully they've found workarounds and after a decade or so apart married and despite various obstacles, have stayed that way up to the current run of uncanny x-men.

In the show.. we're still in that will they or won't they. XTAS danced at the edge a few times but while it was allowed to have continuity, they weren't allowed to pull the trigger on something that big. 97 decides rather than do that to add some good old fashioned xavier's brand suffering on top of their already hard lives.

The Gambit Rogue Magneto love triangle.. is bad. In the comics it wasn't great: Initially Rogue and Magneto was done and done quick: She was attracted to him during their savage land adventures, it's implied since she was depowered at the time they slept together, she turned on him when he slaughtered some people.

But then age of apocalypse happened, a reality where despite the age gap, they married, and canon tried to make it a thing, first with his amnesic clone joseph then in x-men legacy when it happneed but when the writers switched, Christos Gage wasnt' itnrested and slowly broke it off. And before that it was clearly more just physical.

So yeah.. it wasn't exactly the best idea to begin with. She's about as old as one of his children and writers coudln't quite make it work when tried. 97 couldn't either: In hindsight Magneto comes off more as the hunk you have a character in a romance series get with for a few episodes, the sexy bad boy to contrast the guy she ends up with. Other guy may also be a sexy bad boy, as is the case here, but he's the less destructive one. As Chandler's mom on friends put it "He's a complication you put in then kill off".

And look that idea.. kinda works for me: Rogue finds someone who an bypass her power and thus it puts her need for phsyical intamacy against her emotoinal connectin wtih remy. It's a good foundtation. The problem is Magneto ... does not make the best sexy bad boy romantic false lead. He's a foxy grandpa, we all know this and accept this. He's got abs for days. Magneto being sexy is not the problem. Magneto has been a sex machine since the 80s.

The problem is the age gap. Rogue is in her late 20's early 30's. Doing the math since the comics have him born in the late 20's, I went with 1928, and subtracting that from 1997, when the show takes place we get

Which is nice, but also means he's twice her age. The two's romantic past is teased at and then revealed later: Sometime in her 20's Rogue took her to magneto.. and there in lies an issue in itself as the timeline for Rogue in the OG is very vauge. She was 13 when she kissed her childhood sweetheart, comaed him, and was adopted by mystique. XTAS does use an adult model.. but more for budget reasons, making it very hard to know when this happened or when Magneto wooed rouge, making many think he was a pdeophile. He wasn't, the writers cleared it up she was 20.. but he still would've been 50 or 60 by that metric. It's still a bad look. I love Magneto but my god is it a horrible idea to have him boink a 20 year old who was also vunerable and hadnt had sex before. Saying he groomed her... isn't entirely inaccurate. She still got out and was older, but he's still old enough to be her grandpa. This was not thought through at all and instead of this possible rugged sexual romance it comes of as

I don't know how the hell they got this far with this storyline but ti's bad.

The actual Rogue and Gambit stuff works better. She wants to be touched and while she was willing to play along with gambit's flirtations, it's a genuinely hard choice between a romance where you can never touche the other person , and not just sexually, and one where you can have that.

Both Rogue and Gambit are trapped in this stupid love triagnle for four episodes, with Remember It paying it off... and while I hate what they did with magneto, the whole focusing on an overwrought romance storyline.. works. With how much it's firing up you dont' see the hammer coming till cable arrives and by then it's too late.

So we've come to Gambit's Death. And it .. is amazing. It was a shock, as I went into the episode blind and while my smug ass had predicted the genoshan genocide would happen this season, there were plenty of hints with the fact genosha existed at all, the sentinal spooky jean dream. But I give it to DeMayo: He had this twist planned, and hits you like a truck.

As for why Remy that's simple: it'd hurt. It'd hurt bad. He was the sarcastic playboy of the team, making bengets in his bitching crop top. As much danger as the x-men get into no one thinks they'd kill one of their biggest characters. And yet.. they did.

His death is perfectly done. Remy gets stabbed with rebar, and rather than go down easy.. he simply cooly delivers his one liner and lights up the whole damn snetinel, knowing it'll kill him and likely the only reaosn he hadn't tried this trick before. There's no way he could charge something up that big and be healthy enough.

Now again Remy could come back, but a sa ghouslish zombie it makes it more platable, a mockery of what Remy did.

So as the recap covers, Rogue handles things poorly, putting all her energy into getting revenge going on a sterling archer level rampage tearing apart the military , throwing Steve's shield into the distance and getting colder and angerier with each action. Instead of letting herself greive she's thrown herself into her rage, and while unlike many a senseless death she can in fact punch those responsible, it's not going to bring him back. She's forced to reckon with this after brain jacking gyrinch, who is summiarly murdered by bastion as a sloppy loose end

But it dosen't help.. but even her brother's support, getting her to greive.. dosen't fix the pain. So when Bolivar trask, who while coerced into it by Sinister and Bastion still has remy's blood and the blood of millions on his hands, reveals he dosen't have anything else.. she lets him drop. And when questonied on it by everyone else, is unapologetic.

It's here I have to give Lenore Zahn all the props. Out of the returning cast she gets the most to do this season, the most challening material and she nails it, nicely oscelating between pure grief and pure rage. The grief she sadly had help with: her niece died and she channeled that grief into Rogues, and it makes it all the more raw and painful. The rage.. is all her and well done. It makes Rogues eventual if brief Heel turn, and a mild one at that, all the more belivible. She hasn't had time to proces and unlike most whove lost someone actually CAN blame someone. It's a miracle Gyrinch made it out of their encounter alive and likely ONLY because the memories overwhelmed her.

So it's not a remote shock when one brief coma later... Rogue joins magneto. There's no romance left, thank god, just pure rage Erik gleefully accepts. She's willing to turn her back on all she's belivied in, a better world, the dream.. because the dream.. let her down. It killed remy, humanity has given barely a fuck after genosha, and humanity gladly funded their extinction. She's done. It's horrifying to see.. but every step we saw coming. The best and hardest part.. is that it's not because she was with the brotherhood once. They put her in her brotherhood uniform from the comics, her first uniform as an x-man there too.. but this is soley because of who she's been as an x-man: The love of her life who she realized too late she was ready for died fighting for the dream she truly belivied.... and all it did was wake her up.

She does fight her friends when they arrive, too blinded by grief and rage to see "wait are we the baddies" versus Roberto who is clearly regretting this decision. But it says something to who Rogue is.. that she turns back pretty quickly. Once Magneto's down she snaps back. You could say this is a bit convient.. but the x-men really don't have time to hash things out with her. She's family.. and not the kind who will lambast you for being part of the woke mob, I mean the kind that's built so heavily, that's such a part of you it's hard to let go. Neither side had trouble fighting, but when the world's at stake and she's had time to realize, Rogue snaps back to being a hero. Because heartbroken , pissed off at the world or a little of both.. that's who she is. There will no doubt be consequences to her actions and more recriminations later. Turning her back on her found family can't have gone down well.. but when they needed her she returned to the side of good and fought hard. Granted she also got to beat the shit out of bastion for killing Remy, so that helps, but it's still nice. And again like with Magneto and most of 97.. things aren't really wrapped up. They knew they had at least one more season. We can unpack those consequences next year in another large review that will drive me to the brink. For now it's a solid ending. So now for

The Summers Piror Howlett Knolastname Love Pentagle

Yes I'm covering 5 characters in one section as outside of morph, whose mostly wolverine's best buddy whose secretly in love with him this season or there for cool cameos, their story arcs for the seasons are entwined with this tornado of romantic drama. even Morphs one real personal moment gets thrown in. Scott apparently go one reality without falling ass backwards into a love triangle, diamond or in this case rhombus. Except that time he was in an open relationship. God I miss Krakoa. They never did fully adress if Wolverine and Cyclops boned. LIke even if it was a threeway they had to have made out once. I mean right? Right?

Anyways this big ole love rhombus comes from a set of complicated circumstances only something this gloriously comic booky could make work, something so soapy only the x-men can rock it. So we open the season with what we thought was Jean and Scott having a baby. This is actually Maddie and for the sake of clarity we'll be using the name. But as I brought up in the recap this maddie is really more a second jean grey: she has all of jean's memories, feelings, relationships, all of it, and had NO idea she was replacing her.

So the first two episodes are about Maddie wanting to try for a normal life and Scott being reluctant. And the reason is simple: He's never had one. His dad is a space pirate, he has two brothers he dosen't realize exist, and his mom was killed by an alien emperoror for refusing him. Being an x-man is his life: charles recruited him from the orphanage at 15. While he didn't have to murder a diamond man in this continuity who charles rescued him from, he still had a life of not being accepted as a mutant with his family presumed dead till his new dad showed up and gave him purpose: A shiny new team to lead that ended up helping him meet the love of his life, a noble goal.

The problem was while Xavier MEANT well, he also trained Scott as his most loyal soldier. He realized too late that he'd made Scott's life entirely about leading, being the x-men being the best because it was all he ever had. Scott was the son Charles never had ,as far as he knew legion could still pop up, and he treated him well.. but he also gave Scott the same singular drive to put the dream over everything else that destroyed most of Charles personal relationships and will again. Despite their own doubts.. the x-men WOULD have been fine without him. Storm has proven at this point she's a great leader, if she wouldn't I'm confident Rogue or Beast would've stepped up. (for the record, Morph dosen't want the role, Wolverine's too much of a loner to lead the team full time even if he has the potetial, Jubilee isn't ready and Gambit dosen't want the responsibility. But he's too busy trying to BE his dad to notice; to be charles: exacting, loyal to nothing except the dream.. but shutting everyone out. The first episode is all about how Scott's let the stick go further up his ass than usual, getting Mad Gambit skipped a mission.. .that they handled fine with just three x-men, one of which is easily their strongest. Logan lays into scott with a purely cutting line that despite Maddie trying to assure him he did fully mean

What Gyrich did was pretty horrible, but you wanna know the worst part about the professor being gone? YOU

Frankly.. he's right. Scott is trying so hard to be charles he can't be himself. We see him doing best as leader during "To me my x-men" when he's being himself: in the opening he's tactical as hell, but respects storm and bishop during the rescue. In the climax of the episode, he has the team work to their strengths and let sthem relax. Scott isn't a bad leader, but had to accept leading isn't barking orders but trusting your teammates while knowing them well enough to use their skills.

Speaking of skills let's talk about Scott's glow up in this series. Now Scott Summers still fucks up plenty perosnally. We've got way more to cover, you've seen the previous seconds, he's a fucking mess. But that's.. normal for the comics. Most of Scott's fuckups are taken from there: Scott emotoinally repressed himself to a painful degree and thus isn't good with relationship stuff. He can love, he and Jean and later maddie clearly love each other, but it's hard for him to open up and actually.. talk about his problems, so he buries them for the good of the mission till they explode and smack him in the face.

97 captures that well while ballancing it with his other sides; Scott can be funny on occasion, gettin ga few good quips, the best being when his son whose older than him complains abou this uniform "what'd you expect black leather" he can be quippy and have fun, while still having severe issues. It's never over the line that it's not scott, but it's enough to reveal the dork underneath the layers of trauma.

Previous adaptations have not been kind to scott. It's why Scott's known as the boring one for most casual x-fans. Even as a kid I thought that. It wasn't till reading Gilleon and Claremont's work I saw what scott could be. Many a writer in and out of comics focus on Scott the tight ass: XCU Scott , despite being played by the talented James Marsden, is a pretty dry guy whose entirely personality is "get your hands off of my woman mother fucccckeerrrrr" and then he dies. The second scott had potetial, but was reduced to Jean guy for Dark Phoenix, and his actor was one of many who had just given up by that point and I still dont' blame them. In the predecessor to this series, Scott isn't as bad but is still stuck to being the killjoy in a cast of more intresting characters, not helped by Jean being so much worse. And wolverine and the x-men makes him into a morose man with a Jean obessesion. YOu get the pattern now: outisde of evolution most cyclops are jean simps with little else to go on. XTAS is better, having episodes focusing on his orphan past and a neat solo episode or two. While he can be dry, the series did try to flesh him out and give him more than saying his girlfriends name a lot. He did say it a lot but he had ore. Evolution got him right before this as while him pining after jean is his main subplot he does get reuinted with his brother, have a close friendship with kurt, and show he IS A GOOD LEADER.

97 on the other hand shows all of scott. He can be funny, troubled.. or a total badass. 97 Relishes in letting the cast show off and Scott really gets to flex. In said first episode he takes out racist with a not joke, uses his powers to clear the field alternating between his optic blasts and good old martial arts for the colose quarters and cumilates it by , when lacking a parachute, USING HIS OPTIC BLASTS TO MAKE HIS WAY DOWN WHILE SCREAMING. This one episode does more to show how capable scott is than any previous adaptation and honestly does more with his powers than the comics often do.

So back to the summary and Scotty let's go, and plans to leave. Then his dad throws a well meaning but tone deaf curveball: he gives the school to magneto, meaning Scott refuses to leave because Magneto's in charge even though everyone's dealing okay and this isn't an evil plan. Maddi'es frustrated, but has bigger issues as during the assualt on the un she goes into labor. The labor goes fine once Rogue steps in and Scott's there for it, and gets a break. He gets to see his son born, Nathan Charles Summers and despite what happened with storm, is ready to move on. He can trust magneto.

Then of course, as usual for scott Life kicks him in the balls 37 times: Jean shows up at the door.

It's here we can talk about Jean and Maddie a bit more. Maddie wants to leave, but i'ts clear from Charles gifting the school to magnus the original wanted to too.

So after Jean arrives, Beast determines she's the original and Maddie isn't. And the X-Men. ... handle this poorly. I've talked about this a little but in one of the weakest parts of the season, they ALL turn their backs on her. They just kinda.. stand their gaping, not really willing to talk to her, and while she could be an imposter.. they don't know that. Someone could've faked it or "real" jean coul'dve been kidnapped years ago. They don't know enough to not say anything and it's weird. I feel Storm was shoed off so early, besides pacing, partly because with all the talk of her and jean as sisters, she'd actually defend maddie.

And Scott.. fucks up the worst. He says nothing WHEN directly asked. When Maddie needed him.. he froze. And this.. all goes as plan as Sinister was banking on the x-mens being immotinally tone deaf and confronts maddie, stealing Nathan and turning her into the Goblyn queen.

The back turning does work a bit though as it makes Maddie's rage, amped up by sinisters brainwashing similar to what he did to morph, entirely beliveable. Her family turned on her despite the fact that, as we find out.. she'ss also jean. She has all the memories, all the attachments everything. And her family turned on her for something she coudln't know. While her reasoning for working with sinister is brainwashing, I suspect he barely had to push to get her to fight her family.

And like Scott.. this series does jean better through both of herselves. Jean also gets the short end of the stick: Her XCU counterpart is pretty good up till last stand, ditto for her second version played by sophie turner for apocalypse and is one of the few bright spots of dark phoenix. But her others... not so much. The XTAS jean was often helpless, screamed a lot and got kidnapped.. not as much as you'd think but still more than someone of her power set should. Jean gets reduced to one of two things too often: a sexy lamp for scott to angst about, or PHOENIX.

97 has her realtionship with Scott AND her status as phoenix crop up, but it's not all of her. We see who jean is, kind, compasionate, well loved.. and badass. Maddie gets to show off first, her fight with the x-men in an old church being a through curbstomp and before that her mind grab of gyrinch. Her using stain glass to fill magneto with holes is the highlight.

It's ironically Jean that beats Maddie, but through said compassion. Jean is in a coma after escaping, or being let go to cause chaos, and only wakes up thanks to Logan. Logan had a not at all subtle crush on jean throughout all of XTAS. it was honestly deeply unhealthy and not really reciprocated. It was implied once she had feelings but that's about it, pretty much lke the comics before new x-men.

Yet now.. things change as what wakes her up is his deep feeling. Am I saying this message is healthy, that just pining after someone's wife and one day they'll notice you? Fuck no, I don't think they thought that through, but a later part shows thorugh all his moping about jean leaving, Logan loves HER, and wont' stop her happy. He could've said he didn't want her to go or done something.. but he didn't. Well Maddie to go but he thought i was jean and so did she

Logan.. is left ot the background in 97. He's not out of focus like Beast, Morph and Bishop, he gets this subplot with jean, plenty of great interactions with Kurt once he joins, and is often his usual surly voice of "just stab em already." he's also happy to celebrate Jubilee's birthday and I feel we were robbe of seeing logan play laser tag and arcade games. This isn't a bad thing as he still gets to snikkt, be put on merchandise (including an x-men 97 i'm wearing right now), and get stuff to do and while cal dod's voices is ntoicably lower it dosen't really hurt his performance any. We get all the wolverine we want.. but he also dosen't take up the oxygen.

Before jean can process that though she has to help her clone, heling Maddie realize she's a person too and has one thing jean dosen't: Nathan. Maddie snaps out of it, she was tricked, we were over this and after bidding nathan goodbye.. leaves. Jean does offer her to stay.. but she needs her own life. Her friends already made it clear they don't see her as jean with their inital reaction, and as far as she knows, Scott would choose "the real jean".

So a month or two passes offscreen

Maddie has moved on with her life: She's joined Genosha's quiet council which has people she knew as Jean but won't constnatly compare her. She's doing something good. She's also dooing scott.

Yeah I mentioned the affair earlier and like I said it's a bit better here: Scott isn't manipulated into it before setting into things and there's more shades of grey. While Scott SHOULD have broken up with Jean, we established from his freezing on maddie in the first place that Scott.. is bad at emotoinal stuff. It dosen't make it okay for either of them, it's clear he realized maddie was still a person and what they shared was still real.

Thing is while Jean's right to be mad at Scott for not just.. breaking up with her... we didn't really get into how much of an asshole jean comes off. Keep in mind sh'es being cheated on with her husband... yet moments before in episode.. she tries to kiss Logan. It's clear she also has feelings for someone else, tried to cheat, and only didn't because Logan knew it'd be wrong. Granted he also projected that her and scott's relationship is going great when it very much wasn't and it's also very weird he just kinda.. tunes Maddie's existance out. There's a second Jean out there and he just.. has no reaction. Guy either has major tunnel vision or really does think he's that unlovable that any jean would prefer scott. Probably both.

So while Jean is right to be angry.. the fact she nearly cheated and what she sasys about Maddie drains the sympathy out of me. She says "Run off to genosha with my clone". Again Maddie had NOTHING to do with what happened to her and was technically with Scott too. I'm once again not saying the cheating was okay, Scott should've broken things off with Jean but was too scared to. It still wouldn't of been great for Jean to be left at bad time in her life... but if Scott is intrested in someone else, let alone another Jean he should tell his wife and actually talk about it instead of waiting for it to blow up. He's honest about how unhappy they clearly are after everything when Jean fights with him.. but only AFTER he was caught. Neither Summers comes out of this looking good: Scott couldn't be fucking honest, and Jean is a hypcorite who unpersons her literal other self simply because it's now convient to do so.

But like most of the romantic drama in this series, genosha hits it like a brick and in a heartbreaking moment... Maddie is wiped out with her son failing to save her. And as we find out later, Nathan has tried this again and again despite knowing it's a fixed point in time. And while I feel weird about bringing up kamar tahj, as it's a wholly mcu thing, I'm fine with this mcu point being added here. The idea some things happen and can't be taken out without destroying time. Genosha is so foundational to this timeline now Cable can't save his mom. And yes we'll be throwing nathan in here too.

Maddie's death wakes Jean up and she feels genuinely terrible for how she thought of her, realizing they were sisters.. and now she's gone. Granted Maddie COULD pop back up, though I mostly feel that's possible since we never saw the body or the death onscren. We saw sebastian shaw and banshee get desntigrated. We saw Remy's corpse and even that's not going to stop him from coming back. I do get the reason for Maddie's death, the suddeness of all this potetial storyline and her whole life going away... but I do hope she comes back as she was a great addition.

Jean and Scott's crumbling relationship is tabled for the rest of the season, their sorta together, but simply don't have the time to talk about how damaged their relationship is. Instead Jean while getting some awesome fights, mostly takes a back seat for

THE SCOTT AND NATHAN SUMMERS DADDY ISSUES HOUR!!!!!!!

Cable is back for the end of days and cold to his dad for sending him into the future. Scott puts all the blame on himself, when he had no choice and Bishop and Nathan got seperated. Scott Summers worst enemy as always is Scott Summers, unable to forgive himself for something he coudln't stop or see like his own dad he didn't abandon him on purpose: Corsair thought Scott died, and Scott had to send nathan away or watch him die.

Thankfully he lightens up as he goes, with the blaack leather quip and all, realizing it's likely not all his fault. It woud've been nice if we had this revelation on screen but still. Scott still has daddy issues to spare though as his dad is back from space.. no not the pirate the psychic bald man.

Charles returns, more on that later, and while for most of the x-men it's a relief, Scott feels once again abandoned and pissed about Charles trying to give him a normal life. Which.. is fair. While a lot of it is Scott almost had one but turns out Sinister would never let that happen, Charles.. coudl've left the WHY he left it to magneto in the will, especially since you know Scott read that thing front to back ten times to try and figure out why Daddy seemingly didn't love him anymore. He also did so without Scott's consent. Granted blaming Charles for Magneto is a step too far as .. no Scotty, erik tried. It was genocide what drove him to try and destroy the planet.

So the couple seperate to go do what they need to do: Jean takes Nathan to go after Bastion, Scott goes into space. And Scotty leaves the season with one more fuckup, if once again one you can understand. When he hears Jean almost die, he stops the team from finishing magneto to give her more time... which results in logan trying to murder Magneto and Erik ripping out his metal. It's something that will likely fester, as it's hard to see Logan forgiving this entirely. Yet at the same time... Cyclops words to logan as he's fighting to repair himself.. make it clear he know who jean REALLY loves now... and it'd break her if he died. "SO live".

Scott in this series is engaging: He's a badass.. but also all too ready to fuck up.. but instead of being because "he's the leader maN" like the past it's because.. he's mortal. He's fallable. He fucks up but it's in ways you can understand from his guitl complex to his issues with charles. He's TRYING to do the right thing but his need to do so combats with the fact life is complicated and mutant life doubly so. He ends the season in a place of peace shockingly.. when thinking he'll die he has jean let him contact nathan, making peace with his son and himself. He dosen't and may get that chance to raise the boy he thought he never would, but I can't wait to see.

So onto Jean, who at the same time had an awesome fight with sinister, throwing a whole bowling alley at the motherfucker. Sinister activates his tramp mutant old man and Cable nearly kills her... but then we get a conviently timed deus ex machina. Now look.. Jean getting the power of the phoenix again.. dosen't make a ton of sense, comes out of nowhere, and is a pretty giant ass pull. That said... Jean collaring bastion and then stripping sinister of his dna leaving him a withered husk, after everything he'd done to the summers family. Cathartic as hell. Jean's story dosen't get a bow or anything, but this series does her well.

So that leaves us with two more to tackle. The first is Nathan whose not in hte love triangle for obvious reasoons but is the result of it. Cable is just kinda there to resent his dad, give us exposition and be a tease for next season. He's played well, fun to watch and that tearjerker with his parents hurts. But he's there. Look foward to seeing x-force next time. Not a super fan of the team but it might mean getting to see sam again.

So that leaves just one more: Morph. Morph mostly sticks to the background, his role early on being "Logan's best friend". But it's a fun role to see as with Nightcrawler not coming in till mid season, this Logan.. doosen't have many friends left. He's sorta friends with Storm, Gambit and Rogue but keeps all three at claws length, figths with scott constnatly, pines after jean and sees Charles as his dad but won't admit it despite being way older than him. Jubilee and Beast are the only ones on the team in the og he really seemed to like and actually admit it to himself. Hank, similar to nightcrawler in the comics and this series, breaks through and makes him laugh and Jubilee is like a daughter to him. Morph was his best friend, the series shows just how close there are and when Morph ran off, Logan ran after him till it was clear Morph didn't want to be found. When Morph returned to the team, Logan helped him face his fears.

So here we get to see them in their natural state... and Morph helps. He instantly sees Logan's pining moping about jean and mocks it, but in a way to get Logan out of it. When it seems like Jean's actually leaving, he offers him beer and when that dosen't work, turns into Sabertooth for a round of horseplay. You see how much care and trust is there.

Morph does get a LITTLE more to do. While their main role is using their upgraded powers to give us cameos for characters they coudln't squeeze into this season, but to tease them for presumibly future adventures in cases like Magik, their clearly rattled by sinister and gets the last laugh when the motherfucker is deaged. When Sinister has the nerve to ask for his old face... Morph gives the new one and clearly takes delight. Morph is great here and Karlak is an improvment over the original.

That said there is a tease for next season as it's revealed Morph isn't just friends with logan.. their in love with him, saying so while shifted as jean to get him to fight on. They likely knows Logan dosen't feel the same way, either because he's straight or simply dosen't feel that way if he isn't but wants him to get better and I hope next season they gets more to do.

Lifedeath: A Love Story

Storm is in a weird place in x-men 97: She's both the center of a major arc, one of the seasons best.. but as a result is gone for most of the season outside of said arc and takes a back seat in the finale, with things being so dire she never gets a chance to react to the maddie thing and being on defense during the raid on Bastion's Islan means she isn't really a factor in the final battle. While most of the team still concious get to kick bastions ass, I don't remember Storm getting ot do much .

That said it ends up working and was sadly necessary: The cast of X-Men 97 is MASSIVE with the main cast containing around 15 major characters, some of hwom are only main for a few episodes but still get focus like Cable or Forge. Even taking them and Roberto out and sticking them in recurring, that's still 13 x-men to juggle. The show does so decently: Nightcrawler dosen't show up till halfway through and joins the team in the wake of Remy's absence, they split the team in two for the big climax with two members having joined team wait to die slowly, they juggle decently with only Bishop feeling like a plot device.

So Storm gets plenty of presence in the first two episodes, takling with Jean and cementing their friendship. It was implied in the original series but 97 does a good job making it feel real in a short time. She calms down maddie (Who both parties think is jean at that point), and admits her own wants to be human once upon a time. It's a good idea to struggle with: that your proud of who you are, but can wonder if it would be easier if you weren't. I'm a proud bisexual, but preferring women and not dating a lot in general it'd be easy to hide that. I never HAD to tell my family.. I just wanted to. I wanted to be who I am. Not every queer person gets that option, and it's that pull of living saftely and being who you are.

And storm gets the option.. in the most horrifyign way possible. Taking the energy ray thing for magneto, she looses her power... and is devistated as anyone would be. For many mutatns their power is a curse: Rogue can't touch anyone, Scott can't look anyone directly in the eye without decapitating them, Beast accepts his but hates how he gets prejudged for what he is. There's even that mole guy from XTAS who gets beaten to death by a mob despite having no powers except looking like a mole.

For Storm it's a gift: not feeling the currents, the weather... it feels like one of her sense are gone. THUNDER, startles her because she can't sense it. It's a metaphor for someone loosing a sense in an accident, something that could make you you like your sense of hearing. I"m not sure I could take loosing mine and loosing music.

So Storm realizes she can't figure out who she is NOW and be an x-man and leaves and finds in a texas bar Forge. As I covered before Forge.. was barely a thing in XTAS. He was mission contorl for bishop, head of x-factor, who he left between series, and helped out during the phallanx covenant two parter.. but really never bonded with most of the x-men or did anything.

97 takes advantage of that to flesh him out: He has a small house with a big lab taking up the basement, left x-factor, has been in the goverment a long time and is clearly attracted to ororo. Their chemistry feels natural here, both strong capable people who are drawn to one another by their free spirits and reliance on their gifts. Forge is everything to him too. He also has lost something and had to get used to a replacement, something not usper called attnetion too but still present in his prosetic leg. Granted this being a superhero universe, his leg is a super leg he built himeslf, but it's still not the same.

As discussed.. he's also the one who in a way is responsible for Storm's predicament. He's able to counter the neutralizer tech.. because he built it. The scene where he reveals it is powerful, and again a massiv eimporvment over lifedeath, with Forge admitting it and his guilt and rightfully being called out for lying.

Unlike the comics though... Storm's forced to work through her issues with forge right away. She plans to run.. but then the adversary shows up, forcing her to fight her inner demons.

It's revealed that desire to be human.. is what's holding her back. It wasn't a thing of the past and the idea she can avoid the cycle of death and destruction that comes with being herself has held her back. The device worked.. but she can't stomach it. Storm has to confront this hidden part of her, something i'm sure a lot of ppeople deal with: a thought about yourself you can't stand because it's so vile.

It's only by facing this and her issues with forge, going to get Daniel a cure, that she can be free from her literal demon and metaphorical ones: while the adversary tries to taunt her.. she realizes she was scared, it was tempting.. but she can't fall to that idea, that dream. Being a mutant.. is who she is. She can hide it but she can't change it... and she dosen't want to hide it. A moment of weakness dosen't make you weak, it allows you to become stronger and Storm soars out gloriously in her 70's costume. Sadly she does try to take a break.. but as we discussed... there's no time for that. But her development allows her to be what she's always been: a pillar for her friends, while acknolwdging she dosen't have to be just that.

Forge is pretty great, taking what I always loved about the character and throwing out the creepy undertones and bits of accidental racisim. His cheyne heritage is present, but not overwrought, he feels genuinely guilty about lying, and in general is a better guy. He's also a setup for season 2 as loosing ororo he tries to carry on her dream... only to find he may be able to save her yet. Also his name is daniel Lone eagle which is neat.

Jubilee and Roberto: Out and Proud, Closeted and Afraid

So for 97 Jubilee got a plot i'm shocked never happened in XTAS: Jubilee got a boyfrined. Part of this might of been a fear of serilization by the editors: Beast's one romance arc, while powerful and painful, was a one off episode, Gambit and Rogue was will they or won't they, and I get the sense they didn't want Cyclops and Jean to stay married after the proposal that ended season 1. The closest Jubilee got was Longshot, and he was still a grown man with hollow bones like a bird and not really intrested in her as more than a friend. Thank god.

So 97 uses this gap to help bring in a new face, one who was totally on the table for the previous series but was never used for some werid reason: Sunspot aka Roberto DeCosta

So cards on the table: Roberto DeCosta is one of my faviorite mutants. Hearing he was not only getting adapted but to the main cast was my main reason for checking out the series before the trailer dropped. Berto has been adapted before, but in very small parts with New Mutants being the exception.. and new mutants is so eh he wasn't really given anything resembling a personality.

Roberto was around before Jubilee as part of the new mutants, Xavier's previous class I planned to cover this mutant month but then this review took several days to get done. The New Mutants were the next generation of mutants, various aged teens thrown together with the intention of guiding their gifts but since the x-men existed, not with the intent of them being the x-men like last time. This didn't protect them from danger but gave us some of mutantkinds best like Magik, Wolfsbane, and two of my other faviorites Cypher, a teen who can decypher any launguage and Warlock, a delightful alien from another planet whose dad is trying to kill him

Warlock can and does use english, and is a good selffriend.

Only Wolfsbane, Cannonball and Warlock showed up in XTAS, as a bulk of the new mutants were out of the picture in the comics at the time: Dani moonstar left, Karma was left in comic book limbo for a while, Magma was written off and Warlock was throught dead but came back during the 90's. Wolfsbane got a voiceless cameo but the other two did get full episodes, Cannoball a decentl set up but badly animated episode about a shady goverment agnecy trying to recruit sam, and Warlock the center of the phallanax covneant two parter.

Roberto was nowhere to be found and thus fair game and honestly a perfect fit: With age fluctuations, Roberto and Jubilee have never been around each other or the same age long enough to date, though now their both nebuously in their 20's maybe Gail Simone will make that happen. Do it gail. Do ittttttt.

97.. just drops him in at 17 or 18, same age Jubes is as by this point. You see why the two click: Roberto is also prideful, fashionable and a smooth talker with tons of sass. It's no suprise he's visting just one episode after this and their making out and implied to go further what's implied to only be weeks later.

Yet they also contast nicely: While Jubilee was uneasy with her powers, by this point she's a proud x-man, in decent control of them and trying to guide Roberto through those rough early stages. She had disaproving guardians when her power woke up but soon found a new family in the x-men.

Roberto... has his birth parents but is dead afraid they won't accept him, something even queer people with the most accepting parents (raises hand) have felt. MY moms reaction was pretty much "Okay good for you", and I was still terrified of telling her, never mind my dad whose argument against gay marriage was "I guess I can marry my cat now". He was also shockingly accepting and at worst told me to make sure I use protection... which feels mildly insulting but compared to the rejection I was expecting i'll take "well meaning homophobia".

Roberto hiding it from his parents isn't taken from the comics.. but tha'ts only because his x gene activated during a football match after a racist winged him. Not for being a mutant, but for being afro latino. And yeap this adaptation once again falls into the trap of not making Roberto dark skinned. It's annoying and there's no excuse for it. Admtiely his skin color DOES fluctuate, but I still wish writers and casting remmbered this.

Anyways, Roberto is terrfied so he avoids the subject, though he sees a cronneberg of his mother during the nightmare sequence in episode 1. Gambit also saw Magneto and Rogue reinacting the finale of society.

Roberto's parents are changed slightly from the comics. Their barely being around for their son is accurate: in the comics his dad was a succesful 80's buisness scumbag and his mom a rainforest advocate. Their marriage could be best described as "He tried to kill her once and failed because the new mutants were around then tried to brush it off to his son as a whoopsie". Here they don't seem to be trying to have each other killed at least, but still aren't around.

One thing that is accurate to the ocmics is tha tin the long run, only one is important. In the comics it was his 80s buisness scumbag dad who later joined the Hellfire Club. Here it's his 90's fundraising scumbag mom. She seemingly accepts him coming out, having figured it out as he set a boat or two on fire. Classic Roberto. She accepts it.. but wants him to stay closted for optics.

So before we get to Jubilee starring daggers at her so hard it's suprised Mrs Decosta dosen't bleed out already, let's talk about Jubes one episode, Motendo. Jubilee dosen't get a ton of devleopment, most of it being simply the transition between series and into adulthood. Thankfully Motendo does a lot in only 11 minutes to give her an arc.

So it's her birthday but Magneto dosen't want to celebrate because he dosen't understand childhoods. Understandable given everything, but as we discussed he's still a tad dickish for his main reason for not doing this: he'd look rediculous. Still bummed we didn't get magneto doing lazer tags

So Jubes throws a fit in her room, as she do, mad at this and all the changes: clones, magneto, morph's distractingly bald head. She wants to escape into nostalgia. It's a nice bit of commentary, especially from a show that exists because of nostalgia yet chooses not to bank soley on it.

So naturaly mojo gave her a video game console and she ends up reliving her past hits. She clearly wants to stay while Roberto is like "babe we're kinda in mortal danger" and only him nearly dying snaps her out of it. Thankfully Jubilee can rescue herself.. or rather Abscissa, a copy Mojo made to playtest the game who both shows Jubilee her full potetial of her powers, a setup for the finale, and shows her living in the past.. isn't great. The future is scary.. but it's also full of hope. So Jubilee leaves, looses her virinity and all is well

Then genosha and that attempt to come out happen and Jubes is back to being pissy, but this time entirely righeously as Mrs Decosta is throwiing a ball , is salty at the x-men for the xavier thing and generally a dick. So Jubilee decides to spend her not mother in laws cash. They get captured.. and instead of defending her son, Mrs Decosta bascially tells him to go with them and had the emp not happened, Roberto may not of lived much longer. It's a horrifying scene and one all too painfully real: sometimes.. a loved ones love is really that conditional.

So roberto dosen't have time to process his pain and anger when Magneto shows up. Roberto joining him does feel less earned than Rogue, as he was more "Scared to be a mutant".. but still makes sense. Roberto knew his mom was ashamed of his gift.. but didn'tk now how far she'd go and hasn't had time to process this before a big scary man shows up and says "let her die son". It's very clear from the confrontation on Asteroid m his mood is "WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO? OH GOD OH GOD" and seems mildly relived to both reconcile with Jubes and get out of that.

He does level up, if offscreen, training before the three part finale and taking on bastion, finally taking on his comics name. While Jubes is served well enough by the season, though I wish she had more outside her boyfriend, Roberto's arc feels mildly rushed. They can do more going forward with my boy, including a possible evolution into the strategic badass with a love for the mission impossible theme he is now in the comics, but Roberto's one of the characters who got whacked hardest by the writer having to cram all this story into 10 episodes, knowing they'd likely only get 30 max and only had 20 to start. Roberto isn't done dirty but he could do more and hopefully his and JUbes mia status leads to that next season. So speaking of doing more

And the Rest

We have three x-men left over, all great but all out of focus.

We'll start with the boy: I love beast, and this series dosen't write him bad, he still quotes stuff and is voiced perfectly and gets to hyjack robots twice... but it's also very obvious they didn't have much for Hank to do, and thus one of hte best x-men gets sidelined the most out of the cast. He gets a sorta romance with Trish Tilby which is nice, and frankly her turning into a robot and trying to strangle him is an upgrade from her comics self's excuse of "I don't want to be accused of bestiality because you look like aslan now". Still while Trish is left in a robot coma, and we can find out if she willingly consented to being a murder robot and is thus a racist poc or if it was just bastion spreading it around next season. But frankly i'ts just kinda there in a seaon that already has a romantic subplot for every damn x-man. I'm hoping season 2 gives hank an actual plot ,they really dropped they ball with him.

They never even picked it up with Bishop, whose there soley as a plot device. In previous apperances he was fleshe dout and had a goal. Here he's just waiting for Hank to fix his ride. We never find out WHY he's in the past, why he and cable got sperated, and why it took him as long as it did to come on back. I know season 2 will fill in a lot but while he gets a neat moment or two with his powers, Bishop feels like he's mostly there because fans wanted him to join, but the creators only had two episodes of material for him and couldn't write him out because he's needed to get rid of nathan and set up next season. Like Hank he deserves WAY better next season but given he'll likely be integral to rescuing the others, we have a better gaurantee than hank.

Next is one of my faviorite mutants, the man, the myth the fuzzy, it's nightcrawler. And Kurt fans.. we ate good here as while Kurt's only in half of the series not only does he finally join the team in this continuity, he finally picks up a sword. See XTAS focused more on Kurt's spirtual side, which has always been present.

XTAS choose to simply focus on that over kurt's other aspects: his fun loving nature, razor sharp wit, his love of old errol flynn movies, his love of swordplay and adventure born out of that love, dating his adopted sister for several years in universe.. okay maybe that last part can go die in the heart of the sun.

It wasn't a bad take on kurt: It still got his friendship with wolverine and kind empathetic nature in, with as we discussed him trying badly to save his racist brother when most would understand not trying to redeem the guy trying to kill you for what you are. The fact the religious angle was present at all was groundbrekaing for the time and something the Lewalds had to fight the network for.

So 97 keeps him as a preist and former monk, but also allows other aspects to play out: being on krakoa allows him to be more playful and being with the x-men allows him more opportunities to kick ass and triple wield swords using his tail. As a result 97 continues the good groundwork.. but getting Kurt out of the guest sport allows him to be a fuller kurt wagner. He dosen't get a romance subplot because bigger things are hapening and we already have 10 of those, but otherwise he gets to be both a man of faith who can scare dracula and a swashbuckling elf.

He also gets to be the heart of the x-men like in the comics: while Storm also filled that roll in the comics, Kurt was often the voice of peace and a bridge. When Colossus broke up with Kitty Pryde because he found someone who wasn't 13, thank god, Nightcrawler went with him when Wolverine took him into town for a drink to make sure no one got stabbed. Here he helps his sister best he can, helps logan and jubilee process their grief and is there for his friends. I can't wait to see how he meshes with the rest of the team as asid efrom rogue most of the group he's stranded iwth in ancient egypt are characters he hasn't got to interact with in this continuity. Also seeing him join the main credits... god that felt good.

Finally we have Charles. Charles is only around for a few episodes, and the show's handling of him is mixed. The characterization is spot on: he's kind, open and can't let his students go, wanting to relocate his girlfrien'ds bird colonlist empire to earth, something even she knows they'd never accept and gently turns down. Like scott he puts his duty over his life. He TRIES to reverse it, and get the brain wipe.. but he loves his kids too much. He's willing to try for a new life among the stars, but he won't give up his students. He will howeve rschool birds in colonlism, pointing out the empire just takes and homonginzes like any empire. He also stuffs an apple in his sister in laws mouth. Charles is great in his intro.

The issue is.. the first part of the series dosen't clarify if he's dead or not: Scott has his death certifcate, the world thinks he's dead, and Magneto acts like he's dead. They KNEW Charles was coming back, so while the world thinking he's dead is fine... there was no where they could hint at him being in space? It is a nice swerve he's alive.. but it's confusing as fuck for people who haven't watched the original. They explain he recovered but it's a bit much to go from Genosha to "Charles xavier in space with his bird wife". I was numb to it because i'm used to how weird as shit the x-men are. I Proudly reviewed the time they fought dracula and almost did again. But my good friend @jess-the-vampire was deeply confused and I can't blame her. The shows accesible for the most part if you know the broad strokes of x-men... but the shows and films after x-tas leave out the weirder shit so ther'es no aliens or demons. So introducing the shiar is a bit much to take. I"m not saying leave them out, I MISSED that weird shit, but maybe mention them offhand. It'd still be weird a sfuck but we'd be expecting them at some point. It spoils the suprise but when the suprise takes most of your audience to google to find out what th efuck is going on, it's not worth it.

It also takes some of the sting out knowing he was alive. That said him being alive wraps around well as it also means Charles..c an't just avoid his actions. Like Scott and Ororo, he throws away his chance at a happy life away from strife to go help the x-men. And Scott is there to yell at him for it. He meant well with the will.. but his refusal to explain just hurt his son and it's a rift that hasn't quite healed and will likely fester in season 2.

Charles is decent here though. Ross Marquand is good in the roll nad after years of seeing xavier at some of his worst in the krakoan age, it was very nice to see Xavier be a kind mentor and idealist again. No secret deaths or enslaved danger rooms. Just a man hwo can fuck up but means well. And is also very much in love with his best friend and arch enemy. And that's lovely.

Humanity would rather DIE than have kids like US!

So we've come to our final character section

Yeah this review.. has been a lot to put together. Bastion is our big bad for the season, but hides for most of it, only vaugely hinted at in Lifedeath Part 1 before his debut in Bright Eyes.

It works incredibly well though: We have no idea the goverments funding him or that the sentinel program is even THAT robust. We ssee Trask with a few leftovers, the hint someone's funding him, but that's it. It seemed more likely Sinister was the mastermind.

But that lack of info is what makes him terrifying: out of semeingly nowhere a man the x-men had never heard of creates an entire shadowy genocide operation. It has the same effect Cassandra Nova did in the comics, this new big bad coming in and having been there far longer than they could've prepared for. It's hard to pull off but x-men 97 does so with style.

What helps is that Bastion like the best x-villians is given layers. In the comics they tried this a little with his mother, but mostly defaulted to hateful racist man. Here he's still hateful racist man.. but the chilling kind who tries to make it sound resonable. A shouty demagog is angerous sure, at the time of this article one is running for president again. But someone who appeals to the "logic" in hatred, the petty fears of people without just screaming them is often more terrifying. Bastion is the project 2025 to the friends of humanity's january 6th: changing the system to destroy it for those he deems lesser.

Bastion has a smooth demanor, the perfect counterpoint to our heroes: he's cold, calculating and dosen't care who dies as long as among the bodies are mutantkind and the rest made into slaves. He makes big speeches about how right he is, smugly assured he'll win.

Yet behind all this.. is a pile of self loathing. Due to being flooded with nimrod, Bastion is essentially a mutant himself. He may not have an x gene far as we know, but he's technopathic, had bright red skin, and was ostracisted. He's not much diffrent from our heroes.. yet his mother refusing charles help meant Bastion never realized mutants weren't that diffrent and let himself become a monster, become what the sentinel programming wanted: the perfect weapon. Like many a far right extremist, bastion becomes what he is because he's lashing out and found an echo chamber telling him he's right. IN this case it was robot programs in his brain but still.

Bastion is not forgivable. Scott tries to get him to join the x-men.. but this feels unwiedly. Well meant, but given all he'd done, no way in fuck that should happen. But I get the point: To try and save the villian rather than let them die. Bastion committed genocide.

Yet he's pitiable.. his last words are "Humanity would rather die than have kids like us!"... the truth laid bear.. he did this not because deep down he thought humanity was superior, he tried to hyjack them, or the sentinels were.. but because he hated what he wasand coudlnt' stand people who were happy with who they were. He couldn't stand being a mutant.

Odds and ends

A few last things before we go. Chris Britton's sinister is great nad terifying. Good stuff. He steps right back into it easily.

I loved all the various marvel cameos. From Spidey, both in and out of costume, to iron man, to cap it was nice to see all corners of the marvel universe. I especailly loved getting a zemo cameo.

I do wish we'd gotten an actual pperance of magik as somehow between the og and now, she's both now a teen and has been kidnapped by demons and all that. Probably setup for next sesaon.

Cap's a bit of a dick here. While yes in the 80's and 90's, cap would abide the goverment more, this dosen't feel like a thing he'd hold back on. He DID quit over trying to exert more contorl, he'd work that red tape.

Conclusion:

X-Men 97 is excellent, both in i'ts own right and as a love letter to the x-men. Well scripted, animated and acted, it's the best of the four x-men animated shows and possibly the best adaptation of the work. This is a true masterpice and while it took me nearly a week of work on an doff to get this done, it was well worth it

Next Time: Kurt Wagner finds out he has too mommies as we look at x-men blue origins

#x-men 97 #x-men #wolverine #cyclops #jean grey #storm #magneto #bastion #rogue #gambit #forge #comics #animation

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