Captive Hearts (X-Men)

Captive Hearts is the fifth episode from the first season of X-Men: The Animated Series. Fox Kids broadcast the episode on January 30, 1993. It introduced the "Morlocks" to the series. The episode is loosely based on Uncanny X-Men comic book issue #168 and #170, though with various differences.^[1][2][3]

Plot

Jean agrees to go on a romantic date with Cyclops. However, they are led to a group of outcast mutants known as Morlocks. Callisto, the group leader, blackmails Cyclops into ruling the Morlocks beside her by making threats against Jean. Professor Xavier is alerted by Jean's tremendously strong telepathic abilities and sends Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, and Storm to rescue them. Once the remaining members of the X-Men locate the Morlocks, Storm challenges Callisto's leadership of the Morlocks. Once the X-Men make peace with the Morlocks, they promise to return when the public have accepted mutants as members of society.

Cultural references

The leader of the Morlocks bears resemblance to David Bowie's alter ego Ziggy Stardust. When Jean comments "Ground control to Cyclops?", it is a reference to the song "Space Oddity" by David Bowie.Cyclops and Jean were going to see The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber on their romantic date.^[1]

Reception

The episode has been reviewed to be somewhat "dull" and one of the poorest of the series, notably as of the Morlocks and Storm's character. The scene that featured a lightsaber fight has been criticized. However, it has been praised for Cyclops's fake death, and Wolverine's attack on him, as well as Gambit's reaction to the Morlocks plague.^[4]

Cast

References

External links

• Captive Hearts (1993) at the Internet Movie Database