History Recap / XMen97S1E06LifedeathPt2

In space, a massive ship battle rages between the Shi'ar and the Kree. Despite the Kree's firepower, Deathbird and the Shi'Ar Imperial Army are able to break into the flagship, where Deathbird and Gladiator engage and defeat Ronan the Accuser. Deathbird demands to know where the Kree Supreme Intelligence has hid itself, but Ronan refuses to reveal his location. Before Deathbird can kill him, a messenger stops her with news from her sister, Empress Lilandra. Lilandra reveals that she has decided to marry Charles Xavier, who is not only healthy once more, but whole as he now has regained use of his legs. Sadly, the crowd does not go wild at this thought and Deathbird schemes.

Back on Earth, Storm tends to the ill Forge while the Adversary, who inflicted a deathly infection upon him, taunts and messes with her mind. The creature tells her to forget Forge and let him die. Trapping her in an illusory coffin and exploiting her claustrophobia, the Adversary claims that Storm didn't lose her powers, she renounced her heritage and her friends, something she weakly admits to be true. However, Forge is able to rush to Storm's aid and sends the Adversary away with an ancient spellbook. Forge's disease is growing worse and he tells her that there's a cactus that could help. Storm wants to go alone, but Forge is dying. Thus, they go together.

On Earth, Storm's search for the cactus leads to another confrontation with the Adversary trapped in a cavern. However, Storm realizes that her powers were being suppressed by believing in her fears. In a defiant show of force, Storm's powers reawaken, restoring her hair and giving her a new costume. Storm tends to Forge's disease and it heals. The two start to muse about going away on a romantic getaway before Forge turns on the TV and they learn about Genosha and that the survivors there are being refused to return home, fearing an evolutionary war has about to begin.

In the psychic realm, Xavier continues his teachings, attacking their methods of assimilation, but he's wanting to help them work on better co-existence. However, the psychic backlash of the Genosha genocide hits Xavier, throwing them all back into the real world. Xavier realizes he cowardly ran away and he needs to return home.

On Earth, Boliver Trask is on the run, horrified as he realizes that he's done something unthinkable as a figure tells him he did a great thing, a prologue that is past, and that all he needs to do now is put his faith... in Sinister.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Despite having built the Sentinels, and having tried to kill the X-Men in the opening episode, Bolivar Trask apparently draws the line at genocide.

* FriendOrIdolDecision: The "friend" refers to his love for Lilandra, while the "idol" refers to the X-Men, whom he has trained to become beacons of hope for humans and mutants alike. A Shi'ar ritual has him attempt to remove all memories of his life on Earth, a decision which would prove if he is worthy to marry Lilandra, though he hesitates. Though it seems he may be able to compromise, sensing the horrors of the Genoshan massacre from afar (symbolized by Gambit's death) forces him to choose returning to Earth and the X-Men, even if it means risking the end of his relationship with Lilandra.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Boliver Trask is completely horrified that Sinister attacked Genosha, as he hadn't realized that had been Sinister's aim when given Trask's DNA to activate Master Mold. He's even guilty enough to ask Sinister to kill him for it.

* VillainHasAPoint: One of Deathbird's points of contention against Xavier and Lilandra's marriage is a suspicion that he'd want the Shi'ar capital moved to his own homeworld of Earth. While Deathbird's accusation is built on racism and jingoism, she's not entirely wrong, as Xavier had suggested to Lilandra that they spend part of their time on Earth and she'd said she'd consider it.

* AbsenteeActor: Nightcrawler doesn't show up in the episode itself despite being introduced in the opening cast showcase.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Boliver Trask is completely horrified that Sinister attacked Genosha, as he hadn't realized that had been his aim when he gave him his DNA to active Master Mold. He's even guilty enough to ask Sinister to kill him for it.

* ShoutOut: When Xavier senses the deaths in Genosha, he cries out that they were drinking wine, dancing and making love. He said the same thing in the original "E is for Extinction" storyline.

* TheCameo: Vulcan appears among the forces of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, which is especially notable since his arrival in [[ComicBook/XMenDeadlyGenesis the comics]] heralded a major shake-up to the status quo.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Deathbird's threatens the captured Kree soldiers with summary execution while they are kneeling and helpless, resembling numerous photos of actual war crimes.

* CrapsaccharineWorld: The Shi'ar Empire is an advanced interstellar empire with wondrous technology and generally far more benevolent than its rivals, such as the brutal Kree. But underneath the pleasant facade, it's a nation whose fundamental identity is built on imperialism, whose ruling class treat has more than enough FantasticRacism to go around, and whose core culture considers art and idealism forms of insanity (while conveniently defining them so versions that they themselves use don't count).

* EvolvingCredits: Magneto and Gambit's title cards are removed from the intro and Nightcrawler has been added in their place. Whilst both characters remain in several group shots, Nightcrawler has also replaced Gambit in the mid-credits shot of the X-Men running across the screen. A new shot is added of Nimrod being produced by Master Mold, followed by it being blasted to pieces by Bishop with alternate Storm and Wolverine from "One Man's Worth" beside him.

* BittersweetEnding: Storm is able to regain her powers and Professor Xavier decides to return to Earth, even though it means he and Lilandra cannot be together. However, Sinister is revealed to be the mastermind behind the Genosha massacre begins his next plan.

* HypocriticalHumor: Early in the episode, Lilandra playfully chides Xavier over the drama involving his X-Men. Near the end, Xavier is caught up in the drama involving ''Lilandra''.

* VillainHasAPoint: One of Deathbird's points of contention against Xavier and Lilandra's marriage is a suspicion that he'd want the Shi'ar capital moved to his own homeworld of Earth. While Deathbird's accusation is built on racism and jingoism, she's not entirely wrong, as Xavier had suggested to Lilandra that they spend part of their time on Earth.

* AdaptedOut: Forge's mentor in sorcery in the comics was the Cheyenne shaman Naze, whom the Adversary impersonated in the prelude to ''ComicBook/TheFallOfTheMutants''. Here, Forge says it was his mother who taught him, which is also the first time any family of his is mentioned in any medium.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Xavier schools the Shi'ar on why their imperialism just doesn't work as they end up harming those they bring into their fold. He points out that coexistence ''is'' messy, but it can work out in the end. Sadly, he doesn't get to really finish before the psychic backlash from the Genosha genocide hits.

* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Soon after Xavier forces Lilandra and her imperial court into the astral plane to give them a ReasonYouSuckSpeech, he senses Gambit's death and realizes he is needed back on Earth.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Xavier schools the Shi'ar in why their imperialism just doesn't work as they end up harming those they bring into their fold. He points out that coexistence ''is'' messy, but it can work out in the end. Sadly, he doesn't get to really finish before the psychic backlash from the Genosha genocide hits.

* ShutUpHannibal: Xavier projects an apple into Deathbird's mouth for acting up in his mental classroom.

** When Xavier senses the deaths in Genosha, he cries out that they were drinking wine, dancing and making love. He said the same thing in the original "E is for Extinction" storyline.

In space, a massive ship battle rages between the Shi'ar and the Kree. Despite the Kree's firepower, Deathbird and the Shi'Ar Imperial Army are able to breal into the flagship, where Deathbird and Gladiator engage and defeat Ronan the Accuser. Deathbird demands to know where the Kree Supreme Intelligence has hid itself, but Ronan refuses to reveal his location. Before Deathbird can kill him, a messenger stops her with news from her sister, Empress Lilandra. Lilandra reveals that she has decided to marry Charles Xavier, who is not only healthy once more, but whole as he now has regained use of his legs. Sadly, the crowd does not go wild at this thought and Deathbird schemes.

* FriendOrIdolDecision: The "friend" refers to his love for Lilandra, whom he loves, while the "idol" refers to the X-Men, whom he has trained to become beacons of hope for humans and mutants alike. The ritual has him choose between the two (specifically, removing all memories of his life on Earth), which would determine if he is worthy to marry Lilandra, though he hesitates. Though it seems he may be able to compromise, sensing the horrors of the Genoshan massacre from afar (symbolized by Gambit's death) forces him to choose returning to Earth and the X-Men, even if it means risking the end of his relationship with Lilandra.

* TheCameo: Vulcan appears among the forces of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard.

* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Just as Xavier forces Lilandra and her imperial court into the astral plane to give them a ReasonYouSuckSpeech, he senses Gambit's death and realizes he is needed back on Earth.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Xavier schools the Shi'ar in why their imperialism just doesn't work as they end up just harming those they bring into their fold. He points out that coexistence ''is'' messy, but it can work out in the end. Sadly, he doesn't get to really finish before the psychic backlash from the Genosha genocide hits.