Season 3 Episode 8

X-Men: Evolution Season 3 Episode 8

SubTitle: 
Self-Possessed
Original Air Date: 
Sat 16th November 2002
Credits: 

Boyd Kirkland (producer), Greg Johnson (head writer), Curt Geda (director), Mike Wolf (animation producer), John Bush, John Hyde (animation executive producers), Patrick Inness (associate producer), William Anderson VIII (music)

Brief Description: 

Rogue’s powers start to go out of control when the mental imprints of her victims attempt to take over her body, manifesting their powers at the most inopportune of times. Her friend, Risty, returns from England and the two head to a rock concert, where Scott and Jean are having their first date. During this concert, Rogue’s sleeve tears off, forcing her to bump and absorb everyone around her, including Risty. Rogue terrorizes the concert while in the forms of Sabretooth and Juggernaut, though her teammates don’t know that it’s really her. She disappears in the city, where Mystique tries to explain their relationship with each other. Feeling betrayed, Rogue’s powers get even more out of hand when she starts manifesting the powers of the more powerful mutants she’s had contact with. After nearly being the X-Men single-handedly, Wolverine reaches out to Rogue and tells her to not let the other personalities to take control of her. With Professor X’s telepathic assistance, the personalities are wiped out, though Rogue is severely drained from this experience. Meanwhile, Destiny explains to Mystique that an ancient mutant will rise.

Full Synopsis: 

Rogue and Scott are playing racquetball and quickly finish as Rogue delivers her final blow. Scott tries to hit the ball but he stumbles over on the floor, thereby granting Rogue victory. He comments on how she “whupped him good” as Rogue helps him up. She asks Scott if they want a rematch the next evening but Scott declines because he is going to the Descanso Rivets concert the following night. Rogue asks him nervously if he is going with anyone, twirling her hair between her fingers. Scott turns around and tells Rogue that he’s going with Jean and asks her if she’s going. Rogue, who is a little upset by the news (though Scott doesn’t see this), responds that she isn’t a fan of the band. Scott suggests that they have their rematch next week. Rogue, with forced laughter, agrees to this as Scott leaves the racquetball court. Rogue frowns a bit, shutting the door and is triggered with a vision of Scott and Jean in the courtyard in the aftermath of Jean’s power troubles from a few months ago. She slumps the floor, holding her forehead as though she has a migraine.

Meanwhile in the city, a limousine drives up, carrying Destiny in the backseat. A yellow cat sits on a nearby stoop and jumps in through the window. It immediately transforms into Mystique, who wonders what news Destiny has for her. Irene replies that she has had visions of Rogue being a key to their future but she sees that Rogue will not live long enough to fulfill her potential. Back at the racquetball court, Rogue is playing the game by herself and she suddenly punctures the wall with the ball. She pauses, looking at what she has done and gets another mental flash of absorbing Blob back at the soccer game. Her migraine gets worse, causing her to throw the racquet into the same wall, stabbing into it. She falls to the ground and looks to the wall in surprise.

The next morning, Rogue looks into the mirror, brushing her hair. She gets another flash of the Scott and Jean meeting in the courtyard and gasps. Rogue puts on her gloves and gets up. As Logan is about to knock on the door, Rogue opens it, obviously frightened. She asks him if anything is wrong and he asks her the same thing, revealing the distorted racquet from the previous night. Before she can answer, Kitty drags Rogue down the hallway so they can have a ride in Jean’s new SUV. Rogue gives Logan an awkward wave and smile and he exchanges that for a confused look on his face.

In the garage, Jean is wiping her rearview mirrors and enters her SUV, putting on her seat belt and starts up the vehicle. Kitty and Rogue approach the car and situate themselves in the back seat. When Jean backs out, Kitty suggests that with her new car, they should all carpool to the concert together. Jean declines this as she is going with Scott. Kitty believes that Scott wouldn’t mind, then she reaches an epiphany—Scott and Jean are dating. Jean denies that she and Scott are going out but Kitty knows that she’s in denial. At that moment, Kurt teleports into the passenger seat, hearing only half of the conversation. Kitty tells him that Scott and Jean are dating. Kurt is ecstatic, mentioning that “it’s about time” the two mutants started going out. Kitty and Kurt tease Jean about her date but Rogue tells them to stop and they do, looking at each other strangely.

At Bayville High, Rogue heads to the restroom and gets another vision of the past, remembering when she touched Kitty to borrow her dance moves for Evan’s school project. She phases through the door, welcomed by Risty, who surprises Rogue with her sudden return. She asks Risty where she has been, finding out that she has been in England and that her parents kept her there due to the X-Men’s exposure a few weeks back. They walk out of the restroom and Risty apologizes for leaving all of a sudden. Rogue tells her that she doesn’t need to apologize as she was hiding her mutancy from Risty and they head off to a nearby water fountain. When Rogue bends over to take a sip, she gets another vision—absorbing Storm’s powers the night she met the X-Men. She backs off as lightning crackles around the water fountain. The lightning strikes the fountain and water sprays out upward. Rogue gasps in shock and Risty wonders if she is all right. Rogue isn’t sure, so she takes of running as Risty and the other students look at her in surprise.

A few minutes pass, and Risty finds Rogue sitting on a table in the school’s courtyard. She asks Rogue if that lightning display in the hallway was her power. Rogue finds it difficult to explain the situation to her. Risty understands this and starts to walk away, realizing that Rogue might not want to talk about it. Rogue calls out to her and stands up. She pulls off her glove and explains what would happen should she have skin-to-skin contact with someone. Risty finds the news “freaky” and Rogue agrees with her, telling her that “it’s getting a little crowded” in her head since everyone she touches stays in her mind. Risty suggests that the two go to the concert to make fun of the other people there. Rogue agrees, admitting that she’s missed having Risty around.

That night, at the concert, the fans cheer at the Decanso Rivets, whose lyrics are overpowered by the blaring music from the amplifiers. Tabitha can be seen enjoying herself in the front row. Kurt yells out how great the band is, standing next to Amanda. Kitty walks in with Jamie, who is dressed up for the event. He asks her to wear a corsage, which she vehemently refuses. Kitty gives in and allows Jamie to put the corsage on her wrist but informs him that “this doesn’t mean that they are on a date”, mainly because he is only 12 years old. He tells her that Roberto lent him the suit and that he has to give him a detailed report on the “date”. Kitty grabs him as they walk further into the crowd, passing Scott and Jean. Jean takes this opportunity to tease her about her date to get her back from the incident in the car. Jean laughs and Scott wonders why she is laughing. Jean tells him that it was simply payback and the two share an awkward conversation about their new relationship and whether or not this is actually a date.

As a new song starts up, Risty drags Rogue through the massive crowd. Rogue notices Jean with Scott and gets two more flashes. The first one is of her taking Scott’s power to fight off Mystique on the Geology Club field trip, causing her eyes to briefly glow red. The second flash is during the time where Jean’s growing telekinetic powers nearly destroyed the Institute. When Rogue snaps out of the vision, Risty questions her about her crush on Scott. Rogue denies this, stating that he and Jean “are practically a couple”. Risty tells her that the two deserve each other and assures that Rogue can find someone better. The two fight their way further into the crowd to get a closer look at the band. Rogue complains that “[she] doesn’t do well in crowds” while covering her ears, adding that she’s unable to move. She moans, still holding her head as flashes of the concert appear. Suddenly, a girl falls off the shoulders of her boyfriend and lands near Rogue, ripping off her right sleeve off. Because of her lack of mobility, a random guy bumps into Rogue’s bare arm and he falls unconscious. Rogue freaks out and turns out, taking the energy from another guy. She turns again and bumps into a blonde girl, who falls down as well. Rogue backs up and her bare arm touches Risty’s hand. This connection lasts the longest as both girls scream. Risty starts changing into her true form—Mystique.

As Mystique falls down, Rogue gets a flash of Mystique getting attacked at the party they threw at the mansion all of those months ago. Another memory flash pops into Rogue’s mind when she absorbed Mystique at the Geology Club field trip. Rogue briefly morphs into Risty and stumbles to the ground, getting another flash in her mind when she touched Sabretooth while filming Evan’s school project. Rogue morphs into Sabretooth and gets up, growling viciously. Mystique looks up in shock, fearing what she may do. The crowd starts breaking apart as Rogue makes her way to the stage. She jumps on top of the pile of amplifiers, destroying the set. Another pile of amplifiers topples over as Rogue destroys the set. Jean stops them from falling on the people and slowly moves them back to the stage. Rogue continues to go on her rampage, making her way to attack a random girl. Kitty steps up and phases the girl, causing Rogue to pass through them. Jamie jumps on Rogue’s back but Rogue starts to shake him off, thus producing three Jamie clones. Rogue absorbs them and throws them off of her. She jumps on the stage and picks up an amplifier when she sees the security guards approaching her. Before the amplifier can land on the guards, Kurt teleports on top of it and teleports it into a wall. Mystique looks around, looking at the frantic crowd and then turns her attention to the stage, where Rogue throws the security guards off the stage effortlessly. Scott raises his glasses, blasting Rogue into a wall.

The rubble from the crash covers Rogue and underneath, she morphs from Sabretooth to Juggernaut as she gets a flash of her absorbing him at the dam a few weeks earlier. Kurt teleports on top of the pile of rubble and confirms that “Sabretooth” is knocked out. Just as he says this, “Juggernaut” punches the rubble off of him, sending Kurt flying backwards. Rogue runs off, punching out a hole in the wall for her exit. Mystique runs off after her. Scott and Jean look surprised as three of their most major enemies have been sighted at the concert. Kitty, dragging a drained Jamie, asks what they are going to do. Scott replies that they are going to regroup at the mansion.

A police siren blares down an unknown street in Bayville. It pulls up behind Rogue who turns out to take a look at it. She gets yet another memory flash of absorbing Magneto on Christmas Eve at the church and morphs from Juggernaut to Magneto. As Magneto, Rogue moves the police car back several feet. She suddenly gets another flash of touching Quicksilver’s face at Asteroid M, transforming into him suddenly. She runs off and hears another siren, which triggers another vision when she touched Torque Webber at the party. The police car approaches her and passes by, seeing Rogue as Torque. She runs off into an alley and transforms into her real form, crying in a fetal position.

Mystique enters the alley, concerned about Rogue. Rogue dismisses this and demands that she leave her alone. Mystique tells her that she merely posed as Risty so that she can be near her. Rogue doesn’t believe this, transforming into Mystique. She throws the real Mystique into a garbage can, realizing that she was using her to spy on the X-Men. Mystique tries to follow her but Rogue fights her off and she tries to explain the situation. She tells Rogue that she should know out their relationship with Mystique’s memories. Rogue transforms into her real form and Mystique continues, stating that she adopted Rogue when she was four. Rogue runs out of the alley and pauses for a minute to catch her breath. Tears run from her eyes as she teleports to the top of a building. She leans against a wall, still crying. She hears a motorcycle engine and morphs into Sabretooth again, realizing that Wolverine is nearby.

Wolverine rides his motorcycle down the street, looking for Sabretooth, Juggernaut or Mystique, when Rogue jumps off of the building and tackles Wolverine off of his motorcycle. Wolverine crashes into a newspaper vending machine and unsheathes his claws, slicing a nearby street light that topples over Rogue. He approaches Rogue, sniffing the air. He realizes that Sabretooth is not Sabretooth and Rogue starts swinging the street lamp at him. The X-Van arrives and Cyclops jumps out, immediately blasting Rogue into a warehouse. Cyclops orders his teammates to take down Sabretooth for good but by the time he gets to the warehouse, Wolverine tells him that it’s really Rogue he blasted. Scott and Wolverine enter the warehouse as Sunspot, Berzerker, Iceman and Nightcrawler are told to wait for the others.

Cyclops calls out to Rogue, who transforms back into her normal self. She gets a series of memory flashes consisting of: Jean and Cyclops in Mexico a couple of weeks ago, when Jean was destroying the mansion telekinetically and when she touched Scott at the Geology Club field trip. This triggers her transformation into Cyclops. Scott looks around for Rogue but he is approached by his “twin”, who fires Scott with an optic blast. Scott crashes through a crate and lands next to Wolverine, realizing now how much his power hurts other people. Wolverine helps him up as Scott asks what’s going on. He only responds that Rogue is shape-shifting. They feel the warehouse beginning to shake, knocking a shelf and several boxes on top of them. “Avalanche” walks towards them and morphs back into Rogue.

Rogue pants heavily, pleading for help. Wolverine and Cyclops agree to help her as they are her friends. Rogue gets a series of flashes with Risty and her eyes glow blue. She states that she has no friends and she shape-shifts into Storm, shooting massive bolts of lightning through windows and walls of the warehouse. The two X-Men are blown out of the warehouse near their newly arrived teammates. Jean walks away to ask what is going on with Rogue. Cyclops explains that every victim of herself is fighting to take control of her body. A massive tornado rips the roof apart as Rogue flies out, transforming into her normal form. As she continues her meteorological wrath, her eyes emit an intense optic blast towards Jean, Cyclops and Wolverine. Jean moves them all away from the attack as Nightcrawler teleports next to them. Rogue hears the X-Jet approaching her. The passengers, Storm, Professor Xavier and Beast, look in shock as Rogue moves them away with Magneto’s powers, causing it to crash in the street. Rogue fires more optic blasts along the street, nearly hitting Sunspot, Magma, Berzerker and Iceman. Storm checks up on Xavier before taking her flight. Rogue continues her attack, firing at Nightcrawler and Shadowcat this time. At Cyclops’ insistence, Jean forces Rogue to descend with her telekinesis, which distracts her completely. She is flung into another vision, remembering when she touched Jean when the mansion was facing the wrath of her telekinetic powers. Rogue delivers her own telekinetic attack, knocking Jean backwards. Cyclops fires an optic blast at Rogue, who blocks it with a telekinetic shield. She retaliates with a bolt of lightning, nearly hitting Scott.

Kurt teleports behind Rogue and grabs. He teleports to the two away but Rogue manages to materialize in the same spot she was in while Kurt lands in his intentional destination. Storm flies towards Rogue, summoning the winds to push her back some. She conjures up a cloud, which fires lightning bolts at Rogue. Rogue uses that same cloud to electrocute Storm with the lightning bolts. Storm falls from the sky but Jean manages to catch her with her telekinesis. Wolverine tells the others to back off, as he is able to withstand Rogue’s attacks better than anyone. He commands Iceman to elevate him to Rogue with an ice pillar of sorts. He tackles the airborne Rogue and they land on a car. The force of the blow cause Rogue to produce four Rogue clones. Wolverine tries to reach out to her, claiming that he knows what she’s going through. A Rogue clone levitates Wolverine with Magneto’s power and the other four Rogues blast him with an optic blast, sending him into the X-Van. The five Rogues charge at Wolverine, four of them teleports around him. The clones levitate Wolverine with Jean’s telekinesis and as they start to spin him around, Logan tells her that the Rogue he knows wouldn’t let anyone take control of her life. Rogue drops her head and the clones disappear. She slowly drops Wolverine and explains that there are too many personalities to deal with in her mind. Professor X wheels over, telling Rogue telepathically to help her get rid of the extraneous personalities in her head. As Rogue gets these personalities wiped out, she morphs into them for a final time. This group of people include: Cody Robbins, Nightcrawler, Quicksilver, Storm, Cyclops, Blob, Mystique, Risty Wilde, Shadowcat, Sabretooth, Avalanche, Torque Webber, Magneto, Jean Grey, Toad, Beast and Juggernaut. She screams in pain as she reverts to her normal form and passes out in Wolverine’s arms. Professor X moans in pain and Logan asks if she will be all right. He responds that he really doesn’t know if she’ll be fine. The X-Men and New Mutants gather around as Wolverine carries her to the X-Van. From an overhead building, Mystique looks onto them.

The next day, Scott enters the infirmary, seeing Professor Xaver waiting just outside the room and Wolverine sitting with Rogue, who is still unconscious from the previous night’s catastrophe. Scott wonders if she will be all right and Xavier confirms this, though she is recovering very slowly and that the experience has “left her fragile” on a physical level and an emotional level, with finding out who Risty really was. In the room, Wolverine explains to the unconscious Rogue that although being betrayed by friends and family will hurt her, she will be able to get past it on a positive note. He places his hand on her limp hand. He feels her hand grips his own and looks to her face as she wakes up, crying in happiness.

The limousine pulls up to the front gate of the Institute, with Mystique asking Destiny about Rogue’s future. She confirms that Rogue is back into their future though “a great darkness looms on the horizon, enshrouding [them] both”. Mystique wonders what this darkness is. Destiny responds, “An ancient mutant will rise to once again walk the Earth. Your fates, both yours and Rogue’s, are in his hands.” Destiny pulls off her sunglasses and reveals her milky cataracts.

Featured Characters: 

Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Professor X, Rogue, Shadowcat, Storm, Wolverine (all X-Men)
Berzerker, Iceman, Magma, Multiple, Sunspot (all New Mutants)

Boom Boom
Descanso Rivets
Students of Bayville High
Security guards
People at the concert
Bayville police officers

Mystique/Risty Wilde (all Brotherhood)
Destiny

Rogue’s transformations:
Avalanche
Beast
Blob
Cyclops
Jean Grey
Juggernaut
Magneto
Mystique
Quicksilver
Cody Robbins
Sabretooth
Shadowcat
Storm
Toad
Torque Webber
Risty Wilde

Notes: 

The X-Men finally discover that Risty Wilde and Mystique are one and the same.

This is the second implication of the coming of Apocalypse, the first hint being mentioned in “Mindbender”.

The prophecy Destiny speaks of occurs in the season finale, “Dark Horizon, Part II” when Rogue and Mystique are the ones who awaken Apocalypse.

Rogue absorbed Cody, Storm and Nightcrawler in “Rogue Recruit”.

Rogue absorbed Blob and Cyclops in “Mutant Crush”.

Rogue absorbed Mystique and Cyclops in “The Turn of the Rogue”.
Rogue absorbed Shadowcat and Sabretooth in “SpykeCam”.

Rogue absorbed Avalanche in “Shadowed Past”.

Rogue absorbed Quicksilver in “The Cauldron, Part II”

Rogue absorbed Blob again in “Growing Pains”.

Rogue absorbed Jean Grey in “Power Surge”.

Rogue absorbed Torque Webber in “Fun and Games”.

Rogue absorbed Magneto in “On Angel’s Wings”.

Rogue absorbed Jean Grey again in “Mindbender”.

Rogue absorbed a car thief in “Walk of the Wild Side”, though his personality along with those at the concert, do not fight for control

.
Rogue absorbed Toad in “The HeX Factor”.

Rogue absorbed Beast in “Day of Reckoning, Part II”.

Rogue absorbed Juggernaut in “The Stuff of Heroes”.

Rogue absorbed Avalanche again in “The Stuff of Villains”.

Although Spyke is no longer an X-Man, he is still included in the opening and closing credits.

Jean lost control of her powers in “Power Surge”.

The Geology Club field trip occurred in “The Turn of the Rogue”.

Evan produced his school project in “SpykeCam”.

Risty revealed that she was Mystique in “Fun and Games” and hasn’t been in Bayville since the Sadie Hawkins Dance in “Shadowdance”.

Jean and Scott officially started their relationship at the end of “Blind Alley”.

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