Season 4 Episode 1

X-Men: Evolution Season 4 Episode 1

SubTitle: 
Impact
Original Air Date: 
Sat 30th August 2003
Credits: 

Rick Ungar, Avi Arad, Stan Lee (executive producers), Greg Johnson,
Boyd Kirkland (producers), Craig Kyle (co-producer), Greg Johnson (writer),
Gary Graham (director)

Brief Description: 

Two weeks has passed since the release of Apocalypse, and the mutants are
trying to find any clues to how to defeat him. The Acolytes have settled in
the Sphinx, searching the tunnels and questioning the locals, and the X-Men
are searching for Apocalypse with Cerebro. Suddenly, En Sabah Nur makes his
first move – He creates a strange force-field dome around the most ancient
of the Mayan pyramids in Mexico. The X-Men leave to explore, but can't get
through the dome. Magneto decides to take a more aggressive approach and
attacks the dome, but Apocalypse kills him by moving his hand, to the
X-Men's astonishment. Meanwhile, Nightcrawler is convinced that Mystique is
still alive inside the stone statue and, in a desperate attempt to save his
mother despite all she's done to him, asks Scarlet Witch to set a meeting
between him and Agatha Harkness. Agatha tells him that the only one who can
save Mystique is Rogue, but Rogue, unlike her foster brother, refuses to
ignore what Mystique has done to her and pushes her off a cliff.
Nightcrawler tries to teleport and save her, but he's too late – Mystique's
statue breaks to pieces.

Full Synopsis: 

In a jungle in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Apocalypse's spears in a flash of
light above a temple. A large metal structure appears underneath the temple,
and with the vessel, it becomes a huge pyramid. Apocalypse floats up, and
creates some sort of a dome-shaped power-field around the pyramid.

By the Sphinx in Giza, Egypt, an Egyptian prays. Suddenly, the ground forms
the stairs leading to the underground chambers, and Gambit walks up the
stairs. The Egyptian is terrified, thinking Gambit to be Apocalypse. Gambit,
upon hearing the enemy's name, drags the man inside to find information.
Inside, Pyro and Colossus are trying to find more clues. Gambit brings the
Egyptian to Magneto, and Magneto orders Mastermind to see if he knows any
more than the other locals. Mastermind, after a short scan, shakes his head
for "no", and Gambit says that it's the same old story - prophecy about an
ancient warrior who's going to return one day to rule the land. Magneto gets
angry, saying that Apocalypse will not rule the land - not as long as he's
alive.

In Cerebro, Xavier is trying to find Apocalypse, with no success. Beast says
that he checked every news report of every unexplained phenomenon, but so
far they're all dead ends - he can't help but think Apocalypse got quite an
agenda after five thousand years. Xavier believes the key to that agenda is
the Eye of Ages, but until they find it, they can't even guess as to its
purpose or the extent of its power – there's nothing more they can do. He
asks Hank how the students are fairing under this pressure, and Hank answers
that kids always find a way to blow off steam.

Outside, the kids are "finding ways to blow off steam": Sam carries Bobby on
his shoulders, runs around, jumps and kicks a basketball to Jamie, who's
playing with Ray. Jamie creates a few clones to create a team and throws the
ball, but Ray uses electricity to knock the ball away. The ball jumps to
Amara, and she "fires" it (literally) to Roberto, who's bouncing a soccer
ball on his knee. Roberto powers up and kicks the ball, and it lands in the
basket. Ray sighs and leaves as Jamie(s) cheer.

Rogue is sitting alone sadly at the fountain. Lagan sits next to her and
tells her not to let things get to her and that what Apocalypse and Mystique
did to her is not her fault, but she says that she's fine. He starts walking
away, and she asks why the professor is keeping Mystique there. He tells her
not to worry about that – she's gone. They tried everything to help her, but
she's just solid stone now, so they gave her to the Brotherhood.

In the Brotherhood house, the Brotherhood boys are fooling around with stone
Mystique. Wanda doesn't seem to think it's appropriate, but does nothing.

In Mexico, two explorers find the dome over the pyramid, and stare at it in
disbelief.

By the Institute, Rogue goes to the gazebo on a cliff near the ocean to
relax. Kurt teleports next to her and says that he can't believe the
professor gave their mother to the Brotherhood, but she doesn't care and
just runs away. He teleports in front of her and asks if it really doesn't
bother her that the Brotherhood boys have Mystique, and Rogue says she
doesn't and walks away. He teleports in front of her again and says that she
belongs with them, but she disagrees and asks him why it matters to him. He
answers that it'd make him feel better and teleports away. She sighs sadly.

Nightcrawler reappears in the empty living room of the Brotherhood house and
hides behind the armchair. Toad and Blob enter with stone Mystique, still
abusing her and making fun with her. Scarlet Witch shows up and tells them
that they can't know for sure she's just a statue - if nothing else, they
should at least take her to see Agatha Harkness - maybe she could help her.
The boys ignore her, and keep thinking of new ways to humiliate Mystique,
and the Brotherhood leaves the room. Kurt walks to take his mother, but
Wanda returns and angrily prepares to throw a hex bolt at him. He asks her
to wait, as Mystique's his mother, and she cools down in sympathy and leaves
the room. Kurt teleports away with Mystique.

In the Sphinx, the Acolytes are continuing their search for clues. Magneto
walks to Colossus and angrily asks him where he's been. Piotr answers that
he has continued the search for information as ordered, but Magneto reminds
him that he was supposed to report every thirty minutes - time is running
out and he's failing him – if he ever wants to see his family again, he will
find answers. In fury, Colossus pushes Magneto and tells him that his
wounded pride drives him to madness. Magneto responds by throwing Colossus
across the room and telling him that he will crush him like a can, but
Colossus tells him that he will attempt it without the aid of magnetism and
shifts out of his metallic form, charging at his boss. Gambit shows up and
separates them, but Piotr tells him that it doesn't concern him. Remy
responds that it concerns them all - they got one bad mutant out there and
Magneto is their best chance of bringing him down. Piotr leaves angrily.

In the Institute, Rogue walks down the hall, when she hears Kurt talking in
his room, asking someone why she was so full of anger. She opens the door
and, to her anger, finds stone Mystique. She yells at Kurt for bringing
Mystique back, but he says she can't hurt them anymore. She disagrees, and
he says that even though they have every reason to hate her, she's still
their mother. She tells him that if he won't get her out, she will, and he
replies that anger and hatred destroyed Mystique - if Rogue won't get rid of
hers, it will destroy her too. Rogue says it already destroyed her and
leaves. Kurt turns to see water dripping from the statue's eye – apparently,
she's crying.

A few minutes later, Beast and Xavier are examining the statue. Beast says
tells Nightcrawler that what he thought was a tear was probably just
condensation, but Kurt insists that it was more than that. Xavier says that
nothing has changed – he's still unable to sense any spark of life. Kurt
reminds him of Mystique's enhanced powers that keep him from penetrating her
mind, but Xavier says that even if by some miracle she still is conscious
inside, he has no idea how to tap into it, let alone restore her. Beast says
that it was her own morphing ability used against her, and there's nothing
they can do. Kurt says he's not giving up and teleports away. Jean runs in
and says that Apocalypse has made his first move.

In the Blackbird, Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine and Shadowcat watch the news
report about a huge dome of energy enveloping the oldest of the Mayan
pyramids. In the Sphinx, Magneto, Colossus, Gambit and Pyro are also
watching as the newsman says that nothing can be seen within it, and
apparently nothing can penetrate it, and Mexican authorities have posted
military units around the perimeter. Back in the blackbird, Cyclops turns
off the television. Beast enters and says he couldn't find Nightcrawler, and
Xavier prepares to take off. Cyclops asks if they shouldn't get more
teammates on the mission, like Storm or even Iceman, but Xavier says that
this is a fact-finding mission only - as was quite evident two weeks
earlier, they are simply no match for Apocalypse. Back in the Sphinx,
Magneto creates himself a metal sphere from what he can find, and enters.
Gambit asks him if he doesn't need them, and Magneto answers that this is
between higher evolutionaries and only one of them will survive. He takes
off to Mexico.

In Mexico, the military is surrounding the dome, and news helicopters are
flying above. The military is leery of the X-Men, but Xavier manages to
convince them to give them a little time. Cyclops blasts a hole in the
ground and sticks a pole with some sort of device in it. Shadowcat phases
another one into the ground. Wolverine sticks a third device. Jean and
Professor X try sensing what's in, but they're being blocked. Beast sticks
the fourth device, and all four shoot rays on the dome. After a few seconds,
they all explode, and Beast suggests they move to plan B.

In the Brotherhood house, Wanda is closing her bedroom window, when Kurt
pops in front of her. She gets scared and hex bolts him, dropping him to the
ground. He asks for a favor - a meeting with Agatha Harkness.

In Mexico, Beast puts big gloves on Shadowcat's hands and explains that as
she phases through, they should protect her from any kind of energy
discharge. Professor X hands her a gun and tells her to just release the
probe and withdraw, but not try and phase all the way through under any
circumstances. Once she tries phasing, though, the dome sends her flying
backwards. Beast throws the probe to the air before it explodes, and
Shadowcat says she's okay. Cyclops suggests trying an optic blast, but
Xavier says that they must avoid any active aggression. Just then, Magneto's
sphere arrives. Magneto floats out and fires the sphere at the dome, but it
breaks to pieces. He then tries bringing all tanks, vehicles and satellites
around at the dome, but it doesn't work, and the metal just rains over the
soldiers and the X-Men. Apocalypse, mad at the disturbance, floats out of
the dome, redirects Magneto's attack on him, and then makes Magneto explode
in a shower of sparks. The X-Men gasp in disbelief at the apparent death of
their foe. Apocalypse floats back to the dome.

In the gazebo by the mansion, Kurt is nervously waiting for Agatha Harkness
with stone Mystique. Agatha shows up and, without a word, starts touching
the statue. Kurt asks if she can help her, but Agatha says that only Rogue
can help her, just as Rogue walks up the path. Kurt asks Rogue what she's
doing there, and Agatha answers in her stead that she's come to end the
torment - if her mother is alive, only she has the power to save her – all
she has to do is rest your hand against the stone and absorb the mutation.
Kurt is worried that it might be unsafe, but Agatha says that a moment is
all it will take - it will free Mystique enough to unlock her own powers.
Rogue asks if she's really the only one who can help her, and Kurt tells her
that it's the right thing, but Rogue disagrees and says she won't do it.
Kurt tries to convince her, saying that if she doesn't help her it will
haunt her for the rest of her life and that she can prove that she's not
like her. Rogue, in rage, shoves the statue off the cliff. Nightcrawler
teleports down to save her, but he's too late – Mystique breaks to pieces.
He starts crying, and so does Rogue. Rogue leaves the gazebo, and Agatha
hangs her head.

Featured Characters: 

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

Avalanche, Blob, Mystique, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Toad (all
Brotherhood)
Colossus, Gambit, Magneto, Mastermind, Pyro, Sabretooth (all Acolytes)

Apocalypse

Agatha Harkness

Civilians and soldiers

Notes: 

This episode, like several others, very heavily implies that Colossus is not
serving the Acolytes volunteering, and that Magneto has something on him.
This episode reveals what that something is – Magneto has taken Piotr's
family. In the show's finale, Piotr will help the X-Men, and a future bit
will show him as an X-Man.

Magneto and Mystique don't actually die. It is revealed in "Ascension (1)"
that Apocalypse turned them into two of his four Horsemen.

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