Season 2 Episode 3
X-Men: The Animated Series Season 2 Episode 3
Richard Unger (co-executive producer), Shuki Levy (music), Larry Houston (Producer), Steve Olds (property master), Shannon Denton (production designer), Steven Melching (story), Larry Houston (storyboard artist), Eric Lewald (story editor developer), Dan Hennesey (voice director), Julia Jane Lewald (writer)
A rift in the astral plane near Storm’s home village leads Ororo and Rogue to visit Mount Kilimanjaro. There they learn that the Shadow King has escaped from the mental prison that Xavier trapped him in, and he has possessed the body of Storm’s godson Mjnari. He demands Storm’s body in return for the adolescent’s safety. She agrees, but through Mjnari’s clever planning the Shadow King is incarcerated again in the astral plane. Meanwhile Wolverine tries to track down Morph unsuccessfully. When they finally do meet, face-to-face Morph refuses his help. He insists that he must work this out on his own. Finally, Xavier and Magneto are stranded in the Savage Land. Charles realizes that he can walk here, but his and Magneto’s powers are gone. Then they are attacked.
Near Mount Kilimanjaro, Mjnari and some of his friends are playing soccer. He impresses his friends with his superhuman speed, but they have grown accustomed to his gifts. Oddly, when Mjnari looks up at the nearby mountain he sees a rift like “the mountain is being blown apart”; but his friends see nothing unusual
An ocean away, Beast and Jean Grey are observing a temporal rip over Africa. They are both puzzled by its purpose and origin. Beast suggests that it may be the result of Bishop’s time travel. Then, Rogue escorts Storm –fresh from the hospital—into the war room. Storm recognizes the location of the temporal rip as her home village.
Mjnari and his friends continue to play, but he is increasingly concerned with the rip that only he can see. His suspicions are confirmed when someone exits the rift and possesses him. Mjnari’s friends are terrified as he laughs maniacally.
On the Amazon River, Wolverine is hot on the scent of Morph. Unfortunately, the river captain cannot remember seeing anyone like Morph, but that does not matter since Morph can look like anyone. Wolverine travels on without receiving any help from the captain.
Storm and Rogue visit Ororo’s village and find them in disarray. When asked about the source, the villagers reveal it is Mjnari. When Rogue suggests physical confrontation, Storm refuses. Mjnari, she explains, is her godson.
From Mount Kilimanjaro, Mjnari/Shadow King observes Storm’s arrival. Soon he will control her also, he insists.
Back in the Amazon, Wolverine enters a bar and recognizes the bartender’s laugh. Morph notices his old friend, as well; but when Logan suggests that he come back to Xavier’s mansion, Morph rejects the idea. He even shifts into Jean Grey to taunt him about his unrequited crush. (Either Wolverine and Morph really were good friends, or Logan has done a bad job concealing his affections.) While Wolverine is distracted, Morph escapes.
In Tanzania, Mjnari’s mother explains how Storm saved her son’s life. The baby was mistakenly pronounced stillborn, but Storm gave the baby mouth-to-mouth (using her powers as a defibrillator). Since then Storm treated Mjnari as her own son. The Shadow King (in Mjnari’s body) approaches Storm, and she immediately recognizes him. The Shadow King challenges Ororo to meet him on the nearby mountain. She agrees for her godson’s sake. Rogue ignores Storm’s demand that she stay behind. “Professor X was barely able to handle this guy,” Rogue protests. “You might get hurt.”
On the mount, Shadow King makes his demands. He wants Storm to be his host body in return for Mjnari’s safety. She regretfully agrees despite Rogue’s protests. Shadow King then possesses her and declares his victory over Xavier.
Storm flies away from Rogue and the newly aware Mjnari. Rogue orders the boy to go where it is safe. She then follows the Shadow King/Storm. Rogue attempts to appeal to her teammate, but the Shadow King is clearly in control. Rogue even attempts to drain the Shadow King out of Storm, but he evades her explaining that her mind is too crowded. He eventually hurls Rogue to the ground with a tornado. Luckily, Mjnari catches her.
Rogue orders Mjnari away, but he refuses. He demands to help his godmother.
Elsewhere, Wolverine falls down a mineshaft and Morph is waiting for him. Morph continues to toy with Logan’s fragile psyche shifting first into Deadpool, then Omega Red, then Maverick, and finally Sabretooth. After a brief skirmish, which Morph wins because Wolverine cannot bring himself to hurt his lost friend, Morph insists that he has to figure this out on his own. He runs away again, but this time Wolverine understands and does not follow.
Inside of Storm’s mind, Ororo and Shadow King argue. She tells him that he will not manipulate her as she was in her youth. She flies higher into the stratosphere until the Shadow King is forced out by lack of oxygen. Rogue catches the dazed Storm.
Seeing Mjnari, Storm also insists that he leave; but he again refuses. He will not abandon his godmother who saved his life so many years ago. Mjnari then replies that only he can see the rip in the astral plane, and only he can see the Shadow King. He impulsively taunts the Shadow King; and when he follows him, Mjnari leads them both into the astral plane. Now Mjnari must escape before the astral plane reseals itself. He sprints using all of his speed to narrowly escape, trapping the Shadow King in the astral plane again.
In the Savage Land, Magneto and Xavier burrow their way out of a snow pile. Magneto explains the prehistoric and mysterious nature of the Savage Land. They then make the twin discoveries that the professor can walk, but neither can use their powers.
Skyriders attack the pair, and Magneto is swooped by one of the pterodactyls. Xavier uses a projectile to free him, but Magneto lands in a nearby river. Xavier jumps in to help him, but they both tumble over the precipice of a waterfall.
Beast, Jean Grey, Professor X, Rogue, Storm, Wolverine (all X-Men)
Mjnari, Mjnari’s mother, other villagers
Morph (former X-Man)
Magneto
Shadow King
Skyriders