Beyond Evolution

Episode One - Strategy X

Aired: November 4, 2000

Stars: Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Toad

Appears: Jean Grey, Xavier, Storm, Mystique, Wolverine

Cameos: Sabretooth, Magneto

Guests: None

First Appearance(s) of: Jean Grey, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Storm, Xavier, Wolverine, Toad, Mystique, Magneto, Sabertooth, Duncan Mathews, Paul

Written by: Bob Forward

Summary

Scott and Jean are attending a Bayville High football game. Jean is taking pictures while Scott watches from the stands. Scott notices Toad picking pockets and heads down to stop him. He gets there in time to save Toad from three football players who plan on beating him for stealing.

Scott loses control of his powers and causes an explosion. Xavier and Storm show up soon after to smooth things over. Xavier "adjusts" some thoughts and then heads off to the train station to pick up Kurt who's come to join the school.

Meanwhile Wolverine stops by a store on his motorcycle heading for the mansion. Sabretooth is shown watching him from a distance. Back at the mansion Xavier introduces Jean and Scott to Kurt and then talks to Scott about the explosion he caused.

Back at the high school the principal calls Toad (Todd) into the office. She asks about Scott and tells him to find out everything he can about the X-men, when he tries to get out of it she morphs into a demon and yells at him.

At the mansion Xavier shows Kurt to his room and gives him an images inducer to make him look human. Storm drops off his X-Men costume.

Toad talks to Scott about them both being "different" and Scott calls the Prof to tell him about Toad. Xavier sends Storm to "audition" Toad. When he shows up at the mansion she creates a killer storm and chases him into the mansion. He flies through a window and collides with Kurt.

The two end up wrecking the house as Toad chases Kurt around. Xavier stops them to say the Toad is a mutant and he can join the X-Men if he wishes. Toad tells them that all he wants is Kurt's head and he jumps Kurt again. Kurt ports and they end up in the Danger Room. Xavier calls in Jean and Scott to save them.

As Scott protects Toad, Kurt tries to pull the plug on a robot, causing it to go off and hit them. Xavier shuts down the room and Toad runs. Kurt gets upset over causing the accident and runs off too. Scott follows Kurt. Toad runs into Logan on his way out, but Xavier tells Wolverine to let him go. Then he welcomes Logan home.

Scott finds Kurt in the Blackbird hangar. He tells him that if he sticks around he'll be able to fly it one day. He tells him that it's okay to make mistakes, that the reason they are here is to learn control. Scott welcomes Kurt to the team.

At the school the principal freaks out about Toad running out on the X-Men. She throws him out of the office and then morphs into Mystique. Magneto arrives and tells her not to be so hard on him. "Remember this is only the beginning."

Summary written by Denaill for her site -

Quotes

Cyclops: (about Toad) To put it bluntly, he's got the personal hygeine of a dead pig.

Toad: (to Kurt) Whoa! What are you, some kind of ratty plush toy?

Kurt: (to Toad) As you say in America, Neener, neener, neener!

Storm: Sometimes professor, I feel your good heart blinds even you from the truth.

Toad: (to Kurt again) I'm gonna rip that corny tail off you fuzzy gecko!

Logan: (about Toad) I came back here cause I smelled trouble brewing. Course maybe it was just stink-boy there.

Quick Review

Grade: 7

I liked it a lot. They remained true to the X-Men's characters for the most part, while at the same time almost rewinding time to take it back to the early 80's X-Men (always been my favorite team).

Smooth animation, but you can tell at times that it's a new cartoon (doesn't have that settled feeling), updated music and costumes. Overall really good.