Episode Forty Eight - Uprising

Aired: September 27, 2003

Stars: Spyke, Callisto, Leech

Appears: Beast, Xavier, Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Jean, Magma, Cannonball, Lucid, Facade, Torpid, Cybelle, Duncan

Cameos: None

Guests: Leech, Mrs. Leech

First Appearance(s) of: Leech, Mrs. Leech

Written by: Bob Forward

Summary

A reporter is interviewing Duncan Matthews, who it seems has graduated along with Jean and Scott and is now working in a mining camp. He tells the reporter that mutants will do whatever they want, whenever they want and they all need to be shut down before they cause real trouble.

At a café, a boy dumps the trash into the dumpster. Lucid sneaks out of the sewers and breaks into the dumpster to get to the food. Some teenage jerks see him and chase him into an alley. As they close in around him, getting ready to beat him, Spyke shows up and tells them to leave Lucid alone. Spyke's mutation has continued to evolve and now his entire upper body is covered in bony armor. He can also fire up his spikes.

Spyke kicks the punks' butts and they all run off. Lucid follows him back into the sewers where they give the food to all of the Morlocks. Callisto confronts Spyke about angering the topsiders. He tells her that they're already eating garbage and hiding in the sewers and they're still hunted. What chance will they have if he doesn't lead them into battle?

Beast and Xavier continue to research Apoc's domes. The pyramids are completely surrounded by the energy spheres. Any attack against them is multiplied and repulsed back violently. The military in China is getting ready to attack, and the results could be catastrophic. They also fear that the result will cause an anti-mutant backlash.

Sam and Amara are walking home from the library. Sam accidentally cannonball's into a building causing a bit of damage. Duncan and his friends start hassling them about being mutants and having to "pay" for the damage. Spyke comes to the rescue again and sends Sam and Amara home. He causes some damage to Duncan's car, but Dunc and his friends seem too afraid to face him in a fight. As he leaves, Spyke tells Duncan to spread the word that Bayville Mutants are off limits to hate crime. He drops back down into the sewer, firing off a couple more flaming spikes that total Duncan's car.

Xavier sends Wolverine down to talk to Spyke. Storm wants to go, but Xavier feels that it would be best for Logan to talk to him. The Chinese government attacks the second dome and the results are horrific. The dome remains untouched, but everything for miles around is vaporized. Fury releases Trask under orders. He tells him he's to reinstate the Sentinel program. The government wants to be ready for the escalating mutant threat.

Wolverine talks to Spyke, but it doesn't do much good. Spyke tells him that the Morlocks don't get to live in a mansion, that they are defenseless. He tells him that they need a guardian and that's him.

Later in a grocery store, Dorian is having severe headaches. Spyke shows up to buy some groceries, but the shop owner refuses to serve him. As he's leaving the store, a woman snatches at Dorian, telling Spyke to "take this one with you". Dorian's mother tries to deny that he's a mutant. She tells them that he's just sick. The customers get angry and go after the boy. Spyke saves them and then throws money on the counter and leaves with his groceries.

On the news, the anti-mutant backlash that Beast and Xavier feared has come to pass. Duncan tells the reporters about Spyke trashing his car and how the Morlocks live in the sewers. Meanwhile, police try to disperse mobs congregating outside of the Institute and Brotherhood house.

Duncan and his buddies get some of the high-tech mining laser they use at work and go after the Morlocks. Leech tries to talk to his mom about the possibility that he's a mutant, but she doesn't want to hear it. As Spyke tries to fight off Duncan and crew, a news chopper arrives and Dorian sees them on TV. He leaves the house.

The Morlocks and X-Men come to help Spyke. Jean and Duncan face off and when he mouths off to her she slams him into a car. Everyone is distracted when a police chopper arrives and Duncan has a clear shot at Spyke. As he's about to fire, Dorian walks in between them. Duncan fires anyway. Spyke jumps in front of Dorian and is hit. Dorian (Leech) freaks out and screams. As he collapses a wave seems to swell outwards and all energy in it's path is nullified, including mutant powers.

Spyke loses his armor, Jean drops from the sky, Cyke can take off his visor, and the choppers drop onto nearby roofs. Duncan and his buddies are now weaponless and they try to sneak off, but the cops get to them first.

Mrs. Leech arrives and Leech tells her that the headaches are all gone. She's mad at Spyke for exposing her son as a mutant, asks what chance does he have now at a normal life. As she drags him away the power comes back on, and Spyke's armor reappears.

Duncan and crew are arrested. Storm begs Evan to come back to the X-Men, but he tells her that the Morlocks need him. As he climbs back into the sewers she tells him that she's proud of him. Xavier catches up to Mrs. Leech and tells her that Dorian is welcome at the Institute whenever he's ready.

Summary written by Denaill for her site -

Quotes

Beast: From what I've learned both (pyramids) date back to 3000 BC, roughly the same time as Apocalypse's rule in ancient Egypt.
Xavier: Significance?
Beast: We scientist have a special term for that called "I don't know". I expect we'll learn the hard way.

Wolverine: When did the porcupine start shooting flaming arrows? I mean, did I miss an upgrade notice or something?

Wolverine: Hey, maybe it slipped your notice, Chuck, but I ain't exactly the model of restraint myself.
Xavier: Which is why I feel a word from you would have the most impact on Evan.
Wolverine: Alright, I'll try to sweet talk the kid into not smacking down creeps and thugs who deserve it. But you'll be lucky if I don't end up joining him myself.

Wolverine: (to Façade) Let's keep things peaceful, Gecko Boy. I just want to talk.
Spyke: So what's with you? I kind of expected my Aunt.
Wolverine: Yeah, but she'd just want to hug ya. Since you're a big boy now, you get me.

Farmer: What's a mutant?

Spyke: What are you doing here?
Callisto: You stand up for us, we'll do the same for you.

Cyclops: That kid, he's somehow repressing the energy around here. Including mutant powers.
Wolverine: (As he grimaces and retracts his claws) Yeah, how nice!

Mrs. Leech: Thanks to you, my little boy has been exposed as a mutant. What chance has he for a normal life now?
Spyke: None, none at all.

Spyke: This isn't over, and you guys don't need me. Not like they do.
Storm: Then, just know that I am proud of you.

Quick Review

Although Spyke has always been one of my least favorite characters and this was in a way the "Return of Spyke" episode, this was one of the best shows to date.

They've really found a niche for Spyke now and his character finally makes sense. As leader or co-leader of the Morlocks his character even becomes likeable. Wolverine really had some great lines in this one as well. All of the Morlocks got some more screen time this go 'round as well. Some are even showing off new powers, which is nice.

Poor Duncan, he's a miner that goes around wearing his letter jacket from high school. Guess it's a good thing for Jean that they ended it before graduation huh? It was really nice to see Jean finally get the last word with him. I think they finally pushed his character from ignorant to evil (though evil seems like too strong of a word) though when they had him fire on an unarmed child. It was really a no going back kind of moment.

You can really see everything clicking into place for the season finale and I think it's going to be huge! They have the makings in place for the most phenominal episodes of all time, and to be honest with the episodes we've seen so far this year I think they'll pull it off.

The only thing that's really bothering me right now is the fact that we have to deal with a short season. Think how much more they could have done this year with four more episodes.

Beyond Evolution Copyright © 2004 Denaill.