Spoiler Alert: Generation X, Part 1 · 11:56am Jul 28th, 2014
: After the success of the 1992 X-Men animated series, Marvel tried to turn Generation X, a popular spin-off comic, into a live action television show for the MTV crowd. How did it go? Well, let's find out.
: Saw Generation X yesterday.
: We start the pilot with the villain, Russell Tresh, played by Matt Frewer. Tresh, though original to the pilot, is a hammy villain worthy of Raul Julia or Jeremy Irons. The maniac scientist is trying to dissect the brain of a crab-mutant-boy...thing, when he is stopped by his coworker, Emma Frost. Frost is, understandably, peeved that Tresh is trying to dissect the brain of a conscious human being, but the authorities only stop the procedure because crab-boy is an unlicensed mutant, and is thusly government property in this world.
: Therefore, the laboratory can't do anything to Tresh other than fire him, which angers Frost so well that she throws a telekinetic temper-tantrum that causes papers to blow about, people to fall over, and...lights to flicker? Um, telekinesis doesn't effect electricity. And even if it did, as we pointed out in the last review, Emma Frost ISN'T A TELEKINETIC!
: Oh, calm down, Twi; it's artistic license. Anyways, we cut to a hispanic kid named Angelo, who's leaving home to attend Xavier's School. Because, y'know, he's a mutant. We find out what his superpower is when his sister holds on to his hand as his truck drives away, stretching Angelo's arm like rubber and causing him intense pain. I can't tell from her expression if she's stupid enough not to understand what's going on or if she's just cruel.
: We then return to Tresh, who has become an advertising advisor on the subject of subliminal messaging. He's reinvented a device of Frost's that will allow him to enter the "dream dimension." I should note that, while I can confirm as a magic expert that dreams do indeed inhabit another dimension, I have no idea how Earth science could possibly reach that conclusion. However, that's nothing compared to how he then uses the device to INTERACT WITH THE WAKING WORLD ON A PHYSICAL LEVEL! It's a DREAM MACHINE!! How the buck....?!
: Twilight, um, are you sure you're ready for this?
: *sigh* Maybe not. I think I'm going to go take a break.
: Moving on, Tresh uses the machine to go into an arcade, which oddly enough has the Konami X-Men game in it. Funny; you wouldn't think that game would sell terribly well in a world where unregistered mutancy is illegal. Here, we get to meet Jubilee, who apparently decided her yellow trench coat was too subtle and decided to add yellow lipstick as well. At least this means we'll have two minorities as our two main teenag...wait, she's not Chinese here? Seriously? There's a missed opportunity. She accidentally fires some of her bad-CGI energy blasts and gets arrested.
: This gets the attention 'a Frost an' Banshee, current headmasters of the Xavier Institute, as well as lovahs. Ah have ta ask, is't really professional ta do that when you're in charge 'a a bunch a kids? 'Specially when ya live in the same buildin' as them?
: Jubilee's parents allow Frost and Banshee to enroll her in their school, instead of going to the Mutant Camps. Personally, I'd take Summer Camp over school any day, but whatever. We also get to hear Banshee speak for the first time, and it. Is. Hilarious!! Seriously, this guy's got the thickest Irish accent you'll EVER hear! Between his voice and Emma's all-white outfit, it's no wonder Jubilee's mom spends their entire meeting just staring at them!
: ANYway, Banshee tells Jubilee that at the school, they're going to train her to be a crimefighter. That's not exactly how I'd describe the X-Men's mission statement, but whatevs. Jubilee and Angelo arrive at Luthor Mansion...err, Queen Mansion...I mean, the Xavier Institute at the same time. And apparently the initiation includes a nude full-body scan. Angelo tries to sneak a peek at Jubilee, to which Emma retorts, "You're next, handsome."
....Umm, burn? Also, eww.
Crimefighter.............. Since when did the X-Men go from being what is essentially an anti-terrorist organization to Batman Inc?
So we have a guy who made that gizmo from Inception, a Banshee that sounds like Paddy MaGill and a telekenetic Emma Frost and hipster Jubilee....
And mutant camps apparently....
Sounds like a great vacation spot
2322732 Precisely. Though I'd personally describe the X-Men as being like a militia, since they fight both terrorists and the U.S. government when it steps out of bounds. Either way, I'm guessing the Generation X writers were just being lazy with their definitions, which is fairly common among comic-book writers. Don't get me wrong; as Cyclops noted in Astonishing X-Men, the X-Men do fight non-mutant related threats. But I would never describe them as primarily being crimefighters.
2322773 I think if he had been the guy behind Inception, he would've used it more intelligently.
I actually like Banshee's voice; it's goofy, but I like Banshee precisely because he's goofy.
Isn't Jubilee usually a hipster? Otherwise, she has no excuse for that outfit.
And yeah, I'm letting Pinkie think that's what the camps are like. I don't have the heart to break the truth to her.
2323239 And the thing that makes me shake my head at the non-mutant related threats thing? Juggernaut, The Brood, and the Shi'ar. Also I think THAT may be what keeps them from being not so well liked in a lot of instances. Being so confined to mutant related problems that the world at large of COURSE likes The Avengers and the Fantastic Four more. THEY deal with more stuff that effects EVERYONE.
I mean in the movies it's understandable since nothing BUT mutants exist there, but still.
2323283 Like I said, Joss Whedon put a lot of effort into making certain that the X-Men fought more than just mutants, Sentinels, and the like in his arc of Astonishing. Heck, I think they spent more time fighting aliens than they did anti-mutant factions. Not to mention robots and Godzilla-sized monsters.