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X-Men ’97 Season 2, Episode 7 Review & Recap: “Strange Land, Savage Heart”
IGN's review of X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 7, "Strange Land, Savage Heart," praises the instalment for finally giving Colossus significant depth, exploring the compassion that defines both him and Nightcrawler. The episode opens with the death of Colossus's sister Illyana on the day Genosha fell, providing the catalyst for him to abandon Xavier's dream and join Magneto's Acolytes, mirroring his path in the original comics.
The main plot sees Exodus and the Acolytes kidnap bigot Graydon Creed, prompting the newly formed X-Corp team to intervene and prevent his assassination, in a conflict that plays out more as an ideological "trial" than a physical battle, alongside a subplot featuring Bishop and Polaris in the Savage Land. Nightcrawler fails to sway Colossus towards mercy, and Exodus executes Creed regardless, though Colossus ultimately rejoins the Xavier Institute by the episode's end. The instalment closes with a teaser for the season's final two episodes, showing X-Force discovering Apocalypse's remains in Greece, setting up questions about Gambit's fate ahead of the next episode, "The Dead Man's Hand."
In short
- Episode 7 gives Colossus long-overdue depth after his sister Illyana's death
- Acolytes kidnap Graydon Creed; X-Corp fails to save him from execution
- Colossus rejoins X-Men; finale teases Apocalypse's remains found in Greece
Explained simply
X-Men '97 is an animated series about superheroes with mutant powers who face discrimination from society. The show explores a fundamental split in the mutant community: Professor Xavier advocates peaceful coexistence, whilst his rival Magneto believes mutants should pursue their interests through force.
Colossus is a Russian mutant whose sister died during the destruction of Genosha, a mutant nation. His grief and loss create a turning point in the character's arc, as he questions whether Xavier's philosophy of compassion is realistic given the suffering mutants endure.
The show raises questions about how communities facing persecution should respond to those who harm them. This creates an ongoing tension between Xavier's commitment to peaceful methods and Magneto's willingness to use force, a conflict that intensifies as the series explores what happens when compassion is tested.
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