[00:01] his hand. I'm Gene Abbleo with the New Rockstars Network, and episode 8 of season 2 of X-Men 97 revealed Apocalypse's endgame when it came to the he'll succeed. I'm going to break this baby down scene by scene for all the
[00:14] might have missed. But before I get into it, go over to nerdride.shop to check of new designs over there, including a lot of X-Men designs, and buying some channel. And also, if you bought some, post a photo of yourself wearing it and
[00:28] you a shout out. Episode 8, The Dead Man's Hand, has four credited writers, which is bonkers for a half hour show. They are Brian Ford Sullivan, JB Ballard, Bodo, and Anthony Solidity. It was directed by Chase Connley and EMTT
[00:41] Yonamura, the two credited directors for this season's episodes. The title has classic playing card deck. Beast mentions that Dead Man's Hand is an actual hand in a game of poker. There's also Gambit the dead man asking for
[00:54] Rogu's hand in marriage. Gambit/death/apocalypse his metaphorical hand together with people from his past that he's serve him. And there's also his literal hand which Rogue can now touch without
[01:08] spoken by Rogue who's the key to Apocalypse's whole plan to strike at the X-Men and also I'm guessing will hold the key to defeating him. We see the conversation between Rogue and Ensabonor about love from episode 4, Rise of
[01:21] this conversation that later gave Apocalypse the idea for his diabolical horseman death. And if he pulls it off, he not only hurts the X-Men, but he also proves that he was right in this conversation. That love is pain. And as
[01:35] he later told Charles, that the ones you care for will be your undoing. So, you very appealing to him. As Rogue speaks, the campfire she and Nabonor sit by turns into the fireplace fire on Janosha in Remember it. This is right after she
[01:49] Magneto. As he listened, he threw his cards into the fire one by one, that always represented Rogue and the one Apocalypse found in the wreckage. As Nor says that love is pain, it shows Rogue crying over Gambit's dead body.
[02:03] Gambit taking her hand. She first wore this dress in the original series pilot, premiere when they were at the dance club. She looked out at the crowd of lamented the fact that if she were down there and someone accidentally touched
[02:17] her, her powers would leave them with a nasty hangover. Gambert replied that any worthwhile man would gladly suffer her hand in a dance. An interesting take on Nur's whole love is pain thing. Also, notice again the many references to
[02:29] she hopes he gets to experience love someday for all their sakes. We learn in this episode that Apocalypse does experience love, but for him, its Then Apocalypse converts Gamut's dead body, and then Cable finds Apocalypse's
[02:43] the charred Queen of Hearts playing card. Then we get into the intro stuff here. Sadly, Colossus doesn't get his own intro like I'd hoped last week. after spending the season in the white one. This is the outfit she dawned at
[02:58] the end of Life Death Part Two, and it's from her comics debut in 1975's David Cochram. This is the outfit that The only other thing we haven't seen in an intro before is Gambit kissing
[03:10] Rogue's hand in the hanger. This is from season 4, episode 3, Sanctuary Part 1. Rogue wanted to make sure he was coming back and wasn't leaving for good. Then we saw in the intro for episode 2, A force to be reckoned with. The episode
[03:24] opens back on Janosha, the night of the massacre. Rogue dances in midair like she's alone. There are other differences, too. Happy Nation by Ace of onlookers or other dancers, so it's clear that this is a dream. When it
[03:38] shortly after the dance started, so he didn't see Rogue and Magneto kiss, but he also didn't see Rogue reject Magneto's offer to rule Janosha with him and ultimately choose Gambit. Here she floats down to Gambit like she'll do
[03:50] later in the episode and dances with him instead, a picture of what could have and a decision that's probably been haunting her since that night. She loses his hand for a moment and there's panic on her face. But he grabs for her again
[04:02] death, he repeats what he told her that >> Some things be deeper than ski. >> The touch of death eats her away from the inside and she wakes up in terror. And then she's with the X-Men playing
[04:14] poker, obviously Gambit's game. It's a normal, light-hearted, fun activity, but and Gambit's absence. No one is allowed to use their powers because obviously if dominate. Beast calls Nightcrawler's cards the dead man's hand. So, this hand
[04:28] the hand Wild Bill Hickok had during the poker match he was playing when he was killed in 1876. The rumors of exactly what was in that hand have changed a usually considered to be two aces, one of which is always the ace of spades,
[04:42] and then two eights. The fifth card never really matters much. Wild Bill was afterwards, Bill's cards were picked up from the floor by a man who then passed told the historian Carl Brandan what they included. Interestingly, he said
[04:56] Queen of Hearts. I love that the poker chips the X-Men play with all have the Shirt did. These guys love their branding. I want to see an episode about the person who custom makes all the X merch. Also, the chips are all color
[05:09] in the comics. The blue and yellow from the 1963 number 275 Jim Lee designed uncanny X-Men suits. The red and blue could be the 1993 generation X red suits with the blue belts from Scott Labell and Chris Piccolo. And the yellow and
[05:24] wearing. The Frank quietly designed 2001 new X-Men suits. Although obviously times over the years, including for their original Stanley and Jack Kirby uncanny X-Men number one 1963 uniforms. Life is not always a matter of holding
[05:38] good cards, but sometimes playing a poor hand. Well, Jack London. London here has actually been similarly poets at the time, including Robert Lewis Stevenson. Although, I trust that
[05:50] Beast is working with some info other people don't have access to. Exorc's equipped with psionic jammers since both Cable and Psylock are telepathic and telepaths to keep their plan secret is a must. Also, we later learn that Cables,
[06:04] Psylock, and Archangel were playing the long game and conning all the X-Men, they've been working with for months. So, they don't want anyone digging has some crazy defenses, too. Beast pushes a button and activates an EMP
[06:18] belief, that wouldn't immediately take down a plane. It would cause massive military aircraft have systems in place to deal with an EMP. Jean and Scott seem timeline of the show, in the original series, they saw and interacted with
[06:33] realize at the time that he was their son, Nathan, all grown up. Then last they had to say goodbye to him when they went to sacrifice themselves to stop through time and got to spend time with young Nathan. So, this is the first time
[06:48] they've seen Cable as an adult in months and in person. And it's also the first properly bonded with him as a kid and taught him a few things. But here, he's Apocalypse's corpse with pure hatred on his face. This is the first time he's
[07:01] seen this dude not in a simulation since he killed his best friend. Now that X together, everyone's got their own game they're playing. Cables, Psylock, and they're pretending that they're simply trying to get close to Gambit so Rogue
[07:14] Worthington when he was turned into death. She was able to touch him and take away Apocalypse's control and the evil that lived inside him. But later, won't work this time. Jubilee and Sunspot were clearly lied to by the
[07:27] in their desire to help Gambit. Sunspot also wonders if Gambit still has a soul. In Remember it, Nightcrawler said that Gambit and Rogue's souls touched with because she loves him. Scott and Gene
[07:40] even though he was the one who ultimately sent them back to their own they don't alienate him further. Charles is wary of both Apocalypse/Gambit and X-Force, and he's also still focused on Apocalypse as a threat that always comes
[07:54] that Gambit is still in there and can be saved. Rogue confides in Nightcrawler, real piece of crap who disowned her when her mutant powers first manifested. We 2, episode 9, A Rogu's Tale.
[08:08] >> You're a disgrace. I'm ashamed to be seen with you. You ain't my daughter. Not anymore. I love the attention to detail with what he's wearing in that clip, including the American flag hat, the shirt that's just a little too small
[08:21] for him and the pack of cigarettes rolled up in his sleeve. Nightcrawler fine. And I'm always worried for characters when they promise things like Morlocks that they'd never have to be afraid again. He also promised the X-Men
[08:34] he'd get them back to their own time. Even when the promises come true, they usually come at a grave cost to the Promiser. We see the updated Cerebro, now named Cerebra, in the comics. The X-Men eventually transfer Cerebra to the
[08:46] accompany them on missions. At one point, Charles's sister, Cassandra Nova, uses Cerebra to swap bodies with Charles. It's totally bonkers. This new than the old design. This one looks more like a motorcycle helmet. Charles
[08:59] Locates Gambit in New Orleans in the French Quarter and it's Halloween. Honestly, this more than anything made me miss the times of pre-streaming when every year and we'd get holiday specific episodes around the holidays. The
[09:11] Halloween episodes, and I've written on a bunch of shows that did holiday holidays. I just really love a holiday episode. We see a quick view of places in the French Quarter, a jazz club, the Voodoo Bar, a place called Mango Slush,
[09:25] and a pizza bar. There are also ghosts, spiders, and jacko'lanterns hung up from rains down, and everyone is dressed in costumes, giving it an even more surreal mime that seems to be looking directly at the camera. In the original series,
[09:40] animators would have characters doing this. I specifically remember it in the Mojo episodes. Death sneaks up behind Charles while he's distracted by someone Charles can scream, Death slaps his hand over his face and does to him what
[09:54] a blink and you'll miss it image of Apocalypse right before Charles is going on. Charles says that Gambit has gone home since he's from New Orleans. not actually Gambit who's driving. In the original series, season 2, episode
[10:09] 6, externally yours, Gambit ended that episode by saying this. episode by saying this. >> This is not my home. I am not thief or >> This is not my home. I am not thief or assassin.
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[11:42] I'm going to get more into it here since almost all of those people and events episode, Gambit gets called back home because he hears that his older brother Bobby is in trouble. He hears this from Pierre, a member of the Guild of
[11:55] Thieves, which Gambit used to be a member of. For centuries, that guild has assassins. Every 10 years, each guild gives an offering to the external, Kandra. If a guild doesn't deliver their tithe, the external kills one of them or
[12:07] ending. If the guilds deliver their tithes, she increases their powers. So, tithe on the night they're supposed to give it to the external. He was fiance, an assassin he was involved with, but then left because he knew
[12:22] they'd gone through with the wedding. Belladonna tells Gambit she'll free his tithe if he agrees to wear her wedding ring. Gambit's been away for 10 years and he has complex feelings about all of this because Bobby was the one who got
[12:35] and Gambit isn't super happy that his brother turned him into a thief, but he the rest of the thieves. He puts Belladonna's ring on and his brother is released, but the ring allows her to control Gambit. She also gave Bobby a
[12:48] destroy all the thieves. The X-Men track down Gambit. The external shows up, but before she can destroy the thieves, Gene telepathically shows her the assassin's treachery. Gambit asks the external to let Belelladonna live, but take away her
[13:01] powers. So now it seems that Gambit has gone home again after saying he never Orleans at night with the city skylight in the background. Death lures members the church that's been set up to worship the Eternal. We saw a few of these
[13:15] Bright Eyes. The guy with the blonde hair and red coat is Bobby, Gamut's older brother. He's voiced by AJ Lacassio who also voices Gambit. The guy is Pierre who I mentioned earlier. Then the other two guys with them, one is the
[13:29] although I don't think they were named. The only others named in that episode were Jacques, Lamar, and Bernard, but that last one got killed by the Jacqu or Lamar. And the three masked assassins are the same ones that were
[13:41] Belladonna here is voiced by Rachel Kimsey, who also voiced Ship and Danger, and is married to Magneto voice actor Matthew Wat. Around the church on the of Candra, the external. Then one that looks like it's a Gambit, although I'm
[13:55] generic member of the Guild of Thieves. And next to that is what appears to be garb. There's also the word furus, which is Latin for thieves, and Sakarius, to his minions and the death tarot cards have a 13 on them since that card is the
[14:11] 13th major arcana card in the deck. Then he looks right at the image of Kandra since Apocalypse is now thinking of his revenge. What Death/Gambit/apocalypse is doing here with these cards is actually explained in the comics. So
[14:24] mutants during the events of House of M, Gambit agreed to become Apocalypse's horsemen to try and basically be a spy from the inside. He fails and becomes altered just like his appearance. Instead of being able to simply charge
[14:38] items using kinetic energy, he can now alter things using death and decay. So decay and then they go into the bodies of these people and that changes their heart with Rogue. In the original series, Jubilee was always the one who
[14:51] even when the others didn't and they became close in a big brother little reunion scene and they kind of try and retcon why in the original series Cable and Jean. When Cable first showed up in season 1, episode 7, Slave Island, Cable
[15:07] in the comics wasn't yet revealed to be Scott's son. That was added later. Once laid some clues in the series, including one in the Time Fugitives arc when Gene searches his mind and sees a strand of DNA that surprises her. In the same arc,
[15:21] info on the X-Men, but that he already knows all about Scott and Gene. So now that he was Nathan and had interacted with them in the past because he'd been that time would just rip them apart again. Honestly, it's a pretty
[15:35] clearly been hardened by everything he's been through in his life. Death's everyone's fighting, Rogue is reunited with Gambit, or so she thinks. She but she doesn't drain him. Nothing happens at all, in fact. So, we know
[15:50] since that happened in the original series. In season 2, episode 1, Till Death Do Us Part One, Morph, still under the thr of Sinister, messed with Gambit by pretending to be Rogue and telling
[16:02] Gambit then tried to wake her up with a kiss when he found her sleeping in the And we know Rogue can drain a horseman deaf. And in the comics, she was able to drain Apocalypse when he was attacking
[16:15] Rogue can't absorb. And it's usually because they're made up of something other than living tissue. So, for instance, she can't absorb vision's just too powerful for her to absorb that overwhelms her, like if someone is
[16:28] maybe here she can't absorb anything or because the flesh is technically dead. Back at the mansion, the nerfed X-Men, Storm, Forge, Morph, and Wolverine, decide to join in on the
[16:41] action. Storm leaves Colossus in charge of the school, which didn't turn out so current head mistress and the school isn't on Janosha like Excp, this could get legally messy since President Kelly outlawed X-Men activity. Gambit tells
[16:54] Rogue that they've been dealt a whole new hand and he takes her hand. In the a few times when their powers were dampened in the Savage Land. In the two-part season 2 finale, Reunions part one and two, this happened.
[17:06] >> Be brave, Shell. Gambit never said this to anyone before. Gambit loves you. >> But still, it's got to be super weird touch like this without her gloves or anything. Rogue stands in front of a
[17:21] fire again, technically with both the men she recently sat in front of a fire are in there. And then Death recounts the story of Apocalypse's relationship one driving this ship. So, this is some unreliable narrator business if ever I
[17:35] saw it. Who knows what really happened between these two, but we've all had a good one in a breakup. But now we kind of know how Kendra got from ancient Egypt to New Orleans in the '90s. And like I said earlier, Rogue's wish for
[17:47] Ensanor to experience love didn't have the effect she thought it would. It only conviction that love is a weakness. In his case, it literally made him weaker Rogue seemingly knows that this is too good to be true, but she so desperately
[18:01] wants it to be true that she ignores her instinct. Rogue is always shown as a heart, which is understandable since she can't touch most people. And the one thing she wants most is to emotionally and physically connect. The deathified
[18:14] assassins and thieves summon Kandra earlier than scheduled. Those are the original series episode. Also notice that the assassins and thieves eyes are Gamut's eyes looked when he was converted to death. They were completely
[18:27] red instead of just his usual red surrounded by black. Rogue lowers did in her Janosha dance. She's obviously made her decision. I don't Maybe Nightcrawler Bamped to a bridal shop. An interesting detail I learned
[18:40] The Art and Making of the Animated Series is that the external for that original series was the only completely original model that storyboard artist, director, and producer Larry Houston designed for the show. When production
[18:53] her in the comics, so Houston made one himself and designed her as a Creole woman. Later in the comics, Kendra is a white blonde lady. Another cool fact, Larry Houston was the first ever black storyboard artist hired for Saturday
[19:06] involved with the show, and he's a delight on Instagram and social media. you'd recognize if you ever watch Mad TV in the '90s like I did, but she's also like Rick and Morty and My Adventures with Superman. Belladonna takes a
[19:20] bloodcovered knife. I guess this ritual is how they summon Kandra in between tithes. In the comics, Kandra performed a ritual with the other externals who were made up of Seline, Saul, Cruel, Nicodemus, and Ensabanor. She laid down
[19:33] on an altar holding a stone. And Sabonor stabbed her in the heart, and she That way, she could hide it and keep her powers safe. But if the stone was powerless. And we see some of that play out here. Death kills Kandra and the
[19:46] mash of costumes from different eras. Wolverine is in the8s uncanny X-Men John Burn designed yellow and brown uniform. Beast, Jean, and Scott are in the 2000's new X-Men Frank quietly designed
[19:58] uniforms. Storm is in her 1975 Giantsiz X-Men Dave Cochram uniform. And Morph blue Jim Lee training suit, even though Morph wasn't in that comics run since animated series. The X-Men tell Gamut that they don't want to hurt him, but
[20:12] they will. X Force will say this exact thing to the X-Men in a minute. And then on this show so far. There are assassins, thieves, X-Men, and X-Force all battling it out. Nightcrawler is still under death's control, so he's
[20:25] absolutely destroying them. Morph turns into Earthquake. That's a member of the Shar Imperial Guard, who we first saw in original series season 3, episode 6, The Phoenix Saga Part 4, the Star Jammers. He can basically create earthquakes with
[20:38] a hand-to-hand fight, if you ask me. The staff that Gambit usually uses now has a blade on the end of it, so it's more similar to Death Sickle. Charles says this, >> "In the battlefield of the mind, my will
[20:50] shall prevail." He said the same thing in season 3, episode 16, the Dark Phoenix part 3. >> In the battlefield of the mind, my will >> This was after the Dark Phoenix had taken over Gene. There are other
[21:03] says this >> as Gan once used the power of the Phoenix to bind the Mron crystal. I now bind you with the power of original series episode. As you once used the power of the phoenix to bind
[21:19] used the power of the phoenix to bind the Mron crystal, I now bind the phoenix with THE POWER OF >> and he turns into that same warrior figure. It didn't work then and it doesn't work now. Charles, he also makes
[21:31] Gan. And this one kind of works both times. >> IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, COME BACK TO ME. >> JEAN, if you can hear me, help me. Help
[21:43] me. Cable and X Force betray the X-Men, revealing that they were planning to figured out that Apocalypse was still inside him and he's all about fulfilling his destiny. And then Charles realizes Apocalypse is still alive, too. And it's
[21:55] pretty much the worst case scenario all around. I do love the way Gene says, "Nathan, do not make me take over your mind." Because it's said in such a mom there." That I had to laugh. Jubilee and Sunspot rightly turn against X-wor. And
[22:08] then Cyclops blasts away Cable's gun. And damn, dude. Thanksgiving is going to house. He loves that gun like it's his security blanket. Apocalypse grabs Magneto. And again, remember that both Charles and Apocalypse are voiced by the
[22:22] him going back and forth with himself, which is awesome. Rogue manages to enter Gambit subconscious and pull him from Apocalypse's grip so that Gambit is the dominant one with Apocalypse stuck in the back of his mind. I assume Rogue is
[22:35] One is her physical close proximity to Gambit since their hands are almost connection that Nightcrawler spoke of, the fact that their souls touch with every gaze. Side note, Lenor Zan, Rogu's voice actor, is really crushing this
[22:49] season. In his hospital bed, Gamut's monitor reads XM266. Uncanny X-Men number 266 was the issue that Gamut first fully appeared in in August of issue, although that was released first reportedly by accident, so most fans
[23:03] consider 266 his first appearance. That issue also featured Val Cooper, who was King. He sent her to assassinate Mystique. A lot of you have speculated that Cooper may actually be Mystique since Mystique hasn't shown up yet in
[23:18] is an intentional clue, but I'm sure the internet will go wild with that theory. that the remaining three members of Xor should pair up with Xactor to take down Charles and Xorp. That's a whole lot of X's. So going into the finale, not only
[23:32] separate Apocalypse's consciousness from Gambit without killing Gambit and while also making sure not to release Apocalypse on the world again, but now contend with and a government official with a grudge. This last episode is
[23:45] going to be a banger. So that's it for this breakdown of episode 8 of X-Men 97. thing is going to wrap up in the comments. And a special thanks to Rick producer level. Big thanks to Studio Tech Brian Kim and New Rockstars editors
[23:58] supporting editors. Follow me everywhere at Gina. Subscribe to all channels in and news coverage of everything you love. Thanks for watching. Bye.