When one considers the episode length of X-Men ’97 (all have clocked between 30 and 40 minutes thus far), it’s nothing short of impressive how busy each episode manages to be. That’s especially true of the show’s fifth episode, “Remember It,” which kept viewers busy with relentless eye-wiping.
But those particular emotional beats are a story for later, because even without that earth-shattering ending, episode five had a wealth of developments on a few fronts, as one would expect from the mutant nation of Genosha getting roped into the series.
Among Genosha’s residents are a group of mutants known as the Morlocks, who boast a prominent, if unglamorous, history with the X-Men both in and out of the ’97 canon.
Who are the Morlocks?
The Morlocks are a group of mutants largely comprised of those whose mutation has left them with a prominent physical alteration. This prevents them from passing as humans like most other mutants and many of the X-Men can. This has made them the most frequent targets within the mutant community and has subsequently led them to fight back against their oppressors more aggressively, as well as take refuge in the underground of New York City for their own safety.
In the original animated series, the Morlocks kidnapped Jean Grey and Cyclops. They were eventually freed after Storm challenged the Morlocks’ leader, Callisto, to a duel. She ultimately won, and in doing so, inadvertently became the leader of the Morlocks. Storm then returned the title to Callisto, and the two groups have been on at least non-aggressive terms ever since.
As we know from episode five of ’97, Callisto now serves on the Genosha council, while other Morlocks such as Leech and Tommy, reside in Genosha. Furthermore, it seems they have their own neighborhood on the island. This gave Rogue, Gambit, and Magneto more logistical trouble evacuating the Morlocks than the rest of the Genoshans during the Wild Sentinel’s invasion.
(featured image: Disney+)
