X-Calibre


Season: 1
Episode Number: 6
Season Episode Number: 6
Production Number: 106
Airdate: October 11, 2008

Writers: Christopher Hicks, Francis Lombard
Director: Nick Filippi

Voices: Steve Blum (Wolverine), Danielle Judovits (Shadowcat), Dominic Janes (Squidboy), Liam O'Brien (Nightcrawler), Grey DeLisle (Spiral, Network), Fred Tatasciore (Beast), Charlie Adler (Mojo), Jim Ward (Professor X), Katie Higgins (Pixie), (Adam-X).

Plot: A cargo ship carrying refugee mutant passengers who are fleeing to Genosha has been boarded by a six-armed mutant and a band of mutant pirates who want to kidnap the passengers. It is up to Nightcrawler and a team of misfit mutant children to save the day.

Review (Warning! Spoilers!): The writers for Wolverine and the X-Men really know their characters. We saw this in the last episode with Gambit and we see it in this episode with Nightcrawler.

In fact, this episode features a character so well-written that Wolverine and the X-Men are not even needed, a fact that is evident since they only appear at the very beginning and the very end of the episode serving only to remind us that we're watching a show starring Wolverine.

Fans of Nightcrawler who were disgusted by his goofy teenage personality from X-Men: Evolution and his angsty preacher character in the comic books will be delighted to be introduced to a Nightcrawler that is true to his classic character back in the days of Giant Size X-Men #1.

He is an adventurer, acrobat and gentle soul who looks out for other mutants, especially those who are disfigured by their mutation, such as Squidboy. He has a handle on his powers and his past days with the X-Men have given him strength and confidence in himself. And the sword fight is a nice nod to Nightcrawler's swashbuckling hobby and fencing ability.

And speaking of Squidboy, this episode is a perfect vessel for Sammy Paré, aka Squidboy, a character that otherwise wouldn't be used in the series. Squidboy is not a character loved by the fans. He is usually considered to be totally useless. While I agree with this for the most part, my favourite thing about Squidboy is the relationship he forms with Juggernaut in the comics. If he is to be in future episodes, I hope to see him and Juggernaut meet. Nice to see other New X-Men like Pixie and Rockslide in this episode too.

The animation in this episode is very good, especially the fight sequences between Nightcrawler and the Reavers. They really know how Nightcrawler could use his powers in battle and it looks amazing! Also amazing are the special effects used to show his teleporting. The artists on this episode really outdid themselves.

Probably the most exciting part about this episode is the set up for a future episode featuring Mojo and the Mojoverse!

DVD Releases:

Wolverine and the X-Men, The Complete First Season (Canada Exclusive)

Wolverine and the X-Men: Deadly Enemies

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