This week, we play catch up with Marvel Anime: X-Men (with Marvel Anime: Blade starting in January!) a take a look at new episodes of Robot Chicken, Generator Rex, along with the China, IL New Year's Special. Young Justice & Star Wars: The Clone Wars return next week, so keep tuned for new cartoons! Minor spoilers ahead.
Generator Rex – "Double Vision"
Rex is in a bit of trouble. The poor guy gets a facial pollination while trying to fight/cure an E.V.O. that looks like the monster from Little Shop of Horrors on Performance Enhancing Drugs, only to have a mysterious woman on a motorcycle speed off with his goggles in the first clip.
The E.V.O. brawl catches the eye of Providence and their new "capture first" policy, a policy counter to Rex's desire to cure the creatures. Providence beckons for Rex to join them, but he refuses. The second clip runs through his confrontation with Providence, along with continued heartbreak over his lost goggles. Rex gets them back, with a couple of nice modifications by the end of the episode.
Marvel Anime: X-Men – "Revelations"
Beast confronts a scientist who is tampering with the DNA of mutants, calling on Professor X. We see what's going on with the Prof in the first clip, as he takes a very psychedelic trip in the Blackbird (never fly on hallucinogens) thanks to the actions of an unknown telepath.
In the second clip, Mastermind takes control of Logan's mind using an illusion of Jean Grey, convincing Wolverine to attack his fellow X-Men. This results in a battle reminiscent of one of my favorite bad X-Men comics of all time, the Jim Lee/Chris Claremont battle royale in X-Men Vol. 2 #3. X-Men villains really should just make a series of Jean Grey real dolls or put decent clothes and makeup on some of Doctor Doom's Doombots the next time Marvel needs a summer-long, Wolvie-centric cross over.
Marvel Anime: X-Men – "Countdown"
The X-Men discover a device that Yui built to prevent mutant detection (an anti-Cerebro!) and the cause of Professor X's telepathic troubles from the last several episodes, including the bizarre little flight he took in the last episode.
Mastermind soon reveals that Yui and Professor Xavier have a son, Takeo. Takeo is a mutant with Omega Class powers, powers on par with those of Jean Grey. Like a good villain, the Mastermind brings together several of the ongoing storylines in the series, including the connection between the U-Men and the X-Men in a monologue that would make Cesar Romero's Joker proud.
Robot Chicken – "Fool's Goldfinger"
A newly discovered, half-finished sequel to The Lord of the Rings is completed by Tolkein's six-year-old great-grandson! Intermixed between dialogue that sounds like it a narcoleptic Tolkein are the idle thoughts of a child. A couple of plot twists (Gandlalf and the hobbits get F16s!) and the Hobbits say poop a lot.
This week's episode of Robot Chicken also shows off the evolutionary flaws of xenomorph that bleeds acid – what happens when you can't stop the bleeding? After seeing this clip, I vote for Alastair Reynolds to direct a realistic, hard scifi re-imagining of the Alien universe. Reynolds would have the Aliens bleed a healing salve.
China, IL – "New Year's Special"
Irrevocable F's for Christmas! In the first clip, every student gets an F on their final exams as a gift from the Dean for Christmas, leading to riots and government intervention. A Mr. T-like Mayor pops up to fight the Dean, announcing that the Professors have to re-teach the entire semester before New Year's Eve or else the college becomes an airport (The secret origin of airports!).
The Professors don't want to teach, so Professor Baby Cakes constructs robot copies of the faculty and sets them to self-destruct when the ball drops on New Year's Eve. None of the robots work right, with Frank ending up in an odd romance with his copy. The rest of the professors start writing memoirs, so Steve learns every subject so he can teach all the classes and save the school. The second clip shows the outcome of Ultimate Finals, a rumble with the governor, and Baby Cakes getting down to his skivvies to sing Auld Lang Syne.
Robot Chicken airs Sunday nights on Cartoon Network. Generator Rex airs Friday nights on the Cartoon Network. Marvel Anime: X-Men airs Friday nights on G4TV.