X-Men 97 Episode 4 Breakdown: Every Marvel Easter Egg, Mojo's Video Game Trap and the Storm/Forge Ending Explained

X-Men 97 episode 4, titled Mendo Life Death Part One, is stacked with comic references, a full Tron and X-Men arcade game homage, and the opening chapter of one of Storm's most iconic stories. I am breaking down everything scene by scene, including the ending explained and what it sets up for part two.

This episode matters for fans because it finally gives Storm the spotlight after she lost her powers, adapting the classic Life Death storyline, while also delivering one of the most detailed video game tributes the series has done yet.

The Intro Adds New Jubilee vs Mojo and Emma Frost Shots

As always, the intro gets new shots. This week we get Jubilee facing off against Mojo, which sets up the episode and is actually a flashback to an earlier fight. Mojo was created by Ann Nocenti and artist Art Adams, first appearing in Longshot number 3, and Longshot himself is referenced right in this opening standing beside Jubilee. There is also a deeper cut later on where we can see a stuffed toy of him. Mojo hails from Mojoworld, a twisted dimension where entertainment reigns supreme and the population is addicted to Gladiator style television shows, building off stories like The Running Man. Mojo is completely spineless in more ways than one, with a mechanical lower half based on a spider and a scorpion. As ruler of Mojoworld he constantly seeks to increase ratings by any means necessary, including putting people in the games themselves and threatening viewers if they do not hit the thumbs up button. The intro also repeats Phoenix and Shi'ar shots and a Forge callback from last week, plus a new Emma Frost scene showing Professor X trying to psychically infiltrate the Hellfire Gala.

Mendo Is a Not Nintendo Machine That Traps Jubilee on Her Birthday

The episode centers on Jubilee's birthday, with a 16 bit video game called Mendo, a clear nod to Nintendo and the Super Nintendo era. The console itself actually looks more like a Sega, though the controllers and branding lean Nintendo, and Mendo is also a play on Mojo's name given his desire to move into video games. I loved seeing this brought to life, and it also pulls heavily from Tron, the movie where a man gets sucked into an arcade cabinet and has to fight the computer.

Magneto Wants Danger Room Training While Jubilee Just Wants a Party

Jubilee turns 18 and wants to throw a party, but Magneto wants to hit the Danger Room in case Sinister comes back. Morph jokes about Magneto never having fun birthdays, which leads Magneto to bring up how his parents perished when he was younger, a scene so important it was redone shot for shot in X-Men First Class and is probably the most defining moment in the character's life.

Jubilee's Birthday Has Been a Comic Storyline Before, Including a Vampire Arc

Jubilee's birthday has shown up in the comics twice before. The first was X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic 41, where she and Generation X got trapped in an escape room that actively tried to kill them, similar to what happens in this episode. The second came in Curse of the Mutants, where Jubilee was turned into a vampire. The X-Men could not cure her but tried a surprise party anyway, which she hated because she felt like she no longer belonged and had a bloodthirsty need to feed on the living. Professor X eventually told her about a vampire who only fed on animals so she would not have to murder people.

Jubilee's Bedroom and a Genosha Tease Point to the Future

Jubilee's room looks ripped straight from a 90s teenager's bedroom, complete with a Bruce Lee inspired picture and what I think might be a Ninja Sister poster. The characters also discuss Genosha entering the UN, which I noted will be covered at the end of the video regarding how it impacts the series going forward.

The VR Trap Pulls Directly From The Matrix and King Kong

Turning on the Mendo transports the group into a VR world, complete with an old dial up sound. A giant hand scooping someone up reminded me of the climax of King Kong. The Friends of Humanity appear again with their Mega Man style gun arms, and the group escapes through a phone booth, a clear nod to how you exit the simulation in The Matrix. We also learn that if they die in the game, they die in real life too, which mirrors the stakes established in that same movie.

Genosha's Power Collars and a Mysterious Mojo Reveal

The group is transported to Genosha's original form, referencing the island shown back in episode 2, including the power dampening collars Magneto imagined the mutants wearing. The Blob appears, along with what I believe is Domino. A strange figure shows up wearing a costume that is a reference to an alternate Jubilee outfit from the comics, and it is soon revealed to be Mojo himself, who Jubilee points out has lost weight, a fitting detail since Mojo feeds off ratings.

The Video Game Level Is Packed With TMNT and X-Men Arcade References

The compilation then dives into an actual video game sequence that looks genuinely incredible. A pan down from the buildings mirrors the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon opening. Beyond that, it riffs heavily off the real X-Men arcade game, right down to Magneto controlling Sentinels in the opening cutscene and a player select screen featuring Colossus and Magik. The dystopian street stage layout resembles Streets of Rage, and a poster in the background clearly references Days of Future Past. Jubilee even gets her own special move.

The Savage Land and Spiral's Cheat Codes Keep the Adventure Going

Feeding off the game gives Mojo more power, and the group is transported to the Savage Land, the part of the Marvel universe untouched by the extinction event that killed the dinosaurs. The final pterodactyl they fight also resembles Karl Lykos from the animated series. Jubilee is revived as Spiral flashes on screen, providing the group with cheat codes. Spiral has appeared earlier this season as the being Morph was transformed into.

Asteroid M and Sunspot's Near Death Lead to Mojo's Defeat

The group reaches Asteroid M, Magneto's space base from the comics and show, previously glimpsed in episode 2's introduction. Magneto appears as a boss just like in the original arcade game, with cyclical attacks that Jubilee manages to beat. Roberto (Sunspot) is at death's door, but an extra life saves him, and he starts speaking Portuguese, referencing his Brazilian origins. They are then taken to a broadcast server featuring an older mentor figure, a nod to the Tron films and their returning Jeff Bridges character. The final boss battle against Mojo has both the older and younger versions of Jubilee teaming up, with Jubilee dropping her shades just as she did in the opening flashback and in the game's level one finisher, protecting her eyes from the powerful fireworks that take Mojo down. This ends part one of the episode.

Life Death Part One Finally Gives Storm Her Iconic Story

The second half kicks off Life Death, a major storyline for Storm that I am glad made it into the series, even though some fans were annoyed she lost her powers so quickly. The setup involves Storm being shot by a device created by Forge, a character who has appeared at several points in the original 90s series and who sent Bishop back in time, likely with Nathan Summers in tow given Bishop's role in Days of Future Past.

Why Life Death Is About Storm Learning to Love Herself, Not Just Forge

The comic's full title is Life Death: A Love Story, but as I see it, it is really about Storm learning to love herself, since she believes she is nothing without her powers. Having always been seen as a goddess who can change the weather on a whim, she tumbles back down without it, shown here by her getting frightened by lightning. The love story angle centers on Storm and Forge, with many fans believing he is the true love of her life even though in the comics she is married to T'Challa and central to Black Panther's life. Personally, I side with T'Challa, but it is clearly a debate worth having.

Forge's Comic Origin Ties His Vietnam Trauma to Storm's Own Loss

In the comics, Storm rocks a Mohawk during this story and finds kinship with Forge because they are both broken mutants. Forge lost his leg in Vietnam, a trauma that has stuck with him, while Storm had to watch her mother die when she was younger after an explosion leveled her home, leaving her feeling powerless in a way that echoes how she feels now. Forge takes her to his home, a skyscraper filled with expensive rooms that initially impresses her, but once she learns he built the weapon that took her powers, she resents him for turning on his own people and tells him his home reflects who he is: cold, cruel, and set apart from everyone else, unable to live on the ground with the rest of the people.

The Show Grounds Forge With a Cabin Instead of a Skyscraper

Rather than a skyscraper, this version of Forge has a homely cabin out in the wilderness, which makes sense given he is part of the Cheyenne Nation and the show leans into that side of his character more, making him feel more grounded and like a genuinely nice guy touching on his Vietnam roots. Storm rides a horse trying to recapture the feeling of wind in her hair, and when she is afraid to approach a cliff's edge, Forge tells her she knows how fast the weather can change, a direct quote lifted from Charles in the original X-Men film.

An X-Factor Poster Reveals a Notable Government Mutant Team

A background poster shows X-Factor, the only publicly government funded mutant team, featuring Quicksilver, Polaris, Havok, Multiple Man, Wolfsbane and Strong Guy, along with Forge's own army uniform hinting at his past and a potential future enemy.

Forge's Machine Fails, Breaking Storm Even Further

Storm goes into a machine meant to reboot her powers, but it fails, breaking her even more, made worse when Forge admits he was behind the tech that stole her powers in the first place. It is genuinely heartbreaking watching him try to comfort her by calling her a goddess and even professing his love, none of which helps. Storm races off into the night and sees a vision of a figure I believe is the Adversary, a trickster character from the comics that I plan to cover in more depth once part two arrives.

What's Coming Next in Episode 5, Remember It

Overall this was a really fun episode with an awesome concept and some incredible artwork, and I am enjoying the series so far. Next week's episode is called Remember It and will apparently focus on Genosha attempting to join the UN, with select X-Men members heading out of the country to discover what is really going on there, alongside a press event at the mansion where some of the team's dirty laundry gets aired.

Do you side with Storm and Forge or Storm and T'Challa as the true love of her life?