X-Men '97 Lifedeath Part 2 Explained: Shi'ar Politics, Forge's Adversary and a Theory That Forge Built the Sentinels

X-Men '97 episode 6, Lifedeath Part 2, splits its story between Storm and Forge forging an alliance against the ancient demon Adversary on Earth and a revived Charles Xavier preparing to marry Lilandra in the Shi'ar Empire. Below I go through the Easter eggs, the comic book references and the details that were easy to miss.

Later in this piece I also get into my theory that Forge may have created the Sentinels, and why I suspected Apocalypse could be the villain hiding in the shadows.

The opening credits hinted at where Lifedeath Part 2 was heading

As always, the intro played out with a couple of extra shots thrown in. These often reference the original series and help show what direction an episode will take. Episode 2 had the Morlocks appearing, episode 4 nodded to Jubilee fighting Mojo, and episode 5 showed Cable before he turned up. I joked that I wish Cable had shown up to warn me that those mutants were Exodus and Frenzy instead of letting me guess it might be Azazel.

We finally got a title card for Nightcrawler, his return in the previous episode cementing that he is part of the team. Professor X had been removed for episode 2 because he was not with the team, and I think Storm was taken out for episode 3. This time everybody was there, so you could breathe a sigh of relief that they were all still alive.

There was also a shot of Nimrod coming out of Master Mold's body. I flagged him as an important figure to pay attention to, alongside the discussion of Bastion and Forge further down. The intro also had the X-Men fighting the Imperial Guard and shots of Xavier kissing Lilandra, which pulls from the original series, itself based on the comics, and sets up the Shi'ar Empire versus the Kree.

The Kree and Shi'ar space war brings in Ronan, Gladiator, Deathbird and Vulcan

The episode delivered a gigantic battle in space. You might have noticed the design for the old school Captain Marvel in this opening scene, which had been released online the night before. We also saw Ronan the Accuser, who you might recognise from the MCU, in his classic comic book costume. He wields his Universal Weapon, which is granted to all accusers, and he is still working for the Supreme Intelligence, his boss in the comics, who also appeared in The Marvels.

Ronan was no match for Gladiator, a member of the Imperial Guard. He belongs to the Strontian race, part of the Shi'ar Imperium, and his abilities are pretty complicated: they unlock for him when he is put on a path of purpose. Deathbird, Lilandra's sister, was there too. We saw Lilandra in the finale of the original show, when Charles was taken away to recover. Deathbird is a mainstay of the comics and something of an opposite to Lilandra, more like an evil older sister who was prophesied to commit great evil. I was interested to see what the show would do with her.

The series has a heavy focus on the Summers family, and we got another member with the introduction of Vulcan, known as the lost brother. He was born into slavery on the Shi'ar throne world and aged up using artificial means, and I thought he could lead to some big family clashes. In the comics he dated Deathbird and was a key factor in leading the Imperium into a war, while Ronan is of course part of the Kree. Going from everyone being dead in one episode to space in the next was a massive surprise.

Professor X is alive, walking and set to marry Lilandra

In the comics, Lilandra has had a lot of family issues. She is not only the sister of Deathbird but also of D'Ken. When she found out he was up to no good and threatened to expose his plans, she was banished to Earth, which is where she met Xavier, roughly what happened in the show. She eventually returned to space before coming back for him in the original series finale.

Here she brought the good news that Professor X had been revived, and not only that, he was getting married. Lilandra and Charles have been in relationships throughout the comics, and he was set to become emperor. It could not have happened to a nicer guy, and to add a cherry on top, he can even walk now. However, the memories of Earth and his responsibilities there clearly weighed on his mind. "I was so glad to see him back," but he clearly wanted to go home.

I had suspected earlier in the season that he would return, and there were little clues along the way, most obviously that he appeared in the title sequence and that he had not really died. It was nice to see that confirmed. Charles stopped D'Ken and the Phoenix Force, and he is a genuinely nice man who views life as precious. To my mind, the Shi'ar needed someone like that on the throne, a compassionate leader who could be a force for good in the universe.

My theory that this could set up Binary from The Marvels

I had a few theories about this potentially setting up Binary from the end of The Marvels. I had previously theorised that it could be a back door origin story to set up the universe Photon ended up in, and looking at the way things were going, I thought that would actually work.

Captain Marvel has always been a big part of these conflicts in the comics, and I thought the show could usher in Binary as Maria Rambeau. She could then return to Earth along with Charles, which would allow her to work with the X-Men. Charles was also mentioned by Beast in that scene, and that was the theory I was sticking with.

Lifedeath is one of the stories that defined Storm in the comics

Back on Earth, the Lifedeath storyline continued. It is arguably one of the tales that helped define Storm. In the comics she lost her abilities after being shot by Henry Gyrich with a weapon invented by Forge; the show changed the shooter to the Executioner. Storm sank into a deep depression, and the story was about her learning that she was more than her powers. In the comic she initially refused to eat, but Forge cared for her.

Many fans have said this is the best relationship Storm has ever had. Even though she ended up marrying Black Panther, a lot of people think what they did with Forge was better. "Personally I'm more of a black panther guy myself", though I know plenty of readers feel differently.

Storm and Forge bonded over their scars. She learned about his past in Vietnam and discovered he had lost his hands and legs, and from that she saw it was possible to heal and accept her own losses. Where the show took the pair to Forge's cabin, the comic had her dining with him in a penthouse overlooking the city, surrounded by expensive items bought with the money from his inventions. Being up there reminded her of the days she could still fly. She eventually changed into the white overalls, and her hair matched the mohawk she has in the show.

Forge said he had a business call and went into another room, and Storm believed it was the X-Men ringing. Back in the days of landlines, if you picked up another phone in the house you could hear the conversation. Storm did exactly that and heard Gyrich talking about his plans for the X-Men, revealing that Forge was behind the gun that took her powers. Forge originally would not let her leave, but like a sign from God a lightning bolt struck the apartment and gave her a way out. She lashed out at him for turning against his people, called him a king in a glass house surrounded by meaningless holographic items, and declared she would get her powers back and one day rub it in his face.

Uncanny X-Men 187 and Adversary sharing Storm's voice

That leads into Uncanny X-Men 187, which this episode is loosely based on. The figure on that issue's cover is clearly the basis for Adversary, a big enemy tied to Forge's Cheyenne roots.

A really cool Easter egg I liked: the actress who voices Storm also voices Adversary, which adds a connection between Storm and her foe. In this episode Adversary is a demonic figure who tries to taunt her into leaving Forge to die. The venom Adversary gave him was working through his system, and when it reached his heart, he would die.

Forge's photos linked him to X-Factor, Dr Adler and Bastion

Forge's past was hinted at briefly in episode 4. On the wall we could catch a photo of him from his time in X-Factor, a team the X-Men fought in the original series. Multiple Man came from that team, and he showed up on Genosha in the previous episode only to get completely rocked.

There were also images of Forge in his military uniform alongside Dr Adler. In the original series, Adler was seemingly trying to develop a mutant cure and almost stripped Rogue of her powers. That was eventually revealed to be Mystique working for Apocalypse, who was trying to use the machine to alter mutants' powers and turn them into slaves. That is how he created his Horsemen and changed Angel into Archangel.

Cut off from the photos but standing alongside them was Bastion, who was part of Operation Zero Tolerance, which involved Sentinels wiping out mutants. Not a good group of people to be around, and it shows the kind of figures Forge was rubbing shoulders with.

Did Forge create the Sentinels?

Ryan suggested this may allude to Forge being the one who created the Sentinels, which I think would be a really big twist. I would like to see how much damage that did, as he was a really important figure during Days of Future Past.

I would love it if we learned that Forge created the Sentinels and that this is how he survived so long. He is not someone with amazing powers, and I could not think of any other way he lived through that devastating storyline. Perhaps he built something into them so they would not go after him, which is how he was able to operate in that future.

He was also the one who built the time bracelet that sent Bishop back in time, and maybe correcting the timeline had its own personal meaning. Perhaps he was trying to right the wrong by using time travel to fix his mistakes. It was only a theory and might not be right, but I think it would add a lot to the character.

Forge's Cheyenne roots and the demon Adversary

The show leaned heavily into Forge's Cheyenne roots. He was trained as a shaman, his people had a long feud with Adversary, and Forge had been trained from birth to combat him. But Forge originally rejected his own people, turning down that life to join the Army. During his service his command was wiped out, and in a desperate move he summoned Adversary, who came into the world and has taunted Forge ever since.

Adversary is an ancient demonic entity thousands of years old and extremely powerful. It comes from another universe whose main characteristic is chaos, making it a trickster that can shape shift and give its victims powerful hallucinations. It does not care how many people it kills and seeks to wipe out the universe so it can remake it as it sees fit. The Cheyenne realised this and trained shamans over the years to combat it, with several prominent figures appearing in Forge's lineage.

Storm faces Adversary as Forge uses Doctor Strange style magic

Storm showed the life lessons Xavier gave her: she would help Forge no matter what, because all life is precious to her, even above her own. Adversary taunted her by placing her in a coffin and telling her to be careful what she wishes for, bringing up how she told Jean she wondered what it would be like to be human, something she said in the bedroom during episode 2.

Adversary used shape shifting to transform into the X-Men, an ability similar to Loki's, and both are tricksters defeated by magic. That came from Forge, who busted out spells that created circular runes like the ones Doctor Strange wields, complete with sparks coming off the rings. It is such a cool detail, and we also see him using a book akin to the one the Sorcerer Supreme had in the first Doctor Strange film. Forge found a cactus that could cure him, and he and Storm headed out together.

In the comic, Adversary posed as Naze and went to Storm to get her to find Forge, who was trying to close a dimensional rift Adversary had opened, placing demon destroying devices along the way. Adversary told Storm that Forge was actually opening it and that only she could stop him at the top of a mountain. She eventually learned the truth, and Adversary sprang his trap. In the comic a wraith took over before Adversary did, but the show clearly cut out the middleman. Storm and Forge were transported to an alternate reality, where they forged their bond and she got her powers back.

Weirdly, at the end of the arc, Adversary brought about Madelyne Pryor's resurrection, which led into the Goblin Queen story the show adapted in episode 2 with Sinister behind it. I wondered whether the show was doing the entire arc as part of something bigger. With the connections to mutant powers, Sinister and the X-Men getting killed, I really wondered if we were heading towards Apocalypse. The only reason Sinister cloned Jean in the first place was to create a baby that would help him in the war against Apocalypse, and Apocalypse had been teased in the previous episode's intro with Cable fighting him, possibly hinting at why Cable travelled back in time.

Birds, Shi'ar law and why Xavier needs his memories

As Storm and Forge came together, two other lovebirds came together in the Shi'ar Empire, shown symbolically through birds. The Shi'ar design is based on owls, they call their children hatchlings, and there are bird transitions throughout, starting with one that goes from a bird in space to an eagle above Forge's cabin. Deathbird is, well, a bird, and we saw her arrive and berate them.

There was conflict already, as the Shi'ar suspected Xavier wanted to make Earth a new capital, and they invoked a Shi'ar right. As I understood it, Xavier had to choose to erase Earth and all memory of his life there if he was to be wed, somewhat like the spell at the end of No Way Home that severs connections. Earth and the Milky Way are seen as a ghetto by the Shi'ar. Yet their society is built on unions like this, which we see in the statues Charles visits: Sharra and K'ythri, who came from warring houses and married to bring harmony, much like Romeo and Juliet, and are worshipped as their highest gods.

Charles talks about how the Shi'ar ostracise deviancy, which could be a nod to Plato's Republic. Very briefly, it argued that art can show deviancy and corrupt an audience, which could be why the Shi'ar looked down on it, though they also clearly appreciate art. Xavier realised his connection to Earth is what makes his life, and he wanted to remember everyone he knew. The Shi'ar wanted him to be the man he is without realising the memories made him. Had he not clashed with Magneto, he would not have gone in the opposite direction, so he needs those memories to remain who he is.

The tower and the history of colonial deceit

Back with Forge and Storm, the pair dealt with forces trying to tear them apart and reached a tower that stands as a monument to deceit and lies. During the Civil War the Union built the hideaway on land taken from Native Americans, and the colonists got that land by tricking the natives into thinking they were there to help, similar to what Forge did with Storm. The episode does separate the two periods, talking about how the colonists took the land and the Union later repurposed it, and I wanted to make that clear rather than get the history wrong.

We have all heard the stories of colonists using blankets infected with smallpox to spread disease, and it is clear the episode drew on real life history.

In the comic, Adversary transported Forge and Storm to an alternate dimension while it terrorised Earth. There the pair fell in love while Adversary tried to pull its dimension into ours, and the X-Men who tried to stop it were mostly killed. With so many characters flattened on Genosha, I wondered if the show was adapting that entire arc. There is a lot going on in terms of what is real and what is not, and overall it is quite a head trip.

Storm summons a huge storm and gets her black costume

Moving through the caverns, the pair talked about Adversary and why Storm is less judgmental, given how her gifts have made people hate her in the past. She changes, and we see her soar into the sky like a bird again, with Adversary also appearing as an owl. To me, birds act as metaphors that contrast with characters who are grounded. That is reflected in Professor X, who rather than moving freely between his home and the woman he loves would be restricted to being part of the Shi'ar Empire.

Yet the Shi'ar resemble Earth, holding the same prejudice the X-Men fight; they disliked Xavier not just as a human but as a mutant. Gladiator defended him, and it all kicked off when Deathbird arrived at the council. That reminded me of the Senate hearing in episode 2, where Magneto flexed his powers, while here Charles literally had to mind control everyone and lecture them.

Storm fought her own battle in her mind, crawling through tunnels until she came face to face with Adversary. We learn her powers were being held back psychosomatically, by herself, something touched on in Spider-Man 2, and she then unleashed a grandmother of a storm. It is "such an incredible moment that takes the character to the next level", and she gets her black costume from the comics, one of my favourite looks for her.

It leads into something like the first flight in Man of Steel, as she rides alongside horses and crosses the land with ease. She looks at herself in the water where Clark looked at his shadow. I am not saying Snyder is the blueprint, but "that was one of the best flight sequences I've ever seen", so I can see why they took inspiration from it. Meanwhile, Professor X saw the same news the X-Men saw in the previous episode, tying the Shi'ar lies to the colonisation material. His lecture on history was interrupted when specters of death visited him, and he realised he needed to leave and return to his X-Men.

Where do you stand on Storm's great romance: is Forge the better match, or Black Panther?