THE GIFTED blasted onto television screens packed with mutant drama and action. The new series is set in the X-Men cinematic universe but WHEN?
We know who is in the show but HOW do they tie into the film canon?
When two teens manifest mutant powers they become targets of Sentinel Services. The X-Men won’t save them. The family reaches out to the Mutant Underground. X-Fans see familiar characters: Thunderbird, Blink, Polaris and meet new mutants.
After a thrilling first episode here are big burning questions!
Before we continue here’s a SPOILER ALERT!
If you have not seen THE GIFTED yet stop reading now and go online.
Seriously.
OK.
Here it comes:
The X-Men and The Brotherhood are missing. Mutants are in hiding. Sentinel Services is a government agency hunting mutants. Reed Strucker is an attorney who prosecutes mutants caught and accused of crimes so he is familiar with the Mutant Underground.
When?
Is this series set in the same time period as or after the events of the film LOGAN? The final Wolverine film was set in 2029. No mutants had been born in 25 years. The X-Men are dead after a horrible accident caused by a mentally unstable Professor Xavier. Did the government set up Sentinel Services after the Xavier incidents before and during LOGAN? Those mental attacks could trigger renewed fear of mutants leading to oppression and sending mutants into hiding. In the film there haven’t been any new mutants born so could this series be set after the rebirth of the mutant gene?
Weapon X?
LOGAN reintroduced a new Weapon X program aka Transgien corporation. X-23 was among a group of children cloned with genetic material from dead mutants. These refugees may have escaped into Canada. Will these artificially created mutants or operatives of the new Weapon X/Transgien corporation?
Polaris parent?
Lorna Dane is Polaris, daughter of Magneto, mistress of magnetism. In comics Lorna dates Havok/Alex Summers but in the series she dates new mutant Eclipse. Lorna is captured by Sentinel Services and it’s revealed she’s pregnant or is that a lure to draw Eclipse and the Mutant Underground into a trap? Is Lorna Magneto’s daughter on the series and does she know, does she accept, does she see herself as leader of his legacy?
Mutant Underground
Viewers saw the headquarters of this Mutant Underground. The covert group helps mutants escape to other countries with new identities. Who’s in charge? Have we met the leader yet? Will it turn out to be a famous face/name from comics?
Thunderbird’s fate
John Proudstar/Thunderbird appears to be the field leader of the Mutant Underground missions. Will the television Thunderbird suffer the fate of his comic book counterpart? After being introduced as part of the second generation of X-Men, John died on an early mission. John’s younger brother James took the code-name, blamed Xavier for his brother’s death and join the Hellions, a team of young mutants taught by the Hellfire Club’s Emma Frost. John later changed his name to Warpath, joined Cable’s X-Force and later the X-Men. Warpath appeared in X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. If we see James, watch out John?
Struckers?
Reed, Galen, Andy and Lauren Strucker don’t appear in the comics. The Von Struckers do. Is there a connection? Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker was a Hydra leader. Andrea and Andreas Von Strucker were his twins. This evil brother/sister duo were known as Fenris.
Telekinesis runs in the family?
Andy appears to manifest telekinetic abilities. Could the Struckers be connected to the Grey family as in Jean Grey? In the comics Jean and Scott Summers has a daughter named Rachel, also a telekinetic and telepath. In the comics Jean has a nephew with mutant potential. The Shi’ar aliens actually wiped out the Grey family to prevent any mutant manifestations could lead to a host for the Phoenix Force.
Eclipse?
Marcos Diaz is a new character created for the series. He appears to create photons of light that he can project. It appeared that when his skin was torn it revealed he was made of light. Is his natural state light but he’s covered in skin? Eclipse’s power and appearance is similar to New Mutant Sunspot/Roberto Da Costa, who appeared in X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST.
Mutants on the run- but they not X-Men…yet.
Sentinels of a different kind….for now.
Is THE GIFTED a mutated but inevitable version of X-Men: Days of Future Past?
Mutant powers, Stan Lee cameo, shoutout to the animated series, ties to the X-Men films, intriguing new characters and popular heroes – THE GIFTED is an omega-level exciting evolution for the Children of the Atom.
THE GIFTED airs Mondays at 9pm on Fox.
By Editor