The mutants of THE GIFTED will be back. Marvel revealed the Fox series will return for a second season after a thrilling first season rich in X-Men history. The shocking finale established two characters who are the “Xavier” and “Magneto” as we wait for the next season.
The heroes of The Mutant Underground and new allies took the fight to their enemies in the season ender with a game-changing battle and one mutant’s act will change the series.
Here’s a quick catchup: The X-Men inspired television series brought Polaris, Thunderbird, Blink and more mutants to the small screen as part of the Mutant Underground. Thunderbird and Eclipse fought to protect mutants while following Xavier’s dream. The heroes took in the Strucker family when it was revealed the teen twins (Lauren, Andy) were mutants and on the run from Sentinel Services.
In this world the X-Men and The Brotherhood are no more. As the series continued we learned the X-Men chose Thunderbird, Eclipse – a new mutant created for the series, Polaris, Dreamer, Sage and others to form the Mutant Underground. The team rescued Blink who once belonged to The Brotherhood. We knew Sentinel Services was formed after an incident that killed innocent people including the daughter of a Sentinel Service agent Jace Turner.
The 715 incident? Is this the same incident revealed in the film LOGAN? Professor Xavier’s mental illness caused him to unleash a telepathic attack that wiped out the X-Men. Is this series set after the events of LOGAN and before DAYS OF FUTURE PAST films?
Producers chose new villains X-fans haven’t seen before in films: Dr. Robert Campbell – the man who becomes Ahab in the comic book timeline Days of Future Past. Campbell is the sinister – not that Sinister – scientist behind the Hound program turning mutant prisoners into enslaved trackers. Campbell works for Trask Industries – the company behind the Sentinel robots from X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The Purifiers appeared in flashback.
Teens Lauren and Andy Strucker are descendants of mutant twin terrors Andreas and Andrea Von Strucker. Lauren and Andy’s father Reed was actually a mutant but his powers were hidden by a serum created by his father, who worked for Trask.
But that’s not all.
The Mutant Underground gained dangerous new allies in Esme, Phoebe and Sophie Frost known in comics as the Stepford Cuckoos and the Three-In-One. Three telepaths who form a pionic hive mind. In the comics the sisters were clones of telepath Emma Frost. (The trio originally have two other clone sisters in the comics.)
On The GIFTED – we learned The Hellfire Club exists. The older Von Struckers were members in the 1950’s. The modern sisters are members of the Club. In the comics The Hellfire Club was a high society club with an Inner Circle made of rich mutants who became enemies of the X-Men. Emma Frost was the White Queen of the club and had her own school of mutants with a team called the Hellions. In the comics members of the Hellfire Club helped turned Jean Grey into Dark Phoenix. Magneto has been a member of the group in comics. He even achieved the King title. There was a Hellfire Club (Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost) of sorts in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS.
Lorna Dane/Polaris is a green-haired mistress of magnetism. Lorna is a member of the Mutant Underground, in love with Eclipse and pregnant. As enemies continued to strike, Lorna’s anger kept growing. The Frosts revealed Lorna’s father was a King in the Hellfire Club. The big question all season – is Lorna Magneto’s daughter like in the comics?
Campbell was staging a demonstration of the power and potential of The Hound program to an anti-mutant Senator Montez at the Humanity Now Summit.
Before we continue here’s a SPOILER ALERT!
If you have not seen THE GIFTED finale yet stop reading now and get online.
Seriously.
OK.
Here it comes.
Big moments and burning questions:
Mutant Underground exposed. Agent Turner discovered the headquarters and unleashed the Hounds. Reed and Kate lead the mutants out while Andy and Lauren unleash their twin power to destroy their former refuge. Fade already escaped with a van full of mutant kids.
Polaris flashback. Four years ago Lorna was detained after getting caught in a protest. She was recruited by an attorney named Evangeline who revealed the X-Men left behind a network to help mutants. Evangeline revealed her power to apparently transform into a demon-like creature. Evangeline “Vange” Whedon was an attorney who could transform into a dragon when exposed to blood.
Polaris went full on Magneto. We still never actually got a confirmation. Thunderbird, Eclipse and Blink pleaded but couldn’t stop Lorna from destroying the plane carrying Campbell and Montez.
The Mutant Underground no more. The season one headquarters is gone but the survivors are reunited at a way station and vow to rebuild but the foundation among them is broken.
The Hellfire Club inflamed! Polaris and one of the Frosts arrive to declare the Mutant Underground has failed. Sage, Fade and Andy are among the mutants who join Lorna, the new leader of the ruthless resistance – a new Hellfire Club. Lorna has been training her own team. Will season two introduce Lorna’s own Hellions including Andy?
Agent Turner is demoralized by another defeat while trying to shut down the Mutant Underground. Turner quit Sentinel Services after a confrontation with his bosses. Will Turner join or lead a rogue anti-mutant group like Humanity Now, The Purifiers or whatever Hound program evolves after Campbell’s demise?
Thunderbird/John Proudstar is the Mutant Underground leader but will we see his brother James who became the second Thunderbird and later took the name Warpath? With Dreamer dead, will John and Blink finally fall? They shared a kiss.
Are the Frosts clones of Emma Frost seen in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS?
Will the events of THE GIFTED tie into the next X-Film: X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX?
Thunderbird played the role of Cyclops this season trying to keep the mutants together against a common enemy.
Polaris and Eclipse appear to have evolved into the roles of Magneto and Xavier with the mutants divided over how to survive. Will the lovers turned philosophical rivals evolve into bitter enemies? What could it mean if their unborn child is a human, mutant or something else?
Marvel revealed the Fox series will return for a second season.
By Editor