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X-Men Season 2 Episode 4

Red Dawn (4)

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AIRED: 11/13/93

Jubilee joins Colossus as he returns to his homeland of Russia, and helps him face an unbeatable menace from the Cold War, who wishes to restore the former Soviet Union, and has a history with Wolverine.

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Fan Episode Reviews (3)

Introducing more villains? Bring back Mastermold!

7.3

By ZaleIsBackAgain, Aug 20, 2006

It seems like Magneto and Xavier are faring quite well in the unknown island they are at, though it seems like Russia is under a worse state than them. The tyranical leaders unleashed a menace named Omega Red to cause an usurp to help claim back the Soviet Union empire. They were quite successful as well, and it didn't seem like anyone could have stopped Omega Red. Back in America, Jubilee runs into Colossus, who stopped by the X-Men mansion in order to recruit help. Only Jubilee was available, but Wolverine also found her note, and came to help as well. Soon, Rogue, Gambit, and Storm appeared, and became of some assistance to help stopping this revolution. Using Storm's powers, she was able to freeze Omega Red into place; the same way he was imprisoned long ago.

I wonder when they're going to stop showing 3 to 4 minutes of Xavier and Magneto in that mysterious island, and jack up their air time to the full 20 minutes an episode usually has. I bet if someone took all their scenes together, it would consist of an entire episode. Well, I guess it does make good filler to eat away time for an episode, since without that first 3 or 4 minutes, the thing with Omega Red would have been much shorter. Nonetheless, if they had the time to include filler, they should have added more to make this episode better overall. I'm not a fan of action cartoons with a cast of vigilantes battling a single antagonist that churns out grunt warriors every single episode, but I'm also not a fan for underdeveloped scenarios. I feel this situation was quite underdeveloped, and there was still room for potential to become a better episode. Omega Red didn't really have that fearsome presence some other villians have. Some villains have this aura in them that inflict this type of feeling that they're completely unbeatable. This feeling in the long run delivers a more satisfying feeling when he's defeated. Omega Red was defeated way too quickly to give off this feeling, creating a rather disappointing end to a potential villain.moreless
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Colossus comes to town looking for the X-Men's help in stopping the menace known as Omega Red.

9.0

By saiyanman5215, Sep 14, 2005

this character episode is part Wolverine and part Jubilee even though the guest-star Colossus was probably intended to have most of the focus. the writers cant seem to get out of their own way when dealing with Wolverine but i guess that's what the studio wants and the fans want too so i cant complain too much.

Omega Red, for those of you not in the know, is basically the soviets answer to the super-soldier program that spawned Captain America (there's even a image of him on one of the monitors during Wolverine's flashback sequence). it's neat how the show is making an effort to tie other characters in as long as their relavent and at the same time not overdoing it or overshadowing the show's own characters.

the FOH show up early in the episode to attack a store Jubilee is in and make their presense known. only a timely assist by Colossus saves her from a severe beating.

from there we go to the obligatory team-up as the duo goes back to Russia in a minijet piloted by Jubilee. instead of trying to raise the others she just flies off leaving a note. Wolverine later finds the note and takes off himself to Russia. has everyone forgotten the essence of teamwork around there? in Wolverine's defense he saw Omega's name and knew that Jubilee and probably Colossus would be in trouble without his help, which he ended up being right about. it still doesnt excuse him from throwing the note away (Rogue and Storm make a comment about this when they land in Russia). now contrary to some beliefs Omega has always been a tough customer. i think the advent of his carbonatium armor is what threw off some readers of the comic and some other reviewers as well.

from there the calvary has arrived in the form of Storm, Rogue, and Gambit and the X-Men and their allies, which now include former soviet bodyguard Darkstar (herself a mutant also), mount an assualt against the soviet military and Omega himself. Storm is forced to call upon a huge blizzard and Colossus volunteers to hold Omega in place for the plan to work. of course, Colossus is pulled out by Darkstar and Omega goes back on the deep freeze. now that the people have been liberated and the healing has begun the X-Men offer Colossus a chance to join them officially. respectfully he declines which was both appropiate and disappointng, at least from a fan's perspective. great episode all things consideredmoreless
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Wolverine's old nemesis returns with an ambitious agenda.

9.0

By Neo2100, Jul 21, 2005

Now that’s a little more like it.

Red Dawn was a very well focused story. This episode begins a certain trend this season in which there are stand alone character oriented stories while showing occasional glimpses of Xavier and Magneto running amok in the Savage Land. The episode still had a few minor flaws, but nothing as bad as Whatever it Takes.

Omega Red is thawed by some old Soviet Generals who wish to revive the Soviet Union. I always enjoyed this particular villain and his motives. He’s far more interesting than Sinister or Apocalypse for that matter. I wish he had been used more times.

The episode also provides an additional glimpse into the mess created by the Friends of Humanity as they assault a mutant-friendly convenience store where Jubilee is shopping. As Jubilee attempts to stop these goons, our old friend Colossus arrives to save the day once again. This was the perfect way to bring the Russian mutant back. Colossus asks Jubilee for his help saving his country from Omega Red. Since there are no X-Men in the mansion, Jubilee decides to leave a goodbye message for them while she takes off with Colossus. How in the world no one stays in the mansion to look after this moron? What does Jubilee think she can possibly accomplish with that ridiculous mutant power of hers? Start some fireworks? I’m fleeing the subject.

Jubilee then pilots a Minijet to another country. This is actually quite funny to watch. If anything else, Colossus’s reaction to her flight expertise is priceless. Wolverine arrives at the mansion and finds the letter, prompting him to go after her and Omega Red. He could have given Rogue and Storm a call before leaving as well.

Jubilee and Colossus arrive at his homeland and meet his little sister Illyana, buried in the remains of his old home. She is alive though. But it’s still enough to make Colossus go in a Wolverine-esque rampage against the Russian troops. They eventually meet up with Omega Red, who proves to be too much of an adversary for these two. Then Logan arrives and evens up the odds against his former nemesis. I have to wonder why the writers decided to make Omega Red such an unstoppable villain. He was never so incredibly dangerous to the X-Men or Wolverine. It’s a strange move by the writers, but it doesn’t hurt the episode that much. In fact, it makes the stakes go even higher.

Rogue, Storm and Gambit arrive to help. After chastising Jubilee for her imprudence (a moment I gladly cheer), the X-Men move to strike against the Russians as well as Omega Red. This is where they get a new ally. This was an interesting character. I don’t get why she supported the Generals at all, if she was so revolted by Omega Red’s brutal actions. Nevertheless, she embodies what a lot of Russians must have felt when the Generals unleashed their troops upon the population. Nobody enjoys martial law. She advises Storm to freeze Omega Red in order to put him away for good.

Storm, with the help of Colossus manages to freeze Omega Red. Now this was a superb display of self-sacrifice unlike the previous episode. Colossus was willing to freeze in order to hold Omega Red in place. It’s a relief that didn’t happen, even though it would also have worked in a dramatic context. With the troops destroyed and Omega Red frozen, the Generals are thrown in jail and peace is restored in Russia.

The X-Men offer Colossus the chance to join them, but he refuses for good reasons. He’s a family man and a farmer and there’s a lot to rebuild. It’s a great goodbye for this character. We’re assured that Colossus will always be their friend and help them whenever necessary. It’s a great ending to a good episode.

Meanwhile, in the Savage Land, we see Xavier and Magneto using their heads to dodge the surrounding threats, including that poorly drawn T-Rex. That was a clever method of escape. The story moves on.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Lenore Zann	Rogue
Cedric Smith	Professor X/Charles Xavier
Alison Sealy-Smith	Storm/Ororo Monroe
Cal Dodd	Wolverine/James "Logan" Howlett
Alyson Court	Jubilee/Jubilation Lee

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Tara Strong	Ilyana Rasputin	Guest Star
Rick Bennett	Colossus/Piotr Rasputin	Guest Star
Elizabeth Rukavina	Darkstar	Guest Star
David Hemblen	Magneto/Erik Lenhserr	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (12)
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- Beast, Cyclops and Jean Grey do not appear in this episode. Gambit appears in this episode, but aside from a few grunts (not done by voice actor Chris Potter), he does not speak.
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- This episode features the first appearances of Omega Red, and (in flashback only) Maverick, though both have made visual-cameos prior. Omega Red will next appear in season 5's "A Deal With The Devil", and Maverick will get his first full appearance in season 3's "Weapon X, Lies, and Videotape".
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- This episode features the first and only appearances of Illyana Rasputin (sister of Colossus, and future mutant) and Darkstar (former Soviet Super Soldier and mutant whose powers include energy discharge and manipulation via something known as the Darkforce Dimension). This is also the final appearance of Colossus, though he, Illyana, and Darkstar will make cameos in several future episodes.
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- The street where Xavier's School For The Gifted is located is finally named: Graymalkin Lane.
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- Marvel Comics' superhero Captain America (who'll later appear in season 5's "Old Soldiers"), appears on the monitor screen in the lab when Omega Red is "born" in the flashback.
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- Jubilee sports a new costume in this episode, a brown high-collar X-jacket, brown boots, pink and white striped bodysuit (of which only the pants are visible), and her traditional yellow gloves with pink sunglasses. Consider it her "thermal wear".
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- When Jubilee puts up the note on the refrigerator, you see the magnet she uses was big and the color green. But when Wolverine takes the note off the refridgerator, you see the magnet is small and the color red.
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- Darkstar's powers were completely mishandled in this episode. The Darkforce she manipulates manifests itself as pure black energy, not the pink static-like power she was using here.
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- The flashback to "25 years ago", when Omega Red was last captured, shows Wolverine in his yellow & blue costume. It's revealed in the next episode that he didn't get that until he joined Alpha Flight, which, judging by the age of members of that team, couldn't have been that long ago.
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- The moon's position during the horizon scan prior to Colossus' attacking the soldiers at night remains in the same place, as if the moon revovled around the camera!
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- How can Jubilee erase the graphitti from the brick wall so cleanly with her powers like she does?
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- The Russian top brass talk in English amongst themselves even though those who re-activated Omega Red spoke Russian.
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QUOTES (8)
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- Omega Red: Forgot about my carbonadium armor, didn't you? Well, you scratch my back... I'll scratch yours!
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- Rogue: Where did you come from? The king squid?
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- Wolverine: I don't... need... yer help.
  Colossus: (picks up Wolverine) Of course not. But you are a guest in my country! It is good manners!
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- Wolverine: I heard some fools thawed ya out..so i'm here to put ya back on ice!
  Omega Red: (wraps tentacles around Wolverine) Let me re-introduce you to my coils!
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- Republic president: You..you..can't come in here! This parliament...
  Omega Red: Is officially dissolved!
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- Magneto: I shall never understand you Charles.
  Xavier: In what way?
  Magneto: Your life would be infinitely easier if mine were to end, yet you saved me.
  Xavier: I do not yearn for an easy life, Magneto, only a just one.
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- Omega Red: The leaders were weak. They restrained me once, and lost the empire. Now they've brought me back, a living weapon they once grew to fear. The empire shall live...they shall not.
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- Magneto: I may not have my mutant powers, Charles. But I shall not die easily.
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NOTES (2)
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- Though Colossus' home country, called "Kumudski Valley", isn't a real place, the coordinates of "45 74" place it within the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.
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- This episode is based on X-Men (volume 2) #4. The scene where Colossus saves his sister from the tractor was taken from Giant-Size X-Men #1.
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ALLUSIONS (2)
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- Jubilee: Sit back and leave the flying to us!
  "Leave the driving to us" was the slogan for the Greyhound bus lines for many years.
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- Title: Red Dawn
  The episode's title happens to be the same as the 1984 movie about a Soviet invasion on the United States, which is partially repelled by a group of high school students, who call themselves "the Wolverines", coincidentally.
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