Review: X-Men 97 “Strange Land, Savage Heart “

Overview

The newly formed “X-Corps” travel to the Savage Land and are surprised to encounter a familiar face…


Our Take

Picking up from the previous episode, the story primarily shifts the focus to Nightcrawler in a powerful character-driven story while also giving Colossus a long-awaited spotlight. One of the episode’s biggest surprises is the return of Graydon Creed, whose fate was left ambiguous after the original ’92 X-Men episode “Bloodlines.” Once the leader of the anti-mutant hate group “Friends of Humanity,” Graydon attempts to reinvent himself politically by running for president before being kidnapped by the Acolytes (A mutant extremist group that worships Magneto’s philosophy) and held for ransom. As the son of Mystique and Sabretooth, Graydon is not only one of mutantkind’s most infamous human adversaries, but also Nightcrawler’s half-brother through their shared mother, adding a deeply personal layer to their conflict. His hatred of mutants is shaped not only by prejudice, but also by years of rejection, resentment, and struggles with his own identity.

The Creed trial becomes the emotional centerpiece of the episode, allowing Nightcrawler’s defining qualities of compassion, faith, and belief in redemption to take center stage. The rest of the proceedings mostly take place within the Savage Land, a mysterious island within the Marvel Universe where prehistoric creatures like Dinosaurs still exist, giving the episode its fitting title. Rather than presenting a simple conflict between heroes and villains, the story explores difficult questions surrounding justice, forgiveness, and whether someone consumed by hatred can still find a path toward change. Meanwhile, Colossus’ storyline adds another layer by examining how grief and personal loss can influence the choices people make, while characters like Exodus, Bishop, and Polaris further expand the ideological divide within mutantkind that leads to a unique but bittersweet conclusion…

Overall, this was a memorable episode that perfectly captures the heart of Nightcrawler as a character while giving a despicable douche like Graydon Creed a surprisingly compelling role in the story. While the episode can feel somewhat like a filler chapter with only two episodes remaining before the season’s expected main event, the excellent voice performances, emotional character moments, and deeper exploration of mutant ideology more than make up for it. By revisiting Graydon Creed’s complicated history and placing him against Kurt Wagner’s belief in mercy and second chances, this chapter delivers a thoughtful examination of redemption, forgiveness, and the humanity behind the mutants. On top of that, it delivers one hell of a twist ending that sets the stage for the final stretch of the season.