This episode not only explores the concept of a mutant cure but also sheds light on the fan-favourite character of Rogue, who takes the spotlight for the first time.
In The Cure, Rogue faces a profound conflict: her desire to be “normal” versus the potential usefulness of her mutant powers. Dr. Adler, a scientist claiming to have developed a cure for mutation, becomes her beacon of hope. Despite Gambit’s attempts to dissuade her, Rogue travels to Muir Island in search of this elusive cure.
However, the truth unravels swiftly. The real Dr. Adler has already been killed by Apocalypse and the cure is not what Rogue was led to believe. This revelation forces her to confront her identity – whether to embrace her powers or seek a life without them. The episode delves into themes of acceptance, sacrifice, and the complexities of being a mutant.
Beyond Rogue’s personal journey, The Cure introduces the idea of mutant slaves and the ethical implications of altering one’s genetic makeup. The X-Men grapple with the consequences of such a cure, questioning whether it’s a blessing or a curse. The episode resonates with fans, emphasising that being extraordinary comes with both blessings and burdens.
In it’s tightly packed 20-minute runtime, The Cure manages to weave together multiple concepts: mutant rights, personal choices and the blurred lines between normalcy and uniqueness. It remains a pivotal moment in the series, leaving viewers pondering the true cost of being different in a world that fears and misunderstands mutants.
Warren Worthington III, the mutant Angel, and his girlfriend are sitting in a cabin, discussing Dr Gottfried Adler, a scientist whom Angel states has gone to Scotland to do some research. Cable ambushes them and demands to know where Adler is. Cable then shoots Angel off the cabin’s balcony where the winged mutant lands in the snow below. Cable then threatens Angel’s girlfriend who tells him that Adler is on Muir Island. Angel then flies into the cabin but his girlfriend ends up firing at him by mistake.
On Muir Island, Professor X asks old lover and friend Moira MacTaggert to look over Adler’s work but she says she can’t: Adler denies it. Xavier decides to look through Adler’s mind and sees the images of two mutants which leads Xavier to think that Adler is a mutant.
As the X-Men continue to rebuild their mansion, they receive a message from Xavier about Adler on Muir Island. Rogue, yearning for the ability to touch others without harm, hastily departs to the island. Secretly aboard a plane, she descends upon Muir Island with hope in her heart.
At a local pub, Avalanche and Pyro await Mystique‘s arrival when Rogue enters. Mistaking her for Mystique, they are taken aback as Rogue unleashes her power, sending Avalanche crashing through the wall. She confronts Adler about the cure, unaware that he is actually Mystique in disguise, working under Apocalypse‘s command to enslave her.
Rogue returns to undergo the treatment, but the session is interrupted as Pyro and Avalanche abduct Adler. Cable, arriving just in time, joins Rogue in pursuit. In the heat of the chase, Mystique’s deception is unveiled to her cohorts. Meanwhile, Xavier delves into Adler’s lab for clues, while Cyclops and Jean Grey deduce Rogue’s quest for the cure on Muir Island. Rogue valiantly battles Pyro and Avalanche, driving them away. Cable, in a drastic move, dangles Adler over a precipice, threatening his life for his role in creating mutation-suppressing technology. Rogue intervenes, but Cable overpowers her. The truth surfaces as Mystique admits her ruse and the demise of the real Adler. Chaos ensues, leading to Jean and Cable’s fall from the cliff, only to be rescued by Rogue. As the dust settles, Cable’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Unaware that Adler is actually Mystique in disguise, Rogue assists the impostor in reassembling the lab’s equipment. She then chooses not to undergo the cure and departs. As she exits, she narrowly avoids colliding with Angel, who inquires about receiving the cure from Adler. Once Angel departs, Mystique reports to Apocalypse about the new mutant recruit, prompting Apocalypse to declare his intention to conquer the world.
Warren is funding Adler’s research similarly to how his father funded Kavita Rao’s research in X-Men: The Last Stand. In the film, Angel’s father tries to force the cure on him, whereas Warren wants the cure in this series.
Rogue’s flashback involving the first boy she kissed activating her powers appears in several medias: he’s a jock in X-Men: Evolution‘s Rogue Recruit and a crush in the first X-Men movie. Her desire to take the cure in this episode is also a plot point in X-Men: The Last Stand.
Cable #-1 shows that when he first arrived in the present timeline, Moira MacTaggert was one of the first people he met, and Muir Island was one of the first places he visited.
Moira and Charles have a long history in the comics. The outfit Moira is wearing here is the same as she wears in X-Men #1. She doesn’t seem to know much about Adler’s plans, which is odd. In a strange twist of events, Moira herself was cured with Neutraliser technology during the Krakoan Age storyline Inferno.
The early signs of Gambit and Rogue’s flirtation begin here, mirroring the comics.
The apparent inconsistency with Avalanche and Pyro not recognizing Rogue in the pub, despite knowing her in A Rogue’s Tale, could indeed be chalked up to them being very drunk!
Cable’s ongoing search for Adler, as seen in Slave Island, opens up some intriguing theories. Considering what we know from Remember It in X-Men ’97, it’s possible that Cable’s presence is tied to preventing the destruction of Genosha. His actions on the island and his attacks on Bastion’s cohorts might be efforts to avert the time-locked disaster to save his mother. It’s clear that Cable is from a different point in time here compared to Time Fugitives or X-Men ’97, given the state of his arm and his telekinesis abilities. This adds a layer of complexity to his character and the storyline.
X-Cess Minutiae 
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