Orphan’s End clears up this season arc’s one remaining loose end: the fact that space pirate Corsair, who captured Cyclops in The Starjammers earlier this season, is not just any human: he’s also Scott’s long-lost father!

Cue the flashbacks, as we’re taken back to Scott’s childhood where he and his brother Alex are separated from their parents via a curious interstellar craft. As a result of their recent history, Corsair travels to the X-Men for aid in what he believes is a just cause. He turns out to be absolutely right, but obviously Cyclops needs time to process what he has just learnt.

Scott has always been a bit of a loner by default. He can often be seen as cold, emotionless and closed-off from his fellow mutants. Dare we say it, almost seen as ‘stuffy and boring.’ But this episode proves that he has just as many soap-opera foibles as the rest of the X-Family!

It’s also great to see Cyclops and Storm together in action. It’s not a pairing we see much of in this series, indeed at all. With a welcome spotlight on Cyclops, and a connection to the season’s Phoenix arc, Orphan’s End proves that the action with the X-Men is sometimes just as emotional as it is physical.

The Starjammers find themselves fleeing from a Shi’ar craft, only to crash-land on Earth. Meanwhile, at Xavier’s Mansion, Cyclops and Storm‘s tranquil coffee break is interrupted by an alert about the crash. Through a video message, Raknar reveals himself and enlists the X-Men‘s aid to apprehend a fugitive vessel he had been chasing, now downed on Earth. The Starjammer’s descent ends in the lake near the mansion, where Cyclops aids Corsair, the ship’s captain, who seeks the X-Men’s assistance. A locket in Corsair’s possession catches Cyclops’s eye, displaying photos of himself, his brother Alex, and their mother Katherine Summers. However, before Corsair can divulge the origins of the locket, Raknar descends in his craft, demanding Corsair’s surrender. Defiant, the X-Men and Corsair retreat underground as Raknar commences an attack.

Cyclops grapples with the revelation that Corsair might be his father, all while evading relentless Shi’ar robots. Their narrow escape aboard a Blackbird plane sets the stage for Corsair to unveil his past. He recounts a harrowing tale of his family’s plane being ambushed by an extra-terrestrial craft. As their plane plummeted, Corsair’s quick thinking saved his sons, Scott and Alex, by securing them to a parachute and ejecting them to safety. Tragically, Corsair and his wife Katherine were captured by the malevolent D’Ken, leading to Katherine’s untimely demise.

Corsair, Cyclops, and Storm find themselves in a dense jungle. According to Raknar, Corsair is embroiled in controversy, having allegedly abducted Jandra, a child who is the sole witness to the location of a vast treasure. Corsair claims the need for ransom to sustain his spacecraft. Meanwhile, Cyclops instructs Storm to shield Jandra from the conflict, even as he confronts his father, Corsair, at gunpoint. Ultimately, Corsair is surrendered to Raknar, and Storm stumbles upon the other Starjammers, who have been safeguarding Jandra back on Earth.

Raknar betrays Cyclops, admitting his intent to silence Jandra before she can expose any information. Cyclops learns of Raknar’s scheme to conceal Jandra’s murder, prompting him and a dissenting Shi’ar crew member to free Corsair from confinement. Their escape is aided by Storm and the Starjammers, who fend off the pursuing Shi’ar forces. Assuring that Raknar will face justice, Cyclops and Corsair reconcile.

This whole episode is a retelling of plot points from Uncanny X-Men #154-155.

Storm’s hairstyle is unique to this episode, and it quite suits her.

The Starjammer crashes into Breakstone Lake, a well used summer spot the X-Men picnic at in X-Men #8 and conceal a Blackbird in in Uncanny X-Men #353!

The monorail underneath the school is seen for the first and only time in this episode. It connects the school complex with the Blackbird Hanger.

The flashback to the Summers’ family tragedy on the plane was originally seen in Uncanny X-Men #154 and has been portrayed many times.

Alex, Scott’s brother, grew up to be Havok of X-Factor fame, as seen in Cold Comfort. It’s unknown whether Scott is actually aware that its him though.

When the Shi’ar beam Christopher Summers and wife Katherine aboard, Deathbird has a sneaky cameo. She appears again in season four.

Scott confirms in conversation that he’s about to marry Jean, which we’ll see in The End of Time.

The Dark Phoenix Saga (Part 4): The Fate of the Phoenix | Love in Vain