Secrets, Not Long Buried is one of those X-Men episodes that hooks you right from the start and doesn’t let go. Picture this: Cyclops heads out on a solo mission to a mysterious desert town called Skull Mesa. He’s there to visit an old friend, but, as with anything involving the X-Men, things quickly take a turn for the bizarre. Cyclops finds himself in a town where mutants are hiding in plain sight, controlled by a mutant named Solarr who uses fear and power to keep everyone under his thumb. Talk about a “welcome to town”!

The plot thickens as Cyclops discovers that the entire town is in a state of oppressed silence, living under the tyranny of Solarr. It’s a classic showdown between oppression and the fight for freedom, with Cyclops right in the middle of it. What’s really compelling about this episode is how it delves into themes of power, control, and the cost of keeping secrets. Cyclops, typically the stoic leader, is thrown into a situation where he has to rely on his wits and the help of the town’s mutants, who are too scared to stand up for themselves. It’s an exploration of courage in the face of adversity and the impact of fear on a community.

In true X-Men fashion, Secrets, Not Long Buried isn’t just about the action – though there’s plenty of that. It’s about shining a light on deeper themes of trust and resilience. As Cyclops works to rally the town’s mutants to stand up against Solarr, viewers are reminded of the broader struggle that mutants face in the world. It’s a microcosm of the larger narrative of the X-Men, where every character’s journey contributes to the overarching message of unity and resistance against oppression.

Cyclops is on a mission to find Taylor Prescott, the doctor who once helped him control his optic blasts when he was a kid, now mysteriously missing. Cyclops heads to a place called Skull Mesa, but as he approaches, a mutant named Watchdog keeps a close eye on him. Under orders, Watchdog causes Cyclops’ plane to crash in the desert. Crawling out of the wreckage, Cyclops finds that his optic blasts aren’t working. Enter Darrell Tanaka, a helpful mutant who spots Cyclops and gives him a lift to Skull Mesa. Along the way, Cyclops reminisces about his tough childhood, struggling to make friends because of his powers.

Upon arriving at Skull Mesa, Tanaka examines Cyclops to figure out why his powers have gone AWOL. It’s here that Cyclops discovers the town is entirely populated by mutants. As he walks through the town, he’s greeted by Solarr, Toad, and Chet Lambert. Solarr tries to send Cyclops packing, but Cyclops is determined to find Taylor. Solarr gives him a location, which turns out to be nothing more than an abandoned house. Returning to Tanaka’s infirmary, Cyclops is ambushed and captured by Solarr and his cronies. The villains reveal that Taylor has also been captured and that Solarr has taken over the town, forcing the mutant residents to mine gold for him after discovering a gold deposit beneath the town.

Cyclops is released and goes back to Tanaka, who explains that Taylor used small amounts of gold to keep the town running. Cyclops tries to rally Tanaka to take down Solarr, but Tanaka declines. Undeterred, Cyclops attempts to recruit other mutants, only to face rejection at every turn. Eventually, Cyclops confronts Solarr and his men alone but gets beaten up and captured again. In a dramatic turn of events, Tusk, one of the townspeople, decides enough is enough and leads a revolt against Solarr, Toad, and Chet, driving them out of town.

Tanaka then uses his healing powers to restore Cyclops’ optic blasts, and Taylor is finally rescued, reuniting with his old friend.

Silas King, AKA Solarr, changes his real name to ‘Bill Braddock’ in this episode. While he is a mutant, he had no interaction with the comic book heroes in their own book until 2024! Other characters in the episode (Taylor Prescott, Darrell Tanaka, Chet Lambert, and Watchdog) are all original characters, created for the series, and do not have comic book counterparts.

Skull Mesa has many residents that we’re familiar with, as most have been seen in background shots in the series before: Morlocks Sunder, Ape, Tommy and Slither, Mutant Liberation Front members Strobe, Reaper and Forearm, the Dark Riders’ Tusk, Arclight, Peepers, Copycat and Senyaka.

Toad makes his only major appearance in this episode. He also displays the slime powers more associated with the character since the X-Men movies.

We once again see flashbacks to early days for the school, with another scene of Cyclops in his original uniform. Apart from a brief moment with Xavier, Cyclops is the only main cast member to appear in this episode.

Courage | Nightcrawler