Beyond Good and Evil (Part 1) kicks off a thrilling adventure that dives headfirst into the complex themes of time travel and destiny. The four-parter, originally intended as a series finale, features a high-stakes conflict as the X-Men find themselves embroiled in a battle against the forces of Apocalypse. The malevolent villain has concocted a scheme that involves manipulating the very fabric of time to achieve his dark ambitions. The X-Men, ever the resilient heroes, must navigate these temporal disturbances to thwart his plans.

Central to this episode is the enigmatic Cable, a time-traveling warrior from the future who has a personal vendetta against Apocalypse. Cable’s inclusion adds a rich layer of complexity to the storyline, as his knowledge of future events and advanced technology prove to be both a boon and a source of tension among the X-Men. Cable’s mission is not just to stop Apocalypse but also to prevent the dystopian future from which he hails, underscoring the episode’s theme of altering destiny and the ethical dilemmas that come with it.

In the year 3999, Cable and Clan Chosen launch a daring assault on Apocalypse’s base in Cairo. However, their plans quickly unravel as Apocalypse, having anticipated the attack, sets a cunning trap for the would-be heroes. As they are captured, Apocalypse seizes Cable’s time-traveling computer and uses it to send himself back in time. This temporal meddling inadvertently causes Bishop, travelling back to the the year 2055, to become unstuck in time. Suddenly, Bishop finds himself at a temporal crossroads, encountering Bender, who shows him various windows of time, each revealing different historical periods.

Meanwhile, in the present, Cyclops and Jean Grey decide to give their wedding another go. This time, their attempt is successful, and they finally tie the knot. However, their newlywed bliss is short-lived. After the reception, the couple is ambushed by the Nasty Boys, and Jean is kidnapped. Desperate to find her, Professor X attempts to use Cerebro but is ambushed by Mister Sinister, who attacks him and Jubilee inside the mansion. The situation is dire as Sinister’s insidious plans unfold.

Back in 2055, Forge and Shard become increasingly concerned about Bishop’s sudden disappearance. Determined to find him, Shard is sent back in time to the X-Men’s present day to investigate. Upon her arrival, Shard arrives just in time to thwart Mister Sinister’s attempt to kidnap Professor X. At the base, Jean discovers from her captors that Sinister and the Nasty Boys have been acting under the orders of Apocalypse all along…

Cable’s teammates from the beginning of this episode are the Clan Chosen, briefly seen in season two’s Time Fugitives, where we first met Tyler and saw a glimpse of the 40th Century.

Although it’s not a Lazarus Chamber exactly, Apocalypse is awoken from a sarcophagus during the X-Cutioner’s Song in X-Men #14 and also leaves one empty in Wolverine #100 and Uncanny X-Men #335. John Colicos‘ voice performance throughout this story as Apocalypse is unparalleled. There’s a moment in this episode where’s he’s philosophising about his place in creation and it’s one of this writer’s favourite moments!

The flashback with Bishop is taken from One Man’s Worth (Part 2) earlier on this season. For some reason, the flashback is in black and white on Disney+, whereas this writer has only ever seen it in colour.

The Shard and Bishop story, also including Forge from 2055, continues on from Days of Future Past in season one.

Jean and Scott got ‘married’ by Morph in Till Death Do Us Part. In comic lore, they finally tied the knot in X-Men #30. Rogue caught the bouquet there as well! Morph can be seen at the ceremony as Jean’s father walks her up the aisle.

Scott’s wedding car has the license plate SLIM after Cyclops’ nickname, Scott ‘Slim’ Summers, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men #1.

The Nasty Boys first appeared in the season two premiere – on Jean and Scott’s honeymoon.

Jubilee previous attempted to take down Sinister on panel in X-Force #16. As with Apocalypse, there’s some great dialogue acting from Christopher Britton going on throughout this episode: Sinister’s exasperated tantrums are seriously funny!

Have Yourself a Morlock Little X-Mas | Beyond Good and Evil (Part 2): Promise of Apocalypse