One of the surprises from season 2 of X-Men ’97 was getting a proper introduction to the Brood in the episode “Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs.”
Initially, the alien hive species that to infect and take over a host’s body were substituted in the parent series X-Men: The Animated Series with a more family friendly alternative called the Colony. But for X-Men ’97, we get to witness the Brood in all their terrifying glory as they serve as the literal manifestation of Wolverine’s worst instincts during his mission to regain his Adamantium claws.
How Did Wolverine Lose His Adamantium Claws?
This mess all started back in the three-part season 1 finale “Tolerance Is Extinction.” Wolverine stabbed a rogue Magneto in a sneak attack after the latter unleashed a deadly, global EMP. Sick and tired of the X-Men’s sympathy towards the humans that hate mutants, Magneto returns the favor by ripping the Adamantium, an unbreakable metal that’s bonded to Wolverine’s skeleton, out of his body. The attack almost killed him as it put a massive strain on his healing factor.
While Logan does make a full recovery by the time season 2 begins, his natural bone claws are far less durable. During a fight against Apocalypse’s forces in “Days of Past Future,” his claws would break almost as soon as they made contact with a target. When Logan learns about a laboratory tied to Weapon X, the genetic research project that gave Logan his claws, he comes up with a plan.
He assembles a team of former Weapon X test subjects: Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, Maverick, Garrison Kane and his X-Men teammate/best friend Morph for the mission. Then he lies to everyone, telling them they’re going to destroy Weapon X’s latest experiment. He doesn’t mention that he plans to rebond the Adamantium to his skeleton in the process.
Why The Brood Are So Dangerous
After barely surviving a helicopter crash that killed Garrison Kane, the team makes their way to the Weapon X facility. Once they’re inside, Logan and the others are horrified to discover that the Weapon X scientists tried to weaponize the Brood. The Brood are an alien hive species with long, insect-like heads, found by the Weapon X scientists who tried to use their DNA to build the perfect obedient super-soldier. The scientists thought they could control this process and create the perfect obedient weapon.
They were wrong. The Brood slaughtered every scientist in the facility. What makes this alien species so dangerous is that they reproduce by infecting living organisms and transforming them into new members of the Brood. Based on what they’ve learned, Morph theorizes the Brood could decimate all life on Earth in a week.
The Monster Unleashed
When Logan gets infected, he transforms into what is arguably his greatest fear: a hideous insect-like beast with no restraint. The infection strips away his humanity and leaves only his savagery and aggression. He kills Maverick and nearly murders Sabretooth. There is no mercy. The Brood takes Logan’s belief that he’s inherently dangerous to the people around him and makes it a disturbing truth.
Despite being lied to, Morph tries to save Wolverine. They even come up with a plan to get Logan his Adamantium skeleton back, since the Brood can’t survive the bonding process. Morph reminds Logan of their friendship, of how he saved them from Mister Sinister’s manipulations all those years ago.
It’s a sweet gesture but in a shocking subversion, it doesn’t work. All Morph gets for his efforts is a Brood-infected Wolverine stabbing them with their claws. It’s only when Morph shapeshifts into Jean Grey that Wolverine actually hesitates long enough for Lady Deathstrike to throw him into the Adamantium chamber. It’s a painful reminder that Wolverine doesn’t care for Morph the same way the shapeshifter feels about him. At the end of the day, their friendship, their history together doesn’t matter as much as Logan’s attachment to Jean (who’s with Cyclops by the way).
What Wolverine Learns About Himself
After Logan is cured and the Brood are seemingly destroyed after an explosion destroys the facility, he expects Morph to confront him. But Morph refuses. They tell Logan that he already knows how badly he messed up. They don’t need to spell it out to him.
“I ain’t like you, Morph. Some of us gotta be one thing,” Logan explains.
“And you’re only what? An animal with claws?” Morph asks him.
“That’s what I’m the best at being.”
Then Morph delivers a line that sums up the tragedy of Wolverine’s character. “Doesn’t that make you sad? It makes me sad, Logan.”
Logan went into that facility thinking he needed the Adamantium to be complete. What he got instead was some dark truths about himself. When it comes down between whatever he’s obsessed with and the people who care about him, he will choose the obsession. He will lie to his closest friends and allies. He will manipulate the people who trust him. He will put others in danger.
Of course, Logan had no way of knowing about the Brood beforehand. But it doesn’t change the fact that his actions cost two people their lives and nearly triggered a planetary-wide crisis. The Brood are an interesting symbol of Wolverine’s worst impulses because they show what he becomes when he stops trying to be better. And that’s a difficult thing to accept about oneself.
