The game is a joint production involving Channel 4 and Littleloud, and is written by Kieron Gillen: comic-book writer, gamer, co-owner at Rock, Paper, Shotgun and all-round nice guy who was kind enough to answer a few question about The Curfew, some of the issues that the game brings up, and of course his comic books. The interview below has not been edited, and we’d like to thank Kieron and Rebecca Ladbury for their time and co-operation.

BURNALLZOMBIES: Can you describe a little bit about the creative process behind The Curfew? It was commissioned by Alice Taylor, commissioning editor of Channel 4’s educational programming, so how much of the idea was already in mind, and how much developed over the course of writing?

KIERON GILLEN: Channel 4 Education has its vague over-arching themes which it plans to use as fuel for projects. Littleloud was considering a couple of them – Civil Liberties and Mental Health – when they approached me as possibly as a writer. In the end, it was the core of one of Littleloud’s idea – “the curfew”, a safehouse, four people, day-after-tomorrow “Canterbury Tales”-structure – which we ended up developing. And it developed a lot… though, since that core is recognisable in the short-form I list above, it shows that it’s much more about execution than the grand oversweeping structure.

In short – the high-level theme came from Channel 4; everything about the actual execution of that theme came from Littleloud.

Channel 4 and its affiliated channels have been heavily promoting The Curfew during ad breaks, and a lot of these ads are similar in style to Channel 4’s TV shows. Was The Curfew always planned as an interactive “game” with a real-life cast, or were there ever other/“simpler” possibilities of telling the same story? And how did that format affect your approach as a writer.

Littleloud have a long history at making webgames. Arguably their most famous previous one was the BAFTA-award winning Bow Street Runner, which uses the earlier version of the same technology – rendered backgrounds, real-actors and similar conversation/mini-game interaction. The Curfew was basically the spiritual sequel to Bow Street Runner, just turning the technology to a new end. Being a gaming geek, I think of it as Planescape Torment to Bow Street Runner’s Baldur’s Gate.

I’ve never written for actors before. Like any new thing, it affected my writing by provoking me to panic. It’s just how I operate.

As part of Channel 4’s educational programming, much of The Curfew revolves around notions of citizenship, as well as the rights and responsibilities of a nation and its inhabitants, and other civil rights issues. At what stage did Amnesty, Liberty, Human Rights Watch and The Equality And Human Rights Commission get involved in the production, and what kind of response did they have to the story?

I’m afraid you’d have to talk to Littleloud and Channel 4 about this, as I never communicated to them directly. Basically, even at synopsis form, everything I wrote was taken to Channel 4 and evaluated whether it was actually suitable, and then – apparently – eventually presented to experts. That so many human rights groups are linked is probably the best evidence of how they took it.

While a fictional narrative, there’s some real-life issues writ large in The Curfew, and one of the most interesting aspects for me has to do with the availability and control of media. As a writer and games journalist, you straddle an interesting divide between creator and consumer: what are your own thoughts on censorship and access to media, as well as piracy and digital content, based on your experiences from both sides?

Big question. I suspect any answer I can give which works in a short interview format is going to sound really pat. I’ve started writing this paragraph a few dozen times now, and I can’t work out a way to get to the end of the paragraph and make a point I actually believe which doesn’t demand another eight paragraphs of explanation.

It’s a big question, and most of the questions are about the world we’re choosing to make. My immediate urge was to write that I’m against censorship in all its forms, but I just start picking at that and drawing a line between what censorship is and isn’t. I think the democratisation of the press with the internet age is an important thing – but I also understand that married to the postmodern belief in all-opinions-are-equal, the based chew of capitalism and general entitlement that it leads to some really nasty places. One of the themes in The Curfew which people haven’t picked up on as much is the basic one of personal responsibility – of where it starts and where it ends, and what communication is anyway.

It’s a game which is fundamentally won or lost by weaponised empathy. We’re here with each other and we’ve got to make the best of it.

And the question of Piracy is another essay, which I don’t think necessarily overlaps with digital content. I’ll go as far to say that if you can’t give people access to something in a format they want – digital – you can’t be too surprised when they pirate when there’s no other option.

Currently The Curfew plays out on site, with plans for a full downloadable experience later this year. Are there any plans to support The Curfew with other narratives outside of the main game? Or to revisit the world in some other format in the future?

I don’t know what Littleloud has planned… but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is never touched again. I think games are desperately obsessed with turning their worlds into brands, which is great for capitalism and not so great for the art.

Most of our readers probably know you best as the writer of Phonogram, some of your more recent work with Marvel Comics or maybe your games journalism with Rock, Paper, Shotgun: it’s a pretty eclectic CV, so were there any major differences (or similarities) in writing The Curfew?

Impossible deadlines.

If only I was joking.

I think it would be fair to say that you’re as passionate about games and music as you are about writing, and knowing what games someone plays or what music they listen to gives a real sense of character: in Phonogram, music even defines their very being. Similarly, in The Curfew, the game The Call Of Grand Theft Duty is integral to one of the characters: is this something you do consciously when creating a character, or does it just come naturally? Do your characters develop from their interests, or do they develop the interests as they grow? And have you ever written a character that you suspect of liking Kula Shaker? [If you've read Phonogram, you'll get that. If not: shame on you.]

Someone in a random tweet or e-mail just wrote asking something like “would you say the major theme across all your work is how humans interact and are shaped by the culture they consume?” And I thought… well, yes. That’s it, innit? I’d never put it that cleanly, but if you want a BIG THEME across everything I do, that’s it. That said, Lucas [The Boy in The Curfew] is given a far harder time than Phonogram’s cast for his solipism.

In terms of creation, it works both ways. Some of it comes quickly. You just know that a character would like a certain band. In Phonogram, it occasionally goes the other way – like Laura emerging from the black swamp of Long Blondes records. And then when you’re writing a character, you catch a record and realise it resonates with that character. Lloyd only got a happy ending in Phonogram when I found myself listening to Los Campesinos late at night, and found myself thinking “Lloyd really could do with hearing this. He’d learn something.” When thinking about Generation Hope [Kieron's new X-Men series, commencing in November, focussing on the supposed mutant saviour and a team of new mutants], I was listening to These Dancing Days’ “Hitten” and it sort of clicked. That’s where she is, right now, and that’s what this series is about.  I tend to see songs as blobs of narrative and meaning in an unrealised, pure form. [Jamie] McKelvie [Kieron's collaborating artist on Phonogram and Marvel's Siege: Loki one-shot] says that instinct is pretty much the thing which allowed me to write Phonogram.

The character who likes Kula Shaker lives, crumpled up, in my office-bin.

Moving away from The Curfew, any plans to revisit the world of Phonogram after The Single’s Club [the second series in the comic]? Or to see (hear?) Phonogram on stage or screen?

I’d love to do another series of Phonogram, but it’s just incredibly, incredibly unlikely. Financial reality crushed it, and now McKelvie and myself are just too busy.

Phonogram on screen or stage would be highly amusing, especially considering I originally wrote it to be as unadaptable as possible. That said, you never know.

There seems to be a second wave of the British invasion hitting Marvel and DC over the last few years, focussing on names like yourself and Paul Cornell; how does it feel to be name-checked in the same breath as the likes of Gaiman, Moore, Carey, Morrison et al?

That’s complimentary company you’re putting me in. I like to imagine when you say I’m name-checked in the same breath, the breath is saying “Isn’t nearly as good as XYZ”.

Really? It’s about as strange as you may expect.  On the other hand… okay, I’ll spin off at an angle. When doing Phonogram, Jamie and I wanted to do something that mattered to other people as much as the stuff which inspired us mattered to us. We are people who have had life-changing experiences with art, and we wanted to be part of that chain. So, when people come up to us and talk about how much the work means to them, up to the point of changing how they dress or what clubs they go to or whatever… well, it’s profoundly embarrassing and  bizarre. But it’s also exactly what we wanted. As odd as it is – and that you find it odd is about the only way you can tell you haven’t gone off the deep end – it’s what you entered this game for, so you have to smile and say thank you and (if pressed) say that you understand, because you were there yourself once.

So when people compare me to some people who I absolutely count as major influences…

Well, I didn’t get into this line of work to be shit.

I want to be as good as my influences – all my influences, inside and outside of comics. Hell, I want to be better, even if I don’t think I’ll ever be. You have to try.

You’re finishing up a pretty successful run on Thor at the moment, and Generation Hope will be on shelves later this year: did Thor give you a chance to get involved (or even check out) the film/tie-in game? And how close will Generation Hope run alongside the other X-Men titles?

Nope. I’ve only seen as much of the film as everyone else has, which I kinda like. I want to be surprised. And Generation Hope will be part of the core X-men universe. They’re Matt [Fraction, current writer of Uncanny X-Men] and my characters, so they’re always going to be. However, I also want to write a book which is readable entirely by itself. Anything I write, I try and make the smallest individual elements mean something by themselves.

Finally, regarding characters or franchises from the worlds of comics and video games: if there were one character or franchise you could get your hands on, regardless of rights or medium, what would you write?

I would like to get my hands on all the Suburban Glamour characters, so Jamie doesn’t own them anymore. And then I would write them really badly, saying things like “Jamie McKelvie smells bad. He smells so bad. Pooooooooo! He smells like Pooo.” And then I would phone him up and laugh at him. Again.

[Jamie McKelvie was unavailable to comment on his personal scent at the time of posting this...truth is, we didn't actually ask anyway.]

The Curfew is currently in Beta and can be played here.

Generation Hope begins in November; Thor is an ongoing series and Siege: Loki is available as one-shot or as part of several Siege collection from Marvel Comics, including a Siege: Thor Hardcover due later this year.

Phonogram: Rue Britannia and Phonogram Volume 2: The Single’s Club are available now, published by Image Comics.

Kieron is a regular contributer and co-owner of Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

Now, to keep us ticking over for the couple of hours until season six begins, pyram1dhead has debuted another video, this one a real-time splice of the various airport scenes from before the crash. It’s just part one of two though, with a lot of the scenes coming from characters that are no longer with us, so you’ll need to keep an eye out for part two, which we’ll share as soon as we can.

There’s no guarantee that these scenes will have any further bearing on the end of LOST, but if nothing else, just go to show the attention to detail that the people behind the show put into continuity. Now, if only we could figure out just why the first episode of season six is called “LA X”…

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So here’s a 24-style multi-screen recap of the events leading to the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. Some scenes will probably resurface this season, but even if you’re not a fan of LOST, it’s worth a look just to see how well put together this video is (and the continuity that goes on in the series.)

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The video was made by youtube user pyram1dhead, so that’s where you should direct all your thanks.

New Year’s Eve is as good a time as any to look back over some of the best of what 2009 had to over. On that note, we bring you the inaugural Burnt Zombie Awards, a run-down of the finest movies, games, music, TV and comics had to offer this year. Of course, if you disagree, we can discuss below. It’s not as if we’ll send the zombies around if we don’t agree with you…

Movies

Movie Of The Year (Drama/Comedy/Romance): Synecdoche, New York

It may have been a 2008 film, but it only got released here in Ireland this year, and even then, only in limited cinemas. Still, Charlie Kaufman’s directorial debut was everything you would expect from the writer of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind: brilliant, bold, witty, confusing, and ultimately heartbreaking.

Philip Seymour Hoffman took centre stage as Caden Cotard, a hypochondriac writer struggling to reconcile the stage with real life, as both his work and his life begin to crumble around him. The star’s performances are legendary, and it’s unfortunate that this movie was somewhat overshadowed by his Oscar nomination for Doubt, not least because of the performances from a supporting cast that includes Catherine Keener, Michelle Williams, Tom Noonan and Dianne Wiest. By the end of the film, neither the audience nor Cotard himself are sure what is real and what isn’t (and perhaps Kaufman doesn’t know himself) but it doesn’t make the film any less moving.

Movie Of The Year (Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror): Star Trek

Hands down one of the year’s most entertaining and successful films, Star Trek proved to surpass most expectations at the box office: we expected something good, but never something this good. Rebooting the ailing franchise, J.J. Abrams brought his back to the beginning with an origin story for the original crew of the USS Enterprise that established itself in a new universe while lovingly acknowledging a history that spans over five decades.

Perhaps more interesting was the fact that Star Trek didn’t feel rushed, but crammed a hell of a lot of action into it’s running time, never letting up on the adrenaline, but never letting the story slip either. It’s the first film in a long time that won over new fans to the series, usually a good sign when eleven movies in, and it doesn’t look like this will the final frontier or anything like it.

Honourable Mentions:

Avatar; Paranormal Activity; The House Of The Devil; Moon

Games

Game Of The Year (Cross-Platform): Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum takes the Burnt Zombie for Game Of The Year, with its rich story, impressive graphics and some seriously fun gameplay. Although there have been plenty of games that have put players in control of the Caped Crusader, few others have had the depth to the character as this game, embracing the tactical elements of Batman’s nocturnal exploits as well as the combat techniques of one of the best fighters that comic books have to offer. Not to mention what it’s like in the shoes (and cape) of the World’s Greatest Detective.

With a sequel already announced, it’s probably unlikely that we’ll be limited to Arkham Asylum for further adventures, but that may even be a disappointment: the asylum’s location on an island gave the game a sandbox feel, with no areas off-limits or out-of-bounds. If any further games can do the same with Gotham City itself, they may just blow everything else out of the water.

Honourable Mention:

Assassin’s Creed II

Game Of The Year (Platform Exclusive): Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

The further adventures of Nathan Drake couldn’t have come sooner. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was a difficult game to improve upon, but its sequel did just that, bringing the humour and action of treasure hunting to the video game world that the fourth Indiana Jones movie failed to bring to the cinema. With the secret of ultimate power hanging in the balance, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves manages to turn the action up to eleven while still having time to throw in a femme fatale, a love triangle and a mythical city, making the PS3 a must-have console for this must-have game.

Honourable Mention:

inFamous

Game Of The Year (Downloadable/DLC): Shadow Complex

A platforming game with 8-bit style sensibilities, but in 2.5D and massive guns, Epic Games (also known as the guys behind  Gears Of War) brought Shadow Complex to the XBox 360, allowing players to explore a vast underground facility while uncovering a dark conspiracy that reaches to the top of the US government. What set Shadow Complex apart was that the game was customisable, and could be finished at several points, each leading to a different experience. And of course, let’s not forget the foam gun.

Honourable Mentions:

‘Splosion Man; Marvel Vs Capcom 2; Fallout 3 DLC

Music

Album Of The Year: Lady GaGa ‘The Fame Monster’

Pop, rock, dance…you name it, and there were traces of it on Lady GaGa’s second album. Not content to provide the soundtrack of the year with The Fame, the album was re-released with all new tracks and  bundled with a new album in the shape of The Fame Monster. Over the course of twelve months, Lady GaGa has worked with some of the top names in music, as a writer and a singer, and it doesn’t look like she’ll be stopping any time soon. What’s more impressive, though, is that you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone, no matter how “hardcore” who hasn’t found themselves singing along to one of the artist’s songs over the last year.

Honourable Mentions:

Florence & The Machine’s Lungs; Thrice’s Beggars

TV

Show Of The Year (Drama/Comedy/Romance): Modern Family

A dysfunctional (and not-so-conventional) family who love to hate each other: thankfully, Modern Family doesn’t have any will-they-won’t-they distractions, but instead a ribald dark look at family life. From the creators of Frasier, it’s like Al Bundy never left our screens, and I challenge anyone to watch the show without seeing some members of their own family brought to life.

Honourable Mentions:

30 Rock

Show Of The Year (Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror): LOST

Continuing to bring the finest in WTF-ery, Lost‘s fifth season jumped around in time before settling into answering…well, it still didn’t many questions, but we know it’s on its way there. But in a season that marked the series’ landmark 100th episode, along with some departures, what LOST hasn’t been giving in answers, it’s certainly providing in the shape of drama.

Honourable Mentions:

V; True Blood

Comics

Comic Series Of The Year: Dark Avengers – Brian Michael Bendis

What happens when the bad guys pretend to be good guys while…they’re kind of trying to really be good guys, even though they might be bad guys at heart? If you’re reading Dark Avengers, then you’ll have an idea of what I’m talking about. And if you haven’t, then why not? The series has brought some wonderful moments in its relatively short run so far, most of them involving Norman Osborn’s nefarious plans, slipping mental health and The Sentry being blown to bits. Repeatedly. The future of Dark Avengers really depends on what comes from Marvel’s Siege storyline, but 2009 has certainly been the year for this book.

Honourable Mentions:

Thunderbolts – Andy Diggle; Uncanny X-Men – Matt Fraction; Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man – Brian Michael Bendis

That said, at least The Waters Of Mars looks like it might have a bit more meat to it, with the Doctor philosophising about not interfering with time at certain points (guaranteed death, methinks) and a promise of how David Tennant might leave the role. There’s a similar feel to this episode as with The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit, against which I have judged all Doctor Who episodes since and, to be honest, few of them have ever lived up to my expectations.

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With the cliffhanger ending of season five in The Incident, viewers are still unsure exactly what’s going to happen with season six. If we belive some of the cast, they’re not really sure either. Show-runners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have already promised that we’ll see a lot of returning characters in season six, including Emilie de Ravin as Claire who hasn’t been seen since season four, but more importantly, rumours abound that “dead” characters will be returning to the series, with actors Dominic Monaghan, Ian Somerhalder and Maggie Grace being spotted around Hawaii or in talks with the production team. Of course, that doesn’t mean much with the show’s narrative structure so dependant on flashbacks and visions, so it could be something as simple as Michelle Rodriguez’s appearance as Ana-Lucia in season five.

The two videos below, however, lend some credence to those rumours, perhaps indicating that the “reset button” was indeed pressed with that fade-to-white the came at the end of The Incident and perhaps Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 successfully made it to Los Angeles. Otherwise, why would Oceanic be advertising their accident-free record or (under the link) how else would Hurley have bought a fried chicken restaurant?

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Now, in part two, we take a look at some of the villains and other characters featured throughout the series, along with the storylines adapted over its five season run, and how they fit into the bigger picture of the X-Men universe.

One of the highpoints of the X-Men animated series was its willingness to include characters from across the Marvel Universe: some were simple cameos, others had episodes dedicated to them and their origins, and others still were new characters, introduced, created and adapted solely for the series.

Chief amongst them is Morph, a character introduced in the very first episode and whose shapeshifting powers scare the newly arrived Jubilee. Morph doesn’t have an equivalent in the comics, but is rather based on the mutant Changeling, initially a villain who then poses as Xavier to keep the Professor’s secrets safe.

In the series, Morph dies in the very first episode, “Night Of The Sentinels” (or at least appears to do so), something the producers intended to happen to show how serious the show would be.  Morph’s death has a profound effect on long-time teammates Wolverine and Beast and when Wolverine suspects that Morph has survived, he goes solo to hunt him down. Morph’s storyline intersects with the other X-Men in the second season when he is manipulated by Sinister with the ultimate goal of capturing Cyclops and Jean Grey. Posing as a priest, Morph marries the two lovers before the wedding is crashed by Sinister and his gang.

Sinister’s plans for Cyclops and Jean never really get fully realised, especially not given how they play out in the comics: while the series matches his origins closely as a Victorian geneticist Dr. Nathaniel Essex, his introduction is very different, having appeared first in the comics during the “Inferno” storyline, where it is revealed that he’s responsible for the creation of Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean Grey activated after her apparent death. Sinister’s plan for Madelyne is that she will harvest Cyclops’ genetic material, thus combining the powerful Summers and Grey bloodlines, thus creating a powerful mutant. In the comics, that child is taken into the future, infected by a techno-organic virus and where he ultimately grows up to become Cable.

Cable surfaces in the animated series as well, but his ties to Scott (and implied ties to Jean) are not mentioned: in actual fact, while Cable was a time traveller and leader of the militant X-Force, he was only truly revealed to be the grown-up Nathan Summers after “X-Force #18″ was published in 1993, when the series was already in production. He is not the only time-traveller to surface in the series, with Bishop also returning from a terrible future in the series’ adaptation of the “Days Of Future Past” storyline to prevent the assassination of the mutant hating Senator Robert Kelly. The story is quite faithful to the original, with perhaps the biggest difference being that Bishop takes the place of Kitty Pryde (absent from the series) who is sent back to possess the body of her younger self to prevent the assassination. Bishop and Cable surface at various times throughout the series, appearing in both “Time Fugitives” and “Beyond Good And Evil” to face Apocalypse.

Since he first appeared in “X-Factor #5,” Apocalypse has provided a steady villainous presence in the X-Men universe, both behind the scenes and very publicly facing them in battle alongside his Horsemen. At various times, the Horsemen have included Wolverine, Gambit, Polaris and Caliban, but chief amongst his machinations and manipulations is Warren Worthington, the mutant known as Angel and, after Apocalypse’s tampering, becoming the blue-skinned and metal-winged Archangel.

Archangel first appears in episode nine of the series, where he is created when Warren submits to a procedure that he hopes will cure his mutation. Warren has always been complicit in the creation of Archangel, submitting to the disguised Apocalypse’s procedure after losing his wings in an airplane explosion in the comics. Apocalypse is also shown to be responsible for the creation of Sinister, and in many ways, is the ultimate genocidal murderer, seeking to exterminate those too weak to live, thus ensuring the survival of the fittest. In the two-part “Time Fugitives,” both Bishop and Cable travel back in time, the former to prevent the spread of a terrible virus and the latter to stop Apocalypse himself. Apocalypse is so strong, that even the combined force of the X-Men and Bishop prove incapable of stopping Apocalypse, leading to their own destruction.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1THZ6r-bYU]

Of course, no X-Men adaptation would be complete without the presence of Magneto, who provides the villainous presence for the first season. But Magneto’s character is also significant in that it shows the more human side of the X-Men universe that was taken to heart by the series, in that the villain is capable of reforming: throughout season two, he works together with former colleague Charles Xavier and Magneto’s character exists in such a point between black and white that he becomes the victim of a villain in the end of the third season when Fabian Cortez tries to turn him into a martyr for the mutant cause, which Magneto has lost faith in.

The mutant cause is a recurring theme throughout the series, and the X-Men and their fellow mutants face fear and hatred from all sides, most notably the Friends Of Humanity, Senator Robert Kelly’s Mutant Registration Program and, of course, the giant mutant-hunting robots, the Sentinels. The anti-mutant sentiment draws close parallels with equal rights campaigns of the 20th century, specifically racial relations: the militant nature of the Friends Of Humanity draws uncomfortable parallels with white supremacist groups, especially when the hypocrisy of their leader is laid bare with the revelation that Graydon Creed is the son of Victor Creed, better known as Sabretooth.

But the fear that humans have directed towards the mutant populace is not entirely misplaced. When Jean Grey adopts the Dark Phoenix persona in season three, the X-Men are near-powerless to defeat her. In fact, the Dark Phoenix proves such a threat that it takes the Shi’ar Empire to intervene in order to provide any resistance to the Phoenix Force and its ultimate power, and it is only through the self-sacrifice of Jean manually targeting the weapons of the Shi’ar ship that she can be defeated at all.

Jean first manifests the abilities of the Phoenix Force during the Phoenix Saga, a very faithful adaptation of the stories written by Chris Claremont and featuring the X-Men’s first real adventures in space, allying with the Starjammers (including Cyclops’ father, Christopher Summers) and Lilandra to prevent the crazed Emperor D’Ken from using the M’Krann Crystal to destroy the universe. Dark Phoenix is born when the power becomes too much for Jean to control and she fights against the influence of Emma Frost and Mastermind (here, members of the Inner Circle Club, rather than the Hellfire Club from the comics.)

There are some minor differences between these adaptations and the original stories, though: chief amongst them is the apparent death of Jean at the end of the Phoenix Saga (no such ‘death’ happens in the comics) and her resurrection on the moon after the events of the Dark Phoenix Saga, using life-essence from each of the X-Men to restore her. In the comics, Jean remained dead for several years, until she was resurrected in a crossover between “Avengers #263″ and “Fantastic Four #286,” ultimately returning to ‘duty’ with the original X-Men team in “X-Factor #1.”

Several other big storylines from the X-Men family of comics were adapted in smaller scale throughout the series’ run, some on a smaller scale than others, but all allowing characters from the comics to appear: “Mojovision” features the crawling-wheelchair-bound Mojo, leader of a world ruled by TV who uses the X-Men as the subject for a new series; “One Man’s Worth” posits a world without Xavier where humans and mutants are at war, a very loose take on the popular “Age Of Apocalypse” storyline; the first season’s “Captive Hearts” follows the enslaved mutate populace of Genosha; and “Phalanx Covenant” shows the X-Men teaming up with Sinister and Magneto to defeat the technological aliens known as the Phalanx, including an appearance from Warlock, one of the stars of the “New Mutants” series.

The overall faithfulness of “X-Men” as an animated series adaptation of the comics has made the series a very tough act to follow, although attempts have been made. In many ways, the series paved the way for the successful movie franchise starting in 2000, and now on its fourth movie. Coinciding with the movie, a new animated series also debuted in 2000, “X-Men: Evolution” featuring the X-Men as students at Xavier’s School including Cyclops, Jean, Rogue, Iceman, Kitty Pryde and a new character, Spyke (a male version of Marrow from the comics who was also Storm’s nephew.) The series is notable for being the first appearance of X-23, a female clone of Wolverine who later moved into the comics, and that several episodes were written by Christopher Yost, who has since moved on to “Wolverine & The X-Men” and co-writer of several X-Men comics.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpRUYkyrA9o]

“Wolverine & The X-Men” made its own debut in 2008 and crosses between the two series, with the faithfulness of the original series and the action-driven animation of “X-Men: Evolution,” with Wolverine trying to bring the X-Men together after the disappearance of Professor Xavier and Jean Grey. Season two is in post-production, and should be airing during the 2009/2010 TV season. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq671kbvu8M]

And that’s it for this Flashback Feature looking at “X-Men”. Check back soon for another chance to look back at shows, movies and games with a healthy dose of nostalgia.

This Flashback Feature is dedicated to a look at the 90s TV series, and most importantly, its ties to its comic book origins. But before we start looking at the show and its characters, why not remind yourself of the very first reason why the show was so beloved to begin with…?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxOQTaLTFrU]

The “X-Men” animated series has very close ties to the storylines of the comics at the time, right down to the cast of characters. Part of the reason it has proven so successful with the X-Men fanbase has been because of how faithful it remains to its subject matter, even adapting whole storylines for plot points, both large over-arching plots and individual stories. Over five seasons and 76 episodes, Fox’s series provided many people with their first introduction to the world of the mutants, in many ways paving the way for the movies to take over the box office (not to mention two further animated series that have followed in its footsteps.) But to appreciate everything that “X-Men” was, it helps to know what went before.

Origins

The original incarnation of the X-Men, as they appeared in the 1963 comics series, were Cyclops (Scott Summers), Iceman (Bobby Drake), Beast (Hank McCoy), Angel (Warren Worthington) and Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) with leader/mentor Professor Charles Xavier, and this team appeared in the 1966 “Marvel Super-Heroes” cartoons in some episodes featuring Namor, the Sub-Mariner.

Characters have come and gone over the last five decades, with the biggest change to the roster happening in Giant Size X-Men #1 when a new team was launched in 1975, including the now-iconic Wolverine (in actual fact, this was a relaunch of the series which had been cancelled some years earlier.) But the original team remained on board as supporting characters, returning at various points alongside new mutants, heroes and villains. Although not a member of the core team, Iceman inclusion in the series “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” meant that the X-Men got some face-time on TV.

In many ways, the “X-Men” animated series owes its success to the 1989 pilot, “Pryde Of The X-Men,” a once-off animated special inducting Kitty Pryde (also known as Shadowcat) into the second incarnation of the X-Men (including Colossus, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Storm.) While an unsuccessful series, due in no small part to its humorous and campy take on the X-Men franchise, it was thanks to repeated showings on TV and the demand the “Pryde Of The X-Men” set up that an X-Men animated series came to the small screen.

While “X-Men” features characters from all times of the teams history, its core members are picked from the team’s entire history, in many ways similar to the team led by Cyclops in the early 1990s (after the original team, under the name of “X-Factor” had been re-absorbed into the X-Men.) Representing the original team are Cyclops, Beast, Jean Grey (having ditched the Marvel Girl name long ago) and Professor Xavier; from the team’s 1975 formation are Storm and Wolverine; and from various points through the 80s and early 90s are Rogue, Gambit and Jubilee. Similarly, the villains features in “X-Men” range from Magneto, the first villain for the team to ever face in the comics, to the still mysterious Sinister, whose origins had played out in the comics only shortly before they appeared in the cartoon.

The X-Men
Cyclops

As long as Cyclops has been involved with the X-Men, he’s played the role of leader, and even when Storm surpassed him as such, Cyclops went off to join X-Factor and led them. Cyclops’ power is the ability to shoot concussive force from this eyes in the form of red injury, a power he can’t control due to a head injury as a child.

As in the comics, Cyclops’ relationship with Jean Grey is at the heart of the X-Men and at numerous stages through the series, the two attempt to get married or have dates disrupted by fights. Orphaned at an early age, Cyclops’ youth is the focus of the episode “No Mutant Is An Island,” when, mourning the apparent death of Jean Grey, Cyclops returns to the orphanage in which he grew up only to find it under the influence of Jeremiah Killgrave, the villain known in the comics as the Purple Man. The series constantly flirts with the rivalry and respect that Cyclops and Wolverine share for each other, both as fighters and potential lovers for Jean, and while the series never makes explicit the relationship that Cyclops has with his brother (the mutant Havok, leader of the mutant team seen in “Cold Comfort”) they share a similar rivalry.

Norm Spencer provided the voice of Cyclops in all his appearances through the period, from “Pryde Of The X-Men” to the “Marvel vs Capcom” video games.

Wolverine

He might have only joined the X-Men in 1975, but Wolverine has become synonymous with the team, and easily their most recognisable member. With a healing factor that makes him nearly invincible and unbreakable adamantium claws, Wolverine is also the most dangerous member of the X-Men, while a romantic at heart.

With the full extent of Logan’s past only being revealed in the comics since “House Of M,” the “X-Men” cartoon only gives us hints, many of which are an opportunity for stories that show a lot more of the Marvel universe, such as the Weapon X project and a team-up with Captain America in the episode “Old Soldiers.”

Rogue

Rogue has become a staple of the X-Men team since she joined in Uncanny X-Men #171, but like Wolverine, Rogue’s origins were a mystery throughout the 90s. With her power to absorb people’s essence and powers through skin contact, Rogue has been a tragic figure in the comics and the cartoon alike, with the promise of a relationship with Gambit constantly snatched from her grasp. Rogue also possesses the powers of flight, invulnerability, enhanced senses and strength, but it isn’t until “A Rogue’s Tale” in the seconds season that it’s revealed that these powers were stolen from Carol Danvers (the heroic Ms. Marvel) during Rogue’s previous career as a villain.

Rogue’s ties to other villains like Mystique and Magneto are also explored in the series, having been raised by the shapeshifting villainess. Interestingly, Rogue’s powerset has her conveniently absent from some episodes, most notably the first part of the Phoenix Saga, where her powers would have negated the need for Jean Grey to sacrifice herself to save a crashing shuttle.

Storm

Having made her debut in the second iteration of the X-Men, Storm has become a well-known comic book character in her own right. Aside from her mutant powers of weather control, the Storm of the comics had led both the X-Men and the literally underground society of mutant rejects known as the Morlocks. Ororo Munroe is also one of the most prominent African-American women in comics, most notable because of the strengths in her character and refusal to be defeated even when faced with her greatest fears. She’s even married to fellow Marvel superhero T’Challa, the Black Panther and King of Wakanda, making Storm his queen.

Although the second generation of X-Men included more racially inclusive team-members, Storm was the only one to make it to full-time status in the animated series (Nightcrawler, Banshee and Colossus are limited to guest appearances) but it’s significant that little attention is drawn to the matter, showing how accepting the X-Men can be (and providing a stark contrast when compared with the anti-mutant sentiment they face.) While this take on Storm remains an orphan, Ororo has a home in Africa, where her adopted son Mjnari, a mutant with super-speed, provides her emotional home and also a dangerous quotient used by the Shadow King to manipulate Storm.

Beast

The second member of the team who served on the original X-Men team, if Storm provides the racial equality, then Hank McCoy provides the intellectual portion of the team.

Despite Hank’s powers of strength and agility, Beast provides important exposition for a lot of the series, especially when the X-Men come up against the Sentinels, Apocalypse and the Legacy Virus. For the most part, Beast is underused for the series, being incarcerated for the first few episodes and rarely getting his own episodes. Nonetheless, he remains an important part of action programming of the early 90s, a reminder to engage the brains ahead of the fists.

Gambit

Gambit’s inclusion in the animated series is somewhat unusual when you consider that he only debuted in the comics in 1990, just two years before the cartoon began. However, it gives an indication of how popular the character is and has proven to be over the last two decades (to the point where producers have tried to include Gambit in all of the X-Men movies, finally succeeding in the recent “X-Men: Origins – Wolverine,” although that depends on your definition of success.)

Gambit’s powers involve the ability to charge objects with kinetic energy for explosive effect, giving the series a chance to indulge in big explosions. It also gave the series a chance to delve into their characters’ darker pasts, with Gambit’s past as a thief regularly brought to the fore, and causing some friction between himself and his love interest, Rogue, especially when Gambit’s ex-fiancee is revealed in the episode “X-Ternally Yours.” The darkest part of Gambit’s past went unmentioned in the series however, his employment under Sinister and the part he had to play in the massacre of the Morlocks.

Jubilee

Let’s face it, nobody really liked Jubilee, did they? Easily the weakest member of the X-Men team, she was prominent for the first few episodes before that realisation happened, and the focus shifted to the senior members.

Like Gambit, Jubilee had only been introduced in the comics some years prior to the start of the series: her presence in the cartoon is chiefly to appeal to the kid/teenage viewers, clear from her large presence in the pilot episode, “Night Of The Sentinels.” She provides the viewers’ inlet to the X-Men and the characters, but once we’ve been introduced to them, her usefulness fades quickly.

Even in the comics, Jubilee was seen as something of a replacement for Kitty Pryde, and when compared with “Pryde Of The X-Men,” that comparison is clear, with Jubilee embodying something ‘cooler’ and more brat-like than the studious Kitty could ever provide. In many ways though, her characterisation led to Jubilee becoming a parody of herself and the early 90s, and easily the most dated thing about the X-Men cartoon.

Jean Grey

Jean Grey has used a lot of names (and powers) in her times in the comics, and all of these were touched on in the series, from Marvel Girl to Phoenix and, ultimately, Dark Phoenix. With her powers providing a mix of telepathy and telekinesis, Jean is easily one of the most powerful X-Men, certainly of those featured in the series.

As such, Jean’s powers are drawn in for much of the series: while she comes to the fore in the episodes adapting both the Phoenix and Dark Phoenix sagas (in season three), Jean’s telepathy is, for the most part, weaker than Xavier’s, and using her telekinesis for extended periods exhausts her. Jean’s primary role in the series is to provide the emotional core for the characters and stories, with both Wolverine and Cyclops romantically interested in her and being the chief person to express concern when other characters are in danger. The eight episodes that make up the Phoenix arc are the biggest character developments for any character in the series, but it’s important to note that these are softened by the series, allowing Jean to be forgiven for the actions of Dark Phoenix. (In the comics, Dark Phoenix is a separate entity that destroys an inhabited solar system; in this series, it merely controls Jean and destroys an uninhabited star.)

Professor Charles Xavier

The founder and leader of the X-Men, Charles Xavier isn’t an active member of the team, although his importance to the series should not be forgotten.

Much like Jubilee gives the audience an entry-point to the world of the X-Men, Xavier provides a similar role with regards to the rich, expansive X-Men history, having already faced Magneto, the Shadow-King and his step-brother, the Juggernaut.

Xavier’s telepathy provides some of the more interesting flashbacks in the series, most notably in the penultimate episode “Descent,” which reveals the origins of the villainous Sinister. It also provides the means to drag the X-Men out into space for the Phoenix Saga, with Xavier’s telepathic link formed with Lilandra Neramani, the rightful leader of the Shi’ar. Interestingly, the hover-chair that Xavier uses throughout the series uses Shi’ar technology (which, before meeting Lilandra, he shouldn’t have access to.)

Having looked at the core X-Men team and the part they play in the series, the second part of the “X-Men” Flashback Feature will take a look at some of the other characters from the series, as well as the villains, and the stories that the series adapted and how they did so.

To that end, welcome to a new (and hopefully recurring) feature on BurnAllZombies: the Flashback Feature is a look back at some of the games, movies and shows that hold a special place in my heart, jogging some memories, getting those subtexts you never quite got as a kid, and wondering what’s happened to the stars and the franchises since.

Suggestions for future Flashback Features are welcome, but for this, the inaugural entry, let’s take a look at Dolph Lundgren and 2009 Academy Award Nominee Frank Langella in 1987′s “Masters Of The Universe.”

“Master Of The Universe” as a franchise made its debut in the stores long before it hit the screens. Mattel’s toys came a good while before there was even the thought of a TV series or movie, both of which were made to…well, let’s be honest, they were made to sell toys. Of course, originally the toys came with mini-comics, as all the best toys do, short strips telling a story about the characters and even before they made the transition to the little screen (and from there, to the big screen) the characters were imbued with motivations and personalities.

Although the Filmation TV-series originally aired from 1983-1985, it went into the cycle of repeats lasting up to the early 1990s along with the literal sister-show,  “She-Ra: Princess Of Power.” The series was really the first of the toy-line tie-ins to air: “Transformers,” arguably the biggest of the bunch, didn’t air until one year later in 1984, while “G.I. Joe” and “Thundercats” both premiered in 1985. However, being the first to air meant that “He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe” was also the first to face controversy, with many ‘discerning parents’ concerned about letting their kids watch what was, effectively, a thirty-minute commercial for toys that condoned and glorified violence.

In retrospect, the cartoon series is marked more by implied threatening imagery and the promise of violence than anything tangible: despite the sharpness of the Power Sword, and the strength that it imbues, it was rarely used as a sword, with Prince Adam/He-Man resorting to wrestling moves and throwing/pushing his enemies more than any buckling of swashes. Equally, the transformation that Cringer undergoes to become Battlecat is more notable for its jumping and pouncing than anything he might bite, slash or rend with his teeth.

It was the TV series that introduced Cringer’s transformation, along with that of He-Man, and his alter-ego of Prince Adam. It makes sense from a narrative point of view, aligning this incarnation of He-Man much closer to Superman/Clark Kent than the ultra-violent muscle-bound Conan (and let’s face it, he looked a lot closer to Conan than anything else) but I’m unsure why anyone out there really thought that the effete, blonde-quiffed, pink-shirt-wearing Prince Adam would sell many action figures. Then again, perhaps there’s something telling about a nobleman who wears pink and purple and yet keeps the leather harness a secret from his parents…

The movie ignored a lot of this storyline in favour of something unashamedly action-driven: Skeletor (Frank Langella) finally seizes control of Eternia, capturing the Sorceress (Christina Pickles) and setting out to control Castle Greyskull’s Great Eye Of The Galaxy in order to grant himself god-like powers. When He-Man (Dolph Lundgren) tries to stop him, alongside Man-At-Arms and Teela (played by Jon Cypher and Chelsea Field respectively) they team up with the dwarfish Gwildor (Billy Barty) who has invented a trans-dimensional device called the Key. Using this device, He-Man and his allies are pursued to Earth by Skeletor’s generals (chief amongst them Meg Foster as Evil-Lyn) where their paths cross with Julie (Courteney Cox) and her boyfriend Kevin (Robert Duncan McNeill.)

One of the most notable things about “Masters Of The Universe” is how obviously 1980s the film is, dating it quite a lot when watching it now, over twenty years later.  Just look at the promo poster to the left and you’ll get an idea of how the movie was influenced by the big-muscled, big-gunned movies of the era. It stars Dolph Lundgren, so I’m not really surprised, but the film never really gets involved in the sword-and-sorcery elements that are at the heart of the franchise, choosing instead to have most of the movie take place in our world where, yet again, the Power Sword is ignored in favour of some wrestling moves and laser-blasting. Yes, I said laser-blasting. As if the big sword wasn’t enough. Somewhere out there, a psycho-analyst is wondering if He-Man is using his weaponry to make up for his failings in some other area.

It’s easy to say this about any movie you’ve watched as both a kid and an adult, but “Masters Of The Universe” really isn’t sure what it wants to be, and nowhere is that more evident than in the characters of both Evil-Lyn and Teela. The muscles and action might point towards an adult take on a kids’ franchise, but this is the same franchise that has its female characters wearing…well, not a lot of clothes, and then gets them to cover up in full-body jumpsuits for the movie. It’s understandable, to a certain extent: I’m sure if any real woman wore the same clothes as Teela is here, it’d easily get the film an adult rating. But let’s compare and contrast with the amount of Dolph’s flesh on display, shall we?

And then there’s the Key: looking back on it, it’s unclear if this was meant to be something futuristic, or to look space-age and new, but really, I mean really, how very 80s does a film have to be for the powerful device at the centre of the plot to be a glorified synthesiser that looks like a sex-toy for the Borg? Oh, did I mention it comes with its own guitar-strap, one of the characters mistake it for a musical instrument and there’s a shoot-out in a music store?

But all that nonsense can be easily forgotten because of one simple thing: no hero is complete without his villain, and while “Masters Of The Universe” includes a rogue’s gallery of He-Man’s adversaries (some of whom had their first appearance in the film) the star of the film is obviously Frank Langella’s take on Skeletor, one of the greatest villains of 80s kids’ TV and movies, if just because he looks so damned terrifying. The guy has a skull for a face, for crying out loud!

Parts of Skeletor work in the film, and parts don’t: for starters, having any character looking quite so terrifying as Skeletor should…well, like the scantily-clad women, it works for a cartoon, but in real life, we’re dealing with some serious nightmares and unhappy parents. Toning it down just a little bit works, mainly because Frank Langella maintains a thoroughly menacing presence wearing make-up that…well, let’s be honest, he looks like a popcorn kernel. A popped, popcorn kernel. And one that’s a little bit overdone around the nose area, tastes a bit burnt, isn’t quite salty or buttery anymore…y’know?

Suffice it to say, by the film’s close, when Skeletor achieves godhead…well, it just looks like we’ve got popcorn wrapped in gold tinfoil, by which stage the aged-up Sorceress, in full-on crone mode, is starting to look significantly scarier. Of course, she’s a benevolent figure dressed all in white, why should you be scared of her? Because she’s an old lady with wrinkly skin, that’s why! But Skeletor…he still manages to be scary, but it’s a kind of scary pretty. In the way that most middle-aged men with pasty skull faces tend to be scary when they’re trying to gain ultimate power while wearing jewellery and pretty robes. Such pretty robes…

Most people don’t actually know about Skeletor’s most terrifying scene though, since it comes after the credits: don’t all action movies have to have the obligatory sequel setup? But there’s something about Langella’s ferocity, combined with the make-up (and the teeth), the purple water and even just the suddenness of his appearance that sends shivers down my spine even watching this scene as an adult, knowing what’s going to happen. It makes me glad I didn’t know about it when I was a kid.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6hCCPCkIg4]

Langella’s obviously gone on to slightly more dignified roles since appearing in “Masters Of The Universe,” with this year’s Oscar’s nod for his role as Richard Nixon in “Frost/Nixon” but some more of the cast and crew have gone on to greater things too.

• Dolph Lundgren (He-Man), everyone’s second favourite action star adequate Arnie-fill-in for when Governor Schwarzenegger is busy being political, well he hasn’t disappeared of the face of the planet as some of you might have believed, but will be appearing with every other action star imaginable Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li, Jason Statham and Arnie himself in “The Expendables.”
• Courteney Cox (Julie) went on to star as neurotic cook and neat freak Monica in “Friends.” But have you figured out yet that Christina Pickles (the Sorceress) played her mother, Judy Geller?
• Robert Duncan McNeil (Kevin) played basically the same character as Kevin for seven years as Tom Paris in “Star Trek: Voyager.” It gave him a chance to flex his directing muscles though, and he’s now a fully-fledged TV director. Seriously, you name the show from recent years, and he’s directed some episodes of it, “One Tree Hill,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Chuck,” “Supernatural”…shall I continue?
• The Star Trek links continue, if somewhat tenuously, thanks to Chelsea Field‘s appearance as Teela. You see, she’s married to Scott Bakula, also known as Capt. Jonathan Archer (from the Star Trek series nobody likes, “Enterprise.” And Robert Duncan McNeill directed some of that too.) Or if you’d rather, Sam from “Quantum Leap” (and let’s face it, who’d prefer “Enterprise” over “Quantum Leap”?)
• Evil-Lyn herself, played by Meg Foster: that recognisable voice of hers can be found underneath make-up in yet more Star Trek, this time the “ST: DS9″ episode “The Muse,” but more importantly, did you know Foster also played Detective Chris Cagney for the first six episodes of “Cagney and Lacey” before she was replaced by Sharon Gless?
• Director Gary Goddard…well, he never really directed anything again, save for two 3D shows, but he appears in the beach scene of the first “X-Men” movie (that very same scene that has Stan Lee’s cameo.) However, my nerd-meter went off the freaking charts to discover that he was a writer and creative consultant for “Captain Power and the Soldiers Of The Future” (which you can expect to see in a future Flashback Feature.)
• Last but not least is the credit for special designer for Jean Giraud, aka the French artist Moebius. He’s done his fair share of comic book art, but Moebius also worked on the design for “Alien,” “Tron,” “Willow,” “The Abyss” and “The Fifth Element.”

Consider your appetite for nostalgia whet, since that brings to a close our first Flashback Feature. Check back for more here at BurnAllZombies, and just comment or e-mail us if you’ve any ideas or requests for future Flashback Features (try saying that eight times fast).

Season five of “Lost” came to a close with a feature-length, two-part spectacular, “The Incident.” Quite a lot happened in the ninety minutes of screen time, but as always with “Lost,” there was much more of a tease of what’s yet to come.

In terms of pay-off, “The Incident” answered many questions for us, some that have been hanging for several seasons, and others that were only posed this season. Mainly a Jacob-centred episode (played by Mark Pellegrino), we nonetheless got quite a few off-Island flashes, revealing to us that Jacob has interacted with many of our heroes before they came to the Island (in some cases, before they were even played by adult actors.) What this means for the characters remains to be seen, but it’s clear that their destinies have been laid out since even before their past adventures with the Dharma Initiative in 1977.

Most notable were the flashbacks for Sayid, Locke and new character Ilana: for many of the others, Jacob has been a passing presence, but for these three, Jacob’s actions have had a significant effect on their lives (and in Locke’s case, it looks like he might even have brought him back to life.) Ilana’s flashback might have been brief, but it gives some badly needed fleshing out to a fairly underused new character. It also hints that while Ben complains of never meeting Jacob, the same cannot be said of everyone connected to the Island.

In an episode filled with WTF-moments, the biggest (well, physically largest, anyway) came before the opening credits even rolled, with Jacob sitting on the beach, in the shadow of the statue no less, and talking to another man whose malevolence became obvious pretty quickly. Out at sea, a sailing ship that looked quite like the Black Rock approaches the Island, before we’re treated to a full (albeit profile) of the statue that has loomed over the series since season two.

No longer just a four-toed remnant, we see the full thing for the second time this season, a loincloth-wearing, ankh-carrying, and this time, a visibly snout-faced figure, the symbology of which might require an explanation (especially if the writers have manipulated it to their own ends) but appearing to be straight out of Egyptian myth. The ankh is typically taken as a symbol of immortality associated with the Egyptian gods, often linked to the Pharoahs as a sign of their divine lineage and right; what little we see of the face might seem to give a crocodile-like face, but the snout is in keeping with the facial features of many Egyptian gods, including Sobek and Apep/Apophis.

By the end of the episode, when time skips forward once again, one of my big questions of season five has been answered: “what lies in the shadow of the statue” is discovered to be Jacob’s home throughout all time periods, a temple in the pedestal at the statue’s base, still there even when only a foot remains. It also provides the setting for one of the most unusual, but potentially epic, scenes that “Lost” has ever seen, as John Locke makes good on his promise to kill Jacob, or rather to manipulate Ben Linus into doing so. It was a curious confrontation, one punctuated by invisible strings, pulled by both Locke and Jacob, and it was immensely fun to see Michael Emerson play a manipulated Ben Linus, no longer holding any of the power, but a puppet in the hands of Locke’s machinations.

To its own failings, “Lost” recycled something from last year, disappointingly so. Remember, the crate that Ilana and Bram were trying to open on the beach? Well they opened it, showing the contents to Lapidus (hidden from the audience, of course) and eventually tossing them onto the beach when they met up with Richard at the statue’s foot. Yet again, a season of “Lost” ends with John Locke’s dead body in a box. And in the biggest shock yet, we’re left wondering just who has been using Locke’s image.

The hints point towards the same figure sitting beside Jacob at the beach in the opening scenes, now using Locke as the loophole through which he can kill Jacob. It might prove speculation, but all the clues indicate that Jacob and his companion are deities (or certainly, individuals in possession of enormous power) locked in some sort of struggle and manipulating the human inhabitants of the Island to their own ends (although with some of the scenes that Jacob shares with the survivors of flight 815, it would seem that his own manipulations are far more benevolent, rather making people aware of the choices they have towards their own destiny, most notably giving Hurley the choice of whether or not to return to the Island.)

Hurley and Ben weren’t the only ones facing a choice, the lines between choice and destiny providing the most action in the finale in 1977, where Jack and Sayid continue on their quest to use Jughead to blow up The Swan. We got some heartbreaking scenes between Juliet and Sawyer (everyone’s favourite couple, right? RIGHT?) as they weigh up their own fates when compared with the horrors they’ve seen, all before Juliet kicks some ass and gets herself, Sawyer and Kate off the submarine and back to the Island.

This led to not one, but two shoot-outs, as well as some bloody fisticuffs between Jack and Sawyer, but when it came to discussing their plans, it took the soothsaying Miles to finally ask the question on viewers’ lips, to wonder if the combination of Jughead’s explosion and the electro-magnetic energy underneath The Swan station might cause the Incident and the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, rather than prevent it.

While underused this season, Miles has earned his place as a cast-member of “Lost,” and one wonders if the writer’s intentionally include him as the voice of reason, or at the very least, the voice of the audience. Some of his conversations with Hurley this season have been especially humourous and entertaining, along with being incredibly insightful, something of an insert on the writers’ part to keep themselves on track and to contradict stupid theories with some cold, hard facts.

It might have been overshadowed by some much deeper pathos, but Miles also provided one of this episode’s two sweetest moments, as he runs to help Dr. Marvin Candle/Pierre Chang at The Swan, calling him ‘dad’ as he runs. Despite their differing opinions, Sawyer, Kate, and Juliet accompany Miles to help Jack’s suicide run, culminating in a sucker-punch to the gut as Jack drops the bomb down the pit into the electro-magnetic disturbance that the Dharma Initiative have released.

As if the swelling music and the emotional reactions of the characters weren’t enough, audience and survivors alike are left to watch helplessly as a chain wraps itself around Juliet’s waist and pulls her into the pit. After bidding a tearful farewell to Sawyer, she comes to in agony at the bottom of the pit, next to Jughead’s core, and it is her final actions of the season that cause the explosion. Whether it triggers the Island’s reset button remains to be seen: all we saw was the trigger of a new title card for “Lost,” with the familiar letters now black against a white background.

What this means for Juliet is another matter entirely: actress Elizabeth Mitchell has already been cast in the re-make of “V,” a role that producers of both series are quick to explain is simply that of a guest star. Really, Juliet’s fate is dependent on whether or not the proverbial ‘reset button’ has been pushed, and Oceanic Flight 815 never crashed on the Island. If so, we can hope that Juliet is never brought to the Island, and is instead safe at home looking after her sister and delivering babies; if not, maybe we can hope that there’s some more time-foolery afoot that will bring her back in the next season.

But then there’s the one, little, maybe not-at-all-important thing that happens to her in this episode: she gets a flashback (her as a kid, being told about her parents’ impending divorce) but it’s the only flashback not to include some Jacob-time. In context, the scene works, but it’s a stark contrast to the other, Jacob-heavy scenes. There always has been more to Juliet than meets the eye, and maybe, just maybe, that’s a very big hint that she’ll be back for more in season six.

Which, of course, all the rest of us will be too…dammit, if only we had time-travelling powers so it could be 2010 already.