Magneto holds multiple battles to find out which mutants are "worthy" of joining him on Asteroid M. The "winners" are abducted by force and offered a place in the Cauldron, where Magneto offers to greatly strengthen and increase their mutant abilities to their full and maximum potential despite Professor X telling them that it will alter their mind and body.
Tropes included:
- Call-Back: Nightcrawler begrudgingly refers to Mystique as his mother, which he learned about the last time they crossed paths.
- Easily Forgiven: When Cyclops apologizes for what's happened, Xavier says he and Alex merely made some misinformed choicesnote . It helps that the Summers brothers saved all of their lives during the climax, and that the enhancement chamber Magneto had them use also made them Brainwashed and Crazy.
- The End... Or Is It?: Mystique emerges from the chamber augmented and escapes Asteroid M before it's destroyed. Avalanche lampshades how she'll be back eventually.
- Failed a Spot Check:
- Xavier has to point out to Cyclops that Magneto has imprisoned their friends in stasis tubes, despite them being in plain view off to the side of the group.
- Averted soon afterwards, as Magneto can see the way Cyclops keeps looking over at Xavier. He can tell some mental trickery is afoot.
- Fantastic Plastic: When Toad points out that it doesn't make sense to confront Magneto while aboard a plane, Wolverine retorts that there is not an ounce of metal in the vehicle.
- Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: Xavier concedes that Cyclops is absolutely right that mutants shouldn't be divided, but he says Magneto did draw the line in the sand and that the Summers brothers were the ones to cross over it, willingly or otherwise.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Cyclops once he shakes off the enhancement chamber's hold on his emotions.
- No One Gets Left Behind: Subverted. Xavier leaves the Summers brothers behind in the lab, saying only they can decide to come with them. Fortunately, they do.
- Power Incontinence: The augmentation process causes this to be averted for Scott, giving him full control over his power and no longer needing his glasses. Reversed at the end when he burns through the augmented power and is back to normal.
- Season Finale: Of the first season.
- Throwing the Fight: Before being put into stasis, Xavier tells Wolverine to lose to Sabretooth. Doing so leaves Wolvie free and able to lead a rescue mission.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Scott and Alex are quicker to anger and attacking others after being augmented. Justified as they were subjected to brainwashing as part of their enhancement.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Jean and Xavier to Scott and Alex for their actions after being augmented. It causes both boys to take stock of their behavior and breaks the aforementioned brainwashing.
