Savage Land, Strange Heart

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“Savage Land, Strange Heart”
'X-Men: The Animated Series' episode
Garokk
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 34-35
Written by	Robert N. Skir & Marty Isenberg
Production no.	Part 1: 312 Part 2: 313
Original airdate	Part 1: September 10, 1994 Part 2: September 17, 1994
Episode chronology
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"Phoenix Saga"	"Obsession"
List of X-Men 1992 TV Series Episodes

Savage Land, Strange Heart is an episode in the third season of X-Men: The Animated Series.

[edit] Savage Land, Strange Heart, part 1

Part 1 begins in the Savage Land. Sauron had become the new ruler of the land and has imprisoned Ka-Zar's people, so they start a war against him to free his slaves and prisoners. Weakened by his thirst for new energy, Sauron is defeated. But as Ka-Zar raises his spear to kill Sauron, a woman knocks him out with a spell and helps Sauron escape. She tells him that she is Zaladane, the High Priestess of the sun-god Garokk, and reveals that Garokk knew of how Sauron needs to absorb mutant energy to remain in his pterodactyl form. Although Sauron angrily denies Garokk's existance, he is willing to let Zaladane help him escape from Ka-Zar's people. Zaladane turns Sauron back into his human form and helps him escape from the Savage Land with a plane that Magneto had left behind. She also gives him a medallion with Garokk's face on it, saying it will protect him. So Sauron flies off to New York.

In New York, Beast, Wolverine, and Jubilee are in a museum. Sauron shows up and is desperate to absorb new energy, needing it to live. He senses strong amounts of energy in Wolverine and Jubilee, and so he goes up to Wolverine and starts absorbing his energy. But he doesn't realise that Wolverine is a mutant, until it is too late and the mutant energy triggers his transformation back into Sauron. As Sauron flies away, Beast alerts Storm and Rogue, who fly towards Sauron to try and subdue him. But Sauron hypnotises Rogue, and she starts attacking the X-Men, thinking they are monsters. Sauron then makes Storm fall asleep with his powers and kidnaps her, flying back to Savage Land in the plane. Rogue, Beast, Wolverine, and Jubilee persue him there (they didn't take others along because they were at Muir Island).

Back in the Savage Land, Sauron brings Storm to Zaladane. She tells Sauron that there is limitless mutant energy in Storm, which will surge out if she loses control of her elemental powers. Overcome by this temptation, Sauron begins hypnotising Storm, forcing her to release her powers at full force. Storm looses her self-control and releases a lot of energy. Sauron absorbs it and, amazed at the power it gives him, decides to imprison her as his own personal power source.

Meanwhile the X-Men have just landed elsewhere in the Savage Land via the X-Jet. Here they meet Ka-Zar, who takes them to his village. He tells the X-Men that shortly after they left after defeating Mister Sinister, Sauron raised an army, attacking the villages and kidnapping many of Ka-Zar's people. He used them to rebuild Sinister's fortress. But one night, a statue of Garokk appeared in the middle of the village. His people saw it as a sign, so they mounted a rebellion and ended Sauron's tyranny. Now his people believe that Garokk gave them the strength, and they worship him in gratitude.

As they are talking, Sauron and his soldiers attack. During the battle, Sauron starts losing his life energy, so he starts flying back to his fortress to get more energy from Storm. Jubilee blasts him down from the sky, and he falls into a mountainside and is buried by falling rocks.

Back near Garokk's statue, Zaladane speaks to him: "Soon the Savage Land will be cleansed on all disbelievers, and the Age of Garokk will begin anew." Garokk orders her to release Storm.

Meanwhile the X-Men go near the rubble where Sauron is buried. He emerges and turns back into his human self. Wolverine attempts to kill him, but Ka-Zar stops him, saying he knows him. His name is Karl Lykos. Karl says that once he turns into Sauron, he has no control over his evil ambitions, and reveals that Sinister used him as a lab rat for his experiments. Now he needs to absorb energy from others to live, and if he absorbs mutant energy, he becomes Sauron. Right then they see Storm in the sky and part 1 ends.

[edit] Savage Land, Strange Heart, part 2

Part 2 begins with Storm, now out of control and using her powers to create chaos, releasing all the forces of nature.

Back near Garokk's statue, Garokk tells Zaladane that the elemental powers are all over Savage Land and he feels himself growing stronger. He then turns into soil and starts surging towards a nearby volcano. Karl tells the X-men to get him closer to Storm, and he can absorb her energy, which will knock her down for a while. Although they know it will turn Karl into Sauron again, they have no choice. The X-Men keep Storm busy, while Rogue gets Karl closer to Storm. Karl absorbs Storms energy and once again becomes Sauron. As Storm faints, Rogue lets go of Sauron and grabs Storm. Sauron tries to absorb Rogue's energy, but their powers cancel each other, so Sauron flies away, angrily telling Rogue that their fight is not over.

Meanwhile, in other parts of Savage Land, Garokk starts turning everything into crystals. Sauron goes to Zaladane for help, but she says that Garokk has no further use for him. Sauron replies that Garokk is nothing but a lifeless stone. He tries to attack her, but Garokk stops him, saying "This stone is not as lifeless as it appears." He tells Sauron about his past and we go in a flashback...

Garokk says that long ago, he alone ruled the Savage Land, until a powerful enemy arrived and made him powerless, and banished him to his current rocky form. He lay dormant for thousands of years, until Storm came to the valley and used her powers which awoke him. To gain total power, he required Storm to use her powers to the max, so he used Sauron bring her to Savage Land and make her loose control of herself, so that she will use her powers to the max. Beneath the volcano range in the Savage Land lies a source of planetary power that maintains the land's tropical climate. Garokk plans to fuse with that power, so that no force on Earth can imprison him again.

Back at the village, Garokk starts an earthquake and transforms a mountain into his face. He starts becoming one with the land and destroys the village. Storm, still uncontrollable, tries to stop him, but her efforts appear futile. Beast notices that Garokk is actually being strengthened by Storm's attacks, and asks Storm to stop. Storm doesn't listen, so Rogue goes to stop her. While Rogue and Storm are fighting Garokk becomes bigger and more powerful.

Sauron breaks free from Garokk's clutches. Enraged at being used, betrayed and now having the Savager Land (which he believes to be rightfully his) taken away, he flies towards Garokk and starts draining away his energy. This causes Garokk to weaken, but the energy is too much for Sauron to handle, and he becomes huge in size. Garokk and Sauron battle and apparently destroy each other, causing a huge blast. Storm falls unconscious from the blast, so the X-Men quickly take her to the Blackbird and fly off.

At the end of the episode Ka-Zar finds Sauron; he had turned back into Karl. Ka-Zar tells Karl that without mutant energy around, Sauron won't be able to return, so he is finally free.