Warning Spoilers Below
Warning Spoilers Below
Review done by: Jamar Miller
This episode is the second of two, Natalie Poole centered episodes, with the first one being “You Can’t Go Home Again†. As always we start off in a different place in the world—the Swiss Alps. We see some miners working when suddenly Skull men troopers in Snow gear attack ! They quickly subdue the miners and take them hostage but unknown to the Skull men there is one of the miner’s son taking video! The Miners are loaded onto a helicopter while being told by an older man in a trench coat, and a butler style hat with an English ascent, that if they cooperate no one would be hurt! Who is this man that is leading the Skull man? Well keep on reading!
At the headquarters of Action Force, Secretary Norris is briefing the team with the Video that Hans (the boy whose father was taken hostage) had taken. Secretary Norris then points out the man that is leading the Skull Man.
The man in the trench coat and butler style hat with the English ascent is none other than the Highly Respected Historian Ian Allanbee, Natalie Poole’s Uncle!!
Action Force is mobilized and sent to the Alps. On their way there they get into their Snow uniforms, and thus it is here we see the obligatory new outfit so Hasbro can sell some more toys. Now that may sound like a negative statement but it really isn’t. Because I have to give it to the writers of this series that each outfit they feature in each episode really fits the situation and is very, very appropriate to the setting and place. So it’s actually a good thing.
On the ground Action Force watch’s Ian Allanbee and the Skull men uncover a very old metal bunker from the mountain side . On the bunkers door is a big PAX sign. Unfortunately Natalie, Knuck, and Action Man are spotted by a Skull man Patrol on Ski’s. Action Man says he will lead the Skull man away while Natalie and Knuck try to find a way to get into the bunker undetected. Action Man jumps onto his Snow mobile and leads the Skull man away.
Knuck and Natalie eventually find an old air ventilation shaft that has become uncovered by the recent activity of Ian Allanbee and the Skull men. They take off the cover and slide inside.
Outside Action Man sets up a few traps for the Skull men, taking them out and burying them in snow
Inside the mine Ian Allanbee ( Again this is Natalie Pooles Uncle) is watching the miners and telling them their doomed if they don’t cooperate, when suddenly the wall collapses revealing a secret cache. Ian Allanbee is excited as he inspects the cache exclaiming “ its all here , contact Dr. X Immediately “!
From the shadows Natalie and Knuck watch this , Natalie is disgusted that her own blood would help Dr. X and tells Knuck to stay here while she goes to confront her uncle .
Soon Ian Allanbee is removing some of the contents with some Skull man telling them to be very careful, even 50 some odd years after it was buried the gas is still extremely Lethal. The Skull Men leave the room and Ian Allanbee alone and that is when Natalie disguised as a Skull man grabs him and calls him a traitor!
Ian Allanbee is shocked and says “ How did you escape†and Natalie replies confused “What ??? You’re not making any senseâ€!
Suddenly Dr. X’s voice booms in and says “ Let me explain†and we then pan over to see Dr. X with a squad of Range Vipers ( oops ) I mean Skull Men behind him with weapons aimed at the two Brit’s
Between Ian Allanbee and Dr. X explaining we learn that Dr. X made a hologram of Natalie and told Ian that if he didn’t help him he would kill Natalie. Ian had to help him as he wanted to save her. Once this is learned Dr. X throws both Natalie and Ian into the cell where her Hologram is too.
Dr. X will test his new weapon that Ian Allanbee helped him uncover here in the mine and it will destroy everyone , which consist of Ian Allanbee , the miners , and Action Force!
Dr. X boards his massive snow cruiser and prepares to leave while the skull men prepare to detonate 1 canister of the lethal Pax 39 gas and finally board up the rest of the PAX 39 gas canisters onto Dr. X snow cruiser.
Action Man sneaks into the base and finds Knuck. They are unfortunately spotted again and full fledged firefight erupts inside the mine. The miner who is Hans Father , ( Hans being the boy who took the video that was shown to the Action Force in the beginning of the show) sees' a Skull man ready to fire upon Action Man and pushed him over the platform saving Action Mans life.
Knuck heads off to find Natalie while Action Man goes after the escaping Dr. X who has the PAX gas with him in his snow cruiser.
Knuck quickly finds Natalie and her uncle and learns why Ian Allanbee was helping Dr. X. She then takes off the detonator switch that Dr. X had put on a canister of Pax gas that was suppose to kill them all. Ian Allanbee then tells Natalie that he was able to attach on bomb onto Dr. X Snow cruiser but had no time to activate it.
Outside Action Man is pursuing Dr. X on a snow board when he is informed by Natalie that her uncle placed a bomb on the snow cruiser but it has to be activated still! Action Man is worried about the explosion releasing the gas but Ian Allanbee explains that the gas is extremely flammable and will be engulfed by the flames !
Dr. X then sees Action Man following him on the snow board and fires upon him several times but misses each time. At this time Action Man suddenly sees the sun peaking through a mountain valley and it causes a memory Flash back that sends him crashing into the snow.
What is nice about this one is, two things, one is it shows that any little thing can cause Action Man to remember something , it doesn’t have to be something big or even a very close connection, such as a burning house makes him remember a burning house. The other thing is its almost the end of the show and you are feeling that maybe in this episode there wont be a flashback that will help reveal part of the big mystery of Action Mans past. The reason I like this is sometimes the flashbacks happened soon sometimes in the middle and sometimes like this episode at the end, it keeps you on your toes and that is nice.
In this flash back the red sun causes Action Man to remember a House Burning, whose house? Why Action Mans’ house of course, but that is all we learn. Another small piece to the ongoing mystery of Action Man past.
Action Man who fell because of the flashback gets up and looks to see where Dr. X has gone too. He see a perfect chance to cause an avalanche that will at least slow down Dr. X if not stop him so he can get to him quicker. Action Man fires his gun and the avalanche comes down onto Dr. X Snow cruiser
Action Man quickly manages to get on the snow cruiser just as Dr. X is manage to free it from the Deep snow. Action Man gets underneath the snow cruiser where the bomb is and activates it . He then quickly drops and rolls off the tank and watches the tank and all the Pax 39 gas go up in flames. With Dr. X escaping no doubt
Later back at the Ski lodge the Action Force is sitting around a table sipping on hot cocoa The boy from the mind, Hans, comes up and thanks Action Man but Action Man tells Hans that his father saved his life and that his father is a hero too. Action Man stands up and shakes the Hans father with Hans looking up proudly and with admiration of his father. Natalie apologizes to her uncle for ever thinking he might be a traitor He says no problem, smiles and says that history always shows that evil like Dr. X will never win thus ends the episode.
Finale Thoughts : I liked this episode for many reasons. The new uniforms for the snow environment were cool and appropriate. I like knowing more about Natalie and the flashback for Action Man was nicely done and unexpected, there wasn’t much information learned but adding this information to what we have learned already from the previous episodes make the mystery that much more interesting