Our weekly cartoons are slowly making their way back from holiday hiatus, with Star Wars: The Clone Wars returning with a new episode. Marvel Anime: X-Men races to its finale, bringing us one of the best episodes of the series, and we toss in a retro nod to Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future too. Minor spoilers ahead!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Escape From Kadavo "


Clone Wars returns this week with a replay of the last two episodes in the storyline, followed by a new chapter. Anakin tries to show the leader of the Zygerrians that she is a part of the Separatist scheme to rule the galaxy, while Obi-Wan is trapped with Rex in a Kadavo slave camp.



The Zygerrian Queen is a bit, um, entranced by Anakin, leading to a duel between little Darth Vader and Count Dooku in the first clip. The second clip features some major heroics from Ahsoka as she saves several of her people from a life of slavery.

Marvel Anime: X-Men – "Revenge"


There are a couple of amazing visuals in this episode. The scene in clip feels ripped from the pages of Uncanny X-Men #251, with Wolverine and the rest of the X-Men crucified on the field of battle. Scott Summers' inner demons take center stage in this episode, as Mastermind traps Cyclops in a battle with his own mind over the fate of Dark Phoenix.



In the second clip, Jean Grey and Dark Phoenix meet, with Jean pleading with Cyclops to move on with his life. Professor X shows up at the end of the episode, just as the X-Men prepare to battle the Professor's newly found son, Takeo.

Captain Power & the Soldiers of the Future - "Digitize"


Not an episode of the epic show written by comic scribe Marv Wolfman (Crisis on Infinite Earths), but an internal blooper reel created by the people who put this Saturday morning labor of love together. Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is the definition of a "toy first" show from the 1980s, a half hour long commercial for a line of toys with infrared explosion triggers, but the show featured a wonderfully apocalyptic Flash Gordon feel and some early computer graphics. If you can make it through this music video without giggling, I owe you something — I'm just not sure what.

A weak handshake to Calamitous T. King for the Captain Power music video. Star Wars: The Clone Wars airs Friday nights on the Cartoon Network. Marvel Anime: X-Men airs Friday nights on G4TV. If you know of anywhere Captain Power & the Soldiers of the Future airs on a regular basis, let me know as soon as possible and I'm moving to said locale.