The Starjammers crash on Earth while being pursued by a Shi'ar craft. Cyclops and Storm are asked for help by Corsair, who may be Cyclops' father. They escape from Raknar and his robots, learn Corsair's backstory, and land in a jungle. Corsair is accused of kidnapping a witness to a Shi'ar officer's murder. Storm keeps the child safe while Cyclops confronts Corsair. Corsair is handed over to Raknar, but it's revealed Raknar is trying to cover up the murder. Cyclops and a rebellious Shi'ar crew member free Corsair, and with the help of Storm and the Starjammers, they defeat the pursuing Shi'ar. Cyclops and Corsair reconcile in the end.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: In the comics, Corsair had figured out on his own that Cyclops was his son, but he deliberately kept that from him out of a belief Cyke would be better off that way. Cyclops learning about that put a major strain on their relationship for some time. This version of Corsair had no idea his sons were still alive, and he's just as surprised as anyone to learn the truth.
- Armor-Piercing Response: After Cyclops accidentally opens the locket and sees a family photo.Cyclops: This is a picture of me and my brother! That's my mother! Where did you get these?!
Corsair: [dumbfounded] Your mother? - Bear Hug: After they win the day, Ch'od happily pulls Cyclops and Corsair in for one. According to Corsair, he does this a lot.
- Broken Pedestal: Cyclops is initially disgusted to learn Corsair is his father, saying his saintly image of a man that sacrificed everything for his sons has been destroyed by a deadbeat that pawned them off on someone else.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Quite possibly the most gut-wrenching scene in the entire series is when Cyclops condemns Corsair for supposedly abandoning him and Alex.Corsair: Son, how can you—?
Cyclops: Don't ever call me that! For 20 years I dreamed about my father, a man to look up to, a hero who sacrificed his life to save his family. It was your family you sacrificed! You threw us away so you could go knock around the galaxy!
Corsair: That's not what happened!
Cyclops: No? Did I imagine the orphanage, the foster homes where nobody wanted me? Tell me, "Dad," AM I MAKING THIS UP?! - The Cameo: During the flashback, Deathbird is the one to appear before Scott's parents.
- Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: Corsair thought both Scott and Alex had died when their parachute caught on fire. His beloved wife was later executed by D'Ken. Once with the Starjammers, he opted to just stay in space.Corsair: [sadly] As far as I knew, my entire family was gone. I had no reason to go home.
- Damsel in Distress: Jandra, a classic wrong-place-wrong-time eyewitness who suddenly has a Shi'ar officer after her blood.
- Dark and Troubled Past: While calling out Corsair, Cyclops alludes to how traumatic his time at the orphanage and in the foster care system was. He also clearly lost contact with Alex (his only surviving relative) at some point.
- Didn't See That Coming: Suffice to say, neither Cyclops nor Corsair saw them being related coming
- Flashback: When Corsair recounts the last time he saw his sons aboard the old plane and being abducted by the Shi'ar at the last moment.
- Foreshadowing: Apparently the Shi'ar officer is so pissed because Corsair learned early on that he was after the witness. Who leaked it to Corsair? The navigator.
- Frame-Up: The Shi'ar officer claims that Corsair is responsible for kidnapping and murder, when Corsair was actually keeping an eyewitness out of Corrupt Cop clutches. They've even gone so far as to falsify evidence of her death by other means ahead of time.
- Internal Reveal: Finally, the business with Corsair being Scott's Disappeared Dad is out in the open.
- Like Father, Like Son: Corsair points out that Jean Grey is oddly reminiscent of Scott's own mom.
- Long-Lost Relative: Downplayed. Cyclops previously encountered Havok and neither had any idea who the other was, but it's established here that Scott does remember Alex from when they were kids.
- The Lost Lenore: Thinking his sons were killed, Corsair reflects on how the loss of his beloved wife meant having no other reason to go back home. He spent the next couple decades in deep space.
- Previously on…: Focusing on the X-Men's encounter with the Starjammers and how viewers learned Corsair is Cyclops's father.
- Rebuilt Pedestal: Through the course of the adventure, Cyclops recognizes that Corsair isn't perfect, but that he is a good man overall and didn't casually abandon his children. The episode ends with father and son taking a few hours to catch up and talk.
- This Cannot Be!: Corsair, upon learning that Cyclops is his oldest son.
- Tragic Keepsake: Corsair's locket contains a photo of his wife and sons.
- Would Hurt a Child: The witness is a child, and the true villain is out to silence her.
- Written-In Absence: Cyclops and Storm are the only X-Men on hand. Cyclops alludes to the rest of the team being away on a mission, though Storm muses Gambit just had a date. The Dirty Cop is also aware that Xavier is "half a planet away" at the moment. Incidentally, this is the first episode in which Wolverine doesn't appear at all.
