Howling at the Moon (New Mutants episode)

"Howling at the Moon" is the second episode of the first season of the Disney+ animated series New Mutants. Directed by Sage Cotugno from a script co-written with Tim Federle, the episode centers on Wolfsbane after exposing her powers.

Synopsis
Rahne Sinclar is filled with shame and fear after exposing her wolf powers, but Danielle Moonstar will belp her see things differently.

Plot
A few weeks before the pilot episode, Rahne Sinclair is hiding in the woods in her human form, living inside a cave in fear and shame for her powers, believing them to be a curse from the Devil. Suddenly, she is approached by Dr. Henry McCoy of the X-Men, who comforts her. He then takes her to the Xavier Institute, where Charles Xavier explains to Sinclair her powers are just a manifestation of her mutant DNA. While this does little to make her feel better, she neverthless agrees to stay and study the next semester.

Days after, following the first day of school, Sinclair goes to her room with her new roommates, bordering on a panic attack after revealing her powers. Afraid of the reaction her roommates will have, Sinclair runs away during the night. The following day, Danielle Moonstar notices she is gone and tells the others about it. Sinclair, who was hiding in the woods near the school, at first is tempted to return, but ultimately goes further into the forest.

Main cast

 * Kelly Marie Tran as Xuân Cao Mạnh / Karma
 * Kelly McDonald as Rahne Sinclair / Wolfsbane
 * Destony Nicole Frasqueri as Danielle Moonstar / Mirage
 * Eric Bauza as Sam Guthrie / Cannonball
 * Ícaro Silva as Roberto DaCosta / Sunspot

Guest roles

 * Morgan Freeman as Charles Xavier / Professor X
 * John Cena as Hank McCaoy / Beast
 * Cree Summer as Ororo Munroe / Storm

Trivia

 * Sinclair and Xavier's first meeting was inspired by the scene where Xavier meets Kitty Pryde in the failed pilot Pryde of the X-Men. Parts of their dialogue were also taken from the comic Marvel Graphic Novel #4, where the New Mutants first appeared.
 * The plot for the episode is loosely inspired by New Mutants #1, albeit with Wolfsbane and Mirage interchanging their roles.