The X-Men have had several on-screen adaptations. Making their first TV appearance in the 1966 animated series The Marvel Superheroes, they've come a long way, having adapted their very own movies, including spin-offs like Logan and The Wolverine. But a large portion of their story is told in the original X-Men animated series. The all-star band of mutants from the animated series included Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Beast, Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, Jean Grey, and Professor X, among many others.
For fans who only grew up with the 2001 live-action film and its sequels, there's still a way to get caught up on all their adventures from the animated series. Plus, there's some exciting news about a new animated installation coming soon to streaming!
When Did the X-Men Animated Series First Air?
The first ever X-Men comic was published in 1963. Three years later, they made their small screen debut in The Marvel Superheroes where they made a number of appearances. After taking a lengthy hiatus, they returned to television in 1981 with guest appearances on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. To this point, the only mode of entertainment in which they had their very own story was within the comic books.
It wasn't until Halloween in 1992 that the mutants had their own TV show with the release of X-Men: The Animated Series, or simply titled X-Men. The show went on for 5 seasons and aired on Fox Kids. The voice actors for the series went on to have successful careers in the animated and live-action world, including Cathal J. Dodd, Lenore Zann, and Norm Spencer, who sadly passed away in 2020.
What Are The Best Episodes of the X-Men Animated Series?
With 76 total episodes spanned across 5 seasons, there are quite a bit of them to choose from when asking which are the best of the best. However, as is the case with many superhero animated shows, there are a number of storylines that are told throughout a sequence of episodes separated into parts. With that in mind, here are some of what are generally regarded as some of X-Men's best episodes.
Night of the Sentinels
The two-part pilot to the series kicks off with the X-Men rescuing a teenage mutant named Jubilee after her foster parents turn her in to the authorities, and she is then attacked by mutant-hunting robots called Sentinels. In the midst of all the chaos, Jubilee learns about the X-Men and Professor X's School for Gifted Youngsters. In the end, she decides to join the team and becomes an essential character throughout the remainder of the series.
The Phoenix Saga
The Phoenix Saga is split into five parts and takes place during season 3 (episodes 3 through 7). What starts as a rescue mission for astronauts being under a type of mind control by alien life form Erik the Red, quickly unravels when Jean Grey becomes possessed by the Phoenix Force and inherits incredible powers. The rest of the saga is filled with space pirates, an evil Professor Xavier, and a crystal that turns a power-hungry alien into a god-like being who seeks the destruction of the X-Men. The Phoenix Saga makes for an exhilarating watch with a rich plot which sets up the Dark Phoenix storyline later in the series.
Days of Future Past
This classic X-Men tale has appeared in many modes of storytelling, including comics, television, and even its very own series of films. In the story in which it's told within the X-Men animated series (in two parts), Bishop travels back in time from an era in which Sentinels are ruling the world. His mission is to prevent the assassination of a certain political figure, someone he believes is eventually killed by someone within the X-Men. With appearances from Mystique and Apocalypse, this two-part special from season 1 is jam-packed with action.
Honorable mentions include "Slave Island" (season 1, episode 7), "Beauty and the Beast" (season 2, episode 10), and "One Man's Worth" (season 4, episodes 9 and 10).
Is X-Men '97 a Continuation of the Animated Series?
The X-Men are making a number of returns in the media, with Wolverine playing a role in the upcoming Deadpool 3, as well as the newest animated series X-Men '97 set to be released sometime between late 2023 and early 2024. With much of the original cast from X-Men: The Animated Series returning, and even the wardrobe of the mutants having very little changes, this bears the question: is it part of the X-Men storyline? The answer: yes.
X-Men '97 will pick up close to where the original series left off. In addition, there are a few things that have been revealed about the show, including the fact that Jean Grey is pregnant and that the Sentinels are making a return. It's still up in the air for when the series will premiere, but season 2 is already being written. So, rest assured, X-Men '97 is on its way.
Where Can You Watch the X-Men Animated Series?
Now's the perfect time to catch up on all the episodes that set the bar for Marvel's band of mutant heroes in preparation for X-Men '97 whenever it ends up coming out. X-Men: The Animated Series is available for streaming on Disney+, or to buy on Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video.