Welcome to X-Men: The Animated Series Revisited – a series of posts taking a look back at the Saturday morning cartoon, X-Men (aka X-Men: The Animated Series). Over the course of multiple posts I will be taking a look back at the show, through a complete re-watch of all 76 episodes.
These posts will be appearing on a semi-regular basis and will discuss the episodes as I watch them – usually in a batch of half-a-dozen or more. As this series progresses, I’ll be throwing in little titbits about the show and commenting on the first time these episodes aired in the UK.
Anyway, time to get started with Marvel’s merry mutants…
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Night of the Sentinels: Part 1
And I’m starting off with Night of the Sentinels – Part One. This episode first aired in the US in late 1992, but didn’t air in the UK until 1993, when the show was picked up by SKY (satellite TV).
It was then another year before the show was broadcast on the BBC, via Saturday morning kids show, Live & Kicking (September 1994). At which point, the BBC was able to broadcast Seasons One, Two and a few episodes of Season Three on a weekly basis for 29 consecutive weeks.
The show’s move to the BBC was very important, as back during the early ’90s, almost all Brits had access to the BBC, but few had access to SKY. So, once the show started appearing on BBC One, the series quickly became very popular over here.
It may have taken AGES for the majority of the UK to see X-Men, but once it started it had a decent run (for a while). I’ll explain the erratic schedule in later posts.
*Clicks play*
1min – The opening credits to X-Men are SO GOOD. They still stand up to this day.
3mins – OK, so this episode opens with scenes of mutant/anti-mutant violence. The Sentinels are introduced and are one of the best X-Men villains in the entire show. These guys become the villain of the season, ensuring the first 13 episodes of X-Men are pretty damn good.
3mins 50secs – The young mutant, Jubilee is introduced, and she has just met Storm and Rogue. Rogue has only said one line so far and already she’s a stand-out character.
4mins 20secs – Enter: Gambit – another stand-out star of the show (and a fan-favourite).
7mins – So, this opening episode is all about establishing the fear, hatred and bigotry that people have for mutants, while also introducing the team. The way this is achieved is through the character, Jubilee – a young girl who crosses paths with the X-Men. Jubilee enters the series in this episode and remains with the show throughout its run.
9mins 50secs – Domino, Cannonball and Magneto just received cameos on a television report. Magneto is a significant villain, who will make a full appearance in episode three, but Cannonball won’t get a proper introduction until the final season. Domino appears in episode seven as a background character, but she’s never named.
11mins – 11 minutes into the first episode and Wolverine makes his debut. Wolverine was – and still is – a hugely popular character, despite his over-exposure in comics/movies.
12mins – The introduction of the Danger Room – a combat room which makes use of high-tech holographic images to create training scenarios.
16mins – This first episode introduces Morph; a character that was pretty much made up for this show. He was loosely based on an existing (very minor) character named Changeling, who looked very different. After the show was produced, Morph did become a character in the comics, and was brought back for the X-Men follow-up show, X-Men ’97.
16mins 15secs – Professor Charles Xavier – founder of the X-Men – explains that his goal is to see the peaceful co-existence between mutants and non-mutants. Good luck with that, Chuck!
16mins 35secs – This episode establishes the conflict between Wolverine and Cyclops. Both are coming across as right d*cks, and this is something which will continue for a while.
17mins 30secs – Rogue is explaining her powers. If she makes skin-to-skin contact she will absorb a person’s essence and/or abilities. This power is both a blessing and a curse.
18mins – The X-Men are on a mission to break into a Government building and destroy all records relating to mutants.
20mins 20secs – “You look as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.” Ah, classic Rogue dialogue!
21mins – OK, so this first episode packs a lot in:
- Introduces all of the X-Men
- Establishes a hatred for mutants
- Demonstrates the X-Men will break the law for the greater good
- Introduces a character who is set to die
*Clicks stop*
A strong first episode, packed full of exposition, but also some action. The animation looks dated as hell (more about this later), but this is one heck of a great starting point for the series.
Right, time for episode two…
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Night of the Sentinels: Part 2
*Clicks play*
2mins 50secs – A brief recap, before we now pick up the cliff-hanger.
3mins – The X-Men are about to be outnumbered by Government guards.
4mins – Meanwhile, in Detroit…. Jubilee has been kidnapped, made to feel like she’s a danger to the world and is being asked to rat on the X-Men. She refuses. What a trooper!
5mins 30secs – The villainous plan in this episode is for a shadowy government agency to build 100 Sentinels then use them to round-up mutants. Let’s see how that works out, shall we?
7mins 20secs – “Didn’t I tell you? Clear sailing all the way.”
7mins 50secs – Morph has just been killed off (off-screen).
9mins – Killing Morph served two purposes:
- The world the X-Men live in is very dangerous and the audience can now see this
- It establishes that anyone can die in this cartoon (although no one really does)
10mins – As well as Morph’s death, the Beast is also captured by the government. This becomes an important plot point throughout the first season, as Beast spends the majority of his time on trial and in jail.
13mins – A female president! HURRAH! We’re decades on from when this cartoon first aired and… there still hasn’t been a female president. What’s that all about?
15mins – The President doesn’t have a major beef with the X-Men. In fact, she wants the Sentinel programme shut down. The shadowy government agency is operating outside of her orders.
15mins 50secs – “People fear what they don’t understand.”
19mins – The X-Men are rescuing Jubilee. A common occurrence.
*Clicks stop*
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Enter Magneto
*Clicks play*
5secs – Previously on X-Men…
10secs – I love the fact the show has to include a recap and it’s only the third episode! And this is something worth noting. This first season has a story arc which spans 13 episodes, so there needs to be a constant reminder of what’s taken place so viewers can keep up with the serialised nature of the show.
3mins – The Beast is incarcerated.
4mins – Magneto has made his debut. Beast knows who Magneto is, even though he says they have never met. This is something which is contradicted at some point later in the series.
5mins – Magneto is offering to break Beast out of his cell, but Beast refuses, pointing out that he would rather await his day in court to prove his innocence. I love the Beast.
6mins – Introducing Magneto helps to demonstrate a different viewpoint to the series. While Xavier and his X-Men believe in mutant/non-mutant co-existence, Magneto feels that mutants should dominate their non-mutant oppressors. This is all in contrast to a growing wave of anti-mutant sentiment, whereby some people feel that mutants should be killed or imprisoned.
6mins 20secs – A flashback explaining Xavier/Magneto’s early years. Here (and throughout the series), Xavier refers to Magneto as ‘Magnus’. This is just one of the names that Magneto has gone by in the comics. In the movies, he is known as Eric.
8mins 40secs – Cameron Hodge makes his debut as Beast’s lawyer. Hodge makes additional appearances in the show, becoming a villain in The Phalanx Covenant two-part story, which crops up later in the show’s run.
11mins 30secs – It’s established that Wolverine and the villainous Sabretooth have a history. Wolverine does not like Sabretooth.
*Clicks stop*
Another great episode, which not only furthers the story arc but also introduces one of the all-time great Marvel villains – Magneto!
Next!
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Deadly Reunions
*Clicks play*
2mins – Cameos for Deadpool, Maverick, Omega Red and more, as we’re shown a snapshot into the mind of Sabretooth! Oooh…
4mins – Four episodes in and the story here is pretty full-on for a kids TV show, yet it’s rarely played down. Well done.
5mins 20secs – Sabretooth said that he and Wolverine used to be friends, but they fell out. According to Wolverine, Sabretooth “wasted” a couple of his friends. That’s one hell of a disagreement!
5mins 25secs – And yes, Wolverine did say “wasted”. Characters were not allowed to say died, die, or killed. Death was merely implied.
7mins – Magneto is back!
7mins 30secs – “Now we must face, the Master of Magnetism.”
8mins – I love it! Magneto has just made a joke about Xavier’s baldness. This show has occasional moments of humour and they’re great!
9mins – The first reference to Storm’s claustrophobia!
10mins 50secs – Rogue has accidentally absorbed Cyclops’ powers. This highlights Rogue’s strength in battle, but also her weakness. She has Cyclops’ ability to shoot beams from his eyes, yet she doesn’t know how to use this power or shut it off!
15mins – Senator Kelly has just declared his candidacy for the role of US President. He’s making it clear that should he win, mutants will be sent to internment camps. Heavy stuff for a cartoon, but also a reflection on opinions that still exist today.
17mins 45secs – “You egg-sucking piece of gutter trash.” Ah, a quality insult from Wolverine here.
*Clicks stop*
Four episodes in and this show continues to demonstrate it is a cut above the rest. The only other cartoon series that was similar in tone to this one was Batman: The Animated Series, which started airing in 1992.
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Captive Hearts
*Clicks play*
2mins – I’m sorry to say (but it must be said), Jean Grey is pretty pathetic at this stage in the show. Things do improve, but during these early episodes she’s a bit rubbish.
2mins 35secs – Xavier reminds everyone about Morph’s death. Cheers Chuck, I’m sure that’s what your team wants to be reminded of, their dead teammate!
3mins – This episode is about Storm establishing herself as a leader.
3mins 30secs – A reminder of Storm’s claustrophobia.
5mins – Although both Magneto and the Sentinels sit this episode out, they can both be seen on a newspaper report, reminding viewers of their importance in the overall season.
8mins – The sewer-dwelling mutants known as the Morlocks make their debut in this episode. A number of Morlocks are introduced, including Leech – a mutant with the ability to supress mutant abilities…
8mins 45secs – …and Callisto – the leader of the Morlocks.
13mins – Cyclops is supposedly dead.
13mins 40secs – It’s a ruse.
16mins 30secs – “Let’s bust out of this puke hole.” Yet more great dialogue from Wolverine.
17mins – A new story beat is being developed here. The idea that Wolverine has a thing for Jean.
17mins 50secs – Storm and Callisto have entered into a leadership battle over the Morlocks.
17mins 55secs – Erm… did X-Men introduce the double-ended lightsabre before The Phantom Menace? It appears so!
Definitely getting Phantom Menace vibes.
*Cough cough*
18mins 30secs – Storm is pretty bad-ass in this episode.
19mins – This episode establishes Storm as leader of the Morlocks, but with Callisto in charge in her absence (which is basically all of the time, as Storm barely bothers with them).
20mins – Continuing the serialised nature of the show, the episode ends on a minor cliff-hanger. Wolverine has left the X-Mansion! (Spoiler: He’ll be back)
*Clicks stop*
It’s five for five with this show – five great episodes in a row! I really like Captive Hearts as it puts the focus on Storm, while balancing additional story beats (the Jean-Cyclops-Wolverine triangle, the growing hatred of mutants, etc).
Surely with the show being THIS good, nothing can throw a spanner in the works now? Oh, wait…
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Cold Vengeance
*Clicks play*
1min – I’ll say this right off the bat – I dislike this episode. It’s the only dud in this first season.
3mins 50secs – The story sees Wolverine going toe-to-toe with Sabretooth, while on a journey to find himself (or something like that).
6mins – This episode also sets up the storyline for the next episode, which involves the island of Genosha (more about that next time).
9mins – Wolverine comes across as a right d*ck again.
12mins – I swear this whole story is just an opportunity for Wolverine & Sabretooth to out act each other. They’re such divas!
15mins 55secs – What do you mean there are occasional errors in the animation? Are you telling me Wolverine doesn’t have hairy yellow arms?
17mins 40secs – “MY EYES!” The over acting continues.
19mins 30secs – This episode has a great cliffhanger. Gambit, Storm and Jubilee are attacked whilst on Genosha. This whole end sequence (which lasts about a minute) is better than anything else in the episode.
*Clicks stop*
A rubbish episode, but it doesn’t tarnish what is a FANTASTIC series! This show really helped make a name for the X-Men, paving the way for the live-action movie series that would follow in the ’00s.
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Right, that’s it for now. I shall be back with more episodes and more discussions shortly. If you want to talk about these episodes, share your thoughts or have a general discussion about the X-Men, then head to the comments section and start the conversation.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about X-Men: The Animated Series. For more posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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