X-Men, the Legendary 90's Animated Series

The best X-Men adaptation to date.

The SPAM Alternative team of writers is a very educated one. In order to apologize for the previous entries (which featured some of the worst comic book adaptations of all times) we have decided to refund our connoisseurs by reviewing the number one comic book TV adaptation of all times: X-Men, The Animated Series.  

The series debuted on October 31, 1992 in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup. X-Men was Marvel Comics' second attempt at an animated X-Men TV series after the pilot X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men was not picked up. The series ran for five seasons from 1992 to 1997 with an episode count of 73.

The cartoon featured quite a lot of characters from the X-Men universe.

Bishop, one of my personal favorite X-Men & Rogue's ass!

How did the X-Men become a cartoon blockbuster?

In 1991, Margaret Loesch became head of Fox Children's Network. Having championed the Pryde of the X-Men pilot in 1989, she was quick to set up an order for 13 episodes of X-Men. X-Men was originally to premiere over the Labor Day weekend in September; however, due to production delays, it was pushed to the end of October. Moreover, when the animation team AKOM turned in the first episode, it contained hundreds of animation errors, which AKOM refused to fix. Because of time constraints, the episode was aired as is. The second episode was turned in just before deadline, with 50 scenes missing and only a single day reserved for editing. The "Night of the Sentinels" two-part episode originally aired as a "sneak preview" on October 31.

Because of the production delays and animation errors in these two episodes, Fox threatened to sever AKOM's contracts. When Fox re-aired the pilot in early 1993, the errors were all corrected. The series earned top ratings throughout its first season, and was renewed for a second season of 13 episodes. X-Men stands as the longest-running Marvel Comics-based show, lasting 76 episodes. The second longest, the 1990s Spider-Man animated series, lasted 65 episodes.

After the box office success of the live-action X-Men film in the summer of 2000, Fox began airing reruns of the cartoon on weekday afternoons. At first, only episodes that primarily featured content in the movie were broadcast. Later, the series was aired in proper order, but it was pulled from the air in early 2001. Soon after, ABC Family and Toon Disney began airing reruns, due to Disney's buyout of all Saban Entertainment programs. Then later X-Men was taken off the air again after when Toon Disney was discontinued and Disney XD took over its place

Magneto!

A team like no other.

The show features X-Men similar in look and line-up to the early 1990s X-Men drawn by Jim Lee (more specifically, Cyclops' Blue Team, established in the early issues of the second X-Men comic series), composed of Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Jubilee, Jean Grey, Professor X, as well as an original character, Morph (an adaptation of previous X-Men member Kevin Sydney) 

Although the majority of series' stories are original, a number of famous storylines and events from the comics are loosely adapted in the series, such as "The Dark Phoenix Saga", "Days of Future Past", the "Phalanx Covenant", and the "Legacy Virus". The third episode, "Enter Magneto", features a confrontation at a missile base: this is largely based on the X-Men's first battle with Magneto, as told in their 1963 debut The X-Men #1. The season-four episodes "Sanctuary, Parts I & II", which involve Magneto creating an orbiting haven for mutants, were influenced by several storylines from the comics, chiefly the first three issues of X-Men (Volume 2) and the "Fatal Attractions" crossover. An Age of Apocalypse-like time-line is shown in the episode "One Man's Worth". The entire saga of the Phoenix is retold and adapted in the third season, subdivided into the five-part "Phoenix Saga", in which Jean acquires the power of the Phoenix and the battle for the M'Kraan Crystal occurs, and the "Dark Phoenix Saga", showcasing the battle with the Hellfire Club, the Phoenix Force's transformation into Dark Phoenix, and the battle to decide her fate.

Meet the Sentinel from my personal collection.

My humble collection.

X-Men, season by season.

The first season of the show brought the X-Men into conflict with human conspirators building mutant-exterminating Sentinel robots, Magneto and his attempts to instigate a human-mutant war, and the powerful mutant Apocalypse's plans to eradicate the weak, both human and mutant alike. Other storylines including X-Men member Morph's death at the hands of Sentinels, Beast's incarceration, and an assassination attempt on US senator Kelly by Apocalypse's minions to turn human sentiment against the mutants. 

The second season sees Cyclops and Jean get married and become the targets of Mister Sinister, who hopes to use the genetically perfect combination of their DNA to create an army of obedient mutants. Morph returns, having been rescued by Sinister and brainwashed into forcing the X-Men apart. The season also features the growing rift between humans and mutants, spearheaded by the Friends of Humanity, an anti-mutant group who lead the persecution of all mutants. Apocalypse also returns, developing a deadly plague to be blamed on mutants, fueling mutant hatred.

The third season focuses on the cosmic force, the Phoenix, which merges with Jean Grey and eventually turns her into the malevolent and powerful Dark Phoenix. The season also introduced the Shi'ar Empire who want to stop the Dark Phoenix, including Lilandra and Gladiator. Other storylines include the introduction of Wolverine's former lover turned mercenary, Lady Deathstrike, former X-Men member Iceman, and the villainous Shadow King.

The Dark Phoenix Saga...

...My favorite story arc.

I remember back in 1992 when this show debuted, I thought it was one of the best cartoons on the air, along with "Batman: The Animated Series"(We apologize for not having it reviewed here yet). The characters had great powers but no one was so incredibly powered that they couldn't get knocked down and knocked around. Plus they were always getting on each others nerves. As cool as Wolverine and Gambit were, I always held great fondness for Cyclops and Beast, I guess because I admired Cyclops for being so stalwart and steadfast and Beast for being so damn smart, laid back and intelligent.Gambit's love/hate relationship with Rogue, the hottest virgin super-heroine in comic books, was always good for a laugh and only occasionally got dramatic but never so much that it got sappy. Professor Xavier, Storm, Jean, and Jubilee rounded out the cast of heroes with their own powers and self-doubts and dreams. 

Honestly, the X-Men cartoon series was arguably the most accurate fans could get, easily outdoing the movie adaptations. Nevertheless, as above mentioned most of the stories were "based upon" episodes, which wasn't a bad thing at all, since writers were very respectful of the original source and tried to use the cartoon as a way  to foster further interest in the original source. Did they succeed? sure they did! just remember Marvel comics was going under a very tough time (they almost went bankrupt by 1997) While the highly acclaimed films were nothing but a scam using the X-Men name and its characters, this wonderful cartoon remained loyal to the original source.

Unlike the movies (yes, by now you have realized that I don't like them at all), the animated show had a rawness and bite to each and every one of those characters that was totally devoid in the live action versions and it never managed to pussyfoot around the issues, as well as the story lines, of which again were far more realistic and believable.

Rogue literally had her suit painted on her curvy body.

Psylocke was also kick ass.

This is what the movies themselves ought to have been like, but rather than leave things as they were, the directors Brett Ratner and Bryan Singer decided to change a couple things round, without realizing how much this would put die-hard and ardent X-men fans off. Why tamper with a classic formula? Besides, the film's disappointment shouldn't take away from the fact that the cartoon series is the best on- screen version of the X-Men.

Forget the films, either stick with the comics or go for this, the animated version instead. 

A few things you may not know about the X-Men series:

-Fox initially had a lot of resistance to the cartoon series before it became a success. They felt that the target audiences, kids under 10, wouldn't be interested in a romantic love triangle between Cyclops, Jean, and Wolverine. They also thought kids wouldn't keep up with a show that was serialized. 

-After "The Phoenix Saga" aired, the remaining episodes that aired were not in the correct continuity order. Because the bulk of episodes were being animated with many different studios, the writers decided not to continue with linear storylines like the first two seasons, as many would likely air as soon as they became available. Continuity problems became so bad that episode 3.8 "No Mutant is an Island" and episode 3.10 "Longshot" did not air for two years after they should have, thanks to animation quality issues. "No Mutant is an Island" was *supposed* to explain Jean Grey's return, setting up the Dark Phoenix Saga.  

There it is, Bryan Singer, shoot to kill!

Thor? never heard of her.

-The sound effect used for Magneto's magnetic powers is the same sound effect used for the Klingon cloaking device in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). 

-Stan Lee was not creatively active with Marvel comics at the time the series was being produced so his involvement wasn't particularly big on the series. He gave some producers notes on the first thirteen episodes 

-This series marks the first time the mutant cure plot is explored in the franchise, way before Joss Whedon's run of the comic book series or X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

The big sized Wolverines of the toy line (yep, also mine)

Overall, X-Men The Animated Series is masterpiece that easily outdoes every other X-Men (out of the original source) adaptation. The X-Men films may be entertaining but they're not nearly as good an accurate as this series is. The animation artists put a lot of effort to give each character the comic book likeness they deserve (based upon Jim Lee's portrayal as above mentioned) The soundtrack was also very 90's like and the intro music still plays in our brains after all these years, I guess we better thank Ron Wasserman (yeah, the guy from the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers music) for such a catchy and empowering tune.

Here's the legendary series intro:

 Here some cool toy ads:

The VHS home collection ad:

X-Men Children Of The Atom*, the Arcade game:

*Not to be confused with the first X-Men arcade videogame NOT based upon the animated series.

Based on the X-Men comic book, it is the first fighting game produced by Capcom using characters under license from Marvel Comics. Released around the time of the mid-1990s X-Men animated series, the game features voice actors from the series reprising their roles. The game's plot is based on the "Fatal Attractions" story from the comics - players control one of the X-Men or their enemies in their fight against the villain Magneto. They face each of the other characters in the game in best of three one-on-one fighting matches, before battling Juggernaut and then Magneto himself.

The gameplay has much in common with Capcom's previous fighting games, Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Darkstalkers. Children of the Atom adds a combo system that features long combos that can even be performed in mid-air. Also featured in the game are various tactical maneuvers, including the ability for characters to roll. Children of the Atom also introduced multi-tiered fighting environments in which the ground would crumble and characters would fall into lower parts of the level. These concepts and the fast pace of the game would provide the basis for Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom series, which started with the game's successor X-Men vs. Street Fighter.

Select your hero (or villain)

Cyclops VS Magneto!

Ports of the game were released for the Sega Saturn, PlayStation and personal computers. Of these, the PlayStation version was not as well received as the other versions, suffering from slowdown and missing frames of animation.

Here's a gameplay video of the arcade version: