The second: Marvel\u2019s X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em>, a show that, while lacking Batman: TAS\u2019s<\/em> technical sophistication, still enthralled audiences with its vibrant comic book art direction, serialized storytelling, and faithfulness to the original publication\u2019s exploits. A critical and ratings success, the animated adaptation would define the X-Men to a broader audience and helped set the stage for its live-action adaptation in the early 2000s, ushering in the superhero boom that continues to dominate Hollywood.<\/p>\n In honor of the revival of this 1990s-centric X-Men, X-Men \u201897<\/em>, set for release on Disney+ on March 20, 2024, Wealth of Geeks<\/em> revisits this millennial classic and ranks the best X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em> episodes with a fresh pair of eyes, to better understand why this series continues to remain the definitive interpretation of Marvel\u2019s mutant hero team.<\/p>\n While X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em> primarily used the then-modern comics line-up for its roster, several episodes dedicated plots to classic X-Men characters throughout the series\u2019 run.<\/p>\n Case in point stands \u201cObsession,\u201d an Angel-centric episode wherein a vengeful version of the character seeks revenge on Apocalypse for turning him into the darker, violent Archangel. Having previously absorbed some of Archangel\u2019s evil from an earlier episode, Rogue agrees to help him despite protests from Gambit and the other X-Men.<\/p>\n Archangel\u2019s gradually deepening obsession makes this episode so compelling; his thirst for vengeance clouds his reasoning and leaves viewers on edge as the X-Men battle alongside him against the immortal mutant, unsure whether his madness will destroy him or if he\u2019ll overcome it.<\/p>\n The premiere episode of X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em> Season 3 sees the animated debut (and so far only televised appearance) of the Wolverine villainess Lady Deathstrike, reimagined here as an embittered ex-lover of the hero seeking revenge for her father\u2019s death.<\/p>\n While the overarching narrative of the two-parter focuses on an ancient spaceship and its alien prisoner within the Morlock tunnels, \u201cOut of the Past, Part 1\u201d makes for the stronger episode between the two. Not only do audiences witness a condensed retelling of how Wolverine<\/a> emerged from the Weapon X program with his adamantium skeleton, but how his origins tie to Lady Deathstrike\u2019s, making the clash between the two as heartbreaking as it is exciting.<\/p>\n Another staple of classic X-Men rosters, Colossus became a fan-favorite throughout the 1980s through his appearances in Uncanny X-Men <\/em>but didn’t make the cut for the animated series. However, he does make a memorable appearance in the eighth episode, \u201cThe Unstoppable Juggernaut,\u201d which sees the Russian mutant reinterpreted as a recently-arrived immigrant construction worker accused of destroying the Xavier Institute and later robbing a local bank.<\/p>\n But, as the title implies, the X-Men quickly discover the Juggernaut\u2019s<\/a> hand at play, and the episode goes to great lengths to show the villain\u2019s maddening strength. Seeing the entire team, alongside Colossus, work together to take on Juggernaut makes for quintessential superhero action for the era.<\/p>\n Lured by the rumors of peaceful mutant coexistence, Gambit<\/a>, Storm, and Jubilee find themselves prisoners of the island nation of Genosha and are forced into building a power dam fueling Sentinel development alongside fellow mutants.<\/p>\n The episode sees Jubilee take on a proactive role, working to orchestrate a prisoner uprising and escape the complex. Yet, surprising twists and turns throw the story in exciting directions away from the typical \u201cprison escape\u201d archetype episode. With appearances by numerous beloved mutant characters, \u201cSlave Island\u201d makes for an exciting prison action romp while setting up several future appearances for certain \u201cprisoners\u201d down the line.<\/p>\n As the final episode of the original run of X-Men<\/em>, \u201cGraduation Day\u201d makes for a bittersweet yet hopeful goodbye to this legendary iteration of the team. Hanging over the proceedings is a mortally wounded Charles Xavier, barely clinging to life, all while Magneto threatens to wage the ultimate war on humanity with a new mutant army.<\/p>\n No, the episode doesn\u2019t possess the same animation style as the series started with, but it hits the right emotional notes with a tear-jerking goodbye from Xavier<\/a> as he praises each member of his beloved X-Men. X-Men \u201997<\/em> will pick up from this ending, and the potential to see where the story continues after such a goodbye proves too tempting to ignore.<\/p>\n Loosely based on an arc from the pages of Uncanny X-Men<\/em>, \u201cCaptive Hearts\u201d sees the debut of the Morlocks, an underground society of outcast mutants unable to blend in with normal humans and their leader, Calisto. Though a significant team effort to rescue Cyclops and Jean Grey from Calisto, the episode serves as an early showcase for Storm\u2019s capabilities as a leader, proving her worth as she duels the mutant one-on-one for both control of the Morlocks and the safety of her teammates.<\/p>\n Another focus lies in the ongoing love triangle between Jean, Cyclops<\/a>, and Wolverine, the latter struggling with his feelings for the telepath during the Morlock affair. As a reasonably standalone episode in the highly serialized first season, \u201cCaptive Hearts\u201d creates outstanding character work.<\/p>\n The first episode of season two finally sees the long-awaited wedding between Jean Grey and Scott Summers after a tortured love triangle between the pair and the unrequited feelings of Wolverine.<\/p>\n However, the premiere also sees the animated debut of the wicked Mister Sinister,<\/a> who uses a hypnotized Morph to wreak havoc on the X-Men and ensure the team is separated from Professor Xavier. Not only does the episode kick off a season-long plotline of the X-Men having to contend with Xavier\u2019s absence (a plot line X-Men \u201997<\/em> will revisit), \u201cTil Death Do Us Part, Part 1\u201d shows off how dangerous their former teammate Morph has become without his moral compass.<\/p>\n No writer before or since has made their mark on the X-Men franchise quite like Chris Claremont<\/a>, whose legendary run with the team saw the creation of several fan-favorite characters and storylines that remain the quintessential texts starring Marvel\u2019s mutants.<\/p>\n His first major saga, the transformation of Jean Grey into the all-powerful Phoenix, serves as the basis for the five-part storyline of the same name, with its opening chapter seeing the X-Men confront the Shi\u2019ar agent Erik the Red as he hijacks an experimental space station.<\/p>\n Not only does \u201cSacrifice\u201d serve as a proper introduction to the galactic side of the X-Men, but it also makes for a starring showcase of Jean before the renowned \u201cDark Phoenix Saga<\/a>\u201d and why the X-Men hold her in such high regard, with her gladly risking her safety to protect her teammates.<\/p>\n Expanding on the Wolverine origin briefly touched on in \u201cOut of the Past,\u201d \u201cRepo Man\u201d sees the X-Man come to terms with his Canadian roots while running afoul of Alpha Flight. As the Canadian superhero team\u2019s sole appearance in animation, the episode makes for an entertaining examination of their role in shaping Wolverine into a costumed hero and a bitter look at his treatment at the hands of the Weapon X<\/a> program.<\/p>\n Wolverine\u2019s origins are an infamously complex and convoluted story told over several decades, but \u201cRepo Man\u201d helps streamline this backstory while hitting the high points for audiences to understand.<\/p>\n Though X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em> episodes remain situated in their corner of the world, the series inhabits the same expansive Marvel Animated Universe made popular by Spider-Man: The Animated Series<\/em> and Fantastic Four<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cA Rogue\u2019s Tale\u201d follows Rogue reckoning with her sordid past, particularly a vicious clash with Ms. Marvel<\/a> (then-Carol Danvers) that saw the future X-Man put the Avenger into a coma while gaining her powers and memories in the process. The episode makes for a keen reminder of where Rogue started as a character before becoming the X-Men staple that she is today, contrasting her prior villainy with her reformation as a bonafide hero.<\/p>\n The Summers family tree makes for convoluted material on the original comics page, but \u201cOrphan\u2019s End\u201d delivers the gist of Cyclops\u2019 backstory while maintaining the series\u2019 patented comic book action. Though Corsair and the Starjammers had previously appeared in \u201cThe Phoenix Saga\u201d storyline and audiences were aware of the true connection between the spacefaring outlaw and Cyclops, this episode sees the two characters finally rediscover their father\/son relationship.<\/p>\n Even as they flee Shi\u2019ar authorities, all of Cyclops\u2019 resentment growing up orphaned and Corsair\u2019s retelling of the Summers tragedy makes for an emotionally charged installment, with the necessary dose of sci-fi pulp bringing some fun to the proceedings.<\/p>\n Designed as the original ending to X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em> once it reached syndication numbering, \u201cBeyond Good and Evil\u201d pulls out all the stops to make a fitting farewell, even if plans quickly changed at the last minute to allow for a truncated fifth season.<\/p>\n Even without this context, \u201cBeyond Good and Evil\u201d remains a stunning culmination of Apocalypse<\/a>\u2019s machinations throughout the series, his final plot seeing him abduct various mutant psychics to help remake reality in his image. Stretching across time and space, with the debut of mutant Psylocke thrown in for good measure, \u201cBeyond Good and Evil\u201d stands as an epic ending to the fourth season.<\/p>\n One of the few episodes of X-Men<\/em> dedicated to examining real-world events, \u201cOld Soldiers\u201d sees Wolverine reminiscing about his days as a covert agent in World War II-era France, working to free a captive scientist in a chateau overrun by German forces.<\/p>\n Notable as a team-up with Captain America<\/a> over a decade before the character came to prominence as part of the MCU, \u201cOld Soldiers\u201d possesses a distinctly different tone from the majority of X-Men<\/em>, with a focus on war intrigue and pulp action culminating in a classic Red Skull brawl with one of his massive super weapons. As an entry written by Wolverine co-creator Len Wein, \u201cOld Soldiers\u201d makes for a refreshing change of pace and a compelling glimpse into Logan\u2019s shadowy past. <\/p>\n One of the most beloved of X-Men stories, \u201cDays of Future Past<\/a>,\u201d sees a time-traveler arrive from a dystopian future wherein the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly sees the Sentinels hunt mutants to near-extinction.<\/p>\n While heavily altered for the television series (Bishop replaces Kitty Pryde as the time traveler, for instance), \u201cDays of Future Past, Part 2\u201d sees the X-Men battle Mystique\u2019s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to prevent the horrific future from coming to pass, with a brawl throughout the United States Capital Building and onto the National Mall.<\/p>\n The episode serves as a taste for the epic scale that the series would indulge in later in its run, with a heartrending confrontation between Rogue and her mother Mystique and a magnetic cliffhanger leading into the season one finale.<\/p>\n At times a hero and just as often a villain, Magneto makes his case as one of the most gripping X-Men characters conceived, and X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em> gives the character his proper due in animation with his debut episode.<\/p>\n Depicted in his traditional guise as a militant mutant who sees coexistence with normal humans as fantasy following personal tragedy, Magneto tries to coerce an imprisoned Beast to join his cause while planning further attacks on humanity. The episode is at its strongest when Beast debates the Master of Magnetism, echoing his and Xavier\u2019s pacifist beliefs. At the same time, Magneto wastes no time showing off his full power set, easily overpowering the maximum security prison and leaving audiences on edge as he makes his next moves.<\/p>\n \u201cEnter Magneto\u201d may water down Magneto<\/a>\u2019s backstory to appease the Saturday morning cartoon demographic, but it offers a more robust examination of its title character than previously.<\/p>\n Part of Rogue\u2019s appeal lies in the character\u2019s inability to control her mutant-leeching abilities, which threaten to seriously hurt someone if she touches a person for too long, with many socially alienated comic readers seeing parts of themselves in her.<\/p>\n In \u201cThe Cure,\u201d Angel bankrolls a scientist working feverishly on a mutant cure on Muir Island, attracting the attention of Rogue and several other mutants eager to feel like an average human. A certain heartache permeates the proceedings, and even a simple holding of hands proves tantalizing for Rogue not to feel so lonely anymore. Throw in the animated debuts of famous X-Men antagonists Mystique and Apocalypse, and audiences find a deeper look at the team\u2019s resident southern belle.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most beloved of the X-Men characters, Nightcrawler<\/a> made several appearances throughout much of X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em>, with his debut episode remaining a distinct highlight. As well as retelling Kurt Wagner\u2019s origins, the installment possesses a fittingly moody monastery setting, with a vacationing Gambit, Wolverine, and Rogue hearing word of this mysterious \u201cdemon.\u201d<\/p>\n Tackling the character\u2019s religious background remains a remarkable achievement for an animated cartoon series from 1995, especially the inclusion of a philosophical debate between Nightcrawler and Wolverine over God and the treatment of mutants. This key aspect, his devout nature, has never been portrayed as powerfully as in this installment.<\/p>\n On-the-nose title aside, \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d makes for a compelling Beast-centric episode that sees Hank McCoy romantically connect with a blind woman under his care, Carly.<\/p>\n As one of the show\u2019s most explicit depictions of paranoia and prejudice, with the Friends of Humanity serving as a proxy for real-life hate groups, \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d also delves deep into McCoy\u2019s psyche and his own self-loathing over his mutated appearance denying him a semblance of normalcy.<\/p>\n Filled with rousing action but ending on a bittersweet note, \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d perfectly illustrates the intolerant world the X-Men face and the struggles they endure when confronting it.<\/p>\n While not quite an adaptation of the famous “Age of Apocalypse” storyline, the production team that oversaw the series crafted this two-parter that directly influenced the creation of that dystopian time-travel crossover event. \u201cOne Man\u2019s Worth\u201d sees Master Mold orchestrate the assassination of Professor Xavier in 1959, creating a dystopian future where sentinels and mutants wage constant war with one another to a violent stalemate.<\/p>\n With Bishop as the only mutant who recalls the original timeline, he teams up with a married Wolverine and Storm to set the present right. With a Terminator<\/em><\/a>-esque twist to the proceedings and a heartbreaking relationship between the altered Wolverine and Storm, \u201cOne Man\u2019s Worth\u201d makes for both a rewarding two-parter and one of the series\u2019 strongest entries.<\/p>\n One of the original five members of the comic book X-Men, Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, had previously appeared in Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends<\/em><\/a> but wouldn\u2019t get his due in X-Men-centric media animation until 2008\u2019s Wolverine and the X-Men<\/em>.<\/p>\n However, the character makes a memorable impression in \u201cCold Comfort,\u201d where he seeks out the missing Polaris, breaking into a government facility and running afoul of his former teammates. The episode ultimately culminates with a massive brawl between Xavier\u2019s X-Men and a new government-sanctioned team dubbed X-Factor.<\/p>\n As an acknowledgment of the X-Men\u2019s 1960s roots with an eye toward its then-present success, \u201cCold Comfort\u201d sees the history of the X-Men in a new light while planting seeds for future storylines. That alone makes it one of the most important X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em> episodes.<\/p>\n All shows require a good first impression to ensure a healthy first season, and X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em> lands this crucial step with its debut episode, \u201cNight of the Sentinels, Part 1.\u201d With Jubilee as the perfect surrogate, audiences are given a proper primer about this corner of the Marvel Universe, setting up the general public\u2019s mood around mutants, introducing each X-Man and what they can do, and what the team represents for all mutant kind.<\/p>\n The episode also shows the terrifying might of the title\u2019s Sentinels, showcasing their destructive capability. With a focus on setting up team dynamics and the world that hates and fears them, \u201cNight of the Sentinels, Part 1\u201d makes for a compelling beginning to this iteration of the X-Men.<\/p>\n Of the many famous plots X-Men: The Animated Series<\/em> adapted from the comics, “The Dark Phoenix Saga” remains the pinnacle of X-Men storytelling.<\/p>\n \u201cPart 2\u201d of the storyline sees all but one of the X-Men captured by the so-called Inner Circle Club (a slightly sanitized version of the comics\u2019 original Hellfire Club<\/a>), with its lead psychics working to corrupt Jean Grey\u2019s Phoenix persona to their will. However, that one unaccounted X-Man is none other than Wolverine, who threatens to tear his way through the Club to rescue his teammates.<\/p>\n While the show switches out certain characters for the 90s line-up, \u201cPart 2\u201d remains a highly faithful retelling of this portion of the larger “Dark Phoenix” storyline, with a full-scale brawl between the X-Men and the Inner Circle and Cal Dodd delivering some of his best voice work as Wolverine.<\/p>\n1. \u201cObsession\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series.jpg\" "\\"The")
2. \u201cOut of the Past, Part 1\u201d<\/h2>\n
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3. \u201cThe Unstoppable Juggernaut\u201d<\/h2>\n
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4. \u201cSlave Island\u201d<\/h2>\n
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5. \u201cGraduation Day\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-4.jpg\" "\\"The")
6. \u201cCaptive Hearts\u201d<\/h2>\n
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7. \u201cTil Death Do US Part, Part 1\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-6.jpg\" "\\"The")
8. \u201cThe Phoenix Saga, Part 1: Sacrifice\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-8.jpg\" "\\"The")
9. \u201cRepo Man\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-9.jpg\" "\\"The")
10. \u201cA Rogue\u2019s Tale\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-10.jpg\" "\\"The")
11. \u201cOrphan\u2019s End\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-11.jpg\" "\\"The")
12. \u201cBeyond Good and Evil, Parts 1-4\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-7.jpg\" "\\"The")
13. \u201cOld Soldiers\u201d<\/h2>\n
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14. \u201cDays of Future Past, Part 2\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-2-1.jpg\" "\\"The")
15. \u201cEnter Magneto\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-3-1.jpg\" "\\"The")
16. \u201cThe Cure\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-4-1.jpg\" "\\"The")
17. \u201cNightcrawler\u201d<\/h2>\n
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18. \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d<\/h2>\n
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19. \u201cOne Man\u2019s Worth, Parts 1 and 2\u201d<\/h2>\n
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20. \u201cCold Comfort\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-11-1.jpg\" "\\"The")
21. \u201cNight of the Sentinels, Part 1\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-8-1.jpg\" "\\"The")
22. \u201cThe Dark Phoenix, Part 2\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"X-Men:](\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/X-Men-The-Animated-Series-9-1.jpg\" "\\"The")