EJ Moreno looks at X-Men: The Animated Series ahead of X-Men ’97…
The theme song, the story arcs, that Wolverine meme—there’s something about X-Men: The Animated Series that impacted an entire generation of Marvel fans, shaping how we view one of the most iconic teams.
As we near the upcoming follow-up series on Disney+ titled X-Men: ’97, we’ll venture back to what started it all and give you ten of the best episodes from X-Men: The Animated Series. With 76 episodes, it’s hard to boil down which are the best, and it’s wholly subjective, so be sure to reach out to Flickering Myth to let us know your favorites.
Night of the Sentinels: Part 1 & 2 (Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2)
Sometimes, the beginning can be the best. While the series would come into its own as it grew, the very first episodes of the series are such a strong start. We meet our titular heroes and one of their most famous foes in an action-packed romp.
In the first 21 minutes alone, the episode flawlessly introduces a host of the most iconic Marvel heroes. But what the episodes really present to the audience is the wild tone it will strike, something between a Saturday Morning Cartoon and a gritty adult anime. Even with all their bright and strange costumes, the characters feel mature and well-realized. And we quickly see just how dire it is for mutants, holding nothing back regarding stakes and social commentary.
This is essential viewing for any superhero fan heading into X-Men ’97.
Nightcrawler (Season 4, Episode 8)
Speaking of the more mature tone we’d see from X-Men: The Animated Series, one of the best episodes to push its storytelling boundaries was this Season 4 episode. Not only do we get an introduction to one of the best mutants, but it packs a massive punch.
Tackling religion and societal bias in a show geared toward a younger audience is tricky, but using Nightcrawler as the perfect conduit makes it easy. The series is thrust into a different aesthetic, leaving behind the retro-future for a stunning Christian/Medival look that allows you to enter this world quickly. The sensory change and story shift gives way to a perfect adventure into self-discovery while still having the best team of superheroes kicking ass and teaching lessons.
While Season 4 isn’t my favorite, Nightcrawler is a standout.
Days of Future Past: Part 2 (Season 1, Episode 12)
Much like another story we’ll see later on, the team behind the animated X-Men seems to be the only ones to grasp how to do the Days of Future Past story. As Season 1 neared its end, we got such a compelling story showing we’d need more of this.
With Part 1 introducing Cable and letting you know the situation’s stakes, Part 2 of Days of Future Past ups the ante and shows the quality storytelling X-Men: The Animated Series would be known for. Bishop attempting to kill Gambit in hopes of stopping a massive future mutant genocide instantly tells the viewer that things can get very real for our heroes and furthers the storyline of “who is right, who is wrong,” which makes these characters so compelling.
Given Bishop is a main character in ’97, this may be one to revisit.
Beauty and the Beast (Season 2, Episode 10)
If you enjoyed the X-Men: The Animated Series episodes that spotlighted an individual mutant and let them shine, then Beauty and the Beast from Season 2 must be a standout. Any diehard Beast fans knows this one is quite powerful.
As a longtime Beast fan, you can’t help but fall for this episode, in which the character finally gets to show why he’s so compelling. Falling in love with a blind woman, fighting for her love against forces tearing them apart, and an awesome team-up with Logan is everything you could hope for in a standalone episode. I also can’t be the only one who loved seeing the villainous Graydon Creed Jr get his in the end, capping off what’s one of my personal favorites.
Season 2 is quite good, and episodes like this are why.
The Final Decision (Season 1, Episode 13)
After his introduction in Episode 3, Magneto instantly became the focal point of some incredible stories. Things got spicy as Season 1 ended with Magneto and the X-Men having to team up for some exciting results and one grand finale.
When the even more villainous Master Moold threatens to turn Senator Kelly into a robot, the unlikely teammates face off against an insane amount of Sentinels and fight to fix things before it’s too late. As Magneto would become an even more complicated foe, it was a delight to see what could’ve happened if Xavier and Erik met eye-to-eye. It’s also a blessing that this episode resulted in Beast not being sidelined anymore, which is a blessing to us all.
If you want a strong arc, Season 1 delivers all of that.
The Phoenix Saga, Part V: Child of Light (Season 3, Episode 7)
With The Phoenix Saga being my favorite moment of all of X-Men: The Animated Series, it took some soul searching not to put the entire multi-episode saga as just one entirely. Thankfully, the amazing Part V helps make that decision easy.
The episode serves as the epic conclusion to the five-part story arc and can only be described as harrowing. So much has built up to this point, and many stories feel like they’re on the verge of exploding. Whether it’s the fight between D’Ken and Phoenix or the latter’s sacrifice to save humanity, it all hits hard. If you’re a fan of this series, this is a vital point of any fan’s journey. We’ve also seen the 20th Century Fox try this twice in live-action and flop hard, showing how good this is.
If you were to watch one X-Men arc, this would be the one.
Graduation Day (Season 5, Episode 14)
The finale of X-Men: The Animated Series had to close the show and save a reasonably mediocre season from destroying its legacy. Graduation Day proves that sticking the landing is all that matters, and boy, is this quite the victory lap.
As the budget dropped, which brought on a quality drop, the team behind the original X-Men cartoon knew the importance of sending us off on a solid note. Magneto is waging his war, and things seem as bleak as ever, but the injury and send-off of Charles Xavier are enough to halt the insanity. The writing in this episode, especially with Xavier’s epilogue, is out-of-this-world and shows that even on its last legs, this series has some serious power to make you feel for the mutants.
With this tying directly into the reboot, please give it a viewing.
SEE ALSO: Read our review of the X-Men ’97 series premiere here
What are your favourite episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
EJ Moreno
