X-Men: The Animated Series, also known as X-Men, is an animated superhero television series, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The series aired in the United States for five seasons from October 31, 1992, to September 20, 1997, on Fox's Fox Kids programming block. It was produced by Marvel Entertainment and Saban Entertainment, and animated principally by AKOM.
It was Marvel Comics' second attempt at an animated X-Men television series after the pilot X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men was not picked up. Set in the same fictional universe as Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994–1998), Earth-92131,Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5 it was followed by a revival, X-Men '97, which began airing on March 20, 2024, on Disney+ to critical acclaim.
The series is currently owned and distributed by The Walt Disney Company (Marvel's parent company), which acquired all Fox Kids-related properties from News Corporation and Saban in 2001.
Synopsis
The show features a team similar to that of the early 1990s X-Men comics by Jim Lee, specifically the Blue Team established early on in X-Men (vol. 2). It consists of Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Jubilee, Jean Grey, and Professor X, as well as original character Morph, who is based on Changeling. All 76 episodes were directed by Larry Houston.
The series deals with social issues, including divorce ("Proteus"), religion ("Nightcrawler" and "Bloodlines"), the Holocaust ("Enter Magneto", "Deadly Reunions", "Days of Future Past" and "The Phalanx Covenant"), AIDS hysteria ("Time Fugitives"), and loneliness ("No Mutant Is an Island"). It satirizes television in the episodes "Mojovision" and "Longshot".
It crossed over with Spider-Man: The Animated Series when Spider-Man seeks the X-Men's help to stop his progressing mutation. In the abbreviated form of the Secret Wars storyline, the Beyonder and Madame Web select Spider-Man to lead a team of heroes against a group of villains. An earlier draft of "Secret Wars" involved all the X-Men, but transporting the voice cast from Canada to Los Angeles, where production for the Spider-Man animated series was based, had been too costly in previous crossovers, so the episode was rewritten to feature only Storm, whose actress, Iona Morris, lived in Los Angeles.
In the first season, the X-Men come into conflict with human conspirators building Sentinel robots to exterminate mutants, Magneto's plan to instigate a human-mutant war, and the powerful mutant Apocalypse's attempts to bring about the end of human civilization. Other storylines include Morph's death at the hands of the Sentinels, Beast's incarceration, and Apocalypse masterminding the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly to turn humans against mutants.
In the second season, Cyclops and Jean are married and targeted by Mister Sinister, who seeks 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. Over time, a rift grows between humans and mutants, with the Friends of Humanity, an anti-mutant group, leading their persecution. Apocalypse returns, developing a deadly plague that he plans to blame on mutants to fuel hatred against them. It features a parallel narrative of Professor X and Magneto being lost in the Savage Land.
The third season involves the Phoenix Force, a cosmic force that merges with Jean Grey and turns her into the Dark Phoenix. It introduces the Shi'ar Empire, which includes Lilandra Neramani and Gladiator, and seeks to stop the Dark Phoenix. Other storylines include the introduction of Wolverine's former lover turned mercenary, Lady Deathstrike, former X-Men member Iceman, and the villainous Shadow King.
Volume 5 of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe lists X-Men: The Animated Series as Earth-92131 in the Marvel Comics multiverse. Additionally, the plague-infested future that Bishop tries to prevent in Season 2 is listed as Earth-13393, while Cable's release of the cure is listed as Earth-121893.
Episodes
Voice cast and characters
The series' voice acting was recorded in Toronto, with Dan Hennessey serving as voice director. Toronto voice actors had also been used in the 1960s Marvel Comics cartoons. Catherine Disher had originally auditioned for the part of Storm before she was cast as Jean Grey. Chris Potter was cast in the role of Gambit during filming for Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (1993-1997) which was helpful since his co-star David Carradine, a big fan of the comics, helped as he was unfamiliar. Alyson Court and Cal Dodd were neighbors when Court was a child and Dodd was a well-known actor in Canada long before voicing both Jubilee and Wolverine respectively, attributing their characters' chemistry to being previously acquainted with one another. Another voice actor originally had been cast as Jubilee, but Court was cast when the original voice was deemed too sweet and innocent for the role.
Principal cast George Buza: Dr. Hank McCoy / Beast, Jack the Ripper Alyson Court: Jubilation Lee / Jubilee Tony Daniels: Remy LeBeau / Gambit (1997), Bobby LeBeau, Toad, Watchdog Catherine Disher: Jean Grey / Marvel Girl, Madelyne Pryor Cal Dodd: Logan / Wolverine Iona Morris: Ororo Munroe / Storm (1992–1993) Chris Potter: Remy LeBeau / Gambit (1992–1996) Cedric Smith: Professor Charles Xavier / Professor X, Cerebro, Red Skull, James Xavier Alison Sealy-Smith: Ororo Munroe / Storm (1993–1997) Norm Spencer: Scott Summers / Cyclops, Caliban Lenore Zann: Rogue
Additional cast
Philip Akin: Lucas Bishop Denis Akiyama: Sunfire, Juber, Silver Samurai, Dr. Darrell Tanaka Lawrence Bayne: Cable, Erik the Red, Captain America Cynthia Belliveau: Spiral Rick Bennett: Juggernaut Nigel Bennett: Mastermind, Master Mold ("Courage", "One Man's Worth") John Blackwood: Hairbag James Blendick: Apocalypse (1994–1995) Robert Bockstael: Sauron, Ka-Zar, High Evolutionary, Brainchild Walker Boone: Donald Pierce Lisa Boynton: Jandra Christopher Britton: Mister Sinister David Bryant: Sebastian Shaw Jason Burke: Mjnari Lally Cadeau: Moira MacTaggert ("The Cure", "Proteus") Sally Cahill: Amelia Voght ("Phalanx Covenant"), Lifemate Robert Cait: Colossus David Calderisi: Professor Thornton ("Repo Man"), Garokk Len Carlson: Robert Kelly, Mr. Dobson, Supreme Intelligence, Marco Delgado Randall Carpenter: Mystique (Seasons 1–2) Ho Chow: Takaki Eugene Clark: Senator Goode Bill Colgate: Harry Leland John Colicos: Apocalypse (1993) Jesse Collins: Iceman Rod Coneybeare: Avalanche David Corban: Warlock Eve Crawford: Moira MacTaggert ("The Dark Phoenix Saga", "Courage"), Carmella Unuscione Amos Crawley: Rusty Collins Lisa Dalbello: Zaladane Cynthia Dale: Emma Frost Jennifer Dale: Callisto, Aurora, Dark Phoenix, Dazzler, Mystique ("Beyond Good and Evil") Diane D'Aquila: Phalanx Len Doncheff: Omega Red Shirley Douglas: X-Ternal, Bova Richard Eden: Adrian Egan: Chet Lambert, Cannonball Richard Epcar: Gladiator ("The Phoenix Saga") Barry Flatman: Henry Peter Gyrich, Vindicator Michael Fletcher: Professor Thornton ("Weapon X, Lies, and Video Tape"), Jebediah Creed Jan Filips: Alec Bohlson, Gladiator (original broadcast voice) Colin Fox: Zebediah Killgrave David Fox: Sentinels, Master Mold ("Slave Island", "The Final Decision") Don Francks: Sabretooth, Puck, Shaman Catherine Gallant: Famine Paul Haddad: Quicksilver, Arkon, Kiyoek Rex Hagon: Eluke Graham Haley: Pyro Brett Halsey: Bolivar Trask Roscoe Handford: Ms. Marvel Tom Harvey: Multiple Man Dan Hennessey: Sunder, Ruckus, Abraham Cornelius, Chrome Ellen-Ray Hennessy: David Hemblen: Magneto
Adrian Hough: Nightcrawler Rebecca Jenkins: Heather Hudson, Sarah ("No Mutant is an Island") Howard Jerome: Tusk, Gog Elaine Justein: Helen Lorne Kennedy: Solarr, Happy Sam Sawyer, Apocalypse (1997) Grace Kosaka: Kisara Gary Krawford: Caroly Larson: Carly Crocker Shannon Lawson: Silver Fox Mary Long: Polaris Kevin Lund: Maverick Jane Luk: Lady Deathstrike Maria del Mar: Computer Cube Judy Marshak: Plague / Pestilence Sheila McCarthy: Amelia Voght ("Sanctuary") Rob McCowatt: Amphibius George Merner: Blob, Dr. Gottfried Adler Jim Millington: War Marsha Moreau: Sally Blevins Marc Muirhead: Cody Robbins Sibongile Nene: Shani John Neville: Major Domo Kristina Nicoll: Lilandra Neramani Jeffrey Max Nicholls: Fabian Cortez Raymond O'Neill: Gladiator ("The Dark Phoenix Saga", "Beyond Good and Evil") Stephen Ouimette: Angel / Archangel, Cameron Hodge, Immortus Frank Perry: Araki, Django Maximoff, Master Oku Ross Petty: Ape Leon Powenall: Commander Raknar Ariel Pulver: Marianna Jeremy Ratchford: Banshee ("The Phoenix Saga", "The Phalanx Covenant") Fiona Reid: Moira MacTaggert ("The Phoenix Saga", "Phalanx Covenant") George R. Robertson: Dr. Taylor Prescott Susan Roman: Bella Donna Sandi Ross: Shard Bishop Ron Rubin: Morph, Leech, Raza Longknife, Ch'od Barbara Rudd: Hope Elizabeth Rukavina: Darkstar Stephen Russell: Trevor Fitzroy Camilla Scott: Deathbird Carolyn Scott: Scarlet Witch Tasha Simms: Psylocke John Stocker: Graydon Creed Jr. Stuart Stone: Tyler Dayspring, Proteus, young Charles Xavier Marc Strange: Forge, Kurt Marko Tara Strong: Illyana Rasputin Brian Taylor: Corsair Kay Tremblay: Annalee Maurice Dean Wint: Shadow King, D'Ken Neramani Peter Wildman: Mojo Phillip Williams: Banshee ("Proteus"), Black Tom Cassidy Rod Wilson: Longshot, Gorgeous George Victor Young: Magneto ("Family Ties", "Beyond Good and Evil") Bob Zidel: Barbarus
Production In March 1990, Margaret Loesch (who had previously worked as president and chief executive officer at Marvel Productions) became head of Fox Children's Network. Having championed the Pryde of the X-Men pilot in 1989, she ordered 13 episodes of X-Men. Saban Entertainment was contracted to produce the show and hired a small studio, Graz Entertainment, to produce episodes because, at the time, they lacked sufficient staff to handle in-house production. Mark Edward Edens and Eric Lewald were to write the show, with the two dividing the job between Edens as head writer and Lewald as story editor. The voice work was done through Canadian studios, and South Korean studio AKOM was hired to animate episodes. X-Men was initially set to premiere over Labor Day weekend in September; however, due to production delays, it was delayed to the end of October. When AKOM turned in the first episode, it contained several animation errors, which they refused to fix. Because of time constraints, the episode was aired unfinished; when Fox re-aired the pilot in early 1993, the errors were corrected. The second episode was submitted just before the deadline, with 50 scenes missing and a single day reserved for editing. The two-part episode "Night of the Sentinels" originally aired as a "sneak preview" on October 31.
Because of the production delays and animation errors, Fox threatened to sever AKOM's contracts. The series earned top ratings throughout its first season, and was renewed for a second season of 13 episodes. Throughout its run, producers had to deal with quality control issues, including attempts to cut costs and requests to change the tone of the series to more child-friendly and integrated toys.
The show was originally planned to run for 65 episodes, but as a result of its success, Saban funded eleven more episodes, albeit with a reduced budget due to Marvel's bankruptcy.
The series is currently owned and distributed by The Walt Disney Company (Marvel's parent company), which acquired all Fox Kids-related properties from News Corporation and Saban International in 2001.
The series was added to streaming service Disney+ following its launch on November 12, 2019, with a revival, X-Men '97, subsequently announced to be in development. The series premiered on March 20, 2024.