X-Men (TV series)

For the newer X-Men animated series see X-Men: Evolution or Wolverine and the X-Men (TV series). For other uses see the X-Men (disambiguation) page.

X-Men
X-Men title card
Genre	Superhero Science fiction Action/Adventure
Format	Animated series
Created by	Stan Lee Jack Kirby Chris Claremont Jim Lee Len Wein Dave Cockrum Louise Simonson (Characters)
Developed by	Eric Lewald Larry Houston Frank Squallce
Voices of	Cedric Smith Cathal J. Dodd Norm Spencer Iona Morris
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	76 (List of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	Saban Entertainment
Running time	22 minutes
Production company(s)	Marvel Entertainment Group Saban Entertainment, Inc. Marvel Studios (1997)
Distributor	Saban Entertainment
Broadcast
Original channel	FOX (Fox Kids)
Original run	October 31, 1992 – September 20, 1997
Chronology
Preceded by	X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men
Followed by	X-Men: Evolution

X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup. X-Men is Marvel Comics' second attempt at an animated X-Men program after the pilot X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men was not picked up for a series—though it was broadcast multiple times between 1989 and 1992.

Background

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. The "Night of the Sentinels" two-part episode originally aired as a "sneak preview" even though it was not ready for broadcast. There were many animation errors in these two episodes, but the errors were later corrected when Fox re-aired the pilot in early 1993. X-Men also stands as the longest-running Marvel Comics-based show, running for five seasons and 76 episodes. The second longest, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, lasted for five seasons and 65 episodes.

After the box office success of the live-action X-Men movie 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 the series 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.

Synopsis

The show features X-Men similar in look and line-up to the early 1990s X-Men drawn by Jim Lee, 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). Though they were not part of the team as featured in the animated series, the following X-Men have all guest-starred in at least one episode: Colossus, Nightcrawler, Emma Frost, Forge, Havok, Polaris, Cannonball, Banshee, Northstar, Iceman, Archangel, Longshot, Dazzler, Sunfire, Quicksilver, Psylocke, Cable, and Bishop. Keen-eyed fans may also spot cameos by other familiar Marvel heroes, such as Feral, Rictor, Deadpool, Punisher, War Machine, Ghost Rider, Blink,Thor and you can briefly see Spiderman’s hand casting a web.

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.

Beyond faithfully recreating many of the popular characters and stories from the comic books, the series also dealt fairly openly with mature social issues. The ills of prejudice, intolerance, isolation, and racism were all frequent themes in the animated series, as they were in the comics. Anti-mutant prejudice and discrimination was depicted through minor characters as well as more prominent ones, including Senator Robert Kelly, the Friends of Humanity (whose activities and masks in later episodes echoed white supremacy groups such as the Ku Klux Klan) and robotic Sentinels. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Professor Xavier and Magneto, much like their comic-book counterparts, bear similarities to civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, respectively. While Xavier advocates non-violence in the struggle for equality, Magneto takes on a more aggressive 'by any means necessary' stance; the duo's differing views are the source of much discussion throughout the series.

The series also deals with other social issues, including divorce ("Proteus"), Christianity ("Nightcrawler" & "Bloodlines"), the Holocaust ("Enter Magneto," "Deadly Reunions", "Days of Future Past", and "The Phalanx Covenant"), AIDS hysteria ("Time Fugitives"), and even satires of television itself ("Mojovision" and "Longshot").

Episodes

Main article: List of X-Men (TV series) episodes

Reception

In its prime, X-Men garnered very high ratings for a Saturday morning cartoon, and like Batman: The Animated Series it received wide critical praise for its portrayal of many different storylines from the comics.

In 2009, IGN ranked X-Men as the 13th greatest animated show of all time in their Top 100 list, the third-highest standing for a comic book-adapted show on the list.

VHS and DVD releases

Main article: X-Men: The Animated Series episode releases

Alternate versions

The original opening sequence featured the X-Men demonstrating their mutant abilities to a now very distinctive instrumental theme (written by Ron Wasserman). This intro is used throughout the first four seasons. A modified version is eventually introduced in season five, episode one ("Phalanx Covenant, Part One"). In this new intro, the beginning of the theme is slightly changed. When UPN began airing repeats on Sunday mornings an alternate credits sequence was used: a high-quality Japanese-animated version of the original opening.^{[citation needed]}

Brazil

Rede Globo cut all of the intro sequence except for the logo at its end—which they do to almost all animated series they air. The American intro was retained when it was aired later on Fox Kids and Jetix.^{[citation needed]}

Japan

The cartoon was replaced with a new, Japanese-animated segment of the characters as well as a new Japanese theme with vocals called "Rising" (ライジング), by the Japanese band Ambience (アンビエンス). Starting with episode 46 an alternate anime intro was used, featuring the new theme "Dakishimetai Dare Yori Mo" (抱きしめたい誰よりも…). The end credits sequence was also changed: it featured shots of X-Men comic books set to the song "Back to You" (バック･トウ･ユー), also by Ambience.

Several seiyū (Japanese voice actors) played roles in the TV Tokyo edition of the Japanese dub, such as Kōichi Yamadera (Cyclops), Shinobu Adachi (Jean Grey), Rihoko Yoshida (Storm), Akiko Hiramatsu (Jubilee), Masashi Ebara (Wolverine), Norio Wakamoto (Mr. Sinister), Yūko Kobayashi (Rogue), Yoshito Yasuhara (Gambit), Ayako Shirashi (Mystique), Ryūzaburō Ōtomo (Magneto) Rokurō Naya (Professor X),and Mitsuru Ogata (Morph)

Characters

See also: List of X-Men: The Animated Series characters

Principal cast

• George Buza as Beast/Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy
• Alyson Court as Jubilee/Jubilation Lee
• Tony Daniels as Gambit/Remy LeBeau (1997)
• Catherine Disher as Jean Grey/Phoenix
• Cathal J. Dodd as Wolverine/Logan
• Iona Morris as Storm/Ororo Munroe (1992)
• Chris Potter as Gambit (1992–1996)
• Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm (1992–1997)
• Cedric Smith as Professor X, Red Skull
• Norm Spencer as Cyclops/Scott Summers
• Lenore Zann as Rogue

Additional voices

• Dennis Akayama as Iceman/Bobby Drake, Silver Samurai, Sunfire
• Philip Akin as Bishop
• Melissa Sue Anderson as Snowbird
• Harvey Atkin as Sasquatch/Doctor Walter Langkowski
• Lawrence Bayne as Cable, Erik the Red, Fabian Cortez, Captain America
• Nigel Bennett as Mastermind
• Rick Bennett as Colossus (in "Red Dawn"), Juggernaut/Cain Marko
• James Blendick as Apocalypse/En Sabah Nur (1997), High Evolutionary
• Robert Bockstael as Ka-Zar, Sauron
• Christopher Britton as Mister Sinister/Nathaniel Essex
• Lally Cadeau as Doctor Moira McTaggart
• Robert Cait as Colossus/Piotr Rasputin (in "Red Dawn"), The Blob/Frederick J. Dukes
• Len Carlson as Senator Robert Kelly
• Randall Carpenter as Mystique/Raven Darkholme (1992–1993)
• John Colicos as Apocalypse/En Sabah Nur (1993–1995), additional voices
• Rod Coneybeare as Avalanche/Dominic Szilard Petros
• David Corbain as Tar Baby
• Jennifer Dale as Aurora, Domino, Mystique (1994–1997)
• Len Doncheff as Omega Red
• Adrian Egan as Cannonball/Samuel Guthrie, Quicksilver/Pietro Lehnsherr
• Richard Epcar as Gladiator
• Barry Flatman as Vindicator, Henry Peter Gyrich
• David Fox as Sentinels, Master Mold
• Don Francks as Sabretooth/Victor Creed, Puck/Eugene Milton Judd, Shaman
• Catherine Gallant as Famine
• Paul Haddad as Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner, Arkon
• Graham Halley as Pyro/St. John Allerdyce
• Brett Halsey as Bolivar Trask
• Roscoe Handford as Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel
• Terri Hawkes as Polaris/Lorna Dane
• David Hemblen as Magneto/Erik Lensherr
• Dan Hennessey as Ruckus, Sunder
• Rebecca Jenkins as Dr. Heather Hudson
• Rene Lemieux as Northstar
• Judy Marshak as Plague/Pestilence
• Peter McCowatt as Amphibius
• James Millington as War
• Tracey Moore as Emma Frost
• Stephen Ouimette as Archangel/Angel/Warren Worthington III/Death, Cameron Hodge
• Ross Petty as Ape
• Jeremy Ratchford as Banshee/Sean Cassidy
• Susan Roman as Amelia Voght, Callisto, Scarlet Witch
• Ron Rubin as Morph
• Elizabeth Rukavina as Darkstar
• Camilla Scott as Lilandra Neramani
• Tasha Simms as Lady Deathstrike/Yuriko Oyama
• Megan Smith as Vertigo
• John Stocker as Graydon Creed, Leech
• Stuart Stone as Proteus
• Marc Strange as Forge
• Tara Strong as Ilyana Rasputin
• Kay Tremblay as Annalee, Shard
• Peter Wildman as Mojo
• Rod Wilson as Gorgeous George, Longshot
• Maurice Dean Wint as Shadow King

Spin-offs

X-Men Adventures

X-Men Adventures
X-Men Adventures vol. 1 #1 (Nov 1992). Art by Steve Lightle.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing
Publication date	November 1992–March 1997
Number of issues	53
Main character(s)	X-Men

X-Men Adventures was a comic book spin-off of the animated series. Beginning in November 1992, it adapted the first three seasons of the show; in April 1996, it became Adventures of the X-Men, which contained original stories set within the same continuity. The comic book lasted until March 1997, shortly after the show's cancellation by the Fox Network.

Volume 5 of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Hardcovers lists the X-Men cartoon as part of the Marvel multiverse, inhabiting Earth-92131. also, the plague infested future that Bishop tried to prevent in Season 2 is listed as Earth-13393 while Cable's release then immediate cure of the plague is listed as Earth-121893.

Bibliography

• X-Men Adventures vol. 1 (1992–1994) (15 issues)
• X-Men Adventures vol. 2 (1994–1995) (13 issues)
• X-Men Adventures vol. 3 (1995–1996) (13 issues)
• Adventures of the X-Men (1996–1997) (12 issues)

Video games

• X-Men Cartoon Maker: The X-Men Cartoon Maker was a recreational software package that allowed the user to create animations with a minimal level of sophistication by utilizing a library of backdrops, animations and sound effects from the show. Wolverine and Storm (voice-only) help you out.
• X-Men: Released by Western Technologies INC in June 1993 for Mega Drive. (This game was later followed by X-Men 2: Clone Wars in May 1995. Sega also released several X-Men game titles for its GameGear hand held system.
• X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse: Released by Capcom in November 1994 for Super Nintendo.
• Capcom's VS. Series: The characters in the series were licensed by Capcom and were the inspiration for the video game X-Men: Children of the Atom, which in turn would be the basis for the Marvel vs. Capcom sub-series of video games. Most of the voice actors who did the voices in the series reprised their roles for the video game. Capcom would continue to use these characters long after the show was cancelled before eventually losing the rights to create Marvel-based games to Electronic Arts in 2001. Capcom, however, would reacquire the rights in 2008 and released Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds on February 15, 2011. Some games in this series are:
  • X-Men: Children of the Atom: Released in December 1994 for Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PC.
  • Marvel Super-Heroes: Released in 1995 for Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn.
  • X-Men vs. Street Fighter: Released in 1996 for Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn.
  • Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter: Released in 1997 for Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn.
  • Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes: Released in 1998 for Arcade, PlayStation, Dreamcast.
  • Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes: Released in 2000 for Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSN, XBLA.
  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds: Released in 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

External links

• X-Men at the Internet Movie Database
• X-Men at TV.com
• DRG4's X-Men the Animated Series Page
• Marvel Animation Page Presents: X-Men
• X-Men TV series cast