TO ME, MY X-MEN! Welcome to the X-Men: The Animated Series guide!
With mutants finally entering the MCU and X-Men ‘97 just around the corner, now is the perfect time to catch up with the classic X-Men cartoon from the ‘90s. In this guide, we’ll cover the main characters of the show, break down the episodic story arcs, and explore the ageless question: Just what makes X-Men: The Animated Series so great?
The series was created by Eric Lewald, Julia Lewald, and Larry Houston, by request of Fox TV exec Margaret Loesch. Chris Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men comics were bestsellers at the time, but the team had never branched out into multimedia. Before production started, neither execs nor actors understood the appeal, making the X-Men show an obscure and risky bet.
Nonetheless, the action-packed battles, complex plots, and humanized character portrayals instantly cemented the show’s legacy as one of the most legendary comics adaptations of all time. The hit series has inspired generations of fans, and its success indirectly led to the 14 live action X-Men films, the rise of producer Kevin Feige, and the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Overseen by X-Men comics editor Bob Harras, the show is also notable for its strong synergy with the best and newest comic arcs of the time. Several episodes are even written by comics legend Len Wein! So in addition to episode notes, our guide below will cover the classic comics that inspired each story and companion comics for further reading.
Thanks to the multipart connected stories, the storylines flow naturally as the characters develop meaningfully over time. This makes it super satisfying to watch it all at once in the correct order. And with 76 episodes of 20 minutes each, X-Men: The Animated Series only takes 25 hours to binge. With the series revival X-Men ’97 coming out this spring, now is the perfect time to jump into X-Men. Enjoy watching!
For more related to the X-Men, check out our comics reading guides, including Wolverine, the Savage Land, and Magik!
The Characters of X-Men: The Animated Series
X-Men: The Animated Series is graceful, iconic, and revolutionary. It’s graceful in how it introduces so much lore and so many characters without ever becoming burdensome. It’s iconic for its catchy theme song and timeless visual designs. And it’s revolutionary for showcasing brand-new characters and storylines, literally as they were being developed in the comics.
X-Men is a show from 1992 that featured characters like Jubilee (created in 1989), Cable (1990), Gambit (1990), and Bishop (1991). This is a show that adapted the 1991 Wolverine “Weapon X” comic in the 1993 episode “Repo Man”, and the October 1993 Gambit miniseries in the December 1993 episode “X-Ternally Yours” before the comic even ended. This is a show that elevated X-Factor villain Apocalypse to such a degree that the giant 1995 comic event “Age of Apocalypse” was based on season four. With the blessing of X-Men comics editor Bob Harras, the creators of X-Men: The Animated Series had the boldness to take these fledgling characters and craft a radical new experience with them, immortalizing a new interpretation of these iconic mutants forever.
Many of these characters have become well-known thanks to their live-action counterparts, but those live-action X-Men movies were only made possible thanks to the incredible success of the animated series. For a deep dive into the characters, concept art, and making of the series, check out Previously on X-Men: The Making of an Animated Series (2017) and X-Men: The Art and Making of The Animated Series (2020), two behind-the-scenes interview and art books by Eric Lewald!
The X-Men
- Professor Charles Xavier (Cedric Smith, Ross Marquand)
- Creator of the X-Men
- Mutant with telepathy
- Cyclops / Scott Summers (Norm Spencer, Ray Chase)
- Team leader
- Mutant with eye-beams
- In love with Jean
- Storm / Ororo Munroe (Iona Morris, Alison Sealy-Smith)
- Team leader
- Mutant with weather control
- Wolverine / Logan (Cathal J. Dodd)
- Mutant with heightened senses, healing, adamantium skeleton and claws
- In love with Jean
- Jean Grey (Catherine Disher, Jennifer Hale)
- Mutant with telepathy and telekinesis
- In love with Cyclops
- Rogue / Anna Marie (Lenore Zann)
- Mutant who can absorb powers and memories
- Gambit / Remy LeBeau (Chris Potter, A. J. LoCascio)
- Mutant with biokinetic energy powers
- In love with Rogue
- Beast / Dr. Hank McCoy (George Buza)
- Mutant with high intelligence and blue animalistic body
- Jubilee / Jubilation Lee (Alyson Court, Holly Chou)
- Mutant with fireworks powers
The Villains
- Magneto / Erik Magnus Lehnsherr (David Hemblen, Matthew Waterson)
- Mutant extremist
- Former friend of Professor X, but with opposing ideologies
- Mutant with magnetism powers
- Apocalypse (John Colicos, James Blendick)
- Mutant messiah
- The Sentinels (David Fox, Eric Bauza)
- Mutant-hunting robots created by Dr. Bolivar Trask. Led by Master Mold
- Mister Sinister / Dr. Nathaniel Essex (Christopher Britton)
- Genetic engineer
- Expected to be a major character in X-Men ‘97
- Mystique (Randall Carpenter, Jennifer Dale)
- Complicated family tree
- Mutant shapeshifter
- Sabretooth (Don Francks)
- Weapon X origin, long-time enemy of Wolverine
- Mutant with feral, animalistic qualities
- Omega Red / Arkady Rossovich (Len Doncheff)
- Cybernetic super-soldier from the USSR. Political weapon
- Juggernaut / Cain Marko (Rick Bennett)
- Big muscle man with dome head. Not a mutant!
- The Friends of Humanity
- Anti-mutant hate group led by Graydon Creed Jr.
- The Shadow King (Maurice Dean Wint)
- Mutant with telepathy and mind-control
X-Men ’97: Character Designs Then and Now
Recurring characters
- Morph (Ron Rubin, J. P. Karliak)
- Member of the X-Men
- Mutant shapeshifter
- Robert Kelly (Len Carlson, Ron Rubin)
- Powerful politician
- The Morlocks
- Underground mutant group shunned by society. Includes Leech!
- Angel / Warren Worthington III (Stephen Ouimette)
- Mutant with wings
- Dr. Moira MacTaggert (Lally Cadeau)
- Mutant researcher. Friend of Professor X
- Colossus / Piotr Rasputin (Rick Bennett/Robert Cait)
- Mutant with steel exterior
- The Savage Land
- A Jurassic world hidden in Antarctica. Features Ka-Zar, Shanna, Zabu, and Sauron!
- Cable / ??? (Lawrence Bayne, Chris Potter)
- Mysterious mutant from the future
- Lucas Bishop (Philip Akin, Isaac Robinson-Smith)
- Mysterious mutant from the future
- Forge (Marc Strange, Gil Birmingham)
- Leader of the resistance in the future. Tech expert
- The Shi’ar Empire
- Alien empire led by Lilandra
- The Starjammers
- Space pirates led by Corsair
- Nightcrawler / Kurt Wagner (Adrian Hough)
- Mutant with teleportation powers and blue demon-like appearance
X-Men ’97
- Sunspot / Roberto da Costa (Gui Agustini)
- Mutant with solar energy powers
- Dr. Valerie Cooper (Catherine Disher)
- Government official, friend of Professor Xavier
X-Men: The Animated Series season one (1992)
The first season of X-Men introduces the main players, with a focus on humans vs. mutants. The Sentinels and Apocalypse are major recurring threats. Some of the story arcs include Days of Future Past, a cure for the X-gene, the rise of Senator Kelly and the philosophical conflict between Magneto and Xavier!
- Pilot – Pryde of the X-Men (1989)
- Features Kitty Pryde! (But not canon)
- Comics: Giant X-Men (1975) #1; X-Men Animation Special (1990) #1
- Games: X-Men: Madness in Murderworld (1989 sidescroller), Uncanny X-Men (1990 NES), X-Men (1992 arcade)
- S1 E1 – Night of the Sentinels Part 1
- S1 E2 – Night of the Sentinels Part 2
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #138, 141, 244; New Mutants (1983) #2
- S1 E3 – Enter Magneto
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #1, 161, 321
- S1 E4 – Deadly Reunions
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #28
- S1 E5 – Captive Hearts
- Features the Morlocks!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #169-170
- S1 E6 – Cold Vengeance
- Features Wolverine and Sabretooth!
- Comics: Classic X-Men (1986) #10 [B story]; Wolverine (1988) #10, 90
- S1 E7 – Slave Island
- Features Cable and Genosha!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #235-238
- S1 E8 – The Unstoppable Juggernaut
- Features Juggernaut and Colossus!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #12-13, 183, 194; Giant-Size X-Men #1
- S1 E9 – The Cure
- Features Rogue, Apocalypse, and Angel!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #185, Astonishing X-Men (2004) #1-6
- S1 E10 – Come The Apocalypse
- Features the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!
- Comics: X-Factor (1985) #10, 12, 15, 19, 24-25
- S1 E11 – Days of Future Past Part 1
- S1 E12 – Days of Future Past Part 2
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #141-142, 189, 191, 194, 287
- S1 E13 – The Final Decision
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #14-16
X-Men: The Animated Series season two (1993)
The second season builds on everything from the first. The writing is stronger, the characters are fully formed, and the plots are more intricate. The episodes give each character a chance to shine, while balancing exciting team moments and a subplot involving Magneto and Professor X in the Savage Land.
Because of its character-first approach, this season is one of the best in the entire show. Highlights include the wedding of Scott and Jean, the origins of Wolverine and Rogue, a reprisal of Days of Future Past, a love story for Beast, and the animated debut of Mojo!
This season featured even more comics synergy than in season one. A recurring threat in this is Graydon Creed and the hateful Friends of Humanity, who were created in only 1992, and the episode “Time Fugitives” takes loose inspiration from the Legacy Virus storyline in “X-Cutioner’s Song,” a comic event that was still ongoing during the show (1992-1993).
This season also introduced the new villain Mister Sinister, who is set to play a major role in X-Men ‘97!
- S2 E1 – Till Death Do Us Part Part 1
- S2 E2 – Till Death Do Us Part Part 2
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #221, 243, 299; X-Factor (1986) #75; X-Men (1991) #30
- S2 E3 – Whatever It Takes
- Features Storm!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #102, 117, 198
- S2 E4 – Red Dawn
- Features Jubilee, Colossus, and Omega Red, with a cameo by a young Illyana Rasputin!
- Comics: X-Men (1991) #4-7
- S2 E5 – Repo Man
- Features Wolverine and Alpha Flight!
- Comics: Weapon X (1991) and Uncanny X-Men #120-121
- S2 E6 – X-Ternally Yours
- Features Gambit!
- Comics: Gambit (1993) #1-4
- S2 E7 – Time Fugitives Part 1
- S2 E8 – Time Fugitives Part 2
- Features Cable, Bishop, and the Legacy Virus!
- Comics: X-Cutioner’s Song (1992); The Life and Times of Lucas Bishop (2009)
- S2 E9 – A Rogue’s Tale
- Features Rogue!
- Comics: Avengers Annual #10; Uncanny X-Men (1963) #171, 269
- S2 E10 – Beauty & the Beast
- Features Beast!
- S2 E11 – Mojovision
- Features Mojo and Longshot!
- Comics: Longshot (1985) #1-6
- S2 E12 – Reunion Part 1
- S2 E13 – Reunion Part 2
- Features the Savage Land and Mister Sinister!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #10, 274-275
Savage Land Comics Reading Guide
X-Men: The Animated Series season three (1994)
Season three is bigger and weirder than the first two. The season kicks off with a giant storyline set in space, which is a bit fast and chaotic. Thankfully, some of the smaller episodes maintain the charm of season two and the character combinations are more creative than ever as well.
The show thrives when it focuses on the X-Men as people before superheroes; when we see them in civilian attire doing regular civilian things. This balance of humanity and heroics is perfected in the epic Dark Phoenix Saga, which remains a highlight of the entire show.
This season introduced a whole ton of sci-fi weirdness, including Lilandra, the Shi’ar Empire, and major revelations about Jean, Scott, and Professor Xavier!
Note: Due to production delays, seasons 3-5 were originally released out of order. Do not watch in release order. The order below is the script order, which is the order the episodes were meant to be seen in.
- S3 E1 – Out of the Past Part 1
- S3 E2 – Out of the Past Part 2
- S3 E3 – The Phoenix Saga Part 1: Sacrifice
- S3 E4 – The Phoenix Saga Part 2: The Dark Shroud
- S3 E5 – The Phoenix Saga Part 3: Cry of the Banshee
- S3 E6 – The Phoenix Saga Part 4: The Starjammers
- S3 E7 – The Phoenix Saga Part 5: Child of Light
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #97-108
- S3 E8 – No Mutant Is An Island
- Features Cyclops!
- International version has improved animation
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #138
- S3 E9 – Obsession
- Features Angel and Apocalypse!
- Comics: X-Factor (1986) #25-28
- S3 E10 – Longshot
- Features Longshot!
- Longshot (1985) #1-6
- S3 E11 – Cold Comfort
- Features Ice-Man and X-Factor!
- Comics: X-Factor (1986) #71
- S3 E12 – Savage Land, Strange Heart Part 1
- S3 E13 – Savage Land, Strange Heart Part 2
- Features Sauron!
- Comics: Astonishing Tales (1970) #1-5, Uncanny X-Men (1963) #115-116
- S3 E14 – The Dark Phoenix Saga Part 1: Dazzled
- S3 E15 – The Dark Phoenix Saga Part 2: The Inner Circle
- S3 E16 – The Dark Phoenix Saga Part 3: The Dark Phoenix
- S3 E17 – The Dark Phoenix Saga Part 4: The Fate of the Phoenix
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #130-137
- S3 E18 – Orphan’s End
- Features Cyclops!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #154-155
- S3 E19 – Love in Vain
- Features Rogue and Wolverine!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #155-156, 232-234
Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994)
- S2 E4 – The Mutant Agenda
- S2 E5 – Mutants’ Revenge
- Comics: Spider-Man: The Mutant Agenda (1994) #0-3
X-Men: The Animated Series season four (1995)
Did you know that the comic event “Age of Apocalypse” was based on the show? Bob Harras was the chief X-Men comics editor and a consultant on X-Men: The Animated Series. His dual roles are the secret to how the show regularly adapted 1990s comics as they were coming out. But in 1994 it went the other way around: Harras liked the concept of “One Man’s Worth” so much that he turned it into the “Age of Apocalypse” comic event in 1995. The timeline was so tight that the comics came out first, but make no mistake, they were based on the show!
This season stabilized the weirdness of season three, set up Magneto’s Genosha storyline, and gave Xavier a number of outstanding moments. Season four also introduced fan-favorite character Nightcrawler and featured an all-time great Wolverine arc. The season ends on the four-part epic “Beyond Good and Evil”, which was designed to be the grand finale of the whole series!
- S4 E1 – The Juggernaut Returns
- Features Professor Xavier and the Juggernaut!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #12-13
- S4 E2 – A Deal With the Devil
- Features Wolverine and Omega Red!
- Comics: X-Men (1991) #4-7
- S4 E3 – Sanctuary Part 1
- S4 E4 – Sanctuary Part 2
- Features Magneto and Asteroid M!
- Comics: X-Men (1991) #1-2; Fatal Attractions (1993)
- S4 E5 – Xavier Remembers
- Features Professor Xavier and the Shadow King!
- Uncanny X-Men (1963) #117
- S4 E6 – Courage
- Features Morph!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #14-16
- S4 E7 – Secrets, Not Long Buried
- Features Cyclops!
- S4 E8 – Nightcrawler
- Features Nightcrawler!
- Comics: Giant-Size X-Men (1975) #1
- S4 E9 – One Man’s Worth Part 1
- S4 E10 – One Man’s Worth Part 2
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #281-283, Age of Apocalypse (1995) (inspired by the show!)
- S4 E11 – Proteus Part 1
- S4 E12 – Proteus Part 2
- Features Professor Xavier and Moira!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #125-128
- S4 E13 – Family Ties
- Features Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and the High Evolutionary!
- Comics: Avengers (1963) #186, Vision and Scarlet Witch (1982) #4
- S4 E14 – Bloodlines
- Features Mystique and Nightcrawler!
- Comics: X-Men Unlimited (1994) #4; Sabretooth (1993) #1-4
- S4 E15 – Lotus and the Steel
- Features Wolverine and Silver Samurai!
- Comics: Wolverine (1982) #1-4; Uncanny X-Men #172-173; Wolverine (1988) #55-57
- S4 E16 – Weapon X, Lies & Videotape
- Features Wolverine’s Weapon X origins with Sabretooth!
- Comics: Wolverine (1988) #48-50, 61-64
- S4 E17 – Have Yourself a Morlock Little X-Mas
- Features the Morlocks!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men #98; Savage Avengers (2019) #2; Holiday Specials Reading Guide
- S4 E18 – Beyond Good and Evil Part 1: The End of Time
- S4 E19 – Beyond Good and Evil Part 2: Promise of Apocalypse
- S4 E20 – Beyond Good and Evil Part 3: The Lazarus Chamber
- S4 E21 – Beyond Good and Evil Part 4: End and Beginning
Fantastic Four: The Animated Series (1994)
- S2 E9 – Nightmare in Green
- Comics: Fantastic Four (1961) #12
X-Men: The Animated Series season five (1996)
X-Men was originally supposed to end with season four, with “Beyond Good and Evil” as the grand finale. But the show’s popularity prompted the studio to request another batch of episodes, leading to season five!
Unfortunately, due to the unexpected decision, the production quality for many of these episodes is much lower and the animation was outsourced to a cheaper studio. The story quality is hardly better, and sadly many of these episodes may be worth skipping. Nonetheless, the series ends on a strong note and sets the stage for X-Men ‘97!
- S5 E1 – The Phalanx Covenant Part 1
- S5 E2 – The Phalanx Covenant Part 2
- Features Beast, Mister Sinister, and Warlock!
- Comics: Phalanx Covenant (1994)
- S5 E3 – Storm Front Part 1
- S5 E4 – Storm Front Part 2
- Features Storm!
- Comics: X-Men Annual (1970) #3
- S5 E5 – The Fifth Horseman
- Features Beast and Jubilee!
- Comics: Avengers/X-Men: Bloodties (1993)
- S5 E6 – Jubilee’s Fairytale Theater
- Features Jubilee!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #153; Wolverine: Rahne of Terra #1; X-Men: Fairy Tales (2006) #1-4
- S5 E7 – Old Soldiers
- Flashback episode featuring Wolverine, Captain America, and Red Skull!
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #268; Wolverine Origins (2006) #16-20
- S5 E8 – Hidden Agendas
- Features Rogue and Sam Guthrie!
- Comics: Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) #4 (“The New Mutants”)
- S5 E9 – Descent
- Flashback episode featuring Mister Sinister!
- Comics: Further Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix (1996) #1-4
- S5 E10 – Graduation Day
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #200
Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994)
- S5 E9 – Arrival
- S5 E10 – The Gauntlet of the Red Skull
- S5 E11 – Doom
- Comics: Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars (1984) #1-12
The Legacy of X-Men: The Animated Series
Over the past 30 years, the story has continued in comics, video games, and even the upcoming X-Men ‘97. All the stories below pull their characters directly from the animated series, for hours of continued enjoyment even after the show ends!
X-Men: The Animated Series in Comics
- X-Men Adventures (1992) #1-15
- X-Men Adventures (1994) #1-13
- X-Men Adventures (1995) #1-13
- Adventures of the X-Men (1996) #1-12
- Comics adaptations of the original X-Men animated series and additional adventures
- X-Men ’92 (2015) #1-4
- X-Men ’92 (2016) #1-10
- Originally published as X-Men ’92 Infinite Comic #1-8
- Ties into Secret Wars (2015)!
- X-Men ’92: House of XCII (2022) #1-5
- Inspired by House of X and Powers of X from the Krakoa era!
- X-Men ’97 (2024) #1-4
- Prequel comic for the X-Men ’97 animated series
X-Men: The Animated Series in Games: Marvel vs. Capcom
- X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994)
- Marvel Super Heroes (1995)
- Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems (1996)
- X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996)
- Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997)
- Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998)
- Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000)
- Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011)
- Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011)
- Marvel vs. Capcom Origins (2012)
- X-Men: Prelude to Perdition #1 (comic)
- Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds #1 (comic)
X-Men ‘97 (2024)
In 2021, Marvel Studios announced a Disney+ revival show with most of the original cast and creators. The series is set to debut on March 20 with a two-part premiere, followed by weekly episodes. The trailer below shows the simplified semi-3D art style, along with basketball outfits inspired by X-Men (1991) #4. (Update: Read Anthony’s review for the 2 episode premiere of X-Men ’97 here!)
The new series picks up from the 1997 finale, ignoring the comics continuations. Jean Grey is pregnant. Storm has a new haircut. Mister Sinister and Madelyne Pryor are expected to play a major part in the series, and the trailer includes multiple references to “The Trial of Magneto” (Uncanny X-Men #200).
The character Sunspot will make his debut, potentially setting up the New Mutants with Illyana, Warlock, and Sam Guthrie in the original series. The Savage Land is believed to return, and Mojo has been confirmed for a Nintendo-based episode (“Motendo”). Interestingly, there are two episodes named after “Lifedeath” (Uncanny X-Men #186, 198), a fantastic story featuring Storm and Forge. But where else the story might go is anyone’s guess!
The trailer also features Easter eggs for Spider-Man and the Hellfire Gala. Could these potentially pay off in the show? A brief reference to the character Dust (created in 2002) also shows that the series may take inspiration from comics published even after 1997. If you see any other good theories or Easter eggs, let us know!
- Prologue – X-Men ’97 (2024) #1-4 (comic)
- S1 E1 – To Me, My X-Men
- S1 E2 – Mutant Liberation Begins
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #200
- S1 E3 – Fire Made Flesh
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men #233, X-Men: Inferno (1989), X-Factor (1986) #68
- S1 E4 – Motendo / Lifedeath Pt. 1
- Comics: Wolverine (1988) #51-53; Uncanny X-Men #186
- S1 E5 – Remember It
- Comics: New X-Men (2001) #115
- S1 E6 – Lifedeath Pt. 2
- Comics: Uncanny X-Men (1963) #198
- S1 E7 – Bright Eyes
- Comics: New X-Men (2001) #116; Uncanny X-Men (1963) #333, Operation: Zero Tolerance (1997)
- S1 E8 – Tolerance is Extinction Pt. 1
- S1 E9 – Tolerance is Extinction Pt. 2
- S1 E10 – Tolerance is Extinction Pt. 3
And that’s the X-Men: The Animated Series guide! Have you watched the show before? Are you excited to jump in for the first time? Let me know on Twitter (@vinwriteswords) and remember to follow the site (@MyCosmicCircus) for more mutant mayhem and our coverage of X-Men ‘97 coming soon!
Also check out our full list of comics reading guides here, including Wolverine, Deadpool, and the Savage Land!
Wolverine Comics Reading Guide
Are you new to comics? Try our “How to Get into Comics” guide, and find me on Twitter if you have any questions!
All images courtesy of Marvel.
