Not many animated superhero shows have influenced the direction of comic book pop culture like X-Men: The Animated Series. Rivaling Batman: The Animated Series, the X-Men series was hugely popular and considered one of the best-animated shows of the '90s. The show also influenced a lot of the storylines for the live-action movies that came out a decade later.

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While X-Men: The Animated Series was a cartoon geared for kids, the show resonated with fans of any age due to its serialized format and the fact it tackled more adult subjects themes such as bigotry. This is one of several reasons the show had such a lasting impact on comic books fans who came of age in the '90s.

10 The Show Had Colossus And Juggernaut Premiere In The Same Episode

Juggernaut - X-Men animated show

Juggernaut and Colossus premiering in the same episode was amazing. In the episode "The Unstoppable Juggernaut," the X-Men returned home to find Professor Xavier's school destroyed. The group originally thought Colossus was the perpetrator of the attack due to the type of damage sustained.

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However, they later realized it was Juggernaut – an unstoppably strong mutant and stepbrother to Charles Xavier. This was notable because it introduced two unique characters that appeared throughout the series. For example, Colossus appears again in the episode "Red Dawn" where he fights the ultimate living weapon, Omega Red. To have two giants in the X-Men universe appearing in the same episode proves why the show was so special.

9 The Animated Series Brought Depth To The Wolverine And Jean Grey's Love Triangle

Jean Grey and wolverine - X-Men

One aspect of X-Men lore that's always ripe for drama is the love triangle between Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Cyclops. While the live-action movies touched on this briefly, the animated series brought a whole other level of emotional intensity to the story. Wolverine is passionately in love with Jean and is openly hostile to Cyclops.

In the two-part episode, "Till Death Do Us Part," Cyclops and Jean get married, leaving Wolverine to take out his heartbreak in the Danger Room. Ultimately, Jean loves Scott Summers despite having a soft spot for Logan. And although Wolverine has other flames, such as Yuriko who appears later in the series, he always holds a candle for Jean.

8 The Fights With The Sentinels Were Fantastic

Sentinel fights - Marvel series

The Sentinels made their mark in the pilot episode, "The Night of the Sentinels." The robots – designed by the United States' Mutant Control Agency to hunt mutants – were formidable adversaries to Xavier's gifted students. Their first conflict saw the arrest of Beast and the abandonment of Morph.

The destructive robots were a force to be reckoned with during other seasons too. The purple and red armor became an emblematic look to 90's kids obsessed with the cartoon and arcade games alike. Consequently, the Sentinels' appearance in the animated series was arguably their most memorable.

7 The Tragic Storylines Of Beast's Oppression Were Done Really Well

Beast - Marvel Animated Series

Dr. Henry McCoy represented the best historical figures of any resistance movement. In the first season, Beast became a political prisoner after being captured by the Sentinels, where he was persecuted solely for being a mutant. During his trial, he used his testimony to quote Shakespeare: "If you prick us, do we not bleed?" and advocated for equality and non-violence.

Although he was eventually freed, Beast's biggest dilemma was falling in love with a blind woman, whose father wouldn't allow the relationship because of his prejudice against mutants. The show elaborated how, despite this hatred, Beast remained intelligent, kind, and an unwavering freedom fighter. The animated series did Beast's story and his character justice.

6 The Show Had The Best Representation Of Gambit

Gambit - Marvel X-Men Animated Series

It's hard to stand out with the colorful cast of characters in Xavier's gifted group. Wolverine was the toughest, Cyclops was the greatest leader, and Jean was the most powerful. However, Gambit is the most charming. The Cajun mutant who manipulates pure kinetic energy through playing cards is a consummate ladies' man. He also has the hots for fellow mutant, Rogue.

Like other aspects of the show, the animated series represents Gambit in the best way (besides the comics). A unique aspect of Gambit's characterization in the animated series is the development of his backstory, which coincided with the debut of a Gambit/Ghost Rider comic book miniseries. X-Men Origins: Wolverine attempted to portray the Cajun outlaw, but fans prefer 90's cartoon Gambit way more.

5 Bishop's Time Traveling Arcs Were Phenomenal

Bishop

The time-traveling story arcs introduced a whole new generation of fans to Bishop. Bishop's time-traveling missions provided several compelling storylines, such as "Days Of Future Past" where Bishop was sent to stop a mutant assassination of Senator Kelly.

Other episodes such as "Time Fugitives" deal with Apocalypse spreading a plague, which examines the cost of distorting timelines. Watching "Time Fugitives" deal with issues such as viruses and political assassinations that result in a dystopian future is eerie, yet intriguing, to watch.

4 Mister Sinister's Origin Story Was Incredibly Intelligent

X-Men Animated Series Mister Sinister

Mister Sinister might be the coolest looking villain out of all the 90's television shows, and his backstory includes historical fiction in a really intelligent way. The episode, "Descent" took place in the late 19th century where Mister Sinister – previously Nathaniel Essex – and scientist, James Xavier – ancestor of Charles – met evolutionary pioneer Charles Darwin as he unveiled The Origin of Species.

Similar to the Batman villain, Mr. Freeze, Nathaniel took Darwin's assertion to heart and experimented on mutants he'd captured to save his dying wife. Ultimately, he used his experiments on himself and became the eternal evil villain. The use of science and history in Mister Sinister's backstory was well executed and made for a compelling episode.

3 The Animated Series Took On Bigotry In A Mature Way For A Kids Show

x-men friends of humanity

X-Men fans know that a major theme underpinning the mutant's story is how they deal with issues such as prejudice and bigotry. Stan Lee once said in an interview that the debut of the X-Men was a good metaphor for the civil rights movement. But what's impressive is how the animated series, which is mainly geared towards kids, took on a mature subject matter. In the show, the mutants face prejudice from government officials and hate groups such as Friends of Humanity.

As mentioned before, "Time Fugitives" was a storyline that dealt with a plague that stirred anti-mutant sentiment, which still feels sadly relevant. Dealing with these themes proves how timeless the series is and why it's considered one of the best-animated shows.

2 The Theme Song To The Animated Series Is Iconic

X-men animated series

No one can forget the awe-inspiring theme song of X-Men: The Animated Series. It was composed by Ron Wasserman, who's highly regarded for other theme tunes such as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The song and introduction to X-Men: The Animated Series – when Magneto and Professor Xavier's mutants clash – is nothing short of legendary.

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There are countless guitar covers across the internet, including some that Wasserman himself gave a seal of approval. It's a theme song fans will know well if they remember listening to it while getting ready for school in the morning.

1 The Phoenix Saga Was Nothing Short Of Epic

dark phoenix

Without a doubt the most memorable story arc from the animated series, the show dedicated most of the third season to the cosmic Phoenix force that possessed Jean Grey. What started off as an adventure into outer space turned into a climactic showdown with space pirates and an evil alien emperor bent on destroying a universe with a powerful crystal. Jean sacrificed herself at the end of the five-part "Phoenix Saga," using all her life force to stop the M'Kraan Crystal's blackhole from engulfing all of existence.

Although viewers thought she was gone, Jean returned and later became the Dark Phoenix. The Phoenix is the most intricate plotline in the whole series that expands multiple episodes. This might be why the series' re-telling of the Phoenix story is highly regarded over the live-action movie attempts, such as X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. It's just that good.

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