At the peak of the X-Men’s popularity towards the end of the 1980s, Fox Kids decided to make an animated series based off the ‘80s comic run. This started X-Men: The Animated Series, which became one of the most popular Saturday morning cartoons of the ‘90s.
The show ran for five seasons and ended with a bittersweet ending, not exactly canceled but forced to wrap up the show. The ending left an empty feeling in fans where it ended too early with still many stories to tell, which spawned a fan call to revive the show. Fast-forward to 2021, after Disney’s purchase of Fox, a revival was finally announced. Airing in Early 2024, X-Men ‘97 had not just revived a beloved show but revived the love and popularity of the X-Men.
The show ran for ten episodes and did not disappoint. Each episode showed different character arcs for each member of the team that all tied back to the end of the season which brought such satisfying renditions of each beloved X-Men. The depth and themes shown throughout the season like racism and finding oneself was very captivating and very different because of restrictions in the ‘90s, but now they can tell the story that the X-Men have always been about.
Different arcs like Cyclops grappling with his feelings for Jean due to her being a clone was very interesting, showing Cyclops to be a troubled man, even though he puts an act on to show him as the team’s leader and boy scout because they all look up to him. He also struggles with not inheriting Professor X’s school, which hurts him because he saw Charles as a father, and he has to come to terms with it. Jubilee’s arc of how she needs to grow out of childhood and find who she is through meeting her older self was very captivating.
The most captivating arc in the entire show was most definitely Rouge’s. You come to grapple with right and wrong because of the Genosha wipe out which took her boyfriend Gambit from her which makes you try to understand if her turn to “evil” was really that bad because of what she’s been through.
X-Men ‘97 fixed the entire reputation of the team by showing you these are people, with morals and stories that seem like real people but are taken to the extreme to bring action to the show. The balance of the action and drama is so captivating and makes you connect with at least one X-Men, which is one thing Marvel comics have always done. It shows that these could be people you know in real life, your buddy down the street, the cashier at the local gas station. The X-Men may have powers, but they are people that deal with prejudice which makes them the most interesting superhero team.
I would give the season a perfect 5/5 stars because of how it encapsulates what the X-Men are and revived Marvel’s best family back to the mainstream.
X-Men are some of the most beloved Marvel characters since their comic debut in 1963, Though going through some rough bumps, they made their way onto televisions through Disney+ back to the hearts of many people.
