Great episodes introduced by the best theme song of the 90s! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most celebrated and groundbreaking episodes of the original “X-Men: The Animated Series.” Beware, there will be mutant-sized spoilers ahead!
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 Tell Cyclops I made him a convertible.
00:07 Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:09 And today, we'll be looking at the most celebrated
00:12 and groundbreaking episodes of the original X-Men
00:15 the animated series.
00:17 Beware, there will be mutant-sized spoilers ahead.
00:21 The crystal shall be buried forever.
00:25 Number 10, Night of the Sentinels, part one.
00:28 It's quite fitting that one of the best episodes of X-Men
00:31 the animated series is the program's first ever.
00:34 The story focused on teenage foster child Jubilee
00:37 as she runs away from home to evade the mutant control
00:40 agency.
00:41 Why is this happening to me?
00:43 I used to be a normal kid. It's not my fault.
00:47 After a terrorizing attack from a Sentinel at a shopping mall,
00:50 Jubilee is not only saved by a group of uncanny superheroes,
00:54 but is taken in by them.
00:56 It's then that we are introduced to Professor X and his school
00:59 for gifted youngsters.
01:01 This is Professor Xavier's school for the gifted.
01:04 Gifted, huh?
01:06 I get you.
01:07 That's a nice way of saying mutants, weirdos, like me,
01:12 like all of us.
01:14 From iconic characters on display to an epic theme song,
01:18 the action-packed pilot truly was
01:20 everything comic book fans were looking for in a cartoon
01:23 adaptation for their beloved X-Men.
01:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:27 Of course, the best was yet to come.
01:34 Number nine, Till Death Do Us Part, part one.
01:37 Much like the series premiere, the first episode of season two
01:40 also made quite the impact.
01:42 That's because it featured the wedding
01:44 of fan-favorite characters Scott Summers, Cyclops,
01:47 and Jean Grey.
01:48 Do you, Scott Summers, take this woman
01:51 to be your lawfully wedded wife?
01:53 I do.
01:54 But that's not the only reason this episode stands out.
01:57 It's also the first complete appearance
01:59 of X-Men baddie Mr. Sinister.
02:02 Enjoy your revenge, Morph.
02:05 I know I am.
02:07 And when anti-mutant sentiment's at a fever pitch,
02:10 we get up-close looks at some of the show's political figures,
02:14 President Robert Kelly and controversial mutant
02:16 cynic Graydon Creed.
02:18 You were elected to protect us from mutants.
02:21 [SCREAMING]
02:22 Mutant lovers.
02:24 [SCREAMING]
02:26 Add in the return of the presumed dead Morph,
02:28 and you've got one heck of a way to kick
02:30 off the show's second season.
02:32 Why did they leave me to die?
02:34 Number eight, One Man's Worth, part one.
02:37 Nobody does time travel like the X-Men.
02:40 What the heck is that?
02:43 We're too late.
02:44 In this season four episode, One Man's Worth, part one,
02:47 kicked off a wildly compelling story
02:49 that presented plenty of new dynamics for our heroes.
02:52 Inspired by the Age of Apocalypse comic book event,
02:54 the episode begins in an alternate timeline
02:57 where Professor X is deceased.
02:58 And the X-Men are led by the vengeful Magneto.
03:01 [SCREAMING]
03:03 Look.
03:06 Enter time travelers Bishop and Shard to prevent
03:09 Professor Xavier's execution.
03:11 I can't believe it.
03:12 All of this destruction, all of this misery
03:15 is due to the absence of one man.
03:18 One of the most important men in history.
03:21 What proceeds is nothing short of classic X-Men fear.
03:24 Along with familiar themes around prejudice and salvation,
03:27 this episode showed that X-Men the animated series
03:29 was not afraid to tackle incredibly
03:31 ambitious story arcs.
03:33 [SCREAMING]
03:35 No.
03:37 Number seven, The Cure.
03:39 If you're looking for the most riveting episode of X-Men
03:42 the animated series, you perhaps don't need to look any further
03:45 than season one's ninth episode.
03:47 I always thought you had a soft spot for that Cajun.
03:51 About as soft as you, fathead.
03:53 You gonna shut up or am I gonna have to help you?
03:56 This emotionally wrought tale centers
03:58 around Rogue and her tragic inability
03:59 to touch anyone due to her powers.
04:01 We quickly learn that not all mutants
04:03 see their powers as a gift.
04:05 But some mutants might welcome the chance to become normal.
04:09 Yeah, who?
04:11 Seeking out a cure for the mutant X-Gene,
04:13 our southern bell hero eventually
04:15 comes to embrace who she is, despite the excruciating
04:18 loneliness her power brings.
04:20 I am my powers.
04:22 And the good they can do for my friends
04:24 and for the whole world, I reckon maybe I
04:27 can live with that after all.
04:29 It's a surprisingly powerful journey
04:30 and is also an example of how X-Men the animated series often
04:34 tackled storylines better than the X-Men feature films did.
04:37 Yes, we're looking at you, X-Men the last stand.
04:41 Number six, Nightcrawler.
04:43 X-Men the animated series was beloved,
04:45 in part for its excellent character introductions.
04:48 Magneto, I presume?
04:49 And in this episode, we are giving a fitting introduction
04:52 to the standout X-Men character, Nightcrawler.
04:56 Heartless fools.
04:57 They know not what they do.
05:00 While on vacation in a Provincio German village,
05:02 Ro, Gambit, and Wolverine encounter the kind-hearted,
05:05 demonic-looking monk.
05:07 There, you are safe now.
05:11 Please, you do not understand.
05:13 From there, the story expertly unravels themes around morality
05:16 and self-acceptance.
05:18 You see, Nightcrawler is discriminated against because
05:21 of his appearance and must come to terms
05:23 with the societal biases sent his way.
05:25 My appearance does not make it easy.
05:28 Don't it make you crazy?
05:30 It did once.
05:31 It's yet another instance of animated program
05:33 tackling complex issues with poignancy.
05:36 Plus, the visual of tough guy Wolverine praying
05:38 at a cathedral is extra touching.
05:40 You turned away, and you comforted me.
05:43 I will trust and will not be afraid.
05:46 Number five, Time Fugitives, part two.
05:49 It's highly likely that X-Men, the animated series,
05:52 is one of the main reasons why '90s kids grew up
05:55 loving the character Cable.
05:56 This season two story arc marked Cable's first appearance
05:59 in the series.
06:00 I can't help apocalypse.
06:03 The logic is mathematically simple.
06:06 Millions must die in the past so that future billions
06:09 may be born.
06:10 And like other episodes, Time Fugitives
06:13 adapted a popular comic book storyline, Legacy Virus.
06:16 Bishop is correct.
06:18 The virus was genetically engineered.
06:20 It doesn't appear to be lethal now,
06:23 but it is dangerously unstable.
06:25 The two episodes tell pitted time travelers Bishop and Cable
06:28 against one another in some time traveling one upmanship.
06:32 I got a job to do, and I can't let you do it.
06:36 Yep, the series goes all sci-fi in this episode
06:39 and delivers a wildly entertaining viewing
06:42 experience in the process.
06:43 It also displays just how good the show
06:46 is at combining intricate storylines
06:48 with challenging social commentary.
06:50 Did we mention how badass Cable is?
06:53 We have the cure now, apocalypse.
06:56 Your virus is useless.
06:58 [GUNSHOTS]
07:00 [SCREAMING]
07:03 Number four, The Phoenix Saga, part five, Child of Light.
07:07 The Phoenix Saga is a classic storyline
07:10 from the X-Men comics that has been adapted many times over.
07:14 And while none of the big screen retellings
07:16 managed to capture the epic spirit of the fiery tale--
07:19 When I lose control, things happen, bad things.
07:26 --the consensus is that X-Men, the animated series, nailed it.
07:30 In season three's climactic Child of Light,
07:33 we are treated to Jean Grey's ultimate transformation
07:36 into the Phoenix.
07:36 There's also a pretty intense battle with the Imperial Guard.
07:40 In the end, the series captured the essence of the saga
07:43 with plenty of stellar visuals and emotionally
07:46 stirring moments.
07:47 Crystals shall be buried forever.
07:49 Jean's internal conflict was on full display
07:58 and was the gravity of the story.
08:00 I never thought I'd say it, Logan,
08:02 but there's nothing we can do.
08:05 Number three, The Final Decision.
08:07 It can't be stressed just how great X-Men, the animated series,
08:10 was straight out the game.
08:11 And its first season finale did not disappoint.
08:14 The episode is jammed with unforgettable moments
08:17 like the X-Men teaming up with Magneto to stop the Sentinels
08:20 and Scott and Jean getting engaged.
08:22 Jean, I've been wondering.
08:24 Yes?
08:25 I've been wondering, will you marry me?
08:27 Cyclops.
08:28 The most badass sequence, however, belongs to Wolverine.
08:31 Battling a group of Sentinels in a pitch black cavern
08:34 of sorts, the fight is illuminated only
08:37 by the giant robot's laser blast.
08:39 [GRUNTING]
08:44 And in a fitting bookend to the series premiere,
08:47 we get Jubilee joining the fight with invigorated passion.
08:50 I'm not a kid anymore.
08:53 It really was the perfect button for the first season's
08:55 storyline.
08:56 We must not forget that mutants are human beings.
09:01 We must be careful that in controlling
09:03 mutants who abuse their powers, we
09:06 do not oppress those who would use their powers
09:09 for the good of all humanity.
09:11 Number two, the Dark Phoenix Saga, part four,
09:14 Fate of the Phoenix.
09:15 X-Men the animated series took its time
09:17 with the Jean Grey story, and in doing so,
09:20 delivered two remarkable multi-episode Phoenix sagas.
09:23 This late season three episode was the incredible,
09:27 not to mention heartbreaking, conclusion.
09:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:37 Jean's tragic fate is played out faithfully
09:40 to the events in the comics.
09:41 It expertly captured all the key ingredients
09:43 needed to tell the story.
09:44 It was ultimately about Jean's sacrifice
09:47 in overcoming corruption, all while fighting
09:49 constant inner turmoil.
09:51 Jean, you're not evil.
09:53 And when the dust settled, the heart trending episode
09:56 gave way to one of the most breathtaking endings
09:59 of any TV show ever.
10:01 My time here has ended.
10:04 I must depart.
10:05 Taking notes, movie studios.
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10:26 Number one, Days of Future Past, part one.
10:29 Remember what we said about X-Men, the animated series
10:32 adapting classic storylines with ease?
10:34 Well, this is yet another example.
10:37 It also happens to be the finest episode
10:39 of the show's original run.
10:41 I'm getting a jumble of images.
10:45 Dark, frightening.
10:48 Introducing Bishop, the story becomes a riveting time travel
10:51 journey where alternate timelines and dystopian futures
10:54 are on full display.
10:56 Must be getting rusty.
10:57 I'll say.
10:59 Track him!
11:00 In fact, the show seemingly weaves
11:10 these alternate past and present worlds
11:12 all while keeping the action going
11:14 with some dynamic sequences.
11:15 And with different character motivations fully explored,
11:18 the essence of the X-Men shines bright.
11:21 It all boils down to the best offering
11:23 from the iconic animated series.
11:25 And that's saying something, bub.
11:27 Then I want you to tell me one thing.
11:31 Which one of us is the assassin?
11:33 Which episode of X-Men, the animated series,
11:36 made you a fan?
11:37 Did we miss any standout stories?
11:39 Share your picks in the comments down below.
11:41 The key is to reach the subconscious mind.
11:44 The subjects must be repeatedly exposed
11:46 to a simulation of extreme emotional trauma.
11:49 Did you enjoy this video?
11:51 Check out these other clips from WatchMojo.
11:53 And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be
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11:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:02 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:05 (upbeat music)
12:07 (upbeat music)