X-Men: The Animated Series signed off the air on September 20, 1997, after five seasons and 76 episodes. It is celebrated as one of the best animated comic book shows ever made. Now, nearly 27 years later, we are preparing for more action with X-Men ’97 premiering on March 20, 2024, exclusively on Disney+.
In anticipation for the return of animated X-Men television we have carved out time to re-watch the amazing animated series. However, we understand thats a big undertaking. To save you time, we’ve curated a list of our top 15 favorite episodes from the original series in order of release.
Season 1, Episode 1 (and 2): Night of the Sentinels
The X-Men come to the aid of Jubilee when her foster parents turn her into the mutant registration and she is attacked by Sentinels. The X-Men save her and bring her to their facility. There, she learns a little about them. When she decides to go back and check on her foster parents, she is captured. The X-Men discover that the group running the Mutant Registration Program intends to track and eliminate mutants, so they decide to enter the building and destroy all the data.
After destroying the files on mutants, the X-Men escape to the Blackbird but are stopped by the Sentinels. During the fight with the Sentinels, Morph is killed and Beast is captured and imprisoned by the government. The X-Men manage to track down the Sentinel’s headquarters and free Jubilee. She decides to join Xavier’s academy.
Season 1, Episode 4: Deadly Reunions
Professor X tries to heal Sabretooth against Wolverine’s warnings, while Magneto attacks a chemical plant in order to attract the attention of Professor X.
Season 1, Episode 5: Captive Hearts
Cyclops and Jean are captured by a group of human mutants called the Morlocks when they go out on a romantic date, much to Logan’s hurt. Storm battles their leader Callisto for control of the underground mutant group.
Season 1, Episode 9: The Cure
Warren Worthington (Archangel) has been supporting Dr. Adler’s development to find a “cure” for mutant powers. Cable attacks Archangel and learns Dr. Adler has relocated to Muir Island, Scotland. Meanwhile, the X-Men are busy rebuilding the X-Mansion. Wolverine and Gambit squabble, Rogue intervenes and Wolverine accuses her of having a soft spot for Gambit. Professor X then gathers a meeting where he informs the X-Men of Dr. Adler’s experimental treatment to remove mutant powers.
Rogue decides to travel to Muir Island for the cure, despite Gambit’s attempts to dissuade her. It is later revealed that the real Dr. Adler had already been killed by Apocalypse. Since then Mystique has been posing as a fake Dr. Adler to help Apocalypse enslave mutants searching for the cure. Rogue eventually decides to selflessly keep her powers as she can do more good with her abilities. Having failed to enslave Rogue, Mystique switches targets and plans to enslave Archangel next for Apocalypse.
Season 1, Episode 11 (and 12): Days of Future Past
In a future controlled by Sentinels, Bishop is sent back in time to stop a member of the X-Men from assassinating an important political figure.
Bishop (who believes Gambit to be the Assassin) and the X-Men go to Washington and stop the assassination of Senator Kelly. Gambit is ordered to stay behind with Wolverine and Bishop, but he sneaks off to Washington and arrives just in time to prevent a duplicate “Gambit” from assassinating Senator Kelly. It is soon revealed that the duplicate Gambit is Mystique in disguise (who was attempting to frame Gambit and the X-Men for the assassination under orders from Apocalypse). Bishop sees the two Gambits fighting and attempts to kill them both – only to be stopped by Rogue. Bishop returns to find the future unchanged.
Season 1, Episode 13: The Final Decision
The X-Men and Magneto team up to stop Master Mold from replacing Senator Kelly’s brain with a computer, and engage in an all-out battle against thousands of Sentinels. Kelly calls off his anti-mutant campaign and Beast is freed from prison.
Season 2, Episode 1 (and 2): Till Death Do Us Part
Scott and Jean get married whilst an angst-ridden Wolverine fights Scott-like robots in the danger room. Meanwhile, Mister Sinister uses a brainwashed Morph to lay traps to destroy the X-Men one by one. Morph struggles with his split personality and his evil side shapeshifts into different X-Men, luring them into dangerous situations. E.g. He tricks Gambit into kissing Rogue, policemen into shooting Storm, sends Jubilee to enter a mutant-hate group alone, changes the intensity in Beast’s danger room to high, sends Professor X to Antarctica etc.
Mister Sinister and his Nasty Boys kidnap Cyclops & Jean Grey while they are on their honeymoon. Meanwhile, the rest of the X-Men are either in mortal peril or bickering due to Morph’s trickery. Eventually, Beast escapes the danger room, Gambit recovers from kissing Rogue and Wolverine rescues Jubilee from the clutches of the Friends of Humanity terrorist group (whilst complaining about the amount of bubblegum he had to sniff in order to track her down).
Morph then appears, disguised as Professor X but is immediately detected by Wolverine who senses Professor X’s scent is wrong. Gambit tricks Morph into revealing himself and the X-Men realize that Cyclops and Jean are in danger. They travel to the island to confront Mister Sinister and the Nasty Boys. In Antarctica, the real Professor X meets Magneto, and the pair are engulfed by an avalanche.
Season 2, Episode 5: Repo Man
Wolverine travels to meet a woman from his past named Heather. However, it turns out to be a trap and he is captured by Vindicator and the Alpha Flight team. In a flashback sequence, we learn about Wolverine’s past regarding Dr. Cornelius’ adamantium injections, “Weapon X”, getting nursed back to health by Heather, his recruitment to Alpha Flight, and subsequent desertion to join the X-Men. General Chasen sends Alpha Flight to recapture Wolverine to replicate Wolverine’s adamantium injections on other test subjects.
When this fails, General Chasen and Vindicator decide to remove Wolverine’s skeleton from his body so they can study it properly. Heather is horrified and immediately resigns. The rest of Alpha Flight also revolt and help Wolverine escape. Wolverine confronts Vindicator and says he will not show mercy if they come looking for him again. Meanwhile, the rest of the X-Men are worried about Professor X’s mysterious disappearance. Jean searches for Professor X in Cerebro and is unable to find him (but senses Wolverine is in trouble).
Season 2, Episode 7 (and 8): Time Fugitives
In the future, Cable realises his world is disappearing due to Bishop’s time travelling interference. Bishop had time traveled from 2055 AD to stop a plague that Apocalypse started. The plague was scientifically engineered and used by terrorist groups to increase anti-mutant sentiment (falsely accusing mutants of spreading the plague). The X-Men succeed in destroying Apocalypse’s laboratory but are killed by Apocalypse in the process. Cable (from the future) realizes with horror that he will have to team up with Apocalypse in order to save his timeline.
Cable comes to the present to stop Bishop and save his own future world. He arrives at the same time as Bishop and the two time travelers battle to save their own respective future timelines. Cable finds killing Bishop and helping Apocalypse distasteful, but is prepared to do what it takes to save his son and his future world from ending.
Eventually, Cable comes up with the brainwave to deliberately let Wolverine get infected by the virus. Wolverine’s healing abilities produce the antibodies needed to create a permanent cure, thwarting Apocalypse. Bishop returns to his timeline and discovers everything is still the same (although there is no longer a plague). Cable returns to his timeline and discovers his world is saved and his son is alive.
Season 2, Episode 9: A Rogue’s Tale
Mystique, Rogue’s foster mother, forces her to revisit her own past. Due to Professor X’s long disappearance, Ms. Marvel’s suppressed consciousness begins to break free – causing Rogue to receive haunting visions. Mystique lures Rogue to the hospital where she sees Ms. Marvel’s comatose body and remembers the past. She remembers how she ran away from her abusive, mutant-hating father and found Mystique. Mystique raised her and one day sent her on a mission to attack Ms. Marvel, resulting in Rogue absorbing her powers permanently.
Unfortunately, when Rogue absorbed her powers, she also absorbed her consciousness – leaving Ms. Marvel in a coma and Rogue plagued with Ms. Marvel’s psyche. Rogue finds Professor X who helps her suppress the visions along with her memories. In the present day, Ms. Marvel’s consciousness begins to fight Rogue over control of her body. Jean uses Cerebro to help Rogue trap/restrain Ms. Marvel – Rogue is saddened regarding Ms. Marvel’s fate but is left with no choice.
Mystique tries to convince Rogue to join her, but Rogue declares Mystique made her worse than a killer. She visits Ms. Marvel’s comatose body in the hospital, brings her flowers, and tells the nurses Ms. Marvel’s real name. As she leaves, Ms. Marvel’s body shows signs of life and gives a small smile.
Season 3, Episode 10: Obsession
Archangel has become obsessed with destroying Apocalypse, whom he blames for ruining his life. Due to absorbing part of Archangel’s evil side, Rogue feels obligated to join Archangel in his dangerous quest in hopes of calming him down (despite Gambit’s protests). Meanwhile, X-Men travel to Apocalypse’s ship to find an alternate way to stop the immortal mutant madman. Beast bonds with the ship’s A.I system and constructs a trap, but will Archangel’s thirst for vengeance destroy them all?
Season 3, Episode 11: The Dark Phoenix, Part I: Dazzled
The Phoenix continues to inhabit Jean’s body. Jean is beginning to lose control and the Phoenix begins to brazenly take over at will. When the Inner Circle Club learn of the Phoenix’s power, they use Jason Wyngarde to create a new history in the mind of the confused Jean/Phoenix. While protecting Dazzler, a mutant club singer from being abducted by the Inner Circle, Cyclops and the X-Men get caught in this dangerous affair.
Season 3, Episode 18: Nightcrawler
Gambit, Rogue, and Wolverine take a ski trip in Germany. While Gambit & Rogue seem to be largely enjoying each other’s company and time together, Wolverine is restless and longs for some action. When he hears reports of a demon hiding in a local monastery, his investigation reveals not a demon, but a mutant, Nightcrawler, whose devilish appearance is in stark contrast to his peaceful and deeply philosophical nature. Later the townsfolk attack and burn the monastery. The X-Men convince the townsfolk not to fear what they do not understand, Wolverine, too, learns something about the nature of faith.
Season 4, Episode 1 (and 2): One Man’s Worth
Trevor Fitzroy and Bantam travel back in time to 1959 and kill Professor X as Master Mold ordered them. This creates an alternate present timeline, where a mutant-sentinel war has destroyed everything. Bishop and Shard arrive in ‘alternate present’, where sentinels battle violently against ‘The Leader’ Magneto, and his followers who include husband and wife Wolverine and Storm. Bishop & Shard recruit Wolverine & Storm to help stop Fitzroy, but they fail.
Failing to stop the assassination of Xavier, Bishop, Shard, Storm & Wolverine travel forward to the future, a future changed so much that Forge’s time travel machine has never been tested and Forge has no idea who these four time travelers are. After they convince Forge, they go back a few minutes before Xavier dies and save him. Everything reverts to normal.
Season 5, Episode 7: Old Soldiers
Wolverine thinks back to the time when he fought during World War II and teamed up with Captain America. Wolverine & Captain America must break into a Nazi establishment to rescue the kidnapped scientist Andre Cocteau and fight the Red Skull.
