Top 10 X-Men Animated Series Moments
"X-Men: The Animated Series" is still one of the best adaptations the team has had and it was packed it great moments. For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the most epic, iconic, and somber scenes from this ‘90s cartoon smash.. The scenes will be very story-heavy, so expect major spoilers ahead. Our countdown includes Rogue's Past, Magneto's Entrance, Jean's Sacrifice, and more! Think we missed an important scene? Let us know in the comments what YOUR favorite moments with the X-Men were.
#10: “Tell Cyclops I Made Him a Convertible”
“Night of the Sentinels”
The very first mission of the series could’ve gone better – Beast has been captured, Morph is seemingly destroyed, and the other X-Men can’t risk going back for them. Naturally, Wolverine is frustrated; but rather than take his anger out on the others, he takes it out on Cyclops’ car. He completely RIPS the top half off the vehicle, and when Jean goes to check on him, all he can say is “Tell Cyclops I made him a convertible”. That one scene established what we love the most about Wolverine – his badass attitude and his hilarious one-liners. Yes, he’s supposed to be grieving at this time… but he really made that line unintentionally funny.
#9: Old Friends Reuniting
“Deadly Reunions”
Magneto, the Master of Magnetism, has made his presence known, and he seeks an audience with his old friend, Professor Xavier. He gets his wish, but it’s clear that this isn’t a happy reunion between two bosom buddies. Magneto wants the world to be dominated by mutants, while Xavier wishes for a world where humans and mutants can co-exist peacefully. It’s tragic to see this clash knowing that these two were once dear friends, but now their ideologies are too different for them to work together again -which, sadly, is a case for anyone caught in the middle of a political divide. Xavier leaves the battle victorious, but it’s clear that the war has merely begun.
#8: Gambit to the Rescue
“Slave Island”
Gambit, Storm, and Jubilee have been captured and forced into slave labor on the island of Genosha. Things only get worse when it looks like Gambit turned his back on his own teammates and sold them out. In reality, he faked being a traitor so that he could free his friends and liberate the enslaved mutants of the island. Admittedly, the Cajun mutant doesn’t always give off the most trustworthy vibes – face it, he’s a trickster and a shameless flirt -for Rogue anyway. But the one thing Gambit is not is a traitor, and this heroic rescue is irrefutable proof of his loyalty to both the X-Men and mutants everywhere.
#7: Beast in Love
“Beauty and the Beast”
Despite his beastly appearance, Hank McCoy is a gentle soul and a scientific genius. He’s helped a blind woman named Carly regain her sight, and she’s able to see him as the man he really is. Unfortunately, two very big obstacles get in the way of their love – Carly’s mutant-hating father, and the Friends of Humanity terrorists who want to exterminate mutants at all costs. To ensure Carly’s safety, Hank must distance himself from the woman he loves until a time when humans and mutants can co-exist harmoniously. It’s a bittersweet moment, but with a sense of hopefulness knowing that someone was able to look past Hank’s monstrous appearance and love him for who he is inside.
#6: Trauma Conditioning
“Weapon X, Lies, and Videotape”
We all know at least one part of Wolverine’s troubled past – abducted by the Weapon X program and experimented on with adamantium. However, when he revisits the facility, we find the full extent of the program’s atrocities. It turns out that he and the rest of Team X were trained as weapons and sleeper agents using fake memories implanted into them -traumatic, personal memories. Most of Wolverine’s past was already a mystery, but to learn that it was mostly a lie fabricated by a corrupt research facility -and being unable to figure out what was true or not- is just too much for even the toughest mutant to bear.
#5: Magneto’s Entrance
“Enter Magneto”
First impressions are important, and the minute Magneto arrives on-screen, you can tell right away that he is a force not to be messed with. He effortlessly walks through a prison, offers Beast a chance at freedom, and makes his ambitions known – mutants should be the dominant race over humans. And when the guards try to shoot him down… forget it; Magneto easily handles them and just levitates away. In just one quick scene, we’ve established more than half of what makes Magneto one of the X-Men’s greatest enemies – his commanding, intimidating personality, his effortless control of his powers, and his clear hatred for all humans -unsurprising given his troubled past.
#4: Rogue’s Past
“A Rogue’s Tale”
To say that Rogue’s had an easy life… would be a bald-faced lie. Her mutant abilities put her boyfriend in a coma, she was disowned by her own father, only to be taken in by Mystique and raised as a mutant criminal. But when Ms. Marvel came to stop her, Rogue absorbed too much from the superheroine -which gave her super strength and flight… but also trapped Ms. Marvel inside her mind. For years, the southern belle mutant was haunted by the day she stole another heroine’s life -even if it was an accident. Thankfully, the guilt calms down once Rogue visits the comatose Ms. Marvel -and unknowingly causes a miracle to occur.
#3: Jean’s Sacrifice
“The Phoenix Saga, Part V: Child of Light”
It’s safe to say that the original series succeeded where the live-action movies failed – adapting the “Phoenix Saga”. Jean Grey is possessed by the all-powerful Phoenix Force and is entrusted with a new mission – to protect the M'Kraan Crystal. Unfortunately, the only way to truly protect the Crystal is to fly it into the sun… meaning that Jean would have to sacrifice herself. Jean knew the risks of becoming an X-Man, but it didn’t matter to her because the needs of the many mattered more than just one life -no matter how much losing her will hurt. Miraculously, she does survive the ordeal, only to later become corrupted by the Phoenix Force and become the Dark Phoenix.
#2: Taking Out the Sentinels
“Night of the Sentinels”
As a whole, “Night of the Sentinels” is a phenomenal series premiere for the X-Men – it establishes the show’s lore and introduces us to our heroes’ dynamics, personalities, and struggles. But of all the moments that came out of this episode, which one truly deserves the runner-up spot on our list? Arguably, the final battle between the X-Men and the Sentinels. Not only is the action well-choreographed, but it’s just so satisfying watching our favorite mutants turn the mutant-hunting junkheaps into scrap iron. This small display of heroism made it clear for the rest of the series – if you threaten mutant kind or dare to cross the X-Men, you may not live to regret it.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Gambit Loves You”, “Reunion”
With Their Powers Disabled, Gambit & Rogue Finally Share a Kiss.
“Rogue Loses Cody Again”, “Love in Vain”
Rogue Reunites With Her Boyfriend, Only to See That He’s Too Far Gone.
“The Plague”, “Time Fugitives”
Proof That X-Men Was Definitely Ahead of Its Time.
“Senator Kelly’s Speech”, “The Final Decision”
Senator Kelly Finally Shows His Support Towards Mutants.
#1: “Goodbye, My X-Men”
“Graduation”
Professor Xavier is on borrowed time, and no medical treatment on Earth can save him. How serious is it? Serious enough for Magneto to put aside his mutant invasion plan just for a chance to rescue his only friend. Thankfully, there is a way to save Xavier… but it would mean he would have to leave the planet and possibly never come back. The series ends with the X-Men and Magneto bidding goodbye to the man who touched all their hearts one way or another. With his departure, the original series comes to a close and we bid farewell to the action-packed, emotional, and surprisingly mature kids’ show that made us fall in love with the X-Men.
