The original 1992-1997 X-Men animated series still remains one of the most famous superhero cartoons ever made, and it’s not hard to see why. Not only did it expand the possibilities of what superhero cartoons are capable of by directly adapting classic comic strip lines such as “Days of Future Past” and “The Dark Phoenix Saga”, it also introduced an entire generation of fans to iconic characters such as Wolverine, Cyclops , Storm, Rogue and Magneto.
But not all classic X-Men characters were lucky enough to appear in the original series. It was really a product of its time, so characters that had gone out of fashion in the 90s probably wouldn’t make an appearance. The upcoming Disney Plus sequel series, X Men ’97, is set to introduce some of the characters left out of the original show, including Sunspot and Valerie Cooper. Here are a few more fan favorites that should get their time in the spotlight once the X-Men returns to animation.
Of all the X-Men characters who never made the leap to the 90s animated series, Kitty Pryde, aka Shadowcat, is by far the most important. Throughout the 1980s, Kitty was one of the central characters of writer Chris Claremont’s legendary run-on Uncanny X-Men, which serves as the reader’s POV in the world of mutants. Over the course of nearly 100 issues, she grew from an inexperienced new recruit to a determined, witty hero—a classic coming of age story that served as an emotional thread through the many adventures of the X-Men.
However, by the time the ’92’ X-Men series began airing, Kitty had left the X-Men, along with Nightcrawler. The two became founders of the UK-based hero team Excalibur, led by Captain Britain. They stayed in Excalibur throughout the 90s and didn’t return to the X-Men until the 2000s. This diminished fame explained why Nightcrawler only appeared in two episodes of the 90s animated series, despite being a central character in the 70s and 80s. But unlike Nightcrawler, Kitty never even appeared in the cartoon, starring as her main character. in “Days of Future Past” was replaced by Bishop. However, she is still an important figure in X-Men history, and X Men ’97 offers a perfect opportunity to put her in the spotlight.
Technically, this character was already introduced in the original X-Men cartoon, just not in the form it’s best known for. The sword-wielding mutated sorceress Magik is none other than Illyana Rasputin, Colossus’ younger sister. But before growing up and becoming a hero herself, Illyana was presented as an ordinary little girl. It’s that version of the character that appears in the Season 2 episode “Red Dawn”, where Colossus has to save her from the evil Omega Red.
But since her introduction, Illyana has come to fame as X-Men member Magik, whose immense mystical power and rambunctious, hard-hitting personality have endeared her to countless comic book fans. Today, Magik has joined her brother Colossus as one of the most popular X-Men members, so it would be a shame to put her in the first place. X-Men cartoon in over a decade. With any luck, fans will see an older and stronger Illyana take the stage in X Men ’97.
One of the supporting characters confirmed to return in X Men ’97 is the cyborg super soldier Cable, aka Nathan Summers – Cyclops and Jean Grey’s time-traveling son from the future. But in the comics, Cable wasn’t Scott and Jean’s first child from the future to fight alongside the X-Men. The original “Days of Future Past” comic introduced Rachel Summers, who later traveled back in time to prevent her dystopian future from coming true.
In the 1980s, Rachel grew from a broken and vengeful young woman to a trusted ally who saw her teammates as her family. But like Kitty and Nightcrawler, she’d already left the X-Men for Excalibur, pushing her out of the spotlight in the 90s. While not as well known as the rest of her family, Rachel is still a much loved character who would be a welcome addition to X Men ’97.
While most of the X-Men’s famous enemies are fellow mutants like Magneto, Mystique, Sabretooth, and Apocalypse, their greatest threat is undoubtedly the prejudice and oppression facing humanity. The original animated series reflected this, placing a lot of emphasis on enemies such as the mutant-hunting Sentinels or Graydon Creed, leader of the hate group Friends of Humanity. And with the ruthless government official Valerie Cooper who will be introduced in X Men ’97the sequel seems to honor this tradition.
However, one of the meanest anti-mutant extremists the X-Men have had to deal with is Reverend William Stryker, leader of the Purifiers. Stryker is known to comic book fans as the main antagonist of the God loves, man kills graphic novel, widely regarded as one of the greatest X-Men stories ever told. God loves, man kills was never adapted into the ’92 animated series, probably because of its dark subject matter. However, X Men ’97 could potentially provide a chance to bring that famous story to life in animated form along with its infamous villain.
Another X-Men One story too dark to be adapted into a Saturday morning cartoon is 1986’s “Mutant Massacre,” which focused on the bloodthirsty rogue team known as the Marauders. The story centers on the shadowy mastermind Mister Sinister who hires the Marauders to slaughter the underground mutant community known as the Morlocks. Both Sinister and the Morlocks featured prominently in the ’92 animated series, and it’s been confirmed that they will return in X Men ’97. As such, it’s likely that the new series will finally bring a “Mutant Massacre” adaptation to the cartoon universe.
It’s worth noting that Sinister already had his own team of minions in the original cartoon – a group of oft-forgotten villains called the Nasty Boys. But since the Marauders are Sinister’s better known rogue teams, it would be nice to see them appear in X-Men ’97.
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