Facebook – Top 50 FAVORITE Animated Programs: 22

22: X-Men (1992-1997/FOX)

If for no other reason aside from the show’s badass opening theme song, X-Men’s first foray into the cartoon world earns a high spot on my list. The show, which followed the comic stories insanely well overall, was a first for me, growing up: it mixed awesome animation with some adult themes/violence and didn’t shy away from the issues the comics brought up like acceptance, discrimination, and general hate for human beings, based on a few differences they aren’t in control of (i.e., color of skin, sexuality, ability to shoot lasers from eyes, etc.). Pair this with some of the best super hero antics on the small screen and you’ve got a mixture for success.

The show was on at the same time as Batman: The Animated Series and Spider-Man and, while better than the latter (not the former, obviously), it struck its own chord within the Marvel animated universe by having the better characters; who cares about Peter Parker when you can watch Wolverine try to steal Marvel Girl from Cyclops over and over, week after week? Magneto’s war against mankind was beautifully realized in vibrant detail as the plots went from straightforward to messed up (seriously, who uses the M’kraan Crystal in a cartoon, unless you’re an ass). And, while it could get confusing if you weren’t paying attention, you at least got the thrill of action to make it all enjoyable.

At the end of the day, X-Men’s run on FOX (which lasted five seasons, by the way), solidified them as overly popular for years to come, making stupid characters like Gambit way too well-known for their own good (seriously, Gambit?!). With enough references to other Marvel characters (sometimes they even managed to show up!) and being kinda grounded in comic lore, the show was a powerhouse of awesome. And much, much better than any of the other shitty cartoons they’ve produced about the characters in the years that followed.

Favorite Episode:
The entire run of the “Beyond Good and Evil” episodes (four total) chronicle Apocalypse perfectly, showing his horsemen, his evil intentions, and covers all the future crap of Cable and Gambit without hesitation. It is one of the few times a comic story is brought to small screen this well, and worth the investment in the show and its characters.

Favorite Character:
As though it wasn’t going to be Gambit.

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Added February 17, 2017
I watched a bunch of this show a few years back and have to admit that it doesn’t really hold up all that well, really. Which is a shame because I remember it so fondly. The writing is just bad, mostly the dialogue. Alas.