X-Men (TV Series)

X-Men is the first series in ultimately what would become the Marvel Animated Universe. The series aired from October 31, 1992 to September 20, 1997. Along with Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men helped launch the numerous comic book shows that debuted during the 1990s. And, like Batman, is considered one of the most faithful to the original comic version.

Background
This series was the second attempt to make an animated version of the X-Men comics. The first was a half-hour special titled Pryde of the X-Men. Although aired numerous times between 1989 and 1992 Pryde was poorly recieved.

X-Men is the longest-running Marvel Comics show with a total of five seasons and 76 episodes, the second being Spider-Man: The Animated Series. The two series featured guest appearances on each other's shows regardless of the fact that the two were made by separate production studios.

Characters
The show featured a line-up primarily of Professor X, Cyclops, Beast, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Rogue, Gambit, Storm, and Jubilee who were all popular in the comics at the time. Morph, while many believe to be original, was an adaptation of Changling who at the time was deceased and the writers thought of him as a blank set to do with as they wished. Other X-Men that appeared but were not necessarily part of the team included Colossus, Nightcrawler, Emma Frost, Forge, Havok, Polaris, Cannonball, Banshee, Iceman, Archangel, Longshot, Dazzler, Sunfire, Psylocke, Cable, and Bishop.

Story
Plenty of famous comic book story lines appeared throughout the series such as the Dark Phoenix Saga, Days of Future Past, the Phalanx Covenant, and the Legacy Virus. In addition numerous episodes featured references to particular comics. In the third season the X-Men fought Magneto at a missle base, a reference to the X-Men's first battle with Magneto back in 1963 in X-Men #1. In season four Magneto created an orbiting haven for mutants which was highly influenced by several story arcs in the comics.

Social Issues
Like the comics, the show dealt with mature social issues such as prejudice, intolerance, isolation, and racism. Other issues that were handled in a less obvious matter were divorce, Christianity, the Holocaust, the AIDS hysteria, and even television itself.

Even more subtle was the idea of homosexuality in the series. Cable once blasted Pyro for calling him "darling," though this may have been a simple jest. However, more obviously shapeshifting characters also raised the issue of gender identity. In various episodes Morph and Mystique would change forms and flirt with both sexes depending on their form.