X-Men '97: The Animated Series

[Rift]

Hopefully we get Season 2 as early as next year's first half.

In other news, DeMaio confirmed Archangel survived Genosha, but Moira and Dazzler didn't.

[Refrax5]

well if i knew everyone was going to die id rather the acolytes and polaris were there instead of ppl like banshee, dazzler, & moira (rip)



X-MEN split in two… Magneto & Cyclops team… Xavier & Storm’s team not a civil war or anything basically a blue/gold type thing with two different ideals imo

But, again, something not being exactly like the comics isn't really a valid critique of the story's quality. It also might not work as well as Banshee or Moira since the Acolytes were, as I recall, a-holes and neither the most sympathetic characters, nor the kind to be chummy with human beings like Moira or Val Cooper.

This show always focused on the 90s era team and characters, even when adapting stories from different eras. I'm not sure why people are suddenly incensed that their favorite c-list characters aren't included in a show that isn't and never was about them. They substituted Jubilee in a Kitty Pryde story at least once.

If you can't enjoy a story because it doesn't replicate exactly what you specifically liked from the comics, I feel like this show was probably never going to do anything but frustrate and disappoint you.

This version of the story doesn't require Lorna or the Acolytes to work. Nobody who watches this without having read the comics is going to care that Polaris doesn't appear because she would add nothing to the episode for anybody other than the handful of comic readers too obsessed with the source material to objectively judge the show on its own merits.

[Refrax5]

It was actually. People DID get upset about that.

But this is worse since... the Acolytes were already established characters who we saw as Magneto's helpers. The Rachel and Kitty thing was just simplifying the story to have less characters so they didn't have to explain who the new people were. This is leaving out characters who were already established.

Side characters.

And I don't think replacing the main character in an incredibly famous story is less significant than some side characters who likely wouldn't be involved in Genosha at this stage (since even Magneto didn't think he would be wanted there). This is why people roll their eyes at comic fans. The obsessive, pedantic negativity over nothing.

Also, this show always blended different eras. It's been 30 years and you haven't figured that out?

[Zoks]

But, again, something not being exactly like the comics isn't really a valid critique of the story's quality. It also might not work as well as Banshee or Moira since the Acolytes were, as I recall, a-holes and neither the most sympathetic characters, nor the kind to be chummy with human beings like Moira or Val Cooper.

This show always focused on the 90s era team and characters, even when adapting stories from different eras. I'm not sure why people are suddenly incensed that their favorite c-list characters aren't included in a show that isn't and never was about them. They substituted Jubilee in a Kitty Pryde story at least once.

If you can't enjoy a story because it doesn't replicate exactly what you specifically liked from the comics, I feel like this show was probably never going to do anything but frustrate and disappoint you.

This version of the story doesn't require Lorna or the Acolytes to work. Nobody who watches this without having read the comics is going to care that Polaris doesn't appear because she would add nothing to the episode for anybody other than the handful of comic readers too obsessed with the source material to objectively judge the show on its own merits.

No the series screwed up in the first place by actually animating the massacre. They should have brought Xavier back and have him suffer as he feels all the mutants dying, but we don't see any of it, just a number casually dropping. It'll have the same impact as what we saw in episode 5 because it'll be a perfect adaption of the comics!

[Refrax5]

No the series screwed up in the first place by actually animating the massacre. They should have brought Xavier back and have him suffer as he feels all the mutants dying, but we don't see any of it, just a number casually dropping. It'll have the same impact as what we saw in episode 5 because it'll be a perfect adaption of the comics!

Right? Grant Morrison is probably my favorite writer in comics, but this was way more memorable and powerful.

[Confuzzled]

I'm not sure why people are suddenly incensed that their favorite c-list characters aren't included in a show that isn't and never was about them. They substituted Jubilee in a Kitty Pryde story at least once.

Chris Claremont: Unemployed by Marvel
Joss Whedon: Blacklisted by Hollywood
XTAS: Back and better than before
Brian Bendis: Still on Feige's shitlist

Who will Kitty fans turn to in such dark times?

[marhawkman]

Side characters.

And I don't think replacing the main character in an incredibly famous story is less significant than some side characters who likely wouldn't be involved in Genosha at this stage (since even Magneto didn't think he would be wanted there). This is why people roll their eyes at comic fans. The obsessive, pedantic negativity over nothing.

Also, this show always blended different eras. It's been 30 years and you haven't figured that out?

You're not paying attention are you? The show lacks INTERNAL consistency. You're quite right that it didn't stick to the comics particularly well. But it's not sticking to what TAS did either. But you didn't actually notice anything was off, since you didn't pay attention to that int he first place.

And, no, it really does not matter one iota whether you think it's a "side character". How characters are used defines the world the show takes place in. Side characters are NEEDED to give the story depth and weight.

[Havok83]

This show always focused on the 90s era team and characters, even when adapting stories from different eras. I'm not sure why people are suddenly incensed that their favorite c-list characters aren't included in a show that isn't and never was about them. They substituted Jubilee in a Kitty Pryde story at least once.

People arent suddenly having issues with this kind of stuff, The internet didnt exist 30 years ago the way it does today. Its very possible that had a forum like this been a thing as it aired, peopl back then would have complained about that stuff too. I do remember people having issues in the year after tha Kitty never even got to make a cameo

[Grunty]

WORSE, this version of the Genosha massacre KILLED OFF THE MORLOCKS instead of the Acolytes. You can't massacre someone who's already dead!

Though to be honest this barely had any emotional weight outside killing of main characters since we'd barely even seen this version of Genosha.

That feeling is certainly understandable.

Though if memory serves many X-men fans at the time felt the same way about the Morlocks, since there wasn't a lot of attachment to them either and most of those who died were essentialy created for their demise in the crossover or previously filled backround roles.

It was perhaps more the fact that something like it could happen on the heros metaphorical doorsteps or at all in a super hero comic, combined with the claustrophoic atmosphere of the tunnels, the involvement of so many heros, that they were still only able to rescue some survivors and how many of them were affected by it with lasting consequences, which made it so impactfull.

Come to think of it, several of these consequences were either allready established in TAS (Archangel, Wolverine vs. Sabertooth, Psylocke being more martial capabale) or involved characters with no presence in the show (like Kitty Pryde and Collosus).

The Acolytes were really the builders and ruling class of mutant controlled Genosha in the comics and had the most stake in its success or failure yes.

That version was something darker then this. It was no Xavier-Magneto joint effort. The idea of Xavier’s statue and Magneto was one years later that Lorna built from the ashes in the comics.

Mutant controlled Genosha was very much a mutant Israel in the comics (they weren’t very coy about this if one checks the titles of issues like the image above) repleate with horrible mutant/human fighting on the island.

Not to forget that the only reason the UN gave him control over Genosha to beginn with, was because he successfully pulled of a James Bond villain plot. Threatening to destroy Earth's magnetic field if they did not follow his demand.

Aka. Being willing to doom all live on Earth, via removing it's protection from cosmic and solar radition ("Earth's magnetic field deflects most of the solar wind, whose charged particles would otherwise strip away the ozone layer that protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation.).

Infact he was actualy responcible for it almost happening if a heroic clone of him didn't sacrifce his life to stabilize it again.

So quite a difference to a passionate speech at the UN.

(...)In terms of the Acolytes the destruction of Genosha in X-Men 97 is supposed to represent more the failure of Xavier’s dream then Magneto’s so it may give them a reason to return.

That's a good point about how this adaptation uses it (though it will likely now become the default association).

I mean considering he's been fired, his confirmations dont mean too much. The next showrunner can gloss past that especially since most of the death werent made explicit

Marrow is introduced as angry teenage mutant villain with a grudge against Storm in the 3rd season.

"Who was the woman that got vaporized on Genosha?" "Ehhhh. An animation error."

People arent suddenly having issues with this kind of stuff, The internet didnt exist 30 years ago the way it does today. Its very possible that had a forum like this been a thing as it aired, peopl back then would have complained about that stuff too. I do remember people having issues in the year after tha Kitty never even got to make a cameo

One can only wonder aboout the letters the creators or Marvel in general got over those things back then?

And it would have likely not affect the show back then either because of the silent majority of the TV viewers, who had little or no knowledge of or attachment to the comics and just loved what they saw.

[Havok83]

One can only wonder aboout the letters the creators or Marvel in general got over those things back then?

And it would have likely not affect the show back then either because of the silent majority of the TV viewers, who had little or no knowledge of or attachment to the comics and just loved what they saw.

I also think bc of the internet, fans are alot more knowledgable about the canon from the comics. Wiki pages, Marvel Unlimited, illegal means to access books, etc... I remember watching the show as it aired i the 90s, and had no reference from what was changed bc I never read the original books or had an awareness for the minor characters that appeared. Thats context to keep in mind when comparing the series. Most of us are 20-30 years older and going into this with a more knowledgable mindset

[ChildOfTheAtom]

And it would have likely not affect the show back then either because of the silent majority of the TV viewers, who had little or no knowledge of or attachment to the comics and just loved what they saw.

i forgot her name but the lady who put her job on the line to get the show on air said the fan mail was stacked to the ceiling in the offices.

eric lewald said he considered morph the second most popular because of the fan mail being upset over his death and wolverines lost. he was just a thunderbird replacement who they couldn’t use over optics then fox caved and made him bring morph back to life.

[Confuzzled]

People arent suddenly having issues with this kind of stuff, The internet didnt exist 30 years ago the way it does today. Its very possible that had a forum like this been a thing as it aired, peopl back then would have complained about that stuff too. I do remember people having issues in the year after tha Kitty never even got to make a cameo

Yeah but the show has existed for 32 years. People should NOW know how it operates and set expectations accordingly. There was no Kitty in Days of Future Past, arguably the most famous X-Men storyline of all time. So why should it randomly include a Chuck Austen plot point about Polaris in an E for Extinction adaptation (which is also slapped together with Mutant Massacre)?

[Refrax5]

You're not paying attention are you? The show lacks INTERNAL consistency. You're quite right that it didn't stick to the comics particularly well. But it's not sticking to what TAS did either. But you didn't actually notice anything was off, since you didn't pay attention to that int he first place.

And, no, it really does not matter one iota whether you think it's a "side character". How characters are used defines the world the show takes place in. Side characters are NEEDED to give the story depth and weight.

It's not that I didn't pay attention---although you clearly didn't pay attention to my comment---it's that I haven't seen that episode in a very long time. But it doesn't matter. The Genosha that's being accepted into the UN is drastically different from what Magneto and his henchmen were envisioning in the past, so much so that Magneto expected not to be welcome there. It's doubtful the Acolytes are still around if the place has such a differing philosophy from the Magneto of old. And even if they were on the island, there's no real reason we would have necessarily seen them. It's an entire country. Time has passed.

There was plenty of depth and weight without the Acolytes. It makes no difference if a bunch of unlikable terrorist goons are there or not. No one is going to be especially heartbroken over them.

There's nothing inconsistent about the show because a handful of unimportant characters appeared on the island in one episode and not another. It's a big island.

This is the most ridiculous criticism. "The same background characters didn't appear twice! This minor detail somehow means the writing is bad!"

[ChildOfTheAtom]

And, no, it really does not matter one iota whether you think it's a "side character". How characters are used defines the world the show takes place in. Side characters are NEEDED to give the story depth and weight.

women are literally crying over gambit… they are ok in depth department imo

[Refrax5]

People arent suddenly having issues with this kind of stuff, The internet didnt exist 30 years ago the way it does today. Its very possible that had a forum like this been a thing as it aired, peopl back then would have complained about that stuff too. I do remember people having issues in the year after tha Kitty never even got to make a cameo

I meant that, after 30 years, you think people would understand how this show works (and how adaptations work in general) and just understand it's not for them.Why on Earth would people continue to watch something that they know isn't going to live up to their fanboy standards?