Okay, just to be clear, this is not an anti-X-men '97 thread at all. I'm as excited as everyone here about the impending return of the classic show and I hope it gets at least a few seasons under its belt.
But eventually, it will end...but the story of the X-men in animation shouldn't.
So if at some point there were to be a brand-new X-men cartoon, how would you go about it? What would your lineup be, what characters/plotlines would you explore and what would the tonality be like?
Here's my attempt:
My series would be called X-men: Children of the Atom. Stylistically, and in terms of plot, it would borrow heavily from the Morrison New X-men era (much as the 90's cartoon was largely based on the Claremont era), while taking inspiration from other eras as well, plus the movies and Ultimate X-men. It would go for a slightly more adult tone, while maintaining a PG-13 rating.
The suits would be based largely on the New X-men suits (plus, the versions of them seen in Dark Phoenix), with some variations for each individual member. The main lineup would be Cyclops, Wolverine, Beast, Storm, Colossus, Shadowcat and Iceman...with Emma Frost joining before the end of the first season, and Professor Xavier as a significant secondary character. Tons of other mutants will appear as well, within the Xavier Institute, and beyond.
When the show begins, its an unprecedented era of relative human-mutant peace. Magneto was defeated three years ago, in a climactic battle that witnessed the death of Jean Grey, and he's been presumed dead since then. The Sentinel program has been completely decommissioned and outlawed. The X-men are hailed as public heroes and celebrities, and the school is bustling with students amidst a boom in new mutants - with mutants now a legitimate subculture who, while still feared by some, are idolized by many others.
However, tensions soon emerge amidst the tenuous peace, with human and mutant extremists alike starting to rear their ugly heads. Within the Xavier Institute itself, there's a subsection of students who start to believe that 'Magneto was Right'. A new, more sophisticated generation of Sentinels is being developed overseas. The Weapon Plus program is active again, and has its own designs upon the X-men, with Wolverine drawn into them. The threat of Xavier's mysterious twin sister lurks in the shadows, waiting to emerge. There is the possibility of a 'cure' for mutation. And somewhere amidst the increasing chaos, a social worker named Erik Lensherr is troubled by visions of an identity and past that was stripped from him, even as a section of mutant extremists actively seek him out as their leader...
Other notable subplots - Wolverine further exploring his past, and the full hitherto unknown scope of Weapon Plus, which might include an encounter with his long-lost son Daken. Colossus and Shadowcat's relationship. Iceman grappling with coming out. Cyclops still mourning Jean while beginning a relationship with Emma, even as they suspect that Jean might still be out there in some form.