X-Men: The Animated Series Appreciation Thread

[RLAAMJR.]

LOL, your video clip is a perfect example of what I was talking about. I actually think it's pretty embarrassing these days, as it's one of the things that ages the show the most, watching it now.

Enjoy watching! Be Gone! Hahahahaha joke!

[AdamFTF]

Jubilee seems to have been created to be Wolverines sidekick, where Kitty was created as a new mutant who then happens to develop a sidekick status with Wolverine. There is a difference. Kitty is a more well rounded character with a more unique power. Jubilee has been a mess since Generation X ended till now and half the time the make it seem like she is the same age as all the New X-Men kids. That said, I still prefer Jubilee.

Jubilee didn't exactly get dealt a good hand with TAS. She lacked the classic 'tude and wisecracks that make comic Jubes memorable and likable. I mean, they tried to include some one-liners but he actress Alyson Court's delivery was not so great. Also, she didn't have that strange mix of rich kid self-indulgence and street kid resourcefulness that she was notable for in her very early days. I don't think people particularly cared at the time because most figured she was just there as the viewpoint character. It was likely true, considering how she practically disappeared for the last couple seasons.

[Uncanny Mutie]

Jubilee didn't exactly get dealt a good hand with TAS. She lacked the classic 'tude and wisecracks that make comic Jubes memorable and likable. I mean, they tried to include some one-liners but he actress Alyson Court's delivery was not so great. Also, she didn't have that strange mix of rich kid self-indulgence and street kid resourcefulness that she was notable for in her very early days. I don't think people particularly cared at the time because most figured she was just there as the viewpoint character. It was likely true, considering how she practically disappeared for the last couple seasons.

All very true. I didn't mind Jubes disappearing the last couple of seasons, though, as she and Jean had the worst portrayals on the entire show. At least Jean stayed interesting and useful due to being in the middle of a love triangle with Logan and Scott and her telepathic abilities always being needed. Jubilee was just annoying. I'm actually surprised to see so many Jubilee fans in this thread, but I guess an animated series as good as X:Men: TAS will lift a character's profile like that.

[Uncanny Mutie]

One thing I noticed about the quality of the show too, though, is that the less the show relied on comic continuity and plots lifted directly from the comics, the more the quality slipped. Season 5 in particular was full of original stories, and most of them just weren't that good (it also didn't help that the animation became more inconsistent than ever the last couple of seasons). Overall, the series goes up there with Batman: TAS as the best comic book cartoon ever though, in my opinion.

[RLAAMJR.]

Here you go!

[AdamFTF]

All very true. I didn't mind Jubes disappearing the last couple of seasons, though, as she and Jean had the worst portrayals on the entire show. At least Jean stayed interesting and useful due to being in the middle of a love triangle with Logan and Scott and her telepathic abilities always being needed. Jubilee was just annoying. I'm actually surprised to see so many Jubilee fans in this thread, but I guess an animated series as good as X:Men: TAS will lift a character's profile like that.

Jean's saving grace is that you can't really do any of the Phoenix storylines without her (mind you, this was before Marvel ran the Phoenix stuff into the ground in the comics)

As for Jubilee, this series had the gateway drug effect. I'd say if you were turned onto X-Men by the first couple seasons of this cartoon and then opted to order a subscription to Uncanny X-Men from the handy form they had printed on the back of the ToyBiz action figure packaging cards, I'd say you'd start reading the book just in time for the build up to "Phalanx Covenant" and the launch of Generation X when she was getting some primo character development under Scott Lobdell. Just speaking from personal experience, mind you.

[Uncanny Mutie]

Jean's saving grace is that you can't really do any of the Phoenix storylines without her (mind you, this was before Marvel ran the Phoenix stuff into the ground in the comics)

As for Jubilee, this series had the gateway drug effect. I'd say if you were turned onto X-Men by the first couple seasons of this cartoon and then opted to order a subscription to Uncanny X-Men from the handy form they had printed on the back of the ToyBiz action figure packaging cards, I'd say you'd start reading the book just in time for the build up to "Phalanx Covenant" and the launch of Generation X when she was getting some primo character development under Scott Lobdell. Just speaking from personal experience, mind you.

I see what you're saying, but during the first couple of seasons ('92 and '93), I think any kid who would have subscribed to Uncanny X-Men would have been pretty confused as to where Jubilee, Gambit, Rogue, Beast, and ESPECIALLY Wolverine were, and why some strange characters who weren't even regularly on the cartoon like Iceman, Archangel, Colossus, Bishop were in their place; remember, the cartoon was based off the Blue Team from X-Men (with Jean added in to give Scott and Wolverine a love interest and Storm added in for diversity), not the Gold Team from Uncanny X-Men. Now maybe later on in the show's run around 1995 when Generation X came out and the Blue and Gold teams became more blurred in the comics due to the cartoon's popularity, I could see what you said happening, so I'm assuming maybe that's what you were referring to?

You are absolutely correct about the Phoenix stuff, though. That's the other reason Jean was added to the cartoon, and a large part of why they made her so weak, to contrast how powerful she was when she became the Phoenix.

[AdamFTF]

I see what you're saying, but during the first couple of seasons ('92 and '93), I think any kid who would have subscribed to Uncanny X-Men would have been pretty confused as to where Jubilee, Gambit, Rogue, Beast, and ESPECIALLY Wolverine were, and why some strange characters who weren't even regularly on the cartoon like Iceman, Archangel, Colossus, Bishop were in their place; remember, the cartoon was based off the Blue Team from X-Men (with Jean added in to give Scott and Wolverine a love interest and Storm added in for diversity), not the Gold Team from Uncanny X-Men. Now maybe later on in the show's run around 1995 when Generation X came out and the Blue and Gold teams became more blurred in the comics due to the cartoon's popularity, I could see what you said happening, so I'm assuming maybe that's what you were referring to?

Um, I was basically telling you exactly what happened to me. Maybe I got the timing off, but you can't argue with firsthand experience.

Anyway, I believe Generation X launched in 1994, actually. By that time, the divisions of "Blue Team" and "Gold Team" were essentially gone in favor of a more soap opera-like storytelling method (the two strike teams actually did not last all that long). Gambit was there alongside Storm for the beginning of the Phalanx thing. Iceman and Rogue had a storyline going on regarding Bobby's family issues. Jubilee had a big role leading up to Generation X. Beast was around doing science stuff and trying to cure the Legacy Virus. Plus, we got to see more of the cool characters that we only saw as guest stars on the show, like Bishop (Bishop was a big deal at the time). Interestingly, the ones that weren't around were Wolverine who had left the team following "Fatal Attractions" and Scott and Jean who had left to have their honeymoon in the future for the Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix miniseries.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

[Uncanny Mutie]

Um, I was basically telling you exactly what happened to me. Maybe I got the timing off, but you can't argue with firsthand experience.

Dude, I wasn't "arguing." I was just trying to figure out exactly what you meant because---as you said---your timing was off, and as I pointed out, exactly which year of the animated series you got into the X-Men made a big difference as far as how well the comics that were out at that time matched up with the cartoon. And yeah, I think Gen X was '94 instead of '95. I knew it was mid 90's, though.

[RLAAMJR.]

For me, the best characters on that series was Storm and Rogue.

[Tazirai]

Although I loved the show, it hasn't aged well. One of the things I had always wished, was that the Outback era had last another year or two in the books, as that would have been the focused team. Woulda been awesome, having a mix of O5 and outbackers.

[Uncanny Mutie]

Although I loved the show, it hasn't aged well. One of the things I had always wished, was that the Outback era had last another year or two in the books, as that would have been the focused team. Woulda been awesome, having a mix of O5 and outbackers.

Yeah, it hasn't aged well at all, but then again, neither has BATMAN: TAS.

I always found the Outback Team overrated, by the way. Especially in comparison to the members that most of the Outback members replaced (Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Shadowcat). Glad the show wasn't about the Outback Team, because I definitely wouldn't have liked it as much.

[Tazirai]

Yeah, it hasn't aged well at all, but then again, neither has BATMAN: TAS.

I always found the Outback Team overrated, by the way. Especially in comparison to the members that most of the Outback members replaced (Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Shadowcat). Glad the show wasn't about the Outback Team, because I definitely wouldn't have liked it as much.

I think Batman has aged better than this show. I loved the Outback team, simply as a non ninja Psylocke and Havok fan. But hey we all like different things, and that's cool.

[RLAAMJR.]

Yeah, it hasn't aged well at all, but then again, neither has BATMAN: TAS.

I always found the Outback Team overrated, by the way. Especially in comparison to the members that most of the Outback members replaced (Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Shadowcat). Glad the show wasn't about the Outback Team, because I definitely wouldn't have liked it as much.

I actually like Batman Beyond more than Batman:TAS

I still think X-men TAS is the best cartoon series ever.

[NewMutant]

The animation on Batman was more modern at the time and that holds up at bit better, but aside from that I think both shows hold up quite well.

The outback team is SOOOO overrated. I like the era, great stories, but its really Wolverine and Storm that carry the team.