Chances are, even if you aren’t a comic book fan, you’ve heard of Marvel’s wildly popular X-Men. Whether you’re a fan of the 1992 animated series, or the more recent movie series, you’re familiar with Professor X and his band of mutants.
What you might not realize, though, is that from 1992 until now, the X-Men have seen many other different incantations. We’re here to break it down, from Cyclops and Jean Grey, to Wolverine and Rogue, and everyone in between:
TV Animation:
1989: X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men animated pilot is broadcast, though the series was never picked up… and is therefore not available online.
1992: The animated X-Men series that shaped kids’ lives everywhere in the 90s began airing. It largely featured Beast, Cyclops, Gambit, Jean Grey, Jubilee, Rogue, Storm, Professor X, and Wolverine. A personal favorite storyline is The Phoenix Saga.
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2000: Thanks in part to the popularity of the blockbuster trilogy that began the same year, TV reboot X-Men Evolution started airing on the Kids’ WB. While the film took a few deviations from the original prototype, X-Men Evolution went even further by imagining the X-Men as teenagers.
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2009: With the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in theaters the same year (are you picking up on the trend?), kids were reunited with the animated version of the team in Marvel’s Wolverine and the X-Men, airing on the popular kids’ network, Nickelodeon.
Animated for the Web Only:
2009: Marvel made its way to the Web with the animated motion comic, Astonishing X-Men, written by Joss Whedon and drawn by John Cassaday. This 6-episode series follows the Gifted story arc, which follows the reintroduction of the X-Men as a team.
Movies:
2000: The new millennium was good to this band of mutants. 2000 saw the release of the first major film, X-Men, which triggered the materialization of the next-generation of animated series featuring the famous team. This one’s available to watch free with a Netflix subscription.
2003: As with any popular blockbuster, the X-Men movie saw a sequel this year with X2. It was a success and led to, that’s right…
2006: A trilogy! X-Men: The Last Stand is the third movie in the X-Men film franchise. This film is somewhat based on the Dark Phoenix Saga.
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2009: Although 2006’s X-Men flick boasted to be the “Last Stand,” the studios just couldn’t keep away. 2009 saw a new attempt to bring back Professor X’s favorites: X-Men Origins: Wolverine. A prequel to the earlier movies, this one focuses on the back-story of Wolverine.
2011: Don’t worry: there’s more. This summer we can expect to see the X-Men on the big screen once again. X-Men: First Class promises to bring us back to the beginning all over again. Learn how Professor X and Magneto became two of the most powerful mutants in the X-Men universe.
