If you’re a Marvel fan who grew up in the ‘90s, it’s likely that X-Men: The Animated Series played a big role in your fandom. With that being the case, there are a lot of people looking forward to X-Men ‘97 on Disney+.
Of course you can prepare for the arrival of the continuation of this beloved animated series by revisiting the original on Disney+ right now, but not everyone is willing to commit the time to watching 76 episodes. With that in mind, I have compiled a list of episodes that hit the most important stories and feature some of the most beloved characters, to allow everyone to get caught up while also saving some time.
Before getting into the list, here are a few notes. First, this list is still 26 episodes. Yes, watching all of them will take some time, but at least it’s 50 fewer episodes than watching the series in its entirety (which, for the record, I would recommend). Second, this list focuses on major stories and introductions of characters. If you want to see episodes about Wolverine exploring his past, you won’t find them on this list. With those points in mind, here is my list of must-watch X-Men: The Animated Series episodes:
S1 E1 and 2 – “Night of the Sentinels”
The primary antagonists in this series (and really in the history of the X-Men) have always simply been people. The first two episodes of the series introduce the sentinels and set the stage for the fight between humans and mutants, a fight that runs for the duration of the series.
S1 E3 – “Enter Magneto”
Of course, when you think of X-Men villains, Magneto is the first that comes to mind. At it’s core, the X-Men story is Xavier wanting peace with humans, Magneto wanting to wipe them out and humans fearing all mutants. We get to see the iconic villains first encounter with the team here.
S1 E8 – “The Unstoppable Juggernaut”
This isn’t the most exciting or memorable story, but it introduces a couple of very important characters. As the title implies, the X-Men encounter the Juggernaut for the first time here. However, he’s not the only big and powerful character to make his debut in this episode. We also meet Colossus for the first time.
S1 E9 – “The Cure”
Those who (unfortunately) saw X-Men: The Last Stand will remember the story of Rogue contemplating the idea of taking a “mutant cure” that would remove her powers. That is the basis of this episode, however it is also used as a launch point for much bigger stories. This episode sees the introduction of Archangel, Cable (who does briefly appear in a previous episode), Mystique and Apocalypse, who goes on to be one of the biggest villains of the series.
S1 E10 – “Come The Apocalypse”
The X-Men encounter Apocalypse and his horsemen for the first time and we get a taste of the tremendous power the world’s first mutant possesses. There really aren’t any major character introductions in this one, but it’s important because it really sets up Apocalypse as one of the biggest bads of the series.
S1 E11 and 12 – “Days of Future Past”
The title of these two episodes speak for themselves. “Days of Future Past” is one of the most iconic X-Men stories, even making it to the big screen. This retelling is obviously altered from the comics (as most of these stories are) but the general idea is still the same. We meet Bishop in this episode as time travel becomes and important part of the X-Men story.
S2 E1 and 2 – “Till Death Do Us Part”
The love story of Cyclops and Jean Grey is another key component of X-Men lore, and while there has been plenty of it featured throughout the series up to this point, this arc finally sees their wedding. It also, and perhaps more importantly, introduce Mister Sinister and sees the return of Morph, who had been missing since the beginning of season one.
S2 E7 and 8 – “Time Fugitives”
Another two-episode arc, “Time Fugitives” sees the first meeting of Bishop and Cable, two of Marvel’s most famous time travelers, as well as the return of Apocalypse. This arc uses time travel to completely flip everything you think you know is going to happen.
S3 E3-7 – “The Phoenix Saga”
Those who are only familiar with the X-Men films are likely sick of hearing the Phoenix story. These episodes are very different from the films however as they get deep into the weeds of the cosmic storyline of the fiery character. These episodes introduce the Shi’Ar, an alien race with a long connection to the X-Men. The series of episodes is an important building block, but it really just sets up what’s to come.
S3 E11 – “Cold Comfort”
A surprising absence this far into the series, this episode finally introduces Iceman. In a bit of a retcon, the episode tells us Iceman was an original member of the team but quit before the beginning of the series. This episode also introduces Lorna Dane and another mutant team known as X-Factor.
S3 E14-17 – “The Dark Phoenix“
This is the story you’ve really been waiting for. When the Phoenix Force returns for Jean and she is taken by a sinister group known as the Inner Circle, she can no longer fight off the power of the cosmic entity and she becomes something else entirely. Knowing they can’t beat the Phoenix, the X-Men become desperate to get it out of Jean’s body. Things only get more complicated when the Shi’Ar become involved again and the fight for Jean’s life begins.
S4 E6 – “Courage”
X-Men the animated series
A fan-favorite thanks to this series, Morph returns home to the X-Men in this episode. His homecoming is short-lived though as the X-Men have to respond to a terrorist attack.
S4 E8 – “Nightcrawler”
Another shocking absence to this point, Nightcrawler makes his debut in this episode (as you may have guessed from the title). Local legends land the beloved character in Wolverine’s crosshairs before he sees what’s really going on. The X-Men end up once again facing off with an angry mob of mutant-hating humans instead.
S4 E13 – “Family Ties”
Speaking of beloved characters, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver appear in this one as they find themselves the subjects of experiments conducted by the High Evolutionary. This episode hits us with a shocking revelation involving Magneto before the X-Men swoop in to save their fellow mutants.
S5 E10 – “Graduation Day”
All good stories must come to an end (at least until they come back roughly 26 years later). An attack from Henry Gyrich leaves Professor Xavier in bad shape and forces him to go with the Shi’Ar to save his life. That leaves the X-Men to run the team and the school themselves, effectively graduating from the school they’ve called home all this time.
You can watch all of these episodes, as well as the rest of the series, on Disney+ now.