In the mid-1990’s I was just a child in middle school who was still trying to define myself and figure out who I wanted to be. I liked playing basketball and football in the streets with my siblings and friends, and I was engrossed in video games at that time, probably a little bit too much. With all of that being said, my favorite activity at this time was to get home, sit in front of the television, and watch X-Men: The Animated Series (1992) after school. Every Monday through Friday it was the same thing: (1) Run home from the bus, (2) Throw my book bag on the floor, and (3) Get a snack and watch X-Men.
Even at a such a young age I realized that I was watching pure greatness on television. The rivalries between Wolverine and Sabretooth and Wolverine and Cyclops were pure amazing to digest. Watching Wolverine overcome his past trauma’s with the help of Xavier, and getting to see the romance of Jean Gray and Cyclops was just as fulfilling. Even the subplots were fearlessly interesting, such as, Storm going up against the Shadow King on Mount Kilimanjaro, or the X-Men resisting extermination by fending of the sentinels, or even Professor Xavier and Magneto having to work together to get out the Savage Land. On top of that, the characterization of the mutants was well done. The wit and sarcasm of Rogue, along with the power and Majesty of Storm, and even the cool outsider poise of Gambit, along with the loner tough image of Logan (aka Wolverine). This was all held together by the well-spoken scientific mind of Beast, the leadership of Cyclops and Professor Xavier, along with the peacefulness of Jean Grey.
Who can forget the incredible five part Phoenix saga, followed by the four part Dark Phoenix saga. As a youngster this was epic television and nothing could have been better. Even so, my favorite two episodes were, “X-Ternally Yours” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Seeing more of the individual stories of Gambit and Beast made them two of my favorite characters. Even as a child between the ages of 11-13 watching these episodes bought up emotions that I could not have described or articulated at the time, but they sure bought me good memories that I will always cherish.
Going into my high school years X-Men: The Animated Show stopped coming on television like it used too and it made a big push onto the silver screen. It was exciting at first to get to see my childhood heroes on the big screen. However, after twenty years of seeing the many X-Men and X-Men associated films that have come out it has been painfully disappointing to watch. It has made nowhere near the impact that the animated series has made on my life. Not in storytelling, action, or characterization. This is not an attempt to attack any particular X-Men film, however it is to say that the films have badly missed the mark.
In a effort to relive the glory days of childhood I decided to buy X-Men: The Animated Series online. I was so hype I could hardly wait for the package to arrive. I felt like a little child on Christmas Day again. I could not contain my excitement as I kept tracking the package. When it arrived I was overjoyed and I immediately popped it into my DVD player (I know that’s old, but I really wanted the physical copy). I was pleasantly surprised by how well this show had aged. Even after well over twenty years this show was relevant. If someone had told me that this show had been made today I would have believed them.
I was stunned in how the topics that were discussed in the show could be used in today’s context. As an adult I could now see that X-Men tackled many tough issues like racism, abandonment, depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety, depression, anger, corruption, and overcoming past traumas. They even touched on lighter issues such as, friendship, belonging, identity, romance, fighting for what is right, and standing up for yourself and others. X-Men had something for everybody and it helped a lot of people who may have been in a tough spot in life.
For a generation, X-Men: The Animated Series gave hope to the struggling, let many know that they were loved when they did not hear it at home, and it gave a voice to the weak. X-Men was more than a show, it was a life line, and it played significant growth in our development into adulthood. Pretty much this is a thank you to the greatest cartoon of my generation.
About the Creator
Justin Higgins
Hey everyone!!! I’m looking forward to being inspired. I have always enjoyed the creative aspect of writing but only recently over the past two years have a seriously started engaging in it. I write short stories & poetry.
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