Fox’sX-Menfilm series drew inspiration from decades of comics, but the influence ofX-Men: The Animated Seriesis often overlooked.
For many, the cartoon was their first exposure to characters like Rogue, Gambit, and Cyclops.
The scene showcased his immense power inan awe-inspiring moment.
Xavier, while piloting the Blackbird, is shot from the air by the Sentinels.
The animated version is slightly more faithful, with Jean possessed by the Phoenix while piloting a spacecraft.
X-Men: TASproffers a very similar moment back in the Dark Phoenix Saga.
Custom image by Ana Nieves
While different, both examples use Xavier walking as a demonstration of the Phoenixs influence and power.
Interestingly, Xavier was also able to walk throughoutX-Men: TASseason 2 while trapped in the Savage Land.
ButX-Men: The Animated Seriesexplored this dynamic years earlier in the season 1 finale, The Final Decision.
This future world is bleak, with Sentinels ruling over North America, rounding up mutants into prison camps.
Key visuals, including shadowed cityscapes and chained X-Men,appeared in both the cartoon and the film.
Its a terrifying moment, but its not the first time Apocalypse has manipulated Xaviers mind.
Using psychic amplification chambers and advanced alien tech, Apocalypse weaponizes Xaviers mental reach in a nearly identical fashion.
The animated Apocalypses master plan feels surprisingly modern and eerily foreshadows the cinematic versions endgame twenty years later.
Rogues internal conflict had already been deeply explored inX-Men: The Animated Series.
Rogues struggle with her identity and the consequences of her abilities create a compelling emotional arc.
This helped solidify Rogues status as one of the most nuanced characters in the animated canon.
In the comics, Storm famously challenges Callisto for leadership of the underground mutant population.
InX-Men: TASseason 1s “Captive Hearts,” Storm likewise challenges Callisto to a duel.
The live-action filmsnever fully tapped into this storyline, though the pair are depicted frequently battling inThe Last Stand.
The cartoon consistently depicted Wolverine going berserk on Sentinels, slashing through steel with rage and precision.
It was the perfect way to showcase his feral naturewithout crossing censorship lines.
Clad in a red scarf and wielding future tech, Bishop travels back in time to prevent mutant extinction.
This imagery would follow Bishop decades later inX-Men: Days of Future Past(2014).
Still, Bishops debut remains a cornerstone of time-travel storytelling in X-Men history andX-Men: The Animated Series.
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