X-Men in television

The fictional X-Men created by Marvel Comics have appeared in multiple forms of media besides comics, including on television numerous times, in both live action and animated television programs.

Animated

Series	Season	Episodes		Originally released		Head writer	Director(s)	Network
				First released	Last released
The Marvel Super Heroes	1	65		September 1, 1966 (1966-09-01)	December 1, 1966 (1966-12-01)	—	—	Syndication
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends	1	13		September 12, 1981 (1981-09-12)	December 5, 1981 (1981-12-05)	—	Don Jurwich	NBC
	2	3		September 18, 1982 (1982-09-18)	October 2, 1982 (1982-10-02)
	3	8		September 17, 1983 (1983-09-17)	November 5, 1983 (1983-11-05)
Pryde of the X-Men	Pilot			September 16, 1989 (1989-09-16)		Larry Parr	Ray Lee & Stu Rosen	Syndication
The Animated Series	1	13		October 31, 1992 (1992-10-31)	March 27, 1993 (1993-03-27)	Eric Lewald	Larry Houston	Fox Kids
	2	13		October 23, 1993 (1993-10-23)	February 19, 1994 (1994-02-19)
	3	19		July 29, 1994 (1994-07-29)	October 5, 1996 (1996-10-05)
	4	21		May 6, 1995 (1995-05-06)	October 26, 1996 (1996-10-26)
	5	10		September 7, 1996 (1996-09-07)	September 20, 1997 (1997-09-20)
Evolution	1	13		November 4, 2000 (2000-11-04)	May 12, 2001 (2001-05-12)	Greg Johnson	Various	Kids' WB
	2	17		September 29, 2001 (2001-09-29)	May 11, 2002 (2002-05-11)
	3	13		September 14, 2002 (2002-09-14)	August 23, 2003 (2003-08-23)
	4	9		August 30, 2003 (2003-08-30)	October 25, 2003 (2003-10-25)
Wolverine and the X-Men	1	26		January 23, 2009 (2009-01-23)	November 29, 2009 (2009-11-29)	Craig Kyle & Greg Johnson	Nicholas Filippi, Steven E. Gordon, Doug Murphy & Boyd Kirkland	Nicktoons
Wolverine (anime)	1	12		January 7, 2011 (2011-01-07)	March 25, 2011 (2011-03-25)	Kengo Kaji	Hiroshi Aoyama	Animax & G4
X-Men (anime)	1	12		April 1, 2011 (2011-04-01)	June 24, 2011 (2011-06-24)	Mitsutaka Hirota & Warren Ellis	Fuminori Kizaki	Animax & G4
X-Men '97	1	10 [1]		March 20, 2024 (2024-03-20) [2]	May 22, 2024 (2024-05-22) [2]	Beau DeMayo [2]	Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura [2]	Disney+
	2	TBA		TBA	TBA		TBA

The Marvel Super Heroes (1966)

The X-Men made their first ever animated appearance on The Marvel Super Heroes TV series in 1966 with Professor X commanding the original X-Men line-up of the Cyclops, the Beast, Marvel Girl, the Angel, and Iceman. The X-Men appeared in the Sub-Mariner episode "Dr. Doom's Day / The Doomed Allegiance / Tug of Death". Though the episode was adapted from Fantastic Four No. 6 (1962) and Fantastic Four Annual No. 3 (1965), Grantray-Lawrence Animation did not have the rights to the Fantastic Four (their series was produced by Hanna-Barbera), and so instead substituted the X-Men. ^[3] The X-Men are never referred to in this episode as the X-Men but rather as the Allies for Peace. ^[4] The characters kept their original looks and individual names from the comics.

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981–1983)

The X-Men guest-starred in several episodes of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends , which included Iceman, along with Spider-Man and Firestar, as the main characters, starting with a flashback in "The Origin of Iceman". ^[4] Appearing in this particular episode are Professor X and the five original X-Men: Iceman, the Angel, the Beast, Marvel Girl, and Cyclops. For the continuity of the show, Firestar was also a former member of the X-Men. X-Men member Sunfire would also pop up on his own in a later episode teaming up with the Amazing Friends, as well as representing a romantic interest for Firestar.

The X-Men's next appearance was in the episode "A Firestar is Born", ^[4] which included appearances from Professor X, Storm, the Angel, Cyclops, Wolverine, and the Juggernaut and cameos by Magneto and a Sentinel.

The X-Men would return the following season in the episode titled "The X-Men Adventure". ^[4] Making appearances this time were: Professor X, Cyclops, Sprite, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Thunderbird. This episode was meant to be a pilot for an X-Men cartoon that was slated to feature the X-Men characters, plus Lady Lightning (an animated version of Carol Danvers / Ms. Marvel) and Videoman as members. ^[5] The series was never produced.

Pryde of the X-Men (1989)

In 1989, Marvel Productions produced a half-hour pilot X-Men episode titled X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men . It related the story of Kitty Pryde's first adventure with the team of mutants which included Professor X, Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Dazzler as they fought against Magneto, the White Queen, the Juggernaut, the Blob, Pyro, and the Toad. ^[4] The series was never picked up but the single episode aired infrequently in syndication during the Marvel Action Universe series and was released on video in 1990. ^[3]

In 1991, a six-player arcade game and a four-player version were based upon the pilot starring Cyclops, Colossus, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Dazzler as the playable characters. Kitty Pryde and Professor X also appear. ^[6]

X-Men (1992–1997)

In 1992, the Fox network launched an X-Men animated series with the roster of Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Jubilee, Jean Grey, and Professor X with secondary background player Morph making occasional appearances. The two-part pilot episode, "Night of the Sentinels" began a five-season series. It was an extraordinary success and helped to widen the X-Men's popularity. ^[4] The five seasons ended in 1997. It returned to Fox's line-up for several months after the first movie was released in 2000. ^[7]

Spider-Man (1995–1997)

The X-Men starred on Spider-Man in episodes "The Mutant Agenda" and "Mutants Revenge", when Spider-Man seeks Professor X's help with his growing mutation disease. Storm would later guest-star in the Secret Wars arc. ^[4]

Fantastic Four

Cyclops, Jean Grey, Gambit, Wolverine, Storm, and the Juggernaut, along with the Scarlet Spider, made cameos in the Fantastic Four series, in the episode "Nightmare in Green", as the Human Torch flies overhead. ^[8]

X-Men: Evolution (2000–2003)

In 2000, The WB launched the X-Men: Evolution television series, which portrayed the X-Men as teenagers attending a regular public high school in addition to the Xavier Institute. The series ended in 2003 after its fourth season. The show focused on Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Shadowcat, Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Professor x, Spyke (Storm's nephew), in addition to introducing the character Laura Kinney / X-23, who has since become a recurring character in the comics. ^[4]

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003)

The X-Men and mutant-kind are mentioned in an episode of the short-lived CGI series Spider-Man: The New Animated Series called "The Party". Peter Parker is quoted as saying, "I bet the X-Men get to go to parties". Soon after, he is ambushed by a group of cops, one of them calling him a "mutant freak". ^[9]

Wolverine and the X-Men (2009)

In 2008, Marvel Studios released a new X-Men animated show that featured Wolverine titled Wolverine and the X-Men . This series used a mesh of 2D/3D animation for characters and backgrounds. ^[10] Avi Arad, CEO of Marvel Studios, stated "X-Men is one of Marvel's crown jewels and it makes sense to focus on the popular Wolverine character for our second animation project." ^[11] The series debuted in the United States on January 23, 2009 and in the U.K. in February. ^{[10] [12]} It also aired in Latin America and Canada. The team consisted of Wolverine, Emma Frost, Cyclops, the Beast, Storm, Shadowcat, Iceman, Rogue, Nightcrawler, the Angel, Jean Grey and Professor X. The show was cancelled just after one season due to financing issues. ^[4]

The Super Hero Squad Show (2009)

The X-Men appeared on Cartoon Network's The Super Hero Squad Show . ^[13]

Marvel Anime: X-Men (2011)

As part of a four-series collaboration between the Japanese Madhouse animation house and Marvel, the X-Men starred in a 12 episode anime series that premiered in Japan on Animax and in the United States on G4 in 2011. ^{[14] [15]} The series deals with the X-Men coming to Japan to investigate the disappearance of Armor. The antagonists are reported to be the U-Men. ^{[16] [17]}

Marvel Anime: Wolverine (2011)

As part of the same four-series collaboration as described above, several characters from the X-Men franchise, including Wolverine and Cyclops, are featured in a 12 episode anime series aired in Japan on Animax and in the United States on G4. ^{[17] [14]}

X-Men '97 (2024)

On November 12, 2021, Marvel announced a revival of the 1992–1997 animated series titled X-Men '97 , set to be released on Disney+ in 2024 and will be produced by Marvel Studios. Beau DeMayo will serve as the head writer and executive producer for the upcoming series with several cast members from the original animated series are set to reprise their roles and will be joined by new cast. Original animated series director Larry Houston, and its showrunners and producers Eric and Julia Lewald are announced as the consultants for the upcoming series. ^{[18] [19] [20]} It is set to premiere on Disney+ on March 20, 2024 and run for 10 episodes. ^[2] A second season is in development.

Live action

Generation X (1996)

Main article: Generation X (film)

A television pilot produced by Marvel Entertainment after the comic of the same name. It was later aired as a TV film, and featured the characters of Jubilee, Emma Frost, Banshee, M and others.

Mutant X (2001–2004)

Main article: Mutant X (TV series)

A syndicated show produced under the supervision of Avi Arad and Marvel, but without the license of any mutant or Marvel characters. The show was cancelled in 2004.

Legion (2017–2019)

Main article: Legion (TV series)

The show focuses on David Haller, who is diagnosed as schizophrenic. Following an encounter with another patient, he is confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real. ^[21]

In October 2015, FX had ordered a pilot titled Legion , with Noah Hawley attached as the showrunner. ^[21] It was picked up by FX in early 2017 for an eight episodes run. ^[22] Starring Dan Stevens as Haller, Rachel Keller, Jean Smart, Jemaine Clement, Bill Irwin, Jeremie Harris, and Aubrey Plaza as the Shadow King, the first season aired from February to March 2017. It returned for a second season in 2018. ^[23]

The Gifted (2017–2019)

Main article: The Gifted (American TV series)

The show focuses on a suburban couple whose lives are changed by the discovery that their children possess mutant powers. Forced to go on the run from the government, the family joins up with an underground network of mutants for survival. ^[24] The show stars Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker, Sean Teale, Natalie Alyn Lind, Percy Hynes White, Jamie Chung as Blink, Coby Bell, Emma Dumont as Polaris, Blair Redford as Thunderbird, and Skyler Samuels as the Stepford Cuckoos. It premiered on October 2, 2017 on Fox. ^[24]

Characters

The X-Men team roster varies from show to show, though multiple characters are frequently featured.

Animated

Character	Series
	The Marvel Super Heroes (1966)	Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981-1983)	Pryde of the X-Men (Pilot)	X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-1997)	X-Men: Evolution (2000-2003)	Darktide (Short) (2006)	Wolverine and the X-Men (2009)	Wolverine (anime) (2011)	X-Men (anime) (2011)	X-Men '97 (2023)
Charles Xavier / Professor X	Guest		Main			None	Main	None	Main
Logan / James Howlett / Wolverine	None	Guest	Main
Scott Summers / Cyclops	Guest		Main					Guest	Main
Jean Grey / Marvel Girl / Phoenix	Guest		None	Main			Recurring	None	Guest	Main
Ororo Munroe / Storm	None	Guest	Main					None	Main
Anna Marie / Rogue	None			Main		None	Recurring	None	Guest [25]	Main
Hank McCoy / Beast	Guest		None	Main				None	Main
Warren Worthington III / Angel / Archangel	Guest		None	Recurring		Main		None	Guest [26]
Bobby Drake / Iceman	Guest	Main	None	Guest	Recurring	None	Main	None
Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler	None	Guest	Main	Recurring	Main	None	Main	None	Guest [27]	Main
Kitty Pryde / Sprite / Shadowcat	None	Guest	Main	None	Main	None	Main	None
Piotr Rasputin / Colossus	None	Guest	Main	Recurring		None	Recurring	None	Guest [28]	None
Remy LeBeau / Gambit	None			Main	Recurring	None	Recurring	None		Main
Jubilation Lee / Jubilee	None			Main	Recurring	None				Main

Reception

For more details on the reception of each series, see the "Reception" section on each series' article.

Ratings

Each season is linked to the "Ratings" section of its article.

Viewership and ratings per season of X-Men in television

Series	Season	Episodes	First aired		Last aired		TV season	Viewership rank	Avg. viewers (millions)	Avg. 18–49 rating
			Date	Viewers (millions)	Date	Viewers (millions)
Legion	1	8	February 8, 2017 (2017-02-08)	1.622 [29]	March 29, 2017 (2017-03-29)	0.812 [30]	–	–	–	–
	2	11	April 3, 2018 (2018-04-03)	0.669 [31]	June 12, 2018 (2018-06-12)	0.315 [32]	–	–	–	–
	3	8	June 24, 2019 (2019-06-24)	0.377 [33]	August 12, 2019 (2019-08-12)	0.365 [34]	–	–	–	–
The Gifted	1	13	October 2, 2017 (2017-10-02)	4.90 [35]	January 15, 2018 (2018-01-15)	3.42 [36]	2017–18	99	4.97 [37]	1.7 [37]
	2	16	September 25, 2018 (2018-09-25)	2.58 [38]	February 26, 2019 (2019-02-26)	1.61 [39]	2018–19	132	3.32 [40]	1.1 [40]

Critical response

Critical response of X-Men television series

Title	Season	Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic
Legion	1	90% (239 reviews) [41]	82 (40 reviews) [42]
	2	91% (160 reviews) [43]	85 (10 reviews) [44]
	3	93% (71 reviews) [45]	72 (6 reviews) [46]
The Gifted	1	76% (54 reviews) [47]	63 (22 reviews) [48]
	2	83% (12 reviews) [49]	—

See also

• X-Men (film series)
• List of television series based on Marvel Comics
• Marvel Television
• Marvel Animation

References

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