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I saw it on Saturday mornings with the WB block and enjoyed a lot. Not having seen the original animated series I still had a great time watching the series and getting to know the character. Sure there were the couple meh episodes, but overall I had a good time with it and could still rattle off a handful of memorable episodes
X-Men Evolution really surprised me. I watched it when it was on WB. So many ideas, wish it had more seasons. I totally agree it felt more grounded, emotional, and not as many story arcs compared to the original series. Wild to think we are getting a new season of the original next year.
Magneto's voice actor Christopher Judge did just win an award for his role as Kratos in God of War Ragnarök. Nice to see his career went up since this.
This was actually my first experience with X-Men. Yes, I saw this before the 90s show and I really enjoyed it when I watched it. I also love its theme song.
My introduction to this series was a promo on a videocassette of Scooby-Doo & The Alien Invaders, where the promo was narrated by anime voice actor Jonathan David Cook
Fun Fact: the guy who did the character designs for this show also designed the characters for the Swan Princess. That’s why Jean Grey looks like a red-headed version of Odette.
Oh wow, I checked and that guy, Steven E. Gordon, did in fact work on The Swan Princess and this show but also The King and I, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Scarecrow and those Animated Stories series about the Bible and historical figures. No wonder I saw that artstyle a lot as a kid, I just assumed it was a common late 90s/early 2000s style!
Agreed, arguably his performance as Cyclops is probably the best take on the character in media. Not to mention his other iconic performances such as playing Cole on Lego Ninjago will always be remembered and cherished. RIP
@@JLDReactions I'd say more for teens. Remember the show Buffy the vampire slayer? That's what they were trying to do with this. Sure it was more kid show action than what we got in the 90s but there was subtle story beats. Lance's wanting to change to be good for kitty but also just growing up, Cyclops being the brash head first teen to basically becoming 90s Scott. From what I remember they were held back on the violence for some reason and the show was sorta pushed to show connections to the movies, Mystique at the end of season 1, even when the show was canceled season 3 was supposed to be more epic. It could have become what Avengers EMHs was doing.
@@JLDReactions No. It has too much thematic depth for small children to understand. And the 90's cartoon was not more mature. There were a lot of childish moments in that show.
@@JLDReactions are you sure about that there was a hell of a lot of mature scenes in the show they talked about World War II and the holocaust, neglectful and abusive parents, segregation, racism, abandonment, PTSD, inner turmoil. I’m sorry, although the were indeed some childish moments the show was still mature and heading out edgy at heart.
@@jhtoxic7870 they're also mistaking "made for a younger demographic" with childish. A good example is Adventure Time. Yes, it has a LOT of childish, silly moments. But if you brush off the whole series as childish, you miss out on things like the temple of Egress, understanding relationships, literally any episode involving the Lich or Ice King's past, and the ingenious (if rushed) ending of fighting a god of chaos with literal harmony.
I actually like that Cyclops and Wolverine aren’t both adults in this mostly because I never liked the love triangle they had with Jean. I like that Logan is just that grumpy but caring uncle to the team. Plus, we still get to see the personality differences and clashes between Cyclops and Wolverine.
@@mangareader7474 Yeah. Again, I just don’t like Logan having a thing for Jean so this show gets bonus points for not doing that most likely since Jean is aged down.
This is only version on the X-Men, to my knowledge, where Scott Summers (Cyclops) isn't summed up as simply an asshole. This is made even better by Kirby Morrow's performance of the character. Even when you disagree with the character, you can still at the very least understand where he's coming from and can cut him some slack. He'll have moments where he can be an ass but I don't think there was ever a moment that made me wanna call this version of Cyclops an asshole. It was also refreshing to see Wolverine/Logan NOT hit on Jean Grey like they did in the movies.
@@OpticalSorcerer And Jean complains about how she's always treated like she's weak...but in every episode before Scott never treated her as anything BUT an equal.
@@ShadowSonic2 They really didn't need an excuse if they wanted to do a girls-only episode. They could've had Wanda feeling like the Brotherhood was holding her back and that they had inferior power to her, thus wrecking havok to find Magneto. The girls would happen to be having a girls' night out and stop her.
@@OpticalSorcerer That’s actually an awesome idea I imagine Jean, Rogue and Kitty as a trio would be more than enough handle Wanda But Boom Boom and Magma could join in as well
@@pepito2847 Thanks! I don't recall their power levels by this time, but I think Wanda could still potentially outdo them because she's unpredictable. It'd be nice to have Storm be there as the adult, helping the girls not to overdo it (as well as stopping them before they become vigilantes, like what Professor X wanted to prevent them from becoming). Mystique would probably be the same, trying to stop them before they go too far.
Nightcrawler here is like Beast Boy in Teen Titans: a fun loving goof ball that's an essential part of the team. I also like Kitty and Rogue's designs.
I like how they did the Cyclops and Wolverine dynamic in this, it’s not just alpha male macho bs, Wolverine has had to go against his nature by being more nurturing and mentorish while cyclops has been ironically learning from him. But when Cyclops starts to grow up and take charge you see a real and relatable conflict. They almost make a better mentor student duo then the Professor and Cyclops.
Scott even clashes a little with Xavier in this show too, when he thinks the X-Men should be actively doing good and helping people because that will show humans they aren't bad guys. Xavier wants to stay hidden. Scott turns out to be right there as well.
@@ShadowSonic2 It’s the Younger Generation mindset vs the older, the youngster seeing so much potential and good they can do while the older generation is worried about what can be lost. The core theme of Marvel in general with great power comes great responsibility.
I enjoyed the character work in this show, especially Rogue. It remembered that Rogue wasn't always part of the team in the comics. She used to be part of the Brotherhood before she switched sides. Making her a teen with all that teen angst and trying to find where she belongs really worked well for the character. I also liked how Scott was the one that didn't give up on her and the deciding moment for her to join the X-Men is when she had to protect Scott. Speaking of Scott, he isn't an asshole in Evolution, so bonus points there.
I don't know if it's just me, but I think X-Men Evolution had my favorite adaptation of Rogue. I don't why, but I really liked that gothic look to her and how, despite her she's required to cover 95% of her body due to her powers, she wears an outfit that both covers nearly everything and yet reveals enough. It's honestly kinda hot.
@@StonedMexicanGuy Firstly; Rogue's approximately 19 years old, she's not a child. She's at best a young adult. And according to most laws, the area of consent is approximately 18 or older. And secondly; I wasn't referring to now. I was referring to when I was younger. When X-Men Evolution was still airing on channels like WB Kids.
I also think this is the best version of Rogue, her gothic looks makes her look like a vampire and that's something that fits with her powers like a theme. Also, her clothing says alot about her personality, she cover herself because she is afraid of her powers and feels limited and as a gothic and her sarcastic behavior indicates that she is kinda depressed and frustrated because she doesn't have close contact, no kiss, no hugs, that's why You can see how much skin she shows, because she want to feel touched. That's why it's a great design it says a lot about her with just a look 😮😢
I really like how the Brotherhood was handled. Like even when they were doing bad things, they weren't bad people. If anything is more like the world didn't really like them and that anger and rejection kept them from joining the xmen. But there were always times where the characters talked and you could def see them contemplating on joining the X-Men's side. Not for helping humans really but more for the chance to be a part of a loving community. I felt that hard with Boom Boom.
I didn't like this Version of Avalanche. They made him American, which doesn't make any sense. They TRIED pairing him up with Kitty which made even LESS sense even to those who read the different versions of the Comic(In Uncanny, Kitty is paired up with Colossus) and they waited TOO late to bring Pyro in. Keeping HIM as the Source Material while ignoring ALL those Changes they made to Avalanche. Mystique in Evolution was....ALL over the place. Forward and Kyle's Writing Team just had NO idea if they wanted her to be an Anti Hero or Villain , and kept causing her to bounce between both. I also Felt that they did a HALF ASSED job on the Mystique/Nightcrawler as Mother and Son story arc. I mean REALLY half assed job. In Saban's X-MEN, You felt for her, sympathized with her. Felt her Pain, her Deep Seated Grief YET Motherly Love for her Son, deep down proud that he Converted to Christianity, but in Evolution, she was Schizophrenic.
The 90's and the movies were my introduction to the x-men, but this show was what made me into true fan of the characters. I specially like how the show portrayed the rivalry between the x-men and the brotherhood, giving the villains more personallity (specially Toad and Avalanche) rather than having them being just random evil mutants for the X-men to punch.
I also liked that being rival gangs made their civilian persona more in depth since Kitty and Lance cannot properly date and maintain their relationship. And when Apocalypse started to be the main antagonist they finally have a common enemy instead of each other leader's ideal.
@@froshtea True, that was aspect I like about the brotherhood, they aren't just bunch of evil mutants for the x-men to punch, but more a rival school, with each member having their own unique personality and relationship with the X-men (Lance and Kitty had feelings, Pietro and Evan were rivals even Toad got a nice episode where he teams up with Nightcrawler to save Wanda).
The best version of Cyclops, and thank fucking god they threw away that stupid ass "Scott-Jean-Logan" triangle and turned Logan into the grumpy dad of the team.
I found that one of the most compelling aspects of the show was the friendship between Rogue and Kitty. It's such a random pair of characters to have as friends, but it *worked*.
Something I give evolution so much credit for was the huge cast, and how they didn't always keep focus on the mains. This show stands out as the only show that truly captured the vibe of the X-men, a school of mutants. Bringing in the New mutants made the show so much better, the whole cast felt more full. We got to see them grow into fighters. It lead to great character dynamics. Though I wish some got more screen time to. show their personalities(Jubilee, Sunspot, Wolfbane). I'll always be grateful to the show for introducing me to characters as a kid that I still love today through the comics. Even if they aren't in movies and this isn't an "accurate" line up.
Apocalypse saga of X-Men Evolution was actually pretty good, all the build up throughout the series for the "Anime unreachable powerful villain" delivery was a fond childhood memory I got.
The action figures for X-men Evolution were gnarly. Had Magneto and Juggernaut as a kid and they surprisingly complemented the Toybiz lines based on the 90’s x-men. But 90’s X-men TAS will always be my X-men
@@Superluigi881 The fact that Wolverine outfit is Orange surprisingly makes sense, some hate the yellow outfit because it's not edgy enough. So if you're going to change it, Orange is the smart choice because Orange is the combination of Red and Yellow.
Cyclops on XME is (by a mile) the best version of Scott Summers I’ve ever seen adapted. Many other people share this sentiment, I see so many comments from people saying “this is the ONLY time I’ve ever liked Cyclops”
Steve Gordon (the character designer and animation director for the show) put up his concept art for the characters on Instagram, even he said "People have come to me at Cons and said our Cyclops was the only likable version".
THIS was my X-Men cartoon. I appreciate the original X-Men carton, and Evolutions probably wouldn’t exist without it, but even still, this is the show that got me into the X-Men characters. One of my favorite western cartoons by far.
2:38 I acc *really* enjoyed the age difference between Cyclops & Wolverine tbh. Idk what it's like in the comics, but it was acc very refreshing to see them get along (most of the time), rather than constantly butting heads like the films.
As a 90s kid this was my first introduction to X-Men and it made me a fan! Not only was the animation great, but it got me to look into the lore and characters of these comics and check out the original series. Heck this series, for the little screen time they had, made me ship Rouge and Gambit so hard lol. It definitely holds a special place in my heart.
While this wolverine wasn’t the main focus, they still managed to make him a badass with a heart of gold. At least with Kitty. His VA Scott McNeil makes everything gold!!
This show still has my favorite line up of Horsemen EVER. I just love the idea of having the adult/mentor/leader figures being used to fight the next generation. Imagine if X-Men Apocalypse did that. Keep Magneto as War, have Mystique as Pestilence, instead of killing Havoc having him as Famine, and using Professor X or Wolverine as Death. I just that change would make that movie 10x better.
Wow, that's a great idea! I always kind of saw X-Men: Apocalypse as the 'live action' adaptation of X-Men: Evolution, and your idea just made it even better.
I’m one of the people who have been recommending this show to Doug for years (it’s the one I grew up with) and I’m just glad it liked it as much as he did.
Seeing anything relating to this show just saddens me. Cyclops voice actor, Kirby Morrow passed away in November of 2020 and I'm still pretty hurt by that.
Glad this show is finally getting more & more the attention it deserves. This iteration of Scott is the best in all of media imo. He’s more accurately depicted as in the comics: a LEADER. The movies & other shows always want to belittle him under Wolverine’s shadow. In this show, there is a hint to the rivalry in S3 E2 but not because of the stupid love triangle thing. It’s because Scott has grown up & truly become the leader of the X-Men, and Logan has to accept that Scott & the others have grown into capable heroes, seeing as to how he was the one that trained them-like seeing your kids grow up. (Love how Logan is basically the cool, badass, no b.s. uncle of the family lol) Plus it’s never about belittling the other, as the movies do. It’s more of equal forces clashing yet finding solid ground, both having massive respect for the other. Here shown when Wolverine tells Cyclops “good-job” at the end of that episode for wisely leading the team. Also Scott’s relationship with his little brother is so touching. Their reconnection and how Scott easily falls into the big-brother role. Their dialogue is well thought-out & realistic to the point that it actually made me tear up a little when Alex told him that he registered to change his last-name back to ‘Summers’. Also Scott x Jean’s relationship is so well portrayed. (Again no dumb love triangle w/ Wolvie; instead they look up to him as a mentor & that’s just awesome). They start out as best friends but eventually get together romantically & you’re just shipping them throughout the whole show. Speaking of couples…appreciated the little hints to Remy x Rogue’s relationship, especially in Cajun Spice-just a full-on episode dedicated to them. Also the little hints to Kitty x Piotr, although those were more subtle since Kitty had the thing with Lance. Also want to mention Logan x Storm. Just how Logan cares for Storm when she’s taken in S2 E7 or in distress from her claustrophobia in S4 E7. There wasn’t anything official as far as I know, but after seeing them together in the 90s X-Men show, I started shipping them together. Plus they just seem like a healthier, happier couple. And just in general, the dialogue & relationships between characters. Every character has a unique dynamic with another. Like Kurt & Rogue embracing their sibling ties. Kurt & Kitty basically acting like siblings lol. Logan being a father figure to Rogue. The Brotherhood basically being a band of brothers. Cool how Logan, Storm & Beast are the adults of the show, basically the “right-hands” to Xavier and not only teachers but parent figures to a lot of the students. And Professor X IS basically the father to all the X-Men omg bless that man. This show actually made me see the X-Men as a FAMILY rather than just a superhero team. This show just went above and beyond to the world building, gradually introducing more characters. Don’t get me started on the Acolytes, Brotherhood and New Mutants. (Also they CREATED the character of X23) So cool how they made Gambit & Colossus Acolytes, fans knowing that they would later become core members of the X-Men. I always theorized Magneto had held hostage Illyana Rasputin, to keep Colossus under his thumb. I also appreciated how Bobby would always be the standout of the New Mutants demonstrating how he was a natural leader. (That one episode with the original 5 members was such a great callback to the comics.) Also shout-out to Boom Boom. She was a wild card. Avalanche was also a standout. Very no nonsense, leave-me-alone kinda guy, that matures throughout the season, from being a bully in S1, to outing everyone in S2, to being used to cause destruction in S3, to helping save the train wreck, taking responsibility for it, & finally helping in the Apocalypse battle in S4. Magneto, Mystique & Apocalypse are the perfect antagonists. Mystique is just satisfyingly conniving and a mastermind. Magneto is mysterious, menacing and you want to follow him but then you don’t. And Apocalypse is INTIMIDATING-that S3 finale & S4 premiere OMG. You can feel his omnipotence; nothing like the live-action at all sorry 🤷🏻♀️ The ACTION…how everyone’s power set was portrayed was so satisfying. Jean’s flying, Scott’s optic blast sound, Wolverine’s “shink”. Rogue’s flash touch. Mystique’s transformations. The team-playing and how every member brought something different to the table. For example, Kitty and Kurt were constantly vital players in battle to get out of bad situations. I wish they made a season 5...6 & 7… They could have explored so so much more of these characters and more. Like in Prof. X's vision having a time jump to them as older characters like the super nod at the Dark Phoenix Saga. Imagine all the possibilities: the Hellfire Club; Emma Frost & Psylocke get introduced; the Shiar & Lilandra arrive; Scott & Alex reunite w/ their space outlaw dad Corsair; Colossus, Gambit, Havok, Angel & X23 join the X-Men; exploring more of the Marvel universe w/ special appearances of other characters like they did w/ Cap-especially w/ the Brotherhood being in SHIELD, maybe Wanda meeting Vision, also Miss Marvel (how Rogue gains her strength & flight), also maybe the Fantastic Four to introduce Franklin Richards x Rachel Summers for a Days of Future Past story w/ Kitty being the one to return to the past like in the comics; Nimrod & Master Mold?; maybe later on a Messiah Complex storyline w/ Cable & Hope Summers; Rogue learning to control her powers; a Rogue x Gambit romance, a Kitty x Colossus one too; Scott x Jean's continued romance (& marriage?) Mister Sinister & the Marauders (Mutant Massacre? getting much more darker); the struggle of the continued anti-mutant sentiment; Xavier’s son, Legion returning; more backstory to Magneto, his establishment of Genosha as a mutant sanctuary +more interactions between him, Pietro & Wanda (& Lorna?)-they did this in “Wolverine & the X-Men” but i mean the “Evolution” continuity. All that probably entails more than one season (it definitely would), but just wishful thinking. It had an immensely satisfying ending in itself, letting us glimpse into the future of a more established X-Men. Anyways…sorry I got carried away and wrote an essay HAHA. You probably stopped reading lollll. I recently rewatched the entire show after so many years, and I gained a new appreciation for it. However, it would not be the same without Kirby Morrow as Cyclops. He was the perfect Cyclops. Rest In Peace.
Another thing the show doesn't get enough credit for was how they handled Jean. Instead of making her a passive character like TAS did or a living plot device the way the movies and "Wolverine and the X-Men" did they portrayed her as a dynamic and active character here. It didn't always work (like "Walk on the Wild Side") but it was better than nothing. They changed the standard love triangle from Logan/Jean/Scott to Rogue/Scott/Jean, and because she wasn't at the heart of the triangle this meant Jean again got to be an ACTIVE character and it caused legit character development in both her and Rogue without having it devolve into a Catfight. Jean became less flighty and more conscious of her feelings towards Scott once she saw other girls wanting him, and Rogue slowly came out of her shell more and decided she wanted to be more of a team player and became closer to other characters too (Kitty, Kurt, Risty, Logan).
Everything you guys said perfectly describes this show and why its loved by many. It’s such a shame we never got to see Psylocke or Emma frost (I wonder if Emma would have been a love interest for Scott). But they literally handled on the characters well from their powers to the way they all interact to the fact that this is the only show where they show Xavier’s school actually being a school with kids in its every other cartoon (besides 1 episode in WATX) always show that big ass mansion empty with only 7 X-men lol.
And thank GOD they made Wolverine A mentor and father figure instead of in a dumb repeated love triangle with Jean and Scott. I definitely wish we got more Storm but she also has some badass scenes in the show.
I’m so glad Doug finally sat down and watched this, and I’m so glad he likes it! This is one of my favorite pieces of X-Men media and it’s what made me fall in love with the series!
The best Easter egg in the show is when there's a big team up and they separate into smaller groups. Cyclops, Jean, Iceman, Beast, and Angel are grouped together, like the original comic and Iceman says, "This is the cool team!"
Scott McNeil is kinda the Canadian Steve Blum. Abd I mean that in the best way possible. Both are amazing , both have notable range to cover all the characters they voice. I want you to tell me you knew right away that Guilmon was also BlackWargreymonn or Wazzzpinator is also Silverbolt.
In my opinion, Evolution did a Handful of things better than the 90s show. - Jean Grey can use her powers without fainting. - Magneto forms the Brotherhood of Mutants instead of just teaming up with 1 Villain per episode. - Nightcrawler is a main character and does NOT appear in under 2 episodes.
- Kitty Pryde being the main member of the X-men and I'm glad because I don't want wanna see Jubilee being the main member again sense they already use her being the main member in the 90's show, yes she does appear in the second season in a small role one episode.
I absolutely loved the episode where Mystique broke Juggernaut out of a supermax facility. Meanwhile the X-men and Brotherhood are competing at some obstacle course and, while they don't like each other, they had to come together to stop Juggernaut. Who was badass in Evolution. It was such a great show.
The Captain America & Nick Fury episode was my favorite. I loved the dynamic between Wolverine and those characters and them showing things like Magneto being rescued as a kid during World War 2.
@Raylan Givens Interesting, I didn't know too much about Classic Nick Fury in comparison to modern. I do like both iterations though and I'm glad that his MCU version is still going to be in some shows/movies soon.
This was my s*** back in the day. I remember seeing this every weekend on Kids WB. Cyclops is my favorite X-Man because of Evolution. Avalanche is one of my favorite X-Men villains because of Evolution. While OG Teen Titans is my favorite show of all time, X-Men are my favorite superhero team of all time thanks to X-Men Evolution.
@@Swaggernaut_X The Fact that X-23 in this show is voiced by Andrea Libman who would voice Pinky Pie and Fluttery Shy is so weird to me considering how polar opposite they are.😵💫
I think Doug's head space is so far in the 90's show that he doesn't stop to consider how much this show won over 2000's era kids and got it so many seasons and honestly comparing this to the 90's series is an unhealthy bias to have since he's glaring over the flaws that show had while highlighting this shows flaws, I just think Doug often struggles to get outside of his own head and remember what its like for others to have differing opinions on things
I really loved this show, it was my entire childhood. I adored that it showed us our favourite X Men as teens in high school, which is a fascinating concept.
Why I think this works as well as it does is that it perfected the 'ripple' of consequence, of escalating threats. First they needed to save the school, then the town, then the nation, then the world. Had we gotten a 5th season, we might've gotten the Shi'ar and Dark Phoenix, got the threat moved up to galactic level. The X-Men movies on the other hand, they never bothered to gradually build to these points, and tried to skip straight away to Phoenix and Apocalypse, leaving no room for proper character growth or substance.
Everyone else was all Animated Series and FOX films, but me? *_THIS_* was my X-Men when I was a kid. I especially love Scott McNeil’s performance as Wolverine, as much as Steve Blum continues to own the role.
Fun fact: Did you know that some of the cast was the same cast in Inuyasha! Scott/Cyclops is Miroku Logan/Wolverine is Koga Quicksilver is Inuyasha Wanda/Scarlett Witch is Sango And Kurt/Nightcrawler's classmate & eventual girlfriend is Kagome!
Yeah. Most of the voice actors in the show were also well-known voice actors from Beast Wars: Transformers, Inuyasha and Gundam Wing. Also, a sad fact to know that Kirby Morrow (the voice of Cyclops in this show) passed away, last year.😔😔😔🙏🙏💐💐
I will say this: what won me over with some od the characters is you see they can be interesting and useful without certain crutches. Case and Point: Rogue and Jean. Rogue not [fully] having super-strength, flight, and invulnerability and focusing on the absorbing abilities was dope. You get to see the growth in her character and powers, especially the episode "Self Possessed". Jean without the Phoenix is shown to he incredibly useful with her powers. Mor always fainting, even if she doesn't have control
To be fair, people exaggerate 90s jean. She's actually fine. And when she's exhausted it usually makes sense. And evo Jean does the same. Good show, I'm talking more about fan perception being wrong.
@@DSan-kl2yc I remember reading somewhere there the women chosen in the 90s cartoon were opposites of each other. Jean being the emotional strength, while Rogue was the physical. Jubilee being the naive youthful while Storm was theotherly experienced
One thing I really liked about this show is how Rogue dresses while out of costume. It makes sense for someone who doesn't like touching people would dress in a way that covers as much of her body as she can.
Though I grew up with the 90's version as a little kid, I always liked this version more mainly because I was in high school myself when it came out. The deep history of the characters really hit it with me and it continously built on itself while drawing and holding true to its past iterations for inspiration and guidance.
Yes, thank you! Thank you so much! This was the x men I grew up with. I never watched the 90s show, or read the comics as a kid, this was my first introduction to these characters. So it really hurt when I heard so many older fans bash this show. I understand if you don't like all the changes, but for me, this wasn't a spinoff or a prequel, it was just X-Men to me. After years of hearing people hate on it, it feels really good to see someone talk so positively about it, especially an older X-Men fan. Also, I stand by the fact that this show has some of the best character designs. Magneto has never looked better than this.
As a 90s kid, this show was my introduction to X-Men. This fills me with some awesome nostalgia, and I really gotta rewatch it. I wonder how I’d like it now.
Oh man, nostalgia hit so hard! I remember being on vacation in the US as a teen and I got so obsessed with watching this show. We had this huge road trip and I was always anxious if I could be at the hotel when it aired. We always started and ended vacations at my aunt's house in Texas and my sister told them about the show, because she hated it, but we were sharing room and TV. My uncle, who never really spoke much and barely understood our language, just kinda got up and went out. We didn't think much of it. He returned two hours later with all 4 seasons on DVD for me! He was impressed that I was able to watch and understand most of it in English. We watched a few of the first episodes together while the others were talking about the vacation. Looking back, he most likely faked interest but we talked about the show and it was the most we've ever spoken at this point. I was so incredibly happy! And you just reminded me of this wonderful memory! Sad thing: We got home and the DVDs didn't work on our player (wrong country) and I could only watch them at my friends house, who had a computer (showing my age) I had the biggest crush on Nightcrawler and Scarlet Witch! Honestly, I didn't even think that this would now be on Disney. Hopefully in my country, too. I'm definitely gonna check it out again. Oh, Doug! You just gave me a super happy memory back. Thank you so much! What an unexpected and beautiful gift. I'm gonna go write to my uncle now.
By far the best Jean Grey version in any audiovisual media. On top of having a charismatic and likeable character, the show never chickened put of displaying her full strength with contrived conveniences to have her out of the picture, which is provably one of the worst aspects of the 90s show.
Bruh if you think this show is "Really really pretty damn good" now, imagine watching it as a kid in 2000, it definitely would've been one of your all time favorite shows. This was THE single coolest thing back in the day, it was pure style, everything from the music, the cars, the clothes (which came back for this generation lol) and it also just so happened to be relatable af if you were in school at the time, with characters that would intrigue even a kid, i never thought Kitty would turn into my favorite character right after the Wolverine, which he did get side lined, but whenever he showed up he was the coolest cat in town lol. I just recently rewatched it and i thought it was gona be terribly aged since it is indeed a product of it's time, but it still holds up very well! If it passes the test of time, then it is legitimately good show. Also, props to them for taking the most 2000s haircut and perfectly fit it for the Wolverine, not even the movies thought of that lol
This was interesting because a few of the voice cast was known for being in anime! Scott was voiced by the late Kirby Morrow (voice of Miroku in Inuyasha), Jean was voiced by Venus Terzo (voice of Female Ranma in Ranma 1/2), and many others. Definitely my favorite version of X-Men, hope everyone gives it a chance!
I used to tune in for the intro all the time, just for that one shot of Kitty Pryde dancing. I think it awakened something in me... Also really liked Wolverine in the show, probably because it's Scott McNeil who did a bunch of voices in Beast Wars.
That scene of Kitty & Rogue dancing was lifted directly from Buffy (in which she danced with Faith in the episode "Bad Girls"), so it was a nice reference for fans of the show. (It also had another dimension, as Joss Whedon based the character of Buffy partially on Kitty Pryde)
@@ShadowSonic2 - Had Kitty Pryde been a potential love interested from Quicksilver (with his Spike haircut), then the love triangle with Avalanche (the broody, buff vampi... I mean mutant!) would have been a neat Buffy-Angel-Spike thingy
It brings me so much joy to hear so much praise for Evolution. This show was my introduction to X-Men. I was obsessed with it, especially Nightcrawler. I was disappointed to find out he wasn't the same in any other version. I'm usually one who roots for the original, but I just connected with Nightcrawler in this so much. X-Men was always a huge metaphor for the LGBTQ+ community, and I felt that hard with this show. I'll never forget my dad telling me he'd disown me if I came out as gay, and I was. I had to hide who I was while figuring out what it fully meant. I was taught gay is bad and trans wasn't even something I KNEW about. And here I was wanting to die because I couldn't exist in a way that made me happy. When you have to hide and have no one to be yourself with, it's so lonely it's devastating. X-Men gave me a place to escape because these people were going through similar situations. They hid who they were, they found comfort in others like them, all while figuring out their identities and life as they were still kids. It was an amazing show that still holds up, and it is on Disney+ last I looked. I encourage anyone to check it out.
4:40 I loved Nightcrawler in this, but my favourite portrayal of the character is definitely the one from Wolverine & the X-Men tbh. I *loved* seeing him with more experience, showing off what a skilled fighter he can be.
This is a very underrated show. The animation was great, the writing was fantastic (giving us the fantasy aspect while still keeping a foot in reality), the characters were nuanced and well-rounded and the ongoing storyline was increasing epic as the series progressed. My only real problem is that most of the first season is dedicated to introducing the characters and establishing their interpersonal dynamics; the real story of the series doesn't really kick in until the last few episodes of the first season. But even that is a minor gripe; I've said the same thing about Disenchantment.
I love everything X-Men (I even loved literally every X-Men movie) but this is what I think of when I think of a lot of these characters. Nightcrawler, kitty, rouge, toad, spike, x23, storm, ect. These are my X-Men.
Honestly, this series had the best version of Jean Grey. Had the series gotten another season they would’ve introduced the Phoenix Saga, where it starts off as a prequel, and then a sequel with Dark Phoenix. Introducing Emma Frost, and the Hellfire Club.
I adored this show as a kid, it was the only X-Men media I ever really got into. I also had a huge crush on this version of Nightcrawler for the longest time 😂
This was an interesting one for me, in that I was a little disappointed because I felt a lot of Magneto’s complexity was lost, but I also felt that was made up for by expanding the complexity of the brotherhood instead.
It was really nice when nightcrawler was accepted by the girl he liked after he revealed what he really looked like. I didn't quite get at the time since I was a kid when I watched it, but it felt nice to see that. And it was because of this show that nightcrawler became my favorite X-Men.
This is one of my favorite shows of all time! I was 1 y/o (almost 2) when X-Men 1992 was released and spent my childhood with it; I have fond memories with it from when I was little and still love it. However, I was 9 y/o (almost 10) when Evolution came out. This show defined my tween years! It aired new episodes at 10pm, and my dad would let me stay up late to watch it with him every week. He was extremely strict, so that is something really special for me, on top of it being an amazing show! I was waiting to develop mutant powers while my peers were waiting for their Hogwarts letters. As for which is better: 1992 or Evolution? I think they're both equally good, just different. Do you want action packed battles and an extremely faithful adaptation? Or do you want character studies and lore expansion while not completely forgetting the source material? They're too different to truly compare on a one to one basis. As for X-23: She definitely needed more screen time. I agree with you there. She was, however, explored a bit more than you've voiced in season 4. She comes back with intentions of revenge on Hydra, and Wolverine finds her and tries to keep her safe. He also confronts her about leaving rather than hiding when Shield came for her and aids in her faking her own death to be free from further pursuit. She was still short changed overall though. It would have been interesting to see her join the school.
I just discovered Xmen Evolution too because of a Wanda compilation. She was really good on the show. I wish she had more screen time, but in the few moments she was in, she really shined.
Thoughts on X-Men Evolution? Like it? Love it? Meh it?
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Xavier sound weird? You do know thats david kaye one of the most well know voice actors
I liked it, and it was a great part of my childhood.
I saw it on Saturday mornings with the WB block and enjoyed a lot. Not having seen the original animated series I still had a great time watching the series and getting to know the character. Sure there were the couple meh episodes, but overall I had a good time with it and could still rattle off a handful of memorable episodes
Loved it.
A FUCKING LOT!!
X-Men Evolution really surprised me. I watched it when it was on WB. So many ideas, wish it had more seasons. I totally agree it felt more grounded, emotional, and not as many story arcs compared to the original series.
Wild to think we are getting a new season of the original next year.
Magneto's voice actor Christopher Judge did just win an award for his role as Kratos in God of War Ragnarök. Nice to see his career went up since this.
Oh shit! Now I definitely have to find this show and sample a few episodes
He also spent most of the 2000s playing the character Teal’C in Stargate.
During his Stargate years, he was doing video game voices before GoW, most notably the Def Jam games
My millennial mind is blown 🤯
I didn't know he voiced magneto
This was actually my first experience with X-Men. Yes, I saw this before the 90s show and I really enjoyed it when I watched it. I also love its theme song.
My introduction to this series was a promo on a videocassette of Scooby-Doo & The Alien Invaders, where the promo was narrated by anime voice actor Jonathan David Cook
It was the same for me, I really liked this show.
People had the 80s one but I had this in the 2000s. I also have the theme on my playlist. It’s just as catchy as the 80s one.
Same
@@kagetsu13 90s not 80s
Fun Fact: the guy who did the character designs for this show also designed the characters for the Swan Princess. That’s why Jean Grey looks like a red-headed version of Odette.
I did not know that but now that you point it out I can 100% see the resemblance.
That explains so much!
Oh wow, I checked and that guy, Steven E. Gordon, did in fact work on The Swan Princess and this show but also The King and I, The Trumpet of the Swan, The Scarecrow and those Animated Stories series about the Bible and historical figures.
No wonder I saw that artstyle a lot as a kid, I just assumed it was a common late 90s/early 2000s style!
@@DarkOverlord96 you’re correct sir! ☝️he has been a steady employee of Nest Entertainment.
Huh….now that you mentioned it….yeah I kinda see it.
Rest in peace, Kirby Morrow (the voice of Cyclops)!!🙏🙏💐💐💐
Agreed, arguably his performance as Cyclops is probably the best take on the character in media. Not to mention his other iconic performances such as playing Cole on Lego Ninjago will always be remembered and cherished.
RIP
Some other underrated Kirby Marrow roles I find are Jay on Class of the Titans, and Jason on Kong: The Animated Series.
And Cole. I miss him as Cole from Ninjago.
R.I.P 😢
@@bennywark3103ninja never quit😔
RIP Norm Spencer too. That's two Cyclops's we've lost.
Although I loved the 90s cartoon Evolution was amazing, unique and deep. It really became my favorite version of the xmen.
I don't get it. X-Men TAS felt more mature than Evolution. Evolution really felt like it was made for small children.
@@JLDReactions I'd say more for teens. Remember the show Buffy the vampire slayer? That's what they were trying to do with this. Sure it was more kid show action than what we got in the 90s but there was subtle story beats. Lance's wanting to change to be good for kitty but also just growing up, Cyclops being the brash head first teen to basically becoming 90s Scott. From what I remember they were held back on the violence for some reason and the show was sorta pushed to show connections to the movies, Mystique at the end of season 1, even when the show was canceled season 3 was supposed to be more epic. It could have become what Avengers EMHs was doing.
@@JLDReactions No. It has too much thematic depth for small children to understand. And the 90's cartoon was not more mature. There were a lot of childish moments in that show.
@@JLDReactions are you sure about that there was a hell of a lot of mature scenes in the show they talked about World War II and the holocaust, neglectful and abusive parents, segregation, racism, abandonment, PTSD, inner turmoil. I’m sorry, although the were indeed some childish moments the show was still mature and heading out edgy at heart.
@@jhtoxic7870 they're also mistaking "made for a younger demographic" with childish. A good example is Adventure Time. Yes, it has a LOT of childish, silly moments. But if you brush off the whole series as childish, you miss out on things like the temple of Egress, understanding relationships, literally any episode involving the Lich or Ice King's past, and the ingenious (if rushed) ending of fighting a god of chaos with literal harmony.
Cyclops being abandoned in the desert and kicking the crap outta mystique in the dark is an amazing episode, my personal favorite
I actually like that Cyclops and Wolverine aren’t both adults in this mostly because I never liked the love triangle they had with Jean. I like that Logan is just that grumpy but caring uncle to the team. Plus, we still get to see the personality differences and clashes between Cyclops and Wolverine.
Love triangle makes no sense Jean a twenty year old woman and then there Logan who’s the same age as captain America
@@mangareader7474 Yeah. Again, I just don’t like Logan having a thing for Jean so this show gets bonus points for not doing that most likely since Jean is aged down.
@@starfalchion4404 They still gave us a triangle, except it was Rogue/Scott/Jean...and somehow it was a lot more enjoyable.
@@ShadowSonic2 I don’t mind love triangles as a whole. I just hated Logan being part of a love triangle with Scott and Jean (especially in the movies)
@@mangareader7474 Isn't Logan much older than Cap too
This is only version on the X-Men, to my knowledge, where Scott Summers (Cyclops) isn't summed up as simply an asshole. This is made even better by Kirby Morrow's performance of the character. Even when you disagree with the character, you can still at the very least understand where he's coming from and can cut him some slack. He'll have moments where he can be an ass but I don't think there was ever a moment that made me wanna call this version of Cyclops an asshole. It was also refreshing to see Wolverine/Logan NOT hit on Jean Grey like they did in the movies.
This EXACT reason is why "Walk on the Wild Side" doesn't sit well with me. Out of nowhere, Scott acts super sexist in the episode.
@@OpticalSorcerer And Jean complains about how she's always treated like she's weak...but in every episode before Scott never treated her as anything BUT an equal.
@@ShadowSonic2 They really didn't need an excuse if they wanted to do a girls-only episode. They could've had Wanda feeling like the Brotherhood was holding her back and that they had inferior power to her, thus wrecking havok to find Magneto. The girls would happen to be having a girls' night out and stop her.
@@OpticalSorcerer That’s actually an awesome idea
I imagine Jean, Rogue and Kitty as a trio would be more than enough handle Wanda
But Boom Boom and Magma could join in as well
@@pepito2847 Thanks! I don't recall their power levels by this time, but I think Wanda could still potentially outdo them because she's unpredictable. It'd be nice to have Storm be there as the adult, helping the girls not to overdo it (as well as stopping them before they become vigilantes, like what Professor X wanted to prevent them from becoming). Mystique would probably be the same, trying to stop them before they go too far.
Nightcrawler here is like Beast Boy in Teen Titans: a fun loving goof ball that's an essential part of the team. I also like Kitty and Rogue's designs.
I like how they did the Cyclops and Wolverine dynamic in this, it’s not just alpha male macho bs, Wolverine has had to go against his nature by being more nurturing and mentorish while cyclops has been ironically learning from him. But when Cyclops starts to grow up and take charge you see a real and relatable conflict. They almost make a better mentor student duo then the Professor and Cyclops.
Scott even clashes a little with Xavier in this show too, when he thinks the X-Men should be actively doing good and helping people because that will show humans they aren't bad guys. Xavier wants to stay hidden. Scott turns out to be right there as well.
@@ShadowSonic2 It’s the Younger Generation mindset vs the older, the youngster seeing so much potential and good they can do while the older generation is worried about what can be lost. The core theme of Marvel in general with great power comes great responsibility.
Well said
This show honestly has my favorite interpretation of Scott and Jean
Because they have a realistic loving relationship and don't just pout about each other the whole time.
I enjoyed the character work in this show, especially Rogue. It remembered that Rogue wasn't always part of the team in the comics. She used to be part of the Brotherhood before she switched sides. Making her a teen with all that teen angst and trying to find where she belongs really worked well for the character. I also liked how Scott was the one that didn't give up on her and the deciding moment for her to join the X-Men is when she had to protect Scott. Speaking of Scott, he isn't an asshole in Evolution, so bonus points there.
I don't know if it's just me, but I think X-Men Evolution had my favorite adaptation of Rogue. I don't why, but I really liked that gothic look to her and how, despite her she's required to cover 95% of her body due to her powers, she wears an outfit that both covers nearly everything and yet reveals enough. It's honestly kinda hot.
@@StonedMexicanGuy Firstly; Rogue's approximately 19 years old, she's not a child. She's at best a young adult. And according to most laws, the area of consent is approximately 18 or older.
And secondly; I wasn't referring to now. I was referring to when I was younger. When X-Men Evolution was still airing on channels like WB Kids.
"My Power is Yo Power and I can take more than One!".
I also think this is the best version of Rogue, her gothic looks makes her look like a vampire and that's something that fits with her powers like a theme. Also, her clothing says alot about her personality, she cover herself because she is afraid of her powers and feels limited and as a gothic and her sarcastic behavior indicates that she is kinda depressed and frustrated because she doesn't have close contact, no kiss, no hugs, that's why You can see how much skin she shows, because she want to feel touched. That's why it's a great design it says a lot about her with just a look 😮😢
I really like how the Brotherhood was handled. Like even when they were doing bad things, they weren't bad people. If anything is more like the world didn't really like them and that anger and rejection kept them from joining the xmen. But there were always times where the characters talked and you could def see them contemplating on joining the X-Men's side. Not for helping humans really but more for the chance to be a part of a loving community. I felt that hard with Boom Boom.
Except Quicksilver, he was consistently shown to be the only Brotherhood member who had actual evil and sociopathic tendencies.
I didn't like this Version of Avalanche. They made him American, which doesn't make any sense. They TRIED pairing him up with Kitty which made even LESS sense even to those who read the different versions of the Comic(In Uncanny, Kitty is paired up with Colossus) and they waited TOO late to bring Pyro in. Keeping HIM as the Source Material while ignoring ALL those Changes they made to Avalanche.
Mystique in Evolution was....ALL over the place. Forward and Kyle's Writing Team just had NO idea if they wanted her to be an Anti Hero or Villain , and kept causing her to bounce between both. I also Felt that they did a HALF ASSED job on the Mystique/Nightcrawler as Mother and Son story arc. I mean REALLY half assed job. In Saban's X-MEN, You felt for her, sympathized with her. Felt her Pain, her Deep Seated Grief YET Motherly Love for her Son, deep down proud that he Converted to Christianity, but in Evolution, she was Schizophrenic.
@@Tornado1994 To be fair, the Kitty/Colossus pairing was icky in the comics. They got together when she was 14 and he was 19
The closing Monologue to this series delivered by Professor X truly gives me goosebumps. Makes me both happy and sad and it’s wonderful.
Rip Kirby Morrow, the voice of cyclops in this show and gone way too soon for a man his age.
He took his own life, just like JDF, DAMN Man.;(
@@Tornado1994 it wasn’t suicide. It was depression and substance abuse.
@@paulferancik7766 poor Kirby. He really had a hard last few years. He was such a joy to meet and interact with at conventions too
@@HHSDaily tell me about it. He died eight days after his dads funeral. Says a lot, doesn’t it?
@@paulferancik7766 exactly. Losing more and more younger men to mental health issues. Makes me angry.
This show was my introduction to X-men when I was a kid. And I gotta say it worked really well for me.
The 90's and the movies were my introduction to the x-men, but this show was what made me into true fan of the characters.
I specially like how the show portrayed the rivalry between the x-men and the brotherhood, giving the villains more personallity (specially Toad and Avalanche) rather than having them being just random evil mutants for the X-men to punch.
Even Avalanche had a great episode where he briefly becomes an X-Men.
same
I also liked that being rival gangs made their civilian persona more in depth since Kitty and Lance cannot properly date and maintain their relationship. And when Apocalypse started to be the main antagonist they finally have a common enemy instead of each other leader's ideal.
@@SwiftNimblefoot Yeah, and that episode was the start of his relationship with Kitty Pryde which I thought was very well developed.
@@froshtea True, that was aspect I like about the brotherhood, they aren't just bunch of evil mutants for the x-men to punch, but more a rival school, with each member having their own unique personality and relationship with the X-men (Lance and Kitty had feelings, Pietro and Evan were rivals even Toad got a nice episode where he teams up with Nightcrawler to save Wanda).
The best version of Cyclops, and thank fucking god they threw away that stupid ass "Scott-Jean-Logan" triangle and turned Logan into the grumpy dad of the team.
They changed it to Jean/Scott/Rogue...and I don't know why but I liked that.
I found that one of the most compelling aspects of the show was the friendship between Rogue and Kitty. It's such a random pair of characters to have as friends, but it *worked*.
Like Wednesday and Enid 1.0
Something I give evolution so much credit for was the huge cast, and how they didn't always keep focus on the mains. This show stands out as the only show that truly captured the vibe of the X-men, a school of mutants. Bringing in the New mutants made the show so much better, the whole cast felt more full. We got to see them grow into fighters. It lead to great character dynamics. Though I wish some got more screen time to. show their personalities(Jubilee, Sunspot, Wolfbane). I'll always be grateful to the show for introducing me to characters as a kid that I still love today through the comics. Even if they aren't in movies and this isn't an "accurate" line up.
Apocalypse saga of X-Men Evolution was actually pretty good, all the build up throughout the series for the "Anime unreachable powerful villain" delivery was a fond childhood memory I got.
The action figures for X-men Evolution were gnarly. Had Magneto and Juggernaut as a kid and they surprisingly complemented the Toybiz lines based on the 90’s x-men. But 90’s X-men TAS will always be my X-men
I had a Wolverine, the only one I ever owned that had retractable claws. Though weirdly his legs only moved vertically.
Hell yeah man I still have my Toad figure
@@Superluigi881 i still got the nightcrawler one,it says 2001 on it
@@Superluigi881 The fact that Wolverine outfit is Orange surprisingly makes sense, some hate the yellow outfit because it's not edgy enough. So if you're going to change it, Orange is the smart choice because Orange is the combination of Red and Yellow.
Thanks for covering this! This is the X-Men show I grew up on, even more then the 90’s animated one. Always glad to see it talked about.
Thanks for watching and supporting us!
Cyclops on XME is (by a mile) the best version of Scott Summers I’ve ever seen adapted. Many other people share this sentiment, I see so many comments from people saying “this is the ONLY time I’ve ever liked Cyclops”
Steve Gordon (the character designer and animation director for the show) put up his concept art for the characters on Instagram, even he said "People have come to me at Cons and said our Cyclops was the only likable version".
I forgot this show existed until now and now I'm having a tsunami nostalgia blast
Loved this show as a kid
THIS was my X-Men cartoon. I appreciate the original X-Men carton, and Evolutions probably wouldn’t exist without it, but even still, this is the show that got me into the X-Men characters. One of my favorite western cartoons by far.
Both this and the 90s cartoon are great for their own reasons. I just wish the movies could capture some of that success
2:38 I acc *really* enjoyed the age difference between Cyclops & Wolverine tbh.
Idk what it's like in the comics, but it was acc very refreshing to see them get along (most of the time), rather than constantly butting heads like the films.
As a 90s kid this was my first introduction to X-Men and it made me a fan! Not only was the animation great, but it got me to look into the lore and characters of these comics and check out the original series. Heck this series, for the little screen time they had, made me ship Rouge and Gambit so hard lol. It definitely holds a special place in my heart.
This show doesn’t get as much recognition as the 90s series, but it should
While this wolverine wasn’t the main focus, they still managed to make him a badass with a heart of gold. At least with Kitty. His VA Scott McNeil makes everything gold!!
I was lucky to meet Kirby Morrow who voiced Cyclops. I am sad he left us a few years ago
Good show I recommend it for adults too. Fun fact: it was supposed to have a final season but it was canceled unfortunately
Rip Pheonix saga.
This is MY definite version of X-Men. I love these versions of the characters.
It was such fun hearing all the Canadian voice actors for me. I need to rewatch it again!!!
I will die on the hill declaring this the best Version of Jean Grey period
This show still has my favorite line up of Horsemen EVER. I just love the idea of having the adult/mentor/leader figures being used to fight the next generation. Imagine if X-Men Apocalypse did that. Keep Magneto as War, have Mystique as Pestilence, instead of killing Havoc having him as Famine, and using Professor X or Wolverine as Death. I just that change would make that movie 10x better.
Wow, that's a great idea! I always kind of saw X-Men: Apocalypse as the 'live action' adaptation of X-Men: Evolution, and your idea just made it even better.
This was my first X-men show. Good times.
I’m one of the people who have been recommending this show to Doug for years (it’s the one I grew up with) and I’m just glad it liked it as much as he did.
Seeing anything relating to this show just saddens me. Cyclops voice actor, Kirby Morrow passed away in November of 2020 and I'm still pretty hurt by that.
Glad this show is finally getting more & more the attention it deserves.
This iteration of Scott is the best in all of media imo. He’s more accurately depicted as in the comics: a LEADER. The movies & other shows always want to belittle him under Wolverine’s shadow.
In this show, there is a hint to the rivalry in S3 E2 but not because of the stupid love triangle thing. It’s because Scott has grown up & truly become the leader of the X-Men, and Logan has to accept that Scott & the others have grown into capable heroes, seeing as to how he was the one that trained them-like seeing your kids grow up. (Love how Logan is basically the cool, badass, no b.s. uncle of the family lol)
Plus it’s never about belittling the other, as the movies do. It’s more of equal forces clashing yet finding solid ground, both having massive respect for the other. Here shown when Wolverine tells Cyclops “good-job” at the end of that episode for wisely leading the team.
Also Scott’s relationship with his little brother is so touching. Their reconnection and how Scott easily falls into the big-brother role. Their dialogue is well thought-out & realistic to the point that it actually made me tear up a little when Alex told him that he registered to change his last-name back to ‘Summers’.
Also Scott x Jean’s relationship is so well portrayed. (Again no dumb love triangle w/ Wolvie; instead they look up to him as a mentor & that’s just awesome). They start out as best friends but eventually get together romantically & you’re just shipping them throughout the whole show.
Speaking of couples…appreciated the little hints to Remy x Rogue’s relationship, especially in Cajun Spice-just a full-on episode dedicated to them. Also the little hints to Kitty x Piotr, although those were more subtle since Kitty had the thing with Lance.
Also want to mention Logan x Storm. Just how Logan cares for Storm when she’s taken in S2 E7 or in distress from her claustrophobia in S4 E7. There wasn’t anything official as far as I know, but after seeing them together in the 90s X-Men show, I started shipping them together. Plus they just seem like a healthier, happier couple.
And just in general, the dialogue & relationships between characters. Every character has a unique dynamic with another. Like Kurt & Rogue embracing their sibling ties. Kurt & Kitty basically acting like siblings lol. Logan being a father figure to Rogue. The Brotherhood basically being a band of brothers.
Cool how Logan, Storm & Beast are the adults of the show, basically the “right-hands” to Xavier and not only teachers but parent figures to a lot of the students. And Professor X IS basically the father to all the X-Men omg bless that man. This show actually made me see the X-Men as a FAMILY rather than just a superhero team.
This show just went above and beyond to the world building, gradually introducing more characters. Don’t get me started on the Acolytes, Brotherhood and New Mutants. (Also they CREATED the character of X23)
So cool how they made Gambit & Colossus Acolytes, fans knowing that they would later become core members of the X-Men. I always theorized Magneto had held hostage Illyana Rasputin, to keep Colossus under his thumb.
I also appreciated how Bobby would always be the standout of the New Mutants demonstrating how he was a natural leader. (That one episode with the original 5 members was such a great callback to the comics.)
Also shout-out to Boom Boom. She was a wild card.
Avalanche was also a standout. Very no nonsense, leave-me-alone kinda guy, that matures throughout the season, from being a bully in S1, to outing everyone in S2, to being used to cause destruction in S3, to helping save the train wreck, taking responsibility for it, & finally helping in the Apocalypse battle in S4.
Magneto, Mystique & Apocalypse are the perfect antagonists. Mystique is just satisfyingly conniving and a mastermind. Magneto is mysterious, menacing and you want to follow him but then you don’t. And Apocalypse is INTIMIDATING-that S3 finale & S4 premiere OMG. You can feel his omnipotence; nothing like the live-action at all sorry 🤷🏻♀️
The ACTION…how everyone’s power set was portrayed was so satisfying. Jean’s flying, Scott’s optic blast sound, Wolverine’s “shink”. Rogue’s flash touch. Mystique’s transformations. The team-playing and how every member brought something different to the table. For example, Kitty and Kurt were constantly vital players in battle to get out of bad situations.
I wish they made a season 5...6 & 7…
They could have explored so so much more of these characters and more.
Like in Prof. X's vision having a time jump to them as older characters like the super nod at the Dark Phoenix Saga.
Imagine all the possibilities: the Hellfire Club; Emma Frost & Psylocke get introduced; the Shiar & Lilandra arrive; Scott & Alex reunite w/ their space outlaw dad Corsair; Colossus, Gambit, Havok, Angel & X23 join the X-Men; exploring more of the Marvel universe w/ special appearances of other characters like they did w/ Cap-especially w/ the Brotherhood being in SHIELD, maybe Wanda meeting Vision, also Miss Marvel (how Rogue gains her strength & flight), also maybe the Fantastic Four to introduce Franklin Richards x Rachel Summers for a Days of Future Past story w/ Kitty being the one to return to the past like in the comics; Nimrod & Master Mold?; maybe later on a Messiah Complex storyline w/ Cable & Hope Summers; Rogue learning to control her powers; a Rogue x Gambit romance, a Kitty x Colossus one too; Scott x Jean's continued romance (& marriage?) Mister Sinister & the Marauders (Mutant Massacre? getting much more darker); the struggle of the continued anti-mutant sentiment; Xavier’s son, Legion returning; more backstory to Magneto, his establishment of Genosha as a mutant sanctuary +more interactions between him, Pietro & Wanda (& Lorna?)-they did this in “Wolverine & the X-Men” but i mean the “Evolution” continuity.
All that probably entails more than one season (it definitely would), but just wishful thinking. It had an immensely satisfying ending in itself, letting us glimpse into the future of a more established X-Men.
Anyways…sorry I got carried away and wrote an essay HAHA. You probably stopped reading lollll. I recently rewatched the entire show after so many years, and I gained a new appreciation for it.
However, it would not be the same without Kirby Morrow as Cyclops. He was the perfect Cyclops. Rest In Peace.
Another thing the show doesn't get enough credit for was how they handled Jean. Instead of making her a passive character like TAS did or a living plot device the way the movies and "Wolverine and the X-Men" did they portrayed her as a dynamic and active character here. It didn't always work (like "Walk on the Wild Side") but it was better than nothing.
They changed the standard love triangle from Logan/Jean/Scott to Rogue/Scott/Jean, and because she wasn't at the heart of the triangle this meant Jean again got to be an ACTIVE character and it caused legit character development in both her and Rogue without having it devolve into a Catfight. Jean became less flighty and more conscious of her feelings towards Scott once she saw other girls wanting him, and Rogue slowly came out of her shell more and decided she wanted to be more of a team player and became closer to other characters too (Kitty, Kurt, Risty, Logan).
Everything you guys said perfectly describes this show and why its loved by many. It’s such a shame we never got to see Psylocke or Emma frost (I wonder if Emma would have been a love interest for Scott). But they literally handled on the characters well from their powers to the way they all interact to the fact that this is the only show where they show Xavier’s school actually being a school with kids in its every other cartoon (besides 1 episode in WATX) always show that big ass mansion empty with only 7 X-men lol.
And thank GOD they made Wolverine A mentor and father figure instead of in a dumb repeated love triangle with Jean and Scott. I definitely wish we got more Storm but she also has some badass scenes in the show.
Cyclops in this show was my favorite version of the character, and I really liked his voice.
Shame his VA passed away. He also used to work on other obscure cartoons and anime.
@@doodlebugfour7070 He was also in superhero film called Mosaic, written by Stan Lee. Yet some how it isn't owned by Marvel.
I’m so glad Doug finally sat down and watched this, and I’m so glad he likes it! This is one of my favorite pieces of X-Men media and it’s what made me fall in love with the series!
The best Easter egg in the show is when there's a big team up and they separate into smaller groups. Cyclops, Jean, Iceman, Beast, and Angel are grouped together, like the original comic and Iceman says, "This is the cool team!"
Next to Steve Blum , Scott McNeil Kicks ass as Wolverine!
Hugh Jackman will always be the definitive Wolverine voice for me. I dunno, he just sounds so natural.
He also played Tahu in the first BIONICLE movie
Scott McNeil kicks ass in anything... particularly when he's playing a giant green slug man teaching a half human half monkey to *DODGE!*
Scott McNeil is kinda the Canadian Steve Blum. Abd I mean that in the best way possible. Both are amazing , both have notable range to cover all the characters they voice. I want you to tell me you knew right away that Guilmon was also BlackWargreymonn or Wazzzpinator is also Silverbolt.
Scott McNeil is so underrated. I assume because he's not LA based like Blum is. Since the LA based VAs overshadow the Canada based VAs
In my opinion, Evolution did a Handful of things better than the 90s show.
- Jean Grey can use her powers without fainting.
- Magneto forms the Brotherhood of Mutants instead of just teaming up with 1 Villain per episode.
- Nightcrawler is a main character and does NOT appear in under 2 episodes.
- Kitty Pryde being the main member of the X-men and I'm glad because I don't want wanna see Jubilee being the main member again sense they already use her being the main member in the 90's show, yes she does appear in the second season in a small role one episode.
And Cyclops being more than "Bland Leader Guy"
I absolutely loved the episode where Mystique broke Juggernaut out of a supermax facility. Meanwhile the X-men and Brotherhood are competing at some obstacle course and, while they don't like each other, they had to come together to stop Juggernaut. Who was badass in Evolution.
It was such a great show.
The Captain America & Nick Fury episode was my favorite. I loved the dynamic between Wolverine and those characters and them showing things like Magneto being rescued as a kid during World War 2.
@Raylan Givens Interesting, I didn't know too much about Classic Nick Fury in comparison to modern. I do like both iterations though and I'm glad that his MCU version is still going to be in some shows/movies soon.
@@SPIRE_FAN yeah I think both are interesting and cool in there own right
This was my s*** back in the day. I remember seeing this every weekend on Kids WB. Cyclops is my favorite X-Man because of Evolution. Avalanche is one of my favorite X-Men villains because of Evolution. While OG Teen Titans is my favorite show of all time, X-Men are my favorite superhero team of all time thanks to X-Men Evolution.
This show is the first time I heard Christopher Judge! Loved this show growing up. Definitely happy you finally got a chance to watch it!
Yeah, having Kratos in an X-Men show is pretty bloody epic.
I forgot D-Mob (def jam) was in it, as well as most of the Inuyasha cast.
@@Swaggernaut_X The Fact that X-23 in this show is voiced by Andrea Libman who would voice Pinky Pie and Fluttery Shy is so weird to me considering how polar opposite they are.😵💫
I think Doug's head space is so far in the 90's show that he doesn't stop to consider how much this show won over 2000's era kids and got it so many seasons and honestly comparing this to the 90's series is an unhealthy bias to have since he's glaring over the flaws that show had while highlighting this shows flaws, I just think Doug often struggles to get outside of his own head and remember what its like for others to have differing opinions on things
Yeah this is definitely a 2000s era X-Men show. But i love the Apocalypse build up and X-23’s debut- those were great.
I really loved this show, it was my entire childhood. I adored that it showed us our favourite X Men as teens in high school, which is a fascinating concept.
Who was your favorite and least favorite evolution character
Why I think this works as well as it does is that it perfected the 'ripple' of consequence, of escalating threats. First they needed to save the school, then the town, then the nation, then the world. Had we gotten a 5th season, we might've gotten the Shi'ar and Dark Phoenix, got the threat moved up to galactic level.
The X-Men movies on the other hand, they never bothered to gradually build to these points, and tried to skip straight away to Phoenix and Apocalypse, leaving no room for proper character growth or substance.
This was the X-Men I grew up with and for me at least it still holds up.
Everyone else was all Animated Series and FOX films, but me? *_THIS_* was my X-Men when I was a kid. I especially love Scott McNeil’s performance as Wolverine, as much as Steve Blum continues to own the role.
I think the show's phenomenal voice cast performance is worth mentioning as well. Meghan Black especially killed it as Rogue.
This was MY X-Men show growing up, and I'm happy it still holds up.
I generally liked the voice cast in this one. Surprisingly even Kitty Pryde was adorable in this show.
Fun fact: Did you know that some of the cast was the same cast in Inuyasha!
Scott/Cyclops is Miroku
Logan/Wolverine is Koga
Quicksilver is Inuyasha
Wanda/Scarlett Witch is Sango
And Kurt/Nightcrawler's classmate & eventual girlfriend is Kagome!
Kitty was easily the most adorable character in this show
She’s probably the one I picture myself being friends with the most along with Nightcrawler
Yeah. Most of the voice actors in the show were also well-known voice actors from Beast Wars: Transformers, Inuyasha and Gundam Wing. Also, a sad fact to know that Kirby Morrow (the voice of Cyclops in this show) passed away, last year.😔😔😔🙏🙏💐💐
@@elizabethescalante7866 Some of the same voice actors in this show were also in the English dub of Gundam Wing and Beast Wars: Transformers.
@@xm9968 I know. God rest his soul. He was AWESOME as our favorite perverted monk.
Doug's description for the show sounds like the 2012 Ninja Turtles show; taking elements from past incarnations and making something new.
I will say this: what won me over with some od the characters is you see they can be interesting and useful without certain crutches. Case and Point: Rogue and Jean.
Rogue not [fully] having super-strength, flight, and invulnerability and focusing on the absorbing abilities was dope. You get to see the growth in her character and powers, especially the episode "Self Possessed".
Jean without the Phoenix is shown to he incredibly useful with her powers. Mor always fainting, even if she doesn't have control
To be fair, people exaggerate 90s jean. She's actually fine. And when she's exhausted it usually makes sense. And evo Jean does the same.
Good show, I'm talking more about fan perception being wrong.
@@DSan-kl2yc I remember reading somewhere there the women chosen in the 90s cartoon were opposites of each other. Jean being the emotional strength, while Rogue was the physical. Jubilee being the naive youthful while Storm was theotherly experienced
In my opinion it’s the best X-men show
X-Men Evolution and the 90s X-Men cartoon are both great. Among my favorite super hero cartoons of all time.
What about Wolverine and the X-Men?
@@somerandolad Only had one season
Not enough to really be compared to the other X-Men shows
No contest
@@pepito2847 evolution was much more entertaining for me than wolverine and xmen
One thing I really liked about this show is how Rogue dresses while out of costume. It makes sense for someone who doesn't like touching people would dress in a way that covers as much of her body as she can.
I would agree, except she wore that even before she discovered her powers.
@@carlotta4th They explained that: Her foster mom (Destiny) told her she had a skin condition and encouraged her to always cover up
This show made me love kitty pride. Never knew how cool and useful her powers could be til this and wolverine and the X-Men.
Rest in Peace Kirby Morrow the voice Scott Summers Cyclops.
Though I grew up with the 90's version as a little kid, I always liked this version more mainly because I was in high school myself when it came out. The deep history of the characters really hit it with me and it continously built on itself while drawing and holding true to its past iterations for inspiration and guidance.
Yes, thank you! Thank you so much! This was the x men I grew up with. I never watched the 90s show, or read the comics as a kid, this was my first introduction to these characters. So it really hurt when I heard so many older fans bash this show. I understand if you don't like all the changes, but for me, this wasn't a spinoff or a prequel, it was just X-Men to me. After years of hearing people hate on it, it feels really good to see someone talk so positively about it, especially an older X-Men fan.
Also, I stand by the fact that this show has some of the best character designs. Magneto has never looked better than this.
As a 90s kid, this show was my introduction to X-Men. This fills me with some awesome nostalgia, and I really gotta rewatch it. I wonder how I’d like it now.
This show was for me a Gundam dub reunion. Char, Amuro, Trowa, Duo, Heero, Relina, Sayla, Dorothy, Kai, and a bunch more I’m forgetting.
Evolution was my first exposure to X-men and it will always hold a special place in my heart
Magneto in X-Men: Evolution is voiced by Christopher Judge, the guy who went on to voice Kratos in God of War 4 (Boy)
still my second favorite X-men cartoon also I recalled Scarlet Witch owning the X-men by herself.
I think X-Men:Evolution is GREAT. Wolverine as A Teacher is a Good Idea.
Oh man, nostalgia hit so hard!
I remember being on vacation in the US as a teen and I got so obsessed with watching this show. We had this huge road trip and I was always anxious if I could be at the hotel when it aired.
We always started and ended vacations at my aunt's house in Texas and my sister told them about the show, because she hated it, but we were sharing room and TV. My uncle, who never really spoke much and barely understood our language, just kinda got up and went out. We didn't think much of it. He returned two hours later with all 4 seasons on DVD for me! He was impressed that I was able to watch and understand most of it in English. We watched a few of the first episodes together while the others were talking about the vacation.
Looking back, he most likely faked interest but we talked about the show and it was the most we've ever spoken at this point.
I was so incredibly happy! And you just reminded me of this wonderful memory!
Sad thing: We got home and the DVDs didn't work on our player (wrong country) and I could only watch them at my friends house, who had a computer (showing my age)
I had the biggest crush on Nightcrawler and Scarlet Witch!
Honestly, I didn't even think that this would now be on Disney. Hopefully in my country, too. I'm definitely gonna check it out again.
Oh, Doug! You just gave me a super happy memory back. Thank you so much! What an unexpected and beautiful gift.
I'm gonna go write to my uncle now.
How fitting... I watching this show now and the Nostalgia Critic released the video about it. God bless him.
This is actually my favorite version of X-men of all time!
By far the best Jean Grey version in any audiovisual media. On top of having a charismatic and likeable character, the show never chickened put of displaying her full strength with contrived conveniences to have her out of the picture, which is provably one of the worst aspects of the 90s show.
Bruh if you think this show is "Really really pretty damn good" now, imagine watching it as a kid in 2000, it definitely would've been one of your all time favorite shows. This was THE single coolest thing back in the day, it was pure style, everything from the music, the cars, the clothes (which came back for this generation lol) and it also just so happened to be relatable af if you were in school at the time, with characters that would intrigue even a kid, i never thought Kitty would turn into my favorite character right after the Wolverine, which he did get side lined, but whenever he showed up he was the coolest cat in town lol. I just recently rewatched it and i thought it was gona be terribly aged since it is indeed a product of it's time, but it still holds up very well! If it passes the test of time, then it is legitimately good show.
Also, props to them for taking the most 2000s haircut and perfectly fit it for the Wolverine, not even the movies thought of that lol
This was interesting because a few of the voice cast was known for being in anime! Scott was voiced by the late Kirby Morrow (voice of Miroku in Inuyasha), Jean was voiced by Venus Terzo (voice of Female Ranma in Ranma 1/2), and many others. Definitely my favorite version of X-Men, hope everyone gives it a chance!
Brad "Rock" Swalie of Black Lagoon Voices Nightcrawler!
Literally my favorite show. When I was a kid I was like “these aren’t my X-men” but kept watching and fell in love 😍 still holds up in 2022
I used to tune in for the intro all the time, just for that one shot of Kitty Pryde dancing. I think it awakened something in me...
Also really liked Wolverine in the show, probably because it's Scott McNeil who did a bunch of voices in Beast Wars.
That scene of Kitty & Rogue dancing was lifted directly from Buffy (in which she danced with Faith in the episode "Bad Girls"), so it was a nice reference for fans of the show.
(It also had another dimension, as Joss Whedon based the character of Buffy partially on Kitty Pryde)
@@randallflagg3700 This whole series seemed to be a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" setting only using X-Men characters instead.
@@ShadowSonic2 - Had Kitty Pryde been a potential love interested from Quicksilver (with his Spike haircut), then the love triangle with Avalanche (the broody, buff vampi... I mean mutant!) would have been a neat Buffy-Angel-Spike thingy
@@randallflagg3700 They DID give us a love triangle, but it was Jean/Scott/Rogue instead...and somehow I actually enjoyed that.
It brings me so much joy to hear so much praise for Evolution. This show was my introduction to X-Men. I was obsessed with it, especially Nightcrawler. I was disappointed to find out he wasn't the same in any other version. I'm usually one who roots for the original, but I just connected with Nightcrawler in this so much. X-Men was always a huge metaphor for the LGBTQ+ community, and I felt that hard with this show. I'll never forget my dad telling me he'd disown me if I came out as gay, and I was. I had to hide who I was while figuring out what it fully meant. I was taught gay is bad and trans wasn't even something I KNEW about. And here I was wanting to die because I couldn't exist in a way that made me happy. When you have to hide and have no one to be yourself with, it's so lonely it's devastating. X-Men gave me a place to escape because these people were going through similar situations. They hid who they were, they found comfort in others like them, all while figuring out their identities and life as they were still kids. It was an amazing show that still holds up, and it is on Disney+ last I looked. I encourage anyone to check it out.
This was probably my favourite show as a kid. I watched every single episode like 5 times.
4:40 I loved Nightcrawler in this, but my favourite portrayal of the character is definitely the one from Wolverine & the X-Men tbh.
I *loved* seeing him with more experience, showing off what a skilled fighter he can be.
X men evolution is one of my favorites shows
Definitely top 20
I remember watching this show as a kid and really loving it
This is a very underrated show. The animation was great, the writing was fantastic (giving us the fantasy aspect while still keeping a foot in reality), the characters were nuanced and well-rounded and the ongoing storyline was increasing epic as the series progressed. My only real problem is that most of the first season is dedicated to introducing the characters and establishing their interpersonal dynamics; the real story of the series doesn't really kick in until the last few episodes of the first season. But even that is a minor gripe; I've said the same thing about Disenchantment.
I love everything X-Men (I even loved literally every X-Men movie) but this is what I think of when I think of a lot of these characters. Nightcrawler, kitty, rouge, toad, spike, x23, storm, ect. These are my X-Men.
RIP Kirby Morrow (Scott Summers/Cyclops)
Honestly, this series had the best version of Jean Grey. Had the series gotten another season they would’ve introduced the Phoenix Saga, where it starts off as a prequel, and then a sequel with Dark Phoenix. Introducing Emma Frost, and the Hellfire Club.
I adored this show as a kid, it was the only X-Men media I ever really got into. I also had a huge crush on this version of Nightcrawler for the longest time 😂
…same
I never saw the original show, but this show is what got me into the X-Men. I miss this show
This was an interesting one for me, in that I was a little disappointed because I felt a lot of Magneto’s complexity was lost, but I also felt that was made up for by expanding the complexity of the brotherhood instead.
This is one of the shows that is so underrated and very well done. The humanity even behind the brotherhood and they're not evil but being misguided.
its my personal fav of a modern xmen. I too love the og one, but this is also a good one too.
It was really nice when nightcrawler was accepted by the girl he liked after he revealed what he really looked like. I didn't quite get at the time since I was a kid when I watched it, but it felt nice to see that. And it was because of this show that nightcrawler became my favorite X-Men.
This is one of my favorite shows of all time! I was 1 y/o (almost 2) when X-Men 1992 was released and spent my childhood with it; I have fond memories with it from when I was little and still love it. However, I was 9 y/o (almost 10) when Evolution came out. This show defined my tween years! It aired new episodes at 10pm, and my dad would let me stay up late to watch it with him every week. He was extremely strict, so that is something really special for me, on top of it being an amazing show! I was waiting to develop mutant powers while my peers were waiting for their Hogwarts letters.
As for which is better: 1992 or Evolution? I think they're both equally good, just different. Do you want action packed battles and an extremely faithful adaptation? Or do you want character studies and lore expansion while not completely forgetting the source material? They're too different to truly compare on a one to one basis.
As for X-23: She definitely needed more screen time. I agree with you there. She was, however, explored a bit more than you've voiced in season 4. She comes back with intentions of revenge on Hydra, and Wolverine finds her and tries to keep her safe. He also confronts her about leaving rather than hiding when Shield came for her and aids in her faking her own death to be free from further pursuit. She was still short changed overall though. It would have been interesting to see her join the school.
@You're under 19 don't argue They do. I just would have liked to see how everyone interacts with her and Logan upon joining them.
I just discovered Xmen Evolution too because of a Wanda compilation. She was really good on the show. I wish she had more screen time, but in the few moments she was in, she really shined.