5 Ways X-Men 97 Is Better Than The Original Series

Season 1 of X-Men 97 hit Disney+ to huge fanfare, but many people already know that it was not, in fact, Season 1 of the show at all. The show is actually a continuation of X-Men The Animated Series, which ran for five seasons between 1992 and 1997. This original show adapted the mutant team from the comics into a cartoon, which introduced many new fans to the Marvel heroes.

X-Men The Animated Series was a massive success and is looked on fondly by many fans who watched it when it originally aired. The show brilliantly portrayed the divide between humans and mutants, adapted many key stories from the comics, and influenced the initial run of live-action X-Men movies. With all the great things that this series did, there are still some aspects that X-Men 97 was able to improve upon.

1 Depict A Wider Universe

The Marvel Universe Has Gotten Much Larger Since The 90s

When X-Men The Animated Series first debuted, the comic book landscape was very different from how it is today. It was rare for a superhero to feature in a live-action movie, and many of the sci-fi/fantasy aspects that are explored in comics were often ignored by the general public. However, this outlook has slowly shifted in recent years, and that is mainly due to the abundance of great superhero content that is being made, which first started with the X-Men movies and continued in larger projects like the MCU. Now, nerd culture is more mainstream, and almost everyone knows about the likes of Iron Man and Wolverine.

As a result, X-Men 97 could be more open about showcasing some Marvel characters who were far more niche when the original show aired in the 90s. It got viewers talking whenever someone like Captain America or Black Panther made a cameo in X-Men 97, which is a big jump from having characters like The Punisher and Ghost Rider appearing in small flashes in ’92. It all helps the world of the X-Men feel more lived in.

2 Professor X & Magneto

Exploring A Core Relationship

Professor X is the mutant leader of the X-Men, a man who seeks to use his school to teach fellow mutants about how to control their powers so they can live peacefully alongside humanity. Magneto is another mutant, a man who recruits other mutants to help achieve his goal of overthrowing humans so that mutants can succeed in becoming the dominant species. Naturally, the opposing ideals of Magneto and Professor X put the two in conflict, but they also remain friends due to their past relationship.

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Exploring the complex relationship between these two pillars of the X-Men franchise is something that can be a challenge for an animated show, and it is also something that the ’90s show tried to adapt. However, X-Men 97 is able to fully delve into the main conflict in the X-Men series due to its more mature tone and the groundwork that was laid by the live-action movies. As a result, fans of the comics were able to see this relationship adapted brilliantly in Season 1, and in a way that has not been shown on TV before.

3 Teasing Things To Come

X-Men 97 Gets To Keep The Conversation Moving

Animated TV shows have come a long way since X-Men The Animated Series aired in the 90s. What was once considered a genre that only appealed to children has now become more widely accepted by older audiences. Therefore, X-Men 97 is perceived more as another high-profile Disney+ show that cannot be missed, just like other live-action Marvel shows.

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With this in mind, the writers of the show are now able to treat X-Men more like a traditional TV series. This means they can slowly develop character relationships, and tease things to come in future episodes. X-Men The Animated Series could drop hints about future stories, but the younger audience didn’t always pick up on these clues. Also, there was no guarantee that the show would be picked up for another series, so leaving plot threads hanging was not a convenient way of telling stories.

4 Dramatic Moments

A More Mature Tone Means More Emotional Impact

While the people working at Marvel Animation are hoping that the show reaches a new audience of young children, many of the show’s original viewers are in their thirties or older. As a result, the people watching this show are more mature than when X-Men The Animated Series was on TV. The original show was ahead of its time and dealt with some complex themes, but that is nothing compared to some of the mature content that the writers included in X-Men 97.

The mature content in X-Men 97 was not done just to create an air of shock. Instead, the writers were able to think about their characters and include some more dramatic moments in the show. As such, many viewers got to feel the emotional impact of a character like Gambit and Rogue’s subsequent grief. What’s more, many viewers could even relate to some of the more grounded and mature stories in this new era of X-Men.

5 Animation

This Show Looks Incredible

It shouldn’t come as a big surprise, but the continuation of the show that started thirty years ago looks much better than it did originally. There is no doubt that X-Men The Animated Serieslooked incredible when it first hit TV screens, and its vibrant use of color and comic book art styles is nothing to dismiss. Yet, there is still a distinct contrast between how that show looks and X-Men 97.

The new season of the classic show maintains the art style of the original. However, the show is animated using an amalgamation of 2D methods and updated 3D technology. The results speak for themselves, and fans are left with a sleeker version of the show they remember. The effects now look much cleaner and less dated.

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