Feeling Nostalgic? Can You Ace This X-Men The Animated Series Quiz?
- by Edward Cambro
- – on
- in Movies and TV
The 90s was an incredible decade for cartoons. The following of The Transformers, GI Joe, Gem and Master of the Universe from the 80s showed there was incredible money to be made. When Warner Bros. rolled out with Batman: The Animated Series and Animaniacs, the game changed; these were cartoons sold to children with adult overtones. Their success made it possible to sell complex stories and characters to kids. By the time X-Men made the scene, the ante was upped again.
They added serialization. The series was broken up into arcs that often adapted or combined famous stories from the comics, but also used standalone episodes with ongoing subplots to keep fans invested but also tell an enclosed story. Sure, its animation was mediocre at best, and Standards & Practices put a stranglehold on the violence, but complicated characters, decompressed storytelling and unflinching social commentary made it one of the best animated series of all time.
Considering its legendary status, along with the fact that 90s nostalgia has finally overthrown the unending fixation on the pastel 80s, we thought now would be a good time to see how well you remember X-Men: The Animated Series.
What are Wolverine's bones made of?
Wolverine's origins have always been murky, though the comics and the TV shows have always remained aligned on the pieces we do know. His first name is Logan, he's Canadian, he's well over a hundred years old, and boy does he hate Sabretooth. He was eventually experimented on by the Weapon X program. They altered his bone structure by encasing it in an incredibly strong metal, which is virtually unbreakable, which also made his claws capable of cutting through anything. This was a strategic mistake, as Wolverine escaped and destroyed the lab with everyone in it. Oops.
Which character was left for dead in “Night of the Sentinels”?
X-Men creators clashed with network executives from the very beginning. The writers wanted mature content, but the network was reticent--even going so far as to ban punching and kicking in the X-Men's sister series, Spider-Man. Considering the darker tone of the series, the showrunners wanted to really ratchet the stakes up by introducing a serialized subplot and killing off a main character at the end of the pilot. Well, this idea didn't go over well with the suits. Eventually, an agreement was reached that they could go ahead with the death provided that the character was resurrected within a certain number of episodes.
Which of these seminal X-Men stories did the series NOT adapt?
One of the things that made the X-Men series so great was that it adapted some of the best (or at least infamous) stories in the franchise, and sometimes, improved upon the original work. Considering the budget and content limitations the cartoon faced, that's really saying something. There's something about the X-Men that leads to unnecessary complications; both the movies and the comics are a mess of confused timelines and aggravating contradictions. The series, however, would often streamline the stories and give us the juicy bits that give us the whole picture without all the gristle.
Where is Gambit from?
It was always clear that shifty Gambit had a shifty past. His X-Men teammates were often distrusting of him, and to be fair, Gambit did very little to dissuade them of the notion. Coming from the deep south, Gambit and his family were part of a guild called the Thieves who feuded another guild called the Assassins. If a proper tithing was not given, the demon X-Ternal would either strip them of their powers or kill them all. Somehow, eventually, Gambit got tired of trying not to get killed by a demon and joined the X-Men where he tried not to get killed by everything else.
Which X-Man became leader of the Morlocks?
Mutants are treated like garbage but at least they don't live in it. The Morlocks are a group of mutants whose mutations are (mostly) too obvious to overlook. Therefore, they're easy targets to those who would hate and mistreat them, so they fled to the sewers. You really have to wonder why nobody thought of Genosha earlier. The Morlock leader is Callisto, who has Ziggy Stardust's haircut and an eye patch that often changes sides. Her aggressive tendencies forced the X-Men to intervene, with one of its members defeating Callisto in a whirlwind fight for leadership of the subterranean mutants.
Which of these characters did NOT cameo in the series?
X-Men seeded dozens of characters from around the Marvel universe during its five season run. Heroes and villains would show up to wink at the audience, though usually just in wordless blink-and-you'll-miss-'em cameo that unfortunately never led to usage later one. They were often exciting to see yet frustrating to know that nothing would likely come of it. Hey, but at least we did get some crossovers in Spider-Man, which was nice. Whether this had something to do with budgeting or who owned the rights to what has never been revealed.
Which characters were revealed to be Magneto's lost children?
Magneto was meant to be the Malcolm X to Professor Xavier's MLK. Magneto was more militant in his approach to human-mutant relations, often fighting violence and hate with violence and hate. He's burned many bridges with many people who cared for him and whom he cared for. Two of those people were his children, who grew up hating their father who chose "work" over being with them, and was attempting to do with them what Xavier did with his X-Men: organize and militarize. The only difference was that Xavier's X-Men focused on defense. Magneto was readying for war.
What phobia does Storm have?
Storm is the second-in-command of the X-Men and one of the most powerful mutants alive. She could so easily be a warlord or a villain due to her ability to not only control, but create weather patterns out of thin air. Despite her power levels, Ororo Munroe is a quiet, graceful person who seeks peace in adulthood that didn't exist when she was a child. Born in Egypt, she was a poor orphan and frequently abused. In her time as an X-Man and as a healer for a local African tribe, she gained a sense of belonging and a true family.
Who are related to Nightcrawler?
Nightcrawler looks weird even by Mutant standards. Covered in dark blue fur, he has three fingers and three toes, yellow eyes and a thick German accent. He's like a mad-lib of comic book character traits. Add that to the soapy complications that the X-Men trade in (yes, it's a soap opera. We both know it, just admit it already), poor Nightcrawler has a deeply bizarre backstory and a strange parentage to say the least. For pete's sake, he's from a tiny village in Germany and his adopted sister is from the Mississippi bayou and his parents are well established X-Men characters. See! Soap!
What was the name of Rogue’s first boyfriend?
For kids growing up watching this show, Rogue was a weird kind of STD education. Here's that amazing cool and hot woman who can kill people by touching them. That had to have warped some of us. Maybe it's just me. Either way, the episode "Love in Vain," provided some background on Rogue. The first boy she ever kissed was knocked into a coma (nice) but recently woke up and was immune to her mutant powers. They do some more kissing and then they mutate into alien lizards. This has to be an allegory about safe sex, right?
Which X-Men character did Cyclops meet at a nightclub?
During one of Cyclops' depressive states after one of Jean's deaths, Scott Summers went to a nightclub to ruin everyone's vibe. It's 1992, so the place still looks like a 1984 threw up in there. For some reason there are punk rockers, hair metal cover bands and disco lighting. Turns out, all those crazy lights and fireworks were coming from a mutant that Scott saved from danger. They flirted a little bit while fans of the comics held their breath, hoping this character wouldn't take over the show the way she did the comics for a little while.
Which X-Men villain is Charles Xavier related to?
Professor X has had it rough. Not only does he have those bizarre helixed eyebrows, but he went bald as a teenager, his stepbrother became a supervillain, and an alien named Lucifer (what are the odds) crippled him for life. In the series, Chuck is stuck wearing this awful olive-green suit and his evil stepbrother showed up in Scotland to beat him up in front of a girl he liked. This wasn't even in high school, either! They were both in their forties by that point. Xavier's one advantage--his psychic powers--became ineffective when his brother had a special helmet on.
Which two mutants was Mr. Sinister obsessed with?
Mr. Sinister may actually be older than Wolverine. He was a scientist in Victorian London, where he was friendly with an ancestor of Charles Xavier. Sinister, then known as Nathaniel Essex was obsessed with with genetics and evolution. By modern times, he wasn't interested in the growing hostilities between mutants or humanity. Rather, he would make deals with Apocalypse and develop new technologies to enhance mutants into the next phase of their mutation through genetic engineering. Known for his long-term planning, Sinister's machinations sometimes take decades to unfold.
Which character was specifically created/remade for the show?
There was a mutant called Changeling who joined the group shortly before being killed off. When the X-Men animated series was in development, they wanted to reuse the character but ran into a speed bump. In the intervening years, a character called Changeling and sporting a similar power set cropped up at DC and was very popular. To avoid confusion and possible lawsuits--we all know how that Deathstroke/Deadpool thing worked out--the series' writers re-envisioned this character who ended up becoming the face of the series, despite only making a handful of appearances.
What was the name of the "safe" island where Mutants can be free?
X-Men works best as an allegory for the oppressed, and in the early years, writers ably balanced making their work socially relevant while also being entertaining. They're not good at that nowadays, but there's another conversation. In the series, an island was advertised as being a safe place for Mutants where they could be free and safe, segregated from the rest of society. Professor X sent a contingent of X-Men to investigate it, only for them to find out the entire place was a slave camp.
Which X-Man "betrayed" the team at the island?
Three X-Men were sent to the "safe" island. They were worked as slaves alongside thousands of other mutants (as a social commentary on apartheid South Africa). When a mutant disobeyed, they were confined to a box no bigger than a locker. There were no reinforcements on the way because no distress signal had been sent (that's a Jaws reference, folks). So, one of the X-Men decided to "betray" the others to gain their captors' trust before helping free the island and overthrow the forces who enslaved them.
Who was Bishop trying to save in "Days of Futures Past"?
The future is a dystopian wreck. Mutants are enslaved across a war-torn United States where military law has been instated. The only hope is for Forge to send Bishop and his mullet back to the 1990s and keep an important person from being assassinated. Their death causes the futuristic hellscape everyone's trying to avoid. All Bishop has to do is remember who the person was he was sent to protect and which X-Men it was who betrayed the team. Apparently, time travel has the same effect on memory as whiskey. Good to know.
This Jessica Jones villain brainwashed children to Cyclops' chagrin...
In "No Mutant Is An Island," Cyclops is again disillusioned following yet another Jean Grey death. Returning to the orphanage where he grew up, Scott has to figure out why he is a hero again. At the end of the day, he's just a guy with laser eyes. He doesn't have super strength like Rogue or the healing factor of Wolverine. He tells the orphans to get used to life being tough and unfair, but in the end realizes why he's the leader of the X-Men: because no matter what, he'll always choose the hard road to save people from danger.
What was the name of the virus that decimated the Mutant population?
No, it wasn't "The Scarlet Witch Virus," but we get where you're coming from. This one is the fault of Apocalypse--one of the first mutants to ever walk the Earth--who now wants to destroy it. (We all deal with the cancellation of Hannibal in our own way.) He developed the virus in the hopes of starting a race war between humans and mutants; whoever survived the war would be killed by the virus anyway. Then Apocalypse could sit in the library and read all the books he wants until his glasses accidentally broke. Oh, and who saved the day in the end? That's right: Bishop and his mutant mullet. America!
Rogue obtained her flight and strength from which Marvel hero?
Mystique wasn't a great mother. Or a great person. But she was great at making people think she cared. Informally adopting Rogue, Mystique had her daughter use her mutant powers to aid her in her underworld schemes. Things were going well until Rogue came up against an incredibly strong hero who was going to bring them all down. Instead, Rogue used her mutant powers on this hero--putting said hero in a coma and accidentally absorbing their powers and memories permanently. Mystique then used the distraction to get away. Mother and daughter wouldn't see each other again for years. Well. Thanks, mom.
Who did Wolverine marry in a future timeline?
Okay, sure, Bishop's future is really bleak and sad and all that, but it's also really cool. What few mutants that remain have formed a resistance movement. Their future is a mix between Terminator and Mad Max. A valid criticism of the series was that it was too Wolverine-centric and that's at play in "One Man's Worth," but it is worth it to see an older Wolverine who is still just as angry, but also desperate and vulnerable, desiring to keep his wife even if it means the future will continue to suck.
Which Member of X-Factor is Cyclops' long lost brother?
We're messing with you a little bit on this one. It's never outright said in the series--Cyclops and his brother never have a reunion or even realize they're related. The clues are rare but are as subtle as a jackhammer. In a flashback, young Scott parachutes to safety with his younger brother, while his parents are "lost" in a plane crash. Decades later, Cyclops fights a member of X-Factor. Their power bursts don't affect the other to their mutual confusion.
In the series finale, who killed Professor Xavier?
Well, "kill" is a bit of a strong word here. It was still a kid's show, so it's more of a "conscious uncoupling from our mortal coil." One of the X-Men's enemies uses an energy disruptor when in close proximity to the professor that not only outs him as a mutant, but sends his psychic powers in an uncontrollable tailspin. Xavier slips into a coma and is dying. The X-Men call up the Shi'Ar who can save his consciousness, but only so long as he stays on their alien world because...the plot requires a sad goodbye.
Which play did Morph lure the X-Men to?
Morph was killed, resurrected and brainwashed, and then went insane. It was a rough year. The "evil programming" that Mr. Sinister implanted him with was battling the true memories and feelings Morph had, leading him to go in and out of hero and villain modes. He lured the X-Men who were in search of their missing teammates and were treated to a free show Morph was putting on where they witnessed his complete psychological breakdown. At least they had nice seats.
What was the name of the supervillain team Mr. Sinister employed?
Mr. Sinister may actually be older than Wolverine. He was a scientist in Victorian London, where he was friendly with an ancestor of Charles Xavier. Sinister, then known as Nathaniel Essex was obsessed with with genetics and evolution. By modern times, he wasn't interested in the growing hostilities between mutants or humanity. Rather, he would make deals with Apocalypse and develop new technologies to enhance mutants into the next phase of their mutation through genetic engineering. Known for his long-term planning, Sinister's machinations sometimes take decades to unfold.
Who created the Sentinels?
Characters like Magneto and Apocalypse are the villains we associate immediately with the X-Men. Yet, despite their powers, it's humanity that has always been the greatest existential threat that the team faces. Humanity greatly outnumbers mutantkind, and though they have no powers, the sheer numbers and the strength of their fear and hate drive those who would see the X-Men and people like them gone. To make up for the power they give up to the mutants, a government agency created the Sentinels: massive machines made to capture or kill mutants who are too great a threat. Your tax dollars at work.
Which X-Men joined the team in the final season?
X-Men The Animated Series kept a tight roster throughout its five seasons on air. It was a sensible move--going with a roster that reflected whom was on the team in the comics, along with those who would be recognizable to casual audiences. However, as time went on, the comics featured new characters, which meant new toys, which meant ToyBiz wanted those toys to sell. While the series was always great at featuring characters, one was introduced late in the show's final season as a new X-Men member to tie-in to their growing use in the comics.
What was the name of the Mutant space sanctuary that Magneto founded?
Magneto was meant to be the Malcolm X to Professor Xavier's MLK. Magneto was more militant in his approach to human-mutant relations, often fighting violence and hate with violence and hate. However, Magneto realize that it was a losing game: mutants would still die in an all-out war, even if they eventually won. He decided that separating the two groups would be best. Using his fantastic powers, Magneto developed a massive base in space and would transport mutants from Earth in large metallic containers so they could begin a new life away from humanity.
Which character was revealed to be Cyclops' father?
In a flashback, young Scott parachutes to safety with his younger brother, while his parents are "lost" in a plane crash. The kids were separated and Scott lived a miserable life in an orphanage thanks to his mutant powers. Eventually Xavier gave him a purpose and a family. However, his parents did not initially die. Rather, they were captured by aliens before their plane went down. Scott's mother did not survive captivity, but his father did and sought revenge ever since as a member of the Starjammers.
The Inner Circle in the series is based on what group from the X-Men comics?
The Inner Circle was a secretive and highly influential cabal of mutants who were very, very wealthy, but always wanted more. Specifically, they wanted power. When they captured the amnesiac Jean Grey who was possessed by the nearly all-powerful Phoenix entity, they became not only one of the most powerful groups on Earth, but in the galaxy. Naturally, this all came tumbling down when Emma Frost became jealous and the Phoenix began seeing through the group's illusions and lies. To say her wrath was biblical (for a kid's TV show) was an understatement.
What happened to Iceman?
Iceman has had a strange history in Marvel, not only because everyone confuses him with Silver Surfer. His role in Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends certainly didn't help anything, and recent developments in the comics have only confused his long-term fanbase further. In the 1992 cartoon series, however, Iceman was an afterthought. He only ever appeared once and wasn't even in the series finale when Xavier died. The series was often hampered by lousy animation which affected what stories were produced, so it's possible that the complicated backstory Iceman had in the series was meant to be explored, but unfortunately never was.
What was the name of Jean Grey's cat?
Given that she was later given the fiery power of the Phoenix and the punishment she was to receive for using it, what Jean Grey named her cat is fitting. During the Dark Phoenix Saga, Jean had just wiped the floor with the Inner Circle and the X-Men but was fighting the entity's influence. She reverted back to her teenage self and decided to go home and spend some time with her cat. Cyclops arrived to calm her down. As one would imagine, the scene was merely the two of them yelling each other's names back and forth.
Which one of Wolverine's love interests joined the Reavers and tried to kill him?
To be fair, it seemed everyone in Wolverine's life has tried to kill him at some point. Wolverine seems to only have interests in two types of women: redheads who will never reciprocate his feelings (Jean Grey, Heather McNeil) or women who have a psychotic break and attempt to murder him. It's tragic, but at least it's consistent. And at least in the show, none of these women were killed by Sabretooth. The woman in question here was arguably the love of Logan's life. They were going to live happily ever after until Wolverine accidentally killed her father in his Weapon X rampage. Oops.
Which Marvel character cameoed on the cover of a video game?
This Marvel character appeared on the cover of a video game called "Assassin." Oddly enough, we did actually see the real character in action in a brief cameo later on in the series. Not having him team up or fight against the X-Man would have been exciting considering he's essentially an army of one. You could call the dual appearances a continuity error, but maybe this character licensed his image to pay for more boot knives, bullets and explosives. Personally, we think he should spend it on a psychiatrist, but who are we to judge?
What was the series originally called?
An original X-Men pilot was created in 1989. To say it was terrible is an understatement. However, it did use the familiar animation we would come to know when the series properly premiered a few years later. In this early version, the X-Men wore their older suits, Kitty Pryde had a large role, and, for reasons we can't fathom (or eerily accurate premonitions), Wolverine was Australian. However, the DNA for a good show was there, so television producer Margaret Loesch had it retooled. Strangely, Kitty Pryde was nixed from the show for being too obnoxious and whiny only to be replaced by Jubilee, who was obnoxious and whiny.