X-men Evolution Mutants Rising
Geri Cutcher
X-Men: Evolution is an American animated television series based on the superhero series X-Men published by Marvel Comics.[1] Taking inspiration from the early issues of the original comics, the series portrays the X-Men as teenagers rather than adults, following their struggle to control their mutant powers as they face various threats.[2] X-Men: Evolution ran for a total of four seasons, comprising 52 episodes in total, from November 4, 2000, to October 25, 2003, on Kids' WB, making it the third longest-running Marvel Comics animated series at the time, behind Fox Kids' X-Men and Spider-Man. The series later aired on Disney XD from June 15, 2009, to December 30, 2011.
Produced in the United States, the voice recording was done in Canada; and the show was animated in Japan and South Korea. The series was distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution during its original run and is currently distributed by Disney Platform Distribution in the United States.
The first season introduces the core characters of the series. The titular team, founded by Professor Charles Xavier, competes with Mystique to recruit young mutants with newly discovered superpowers to their cause. At the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, the teenage X-Men are taught by Xavier, Wolverine, and Storm to control their abilities and keep them hidden from the rest of society whilst attending high school in Bayville, New York.[3] Their ranks grow over the course of the season and ultimately include Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Spyke, and Rogue, who is initially manipulated into joining Mystique's Brotherhood of Bayville.
While the X-Men teach their recruits to exercise restraint and uphold responsibility, Mystique encourages the Brotherhood to recklessly use their powers for selfish gain. The juvenile delinquents inducted into the Brotherhood consist of Avalanche, Toad, Blob, and Quicksilver. The mastermind behind Mystique and the Brotherhood is eventually revealed to be Magneto, a shadowy and mysterious figure from Xavier's past who seeks to enable mutants to replace humans as the dominant species on the planet. Nightcrawler also learns that he is Mystique's biological son, who was lost to her long ago due to Magneto's interference.
Season two focuses on the continuing conflict between the X-Men, Magneto, and Mystique. Beast joins the X-Men as a teacher as a cohort of new mutants are added to their ranks, including Iceman, Magma, Jubilee, Cannonball, Berzerker, Multiple, Sunspot, Wolfsbane, and Boom Boom, who soon leaves the team and becomes a neutral character. The season also introduces Angel, who uses his powers to help people independently but chooses not to join the X-Men.
The X-Men are faced with several threats: Mystique strikes off with the Brotherhood and recruits the Scarlet Witch, Magneto's abandoned daughter and Quicksilver's sister, to seek revenge; Mesmero plots to free the ancient mutant Apocalypse; and Magneto forms a new group of mutant followers called the Acolytes, comprising Sabretooth, Gambit, Pyro, and Colossus. The existence of mutants is ultimately revealed to the world when Magneto pits the X-Men and the Brotherhood against Bolivar Trask's anti-mutant weapon, the Sentinel. The X-Men discover that Mystique has been posing as Xavier, who is now missing.
Season three focuses on the rising tension and hostility between mutants and humans. After Xavier is found and rescued, the X-Men attempt to rebuild their normal lives in Bayville and continue using their powers for good, though they face public scrutiny and discrimination from the other students at school.
The X-Men are forced to contend with numerous personal struggles: Cyclops is abducted and left for dead by Mystique; Spyke leaves the team to join the sewer-dwelling Morlocks when his mutation rapidly advances; Nightcrawler overcomes his insecurities about his appearance; Rogue learns that Mystique is her adoptive mother and loses control of her powers; and Wolverine discovers that he has a teenage clone called X-23, who was created by HYDRA to be trained and used as a weapon.
Meanwhile, Magneto enlists Mastermind to alter Scarlet Witch's memories to end her vendetta against him; and Mesmero manipulates Mystique and hypnotizes Rogue into helping him resurrect Apocalypse, who defeats the combined forces of the X-Men, the Brotherhood, and the Acolytes.[4]
Season four focuses on the aftermath of the X-Men's failed attempt to prevent Apocalypse's revival. The Brotherhood try their hand at heroism, only for their selfish tendencies to prevail; Wolverine and X-23 work together to bring down HYDRA; Xavier confronts his estranged son David; Spyke and the Morlocks begin fighting back against human prejudice; Shadowcat befriends Danielle Moonstar; and Rogue pushes Mystique's petrified statue off a cliff, creating a rift between her and Nightcrawler, which causes her to seek redemption by helping Gambit to rescue his father.
Apocalypse captures and transforms Xavier, Storm, Magneto, and Mystique into his Four Horsemen as he attempts to turn the human population into mutants. During the final battle, the X-Men and their allies defeat the Horsemen, who are returned to normal, while Rogue absorbs the powers of Dorian Leach to neutralize Apocalypse and trap him in his tomb forever. In the aftermath, Rogue and Nightcrawler rebuff Mystique's attempt to make amends; Magneto reconciles with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch; Shadowcat and Avalanche rekindle their relationship; Spyke reconnects with his aunt Storm; and Xavier sees his students reunited as the X-Men.
The theme and score for X-Men: Evolution was composed and produced by William Kevin Anderson. Several characters had distinct musical cues, including Avalanche (heavy guitar riffs), Storm (orchestra piece), and Apocalypse (Egyptian music). Others had special sound effects. These include Jean Grey (light chime noise), Sabretooth (roaring), Rogue (also has a unique, black and white special effect), Magneto, Gambit, Shadowcat, and Nightcrawler. The main theme song was recorded by Anderson.
The original working title of the show while in production was Children of the Atom, a reference to the X-Men comic book in circulation. However, this was scrapped as the network did not want the title to reference children.[5]One of the main points of the new X-Men: Evolution concept was the design of the new costumes. Early concept art sketches show the X-Men in classic gold-and-black garb. In these drafts, Spyke wears cornrows, Rogue's outfit exposes her midriff, and Jean Grey's costume is the female version of Cyclops' costume. Both Jean Grey and Shadowcat wear face masks, and Kitty is also wearing an orange miniskirt and Doc Martens over spandex. Early Storm drawings show her wearing white rather than black.[citation needed]
A point of controversy was the design of the blue-skinned villain Mystique. Steven E. Gordon, the character designer and director of various episodes, was never impressed with the Mystique designs for the first season. Mystique was originally to be presented as nude (as in the films), but Warner Brothers did not want this included in a Kids' WB! production.[6] However, a short scene of Mystique drawn to resemble her film counterpart (albeit clothed) appears in the Season 1 finale. Gordon stopped directing after two seasons, but continued to design characters for the show. He is most satisfied with the designs of Rogue and Wanda.[6]
The show also contained various pop culture references: in episode 9 of the first season, one of Wolverine's defensive programs for the Danger Room is referred to as "Logan's Run X13", a clear reference to the novel/film Logan's Run. The Rogue/Kitty dance in "Spykecam" was modeled after a similar dance in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Bad Girls".[7] The play used in the first-season episode "Spykecam", Dracula: The Musical, is a real play. The song used, however, is an original song made for the episode. The writers of the show have also admitted that they were fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Using Shadowcat as the catalyst, the two shows appear similar: a teenage girl with superpowers fights powerful villains in order to save her high school.[7] Buffy creator Joss Whedon has openly credited his inspiration for Buffy as Kitty Pryde.[8]
Produced in the United States, the voice recording was done in Canada and the show was animated in Japan and South Korea. Most of the animation was outsourced to Madhouse, Mook Animation in Japan, DR Movie, and WHITE LINE in South Korea.
While no official statement has come down on why the show ended after season 4, the show's co-producer, Robert N. Skir, has stated that it most likely came down to WB wanting show changes as well as business strategy moves with Nickelodeon in 2003.[9]
The show gave birth to a new series, Wolverine and the X-Men, which began airing in November 2009. It was not a continuation of X-Men: Evolution, though the same creative team was behind the show: Craig Kyle, Chris Yost, Steven E. Gordon, Greg Johnson and Boyd Kirkland all returned to work on the series.
Noting the show's treatment of its characters, specifically making them high school teenagers for thematic purposes as "admirable," John G. Nettles of PopMatters concluded, "What disappoints, however, is the sheer number of missed opportunities here and the decision to subscribe to the same old social norms."[13] Reviewing X-Men: Evolution's third season, Filip Vukcevic of IGN was mixed in his analysis, deeming it inferior to X-Men: The Animated Series and concluding, "Evolution ... will interest long-time X-fans, but the fluffy stories and underutilized character personalities ... will cause discerning viewers to zone out," suffering from its attempt "to cram everyone in." Additionally, the author felt that Evolution lacks the "visual flair" of The Batman and the "wit" of Teen Titans. The author also panned the series' "average" voice acting, feeling that Magneto, Wolverine and Beast were "miscast." He also noted that combined with "inventive gags," "the show does its best to make the most of the mutants' powers" because "The fight scenes are fun to watch if only to see how the characters interact."[14]
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