“X-Men: The Animated Series” Review – Night Of The Sentinels Part One
Welcome to the off-season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where I have decided to take a journey into my childhood and relive the glory that is X-Men: The Animated Series.
When these came out on DVD in 2009, I was over the moon. These were my gateway into the Marvel universe and I still love them dearly… even if they may not have aged quite so well. So please join me in my nostalgic state while we go through these in a format you may recognize!
Not-So-Short Summary: Remember when the voice of Jean Grey was the voice of every single news broadcaster? We get a report of Sabretooth wrecking havoc downtown while Jubilee’s (foster?) parents talk about registering her.
Jubilee is my least favorite character on this cartoon. She doesn’t really do anything, and her powers are literally just sparklers and nothing more; they’re better than that in the comics. Why do the Sentinels want her?!
Jubliee has fled to the arcade in the mall and when she leaves after destroying one of the machines, she runs into Storm and Rogue. Gambit is in a nearby shop, buying six packs of cards, which isn’t suspicious at all. He has uttered three words and already the female cashier is fawning over him and his Cajun accent.
Introduction of mutants aside, Jubilee is hanging upside down from the sentinel’s hand when Storm and Rogue come to the rescue. Who knew Storm could change her outfit just by using lightning?!
The sentinel shoots Rogue and Storm away and Jubilee takes off running, only to find Cyclops outside ready to catch her as she faints.
Pan to the Xavier Institute where Jubilee wakes up and fries the nearby computer. She sneaks out of the room and we get introductions of more mutants. Beast. Morph. Professor X. Jean Grey. Wolverine.
Our first look at the Danger Room! Gambit and Wolverine are going through their simulation. Storm takes Jubilee under her wing for a little while to give Jubilee the quick run-through of what a mutant is and what the school is for.
Cue Jubilee leaving the school grounds and immediately stumbling upon a couple of sentinels. They take her away and it’s up to Storm, Wolverine, Beast, and Morph to get her back.
Rogue gives a little speech as they arrive on the scene, talking about her first kiss with a boy when she was thirteen and put him into a coma, much like the beginning of the first X-Men film. Of course Wolverine shows up after exploding at Cyclops and saying he does what he wants.
Wolverine, Beast, Morph, and Storm break into the compound. Wolverine can smell the infrared spectrum. Our mutant crew makes it to the other side of the hallway and go to open the door into a room full of armed and ready guards and BAM! Fade to black! End of episode!
Best One-Liner: “Look what she did to the VCR just by touching it!” That poor new age technology! How will they afford to replace it?
Badass Moment of the Week: When Professor X discovers Jubilee has left her room and orders a Code 3 to the entire institute, freaking her out. Isn’t that a little overkill, Professor? Aren’t you supposed to be welcoming and inviting?
The theme music still makes my heart soar every time I hear it. I can’t quite explain how pivotal this cartoon was to my childhood. My brothers and I would play X-Men, whether it was pretend or with our action figures (we had the Blackbird that was awesome. Also a giant sentinel that shot nerf darts. Oh and a giant Apocalypse. My brother just pulled a bunch out because of the Days of Future Past movie). I always wanted to be Rogue, mostly because she has my hair color and also she gets Gambit.
Speaking of the Cajun, I forgot that he likes to refer to himself in the third person, but only sometimes. Of course, everyone’s outfits are horribly Nineties.
Rogue’s comment to Cyclops: “You look nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.” Please give me more clichéd southern statements.
There’s a great article over at Vulture talking to the writers of X-Men: The Animated Series. It’s an interesting read, especially for someone like me who made sure I was planted in front of the television before every episode aired (it’s the only reason I watched Power Rangers, because Power Rangers was on right before X-Men, at least the repeats that played during the week).
Join me next week when we cover Part 2 of “Night Of The Sentinels” and open every single episode with Cyclops’s voice saying, “Previously on X-Men!”