Summary
X-Men: The Animated Series' near-cancelation will change how a major Marvel villain is perceived.X-Men: The Animated Seriesis one of the most popular iterations of the titular team outside of Marvel Comics and began in 1992. DespiteX-Men: The Animated Seriesbeing originally canceledin 1997 after season 5, its popularity will continue to serve as the basis forupcoming Marvel TV showsafter its revival withX-Men ‘97.
X-Men ‘97season 2’s storywill continue the characters established inX-Men: The Animated Seriesjust as season 1 did. This essentially means thatX-Men: The Animated Serieswas not canceled in 1997, but instead placed on an almost two-decade-long hiatus. That said,X-Men: The Animated Seriesdid have a notable near-miss regarding cancelation after its debut season, which changes the way a classic villain from the show is perceived.
10 Biggest Ways X-Men ‘97 Is Different To X-Men: The Animated Series
While many aspects of X-Men: The Animated Series Have been perfectly preserved in X-Men ’97, there are some notable changes to modernize the show.
X-Men: The Animated Series Season 1’s Nearly-Missed Cancelation Changes A Season 2 Villain
X-Men’s Near-Cancelation Changes The Villainous Character Of Mojo
Given thatX-Menwas almost canceled after season 1, the inclusion of Mojo in season 2 has a different meaning altogether. Mojo is a villain who appears multiple times throughoutX-Men: The Animated Seriesand evenX-Men ‘97and riffs on the idea of corporate TV. Mojo is from a universe called Mojoverse that is essentially a giant TV empire, with the villain at its head.
Mojo appeared in season 2, episode 11, and season 5, episode 5 of the original X-Men show, as well as season 1, episode 4 of X-Men ‘97.
Mojo is first introduced inX-Men: The Animated Seriesseason 2. Originally,X-Menwas expected to fail, and the crew for season 1 was let go before subsequently being brought back after its popularity. Mojo then appeared as an evil, ratings-obsessed TV empire mogul in season 2 and terrorized the X-Men, making his perception change completely. While Mojo has been a character in Marvel Comics since the 1980s and this connection was probably not intentional by the creators ofX-Men: The Animated Series, the added context of the show’s near-cancelation may change how audiences see the villain.
Why Mojo Is Often A Meta Marvel Villain
Mojo’s Nature Makes Him An Allegory For Modern Media
As alluded to, Mojo’s inclusion inX-Men: The Animated Seriesseason 2 was likely not an intentional dig at the show almost being canceled. Instead, Mojo has often served as a way for Marvel properties to explore the nature of modern media in a meta storyline. InX-Menseason 2, Mojo’s TV empire was losing ratings, leading him to kidnap the X-Men and make them endure dangerous tasks in the name of entertainment, thus increasing Mojoverse’s popularity.
Interestingly, this meta exploration continued with Mojo’s appearance inX-Men ‘97.Smartly, the writers for the show’s reboot understood that in the late 90s, video games were becoming increasingly popular. This is why Mojo appears, not as a TV mogul, but as an aspiring video game connoisseur inX-Men ‘97. This changed Mojoverse to Motendo, allowing for more meta commentary on the state of media, building on the same thematic elements Mojo explored inX-Men: The Animated Series.
X-Men: The Animated Series
Cast
X-Men: The Animated Series is a television show based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The series, which aired from 1992 to 1997, follows the adventures of a team of mutant superheroes, led by Professor Charles Xavier, as they fight for peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants in a world filled with prejudice and fear.
