History WesternAnimation / XMenEvolution

The second major attempt at bringing the ''X-Men'' franchise to television (the third if you count [[WesternAnimation/PrydeOfTheXMen the unproduced 1989 pilot]]), the series functions as a franchise reboot, taking place in a significantly reimagined version of the Marvel Universe. In stark contrast to most previous versions of the franchise, most of the famous mutants are depicted as [[AgeLift teenagers]]--and in a notable departure from the comics, they attend an ordinary local high school in addition to living at the Xavier Institute, where they hone their powers under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier. The show also relocates the story's setting from Westchester County (located in upstate New York) to Bayville, a middle-class suburban community in Long Island.[[note]] This may have been intended to make the characters more relatable to the average viewer, since the Westchester County town of Salem Center (where the X-Men live in the comics) is upper-class in the real world.[[/note]]

While the previous (very popular) animated ''X-Men'' adaptation ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' devoted a lot of effort to condensing the mythology of [[ComicBook/XMen the long-running comics]], the creative team behind this series elected to put their own spin on the source material in hopes of making the series more appealing to people unfamiliar with the comics. Compared to its predecessor, the series is far more character-driven: time visibly passes during the series, and much attention is given to the kids' development. Many episodes also don't have a villain, instead focusing on the kids having various misadventures.

The show was partly made to take advantage of the resurgence of interest in the ''X-Men'' comics sparked by Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox's [[Film/XMen1 live-action movie]], which hit theaters just a few months before the series began. Although it's not an official tie-in, it does take a few noticeable cues from the movie series. Among other things: Professor Xavier is depicted with a British accent, ComicBook/{{Rogue}} is depicted as a teenage {{audience surrogate}} whose PowerCopying is given more focus, ComicBook/{{Mystique}} and ComicBook/{{Sabretooth}} are both portrayed as minions of ComicBook/{{Magneto}} (Sabretooth sports a long-haired appearance likely modeled on Tyler Mane's portrayal) and [[MovieSuperheroesWearBlack the costumes take more advantage of black colors]].

The early seasons of the show largely focus on the day-to-day struggles of the X-Men as they attempt to balance the trials and tribulations of high school with controlling their powers and dealing with different clubs, cliques and gangs, which may or may not be mutant related. Around Season 3, however, numerous plot turns eventually result in [[BrokenMasquerade the existence of mutants being revealed to the world]], forcing the characters to tackle the franchise's traditional themes of prejudice and government persecution head-on.

While the central concept of portraying the X-Men as {{Ordinary High School Student}}s might ''sound'' like a simple gimmick, it has some surprisingly far-reaching implications for the plot and characters. Of note: in contrast to the posh {{boarding school}} of the comics, the show's portrayal of the Xavier Institute is closer to a group home for people with special needs and [[WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld they attend the Bayville public high school]], considerably downplaying the elements of {{escapism}} at the heart of the comics. Since the X-Men attend an ordinary public school alongside human students, [[TheMasquerade who at first don't even know mutants exist]], they're forced to confront prejudice of ordinary people in a more mundane but realistic fashion. Above all: the series is quite up-front about the fact that the X-Men are inexperienced teenagers [[ComingOfAgeStory with a lot of growing up to do]], and they regularly find themselves in over their heads when tangling with bad guys--greatly increasing the tension in every battle. In many aspects it reflects the production and themes of ComicBook/UltimateMarvel, which came out around the same time.

The show has the distinction of introducing ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s younger female clone ComicBook/{{X 23}}, who proved to be popular enough that [[CanonImmigrant she was later introduced to the comics]] (eventually making her live-action debut in ''Film/{{Logan}}''). It also broke with previous ''X-Men'' works by portraying the Brotherhood of Mutants as a group of JerkWithAHeartOfGold street kids rather than a gang of murderous terrorists. And since it was the first ''X-Men'' adaptation since the OneHitWonder that was ''WesternAnimation/PrydeOfTheXMen'' to include ComicBook/KittyPryde and ComicBook/{{Nightcrawler}} in the main cast (Kitty was AdaptedOut of the '90s animated series, and Kurt [[RecurringCharacter only appeared in a few episodes]]), it introduced both characters to many non-comic book readers.

** Spyke also inspired two similar characters: Spike from ''Comicbook/XForce'' and David Evan Munroe, Storm's canonical nephew. The former even appeared in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand''.

* DisproportionateRetribution: A harmless version in the ChristmasEpisode had Spyke and his father throw a couple of snowballs at ComicBook/{{Storm}} (with poor accuracy). Storm logically responds by creating a small snowstorm to show them why one should never pick a snowball fight with someone who can control the weather.

** "On Angel's Wings" gives us a brief glimpse of Warren reading a [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Daily Bugle]] newspaper, as well as a [[Comicbook/IronMan Stark Industries]] building. Might be a MythologyGag, considering pretty much 90% of the major Franchise/MarvelUniverse players are based in New York City.

** To a lesser degree, Cyclops in "Blind Alley", when he took on Mystique ''with his eyes closed'', Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} style.

* SuperWeight:
** Type 0: Most Bayville High Students, Duncan Matthews, Principal Kelly
** Type 1: Nick Fury, SHIELD Agents, Bolivar Trask, Madame Hydra
** Type 2: Shadowcat, Spyke, Wolverine, X-23, Sabretooth, Gambit, Beast, Multiple, Nightcrawler, Toad, Leech, Rogue (default), Destiny, Forge, Callisto, Facade, Torpid, Lucid, Caliban, Gauntlet, Pyro, Agatha Harkness, Wolfsbane, Angel
** Type 3: Jean Grey, Cyclops, Magma, Iceman, Sunspot, Berzerker, Quicksilver, Blob, Avalanche, Mystique, Colossus, Mastermind, the Spider Stone, Mesmero, Omega Red
** Type 4: Magneto, Professor X, Storm, Scarlet Witch, Juggernaut, the Sentinel, Legion
** Type 5: Rogue with every power she's ever absorbed, Professor X/Jean Grey with Cerebro, the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, Apocalypse, [[spoiler:Jean Grey in the future as Phoenix]].

%%* HeroesWantRedheads: Jean is very popular.

** Lance Alvers. Alvers Lance. Alverslance. Avalanche. Did they change his name JustForPun?

* SnowballingThreat: ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'': Rogue has the ability to absorb other mutants' powers through skin contact. As she gradually accumulates more abilities, she becomes an unstoppable force that nobody manages to contain. In her debut, it happens by accident, and she does it again later while undergoing PowerIncontinence. Near the end of the series, [[spoiler: she does it again under mind control. First copying her friends' abilities while they are asleep, and using those powers to steal even more powers afterwards.]]

The show was partly made to take advantage of the resurgence of interest in the ''X-Men'' comics sparked by Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox's [[Film/XMen1 live-action movie]], which hit theaters just a few months before the series began. Although it's not an official tie-in, it does take a few noticeable cues from the movie series. Among other things: Professor Xavier is depicted with a British accent, ComicBook/{{Rogue}} is depicted as a teenage {{audience surrogate}} who only has energy absorption powers, ComicBook/{{Mystique}} and ComicBook/{{Sabretooth}} are both portrayed as minions of ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, and Sabretooth sports a long-haired appearance likely modeled on Tyler Mane's portrayal.

The early seasons of the show largely focus on the day-to-day struggles of the X-Men as they attempt to balance the trials and tribulations of high school with learning to use their powers and [[TheMasquerade keeping the existence of mutants a secret]]. Around Season 3, however, numerous plot turns eventually result in [[BrokenMasquerade the existence of mutants being revealed to the world]], forcing the characters to tackle the franchise's traditional themes of prejudice and government persecution head-on.

While the central concept of portraying the X-Men as {{Ordinary High School Student}}s might ''sound'' like a simple gimmick, it has some surprisingly far-reaching implications for the plot and characters. Of note: in contrast to the posh {{boarding school}} of the comics, the show's portrayal of the Xavier Institute is closer to a group home for people with special needs, considerably downplaying the elements of {{escapism}} at the heart of the comics. Since the X-Men attend an ordinary public school alongside human students (who aren't always accepting of mutants), they're forced to confront the prejudice of ordinary people far more frequently than they ever did in the comics. Above all: the series is quite up-front about the fact that the X-Men are inexperienced teenagers [[ComingOfAgeStory with a lot of growing up to do]], and they regularly find themselves in over their heads when tangling with bad guys--greatly increasing the tension in every battle.

* CoolLoser: In the tie-in comics based on the show, people refer to the Xavier kids as freaks or make a deal about how 'weird' they are...despite the fact that Jean is shown to be VERY popular in the actual TV series, and Scott and Kurt, while not shown as particularly popular, are shown to be very good at [[NiceGuy making girls dig them]]. While it's once mentioned that Jean is considered 'Ok', and someone makes reference to having a crush on Scott, it really comes off as weird that it's made into a minor plot point despite it never coming up in the series... until TheReveal, but the comics are based before that happening.

''X-Men: Evolution'' (2000-2003) is an animated television adaptation of Creator/MarvelComics' popular long-running ''Franchise/XMen'' comics, which initially aired on Creator/TheWB in [[TurnOfTheMillennium the early 2000s]] as part of their Creator/KidsWB programming block.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Anti-Mutant hysteria, obviously; it's '''Franchise/XMen'''. Though it doesn't start until the end of Season 2, beginning of Season 3 and forward.

* BigDamPlot: In the episode "The Stuff of Heroes", the X-Men have to stop {{The Juggernaut}} from destroying a dam.

** Another example is the first episode featuring TheJuggernaut. Mystique frees him from his imprisonment, intending for him to kill Xavier while she steals Cerebro. Juggernaut immediately brushes off her offer of a ride to Xavier's in favor of just stomping towards the mansion. After effortlessly demolishing Wolverine and part of the mansion, Mystique proceeds to ''insult him for destroying Cerebro to his face''. This would've very easily have gotten her killed had the X-Men and Brotherhood not teamed up to stop him.

* DavidVersusGoliath: At the start of the show's third season when the X-Men go to stop The Juggernaut, who in their previous fight, the most they could do was remove his helmet and allow Xavier to use his PsychicPowers to telepathically knock him out, which they only were able to pull off with the Brotherhood's help. Now they were own their own, with no help, and despite their teamwork, the most they can do is avoid dying till Rogue manages to use her PowerParasite ability to weaken him and then uses his borrowed abilities knock him out.

** All over the place. Calling Cyclops "Slim." Showing the Blob vs. TheJuggernaut onscreen and invoking the Unstoppable vs. Unmovable debate ([[spoiler:moving is better]]). Coming up with an excuse to put the original team together for an episode. The list goes on.

* RevisitingTheRoots: The first two seasons are essentially this for the Franchise/XMen mythos, returning to the original premise of the comics: a HighSchool drama about teenage mutants learning to control their powers while [[ComingOfAgeStory dealing with the typical struggles of growing up]].

** "On Angel's Wings" gives us a brief glimpse of Warren reading a [[Franchise/SpiderMan Daily Bugle]] newspaper, as well as a [[Comicbook/IronMan Stark Industries]] building. Might be a MythologyGag, considering pretty much 90% of the major Franchise/MarvelUniverse players are based in New York City.

* WallCrawl: Nightcrawler and Toad both do this, with Nightcrawler actually called [[Franchise/SpiderMan "Wall-Crawler"]] once.

** "On Angel's Wings" gives us a brief glimpse of Warren reading a [[Franchise/SpiderMan Daily Bugle]] newspaper, as well as a [[Comicbook/IronMan Stark Industries]] building. Might be a MythologyGag, considering pretty much 90% of the major MarvelUniverse players are based in New York City.

* MarvelUniverse: Earth-3110, according to show creator Robert Skir and character designer/Director Steven E. Gordon. Earth-11052, according to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.