Chapter 6: Pryde of the X-Men
Total Episodes: 1
Episode Length: 22 minutes
First Air Date: September 16, 1989
Final Air Date: September 16, 1989
Day(s) Aired: Saturday
Channel: Syndication
Reboot/Spin-Off Data: First X-Men Cartoon to Air
Based On: Marvel Comics
Creator: N/A
Developed By: N/A
Producer: Rick Hoberg, Will Meugniot & Larry Houstan
Director: Ray Lee
Voice Director: Stu Rosen
Writer(s): Larry Parr
Music: Robert J. Walsh
Production Companies: Marvel Productions
Component or Standalone: Component of the Marvel Action Universe Syndicated Block
What Came First?:
* Comic Books: 1963
* Cartoon: 1989
* Video Games: 1989, 1990, 1992
* Graphic Novel: 1990
Episode List: (Click HERE for Episode Guide)
Episode 1: Pryde of the X-Men
Main Cast:
Professor Xavier: John Stephenson
Cyclops: Michael Bell
Storm: Andi Chapman
Wolverine: Patrick Pinney
Colossus: Dan Gilvezan
Dazzler: Alexandra Stoddart
Nightcrawler: Neil Ross
Kitty Pryde: Kath Soucie
Magneto: Earl Boen
Juggernaut: Ronald Gans
White Queen: Susan Silo
Pyro: Pat Fraley
Toad & Lockheed: Frank Welker
Blob & Colonel Jaffey: Alan Oppenheimer
Synopsis
This series introduced the world to Marvel’s X-Men in cartoon form. With an opening introduction voice-over performed by Stan Lee himself we are introduced to the world of Mutants. Some, which use their mutant powers for good, like the X-men, and others, like the Terrorist Mutants who instead plan to destroy the human race.
The Terrorist Mutants are led by Magneto who breaks out of containment early in the episode to lead his group against the X-Men. The Terrorist Mutants in this series consists of, Magneto, White Queen, Juggernaut, Pyro, Toad and Blob.
The X-Men who make appearances here are, Professor Xavier, Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Dazzler, Nightcrawler and the new recruit, Kitty Pryde. We see Kitty Pryde introduced to the X-Men and their facilities early on as she tries to cope with her new found identity as well as her super power, which is that she can phase through solid matter.
The Terrorist Mutants wage efforts on multiple fronts, effectively splitting up the X-Men. Blob and Pyro go on a mission to obtain tracking coordinates for a comet that is near Earth while Juggernaut and Magneto break into X-Mansion to steal Cerebro (Xavier’s mutant tracking device). Xavier uses his superpower of reading people’s minds to learn of Magneto’s plan and what ensues is a race to save Earth from the incoming comet.
The mission allows us to see some isolated encounters between the rival mutants. Storm covers the breach the X-Men blow into Asteroid M, Dazzler takes on Pyro, Wolverine traps Toad, Colossus battles Juggernaut, and Cyclops confronts White Queen. That leaves Nightcrawler to face-off against Magneto.
Kitty Pryde, secretly stows away on the mission and in the end, saves the day by catching Magneto by surprise and using his power to re-direct the Coment. Nightcrawler serves a crucial role in the mission that seemingly costs him his life. In the end, however he is able to teleport out of danger just in the knick of time.
Setting up what was suppose to be a longer series, we are reminded at the end by Wolverine that Kitty Pryde has much training and learning to do before she could ever be, an X-Men.
Overall Breakdown:
This series serves just like most pilots of cartoon series, especially action cartoons. It sets the table by introducing the main characters on each side along with their powers as well as building the universe in which they will face-off. For the time, the animation by Toei fits in perfectly as audiences had grown accustomed to their style through the likes of Transformers and G.I. Joe. The story itself is well constructed for all of the groundwork it is tasked with laying down.
They employed a who’s who of 80s voice actors although perhaps the voice direction could have been handled a little better. Giving Wolverine an Australian accent (not Irish like Hal Erickson claims in his book) was even more jarring then it reads. John Stephenson is perfect as Xavier, as is Michael Bell as Cyclops, Neil Ross as Nightcrawler, Pat Fraley as Pyro and Earl Boen as Magneto. Giving the main role of Kitty Pryde to the illustrious Kath Soucie was also a very wise choice.
Although some of the transitions are clunky throughout, I appreciate the efforts made to isolate the various characters which allows the viewers to get an understanding and feel for each. Surely, this would have paid off in future episodes, had they been allowed to produce any.
Pryde of the X-Men serves as an interesting series overall. It lays some of the groundwork that would be greatly expanded upon throughout the next decade while giving us a glimpse of what those cartoons may have looked and felt like had they existed within the 1980s. The potential for a decent series was there, although when you only get a pilot, that potential gets very difficult to judge.
Overall Show Score: 3/5
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