Before we had X-Men: The Animated Series, there was Pryde of the X-Men. I remember hearing about this and finding it online years ago. No, thanks to AI Upscale, you can check out what is the best source available of this original X-Men pilot.
In 1989, Marvel made an initial attempt at creating an X-Men cartoon series with “Pryde of the X-Men,” before the well-known “X-Men: The Animated Series” of the ’90s. The pilot episode was produced but never developed further. Created by the Japanese animation studio Toei, known for their work on Dragon Ball Z, the story revolved around Kitty Pryde, a young mutant discovering her powers of phasing through objects. Professor Charles Xavier invites her to his school for gifted mutants, where she meets iconic characters like Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Dazzler, forming the X-Men team.
The antagonist, Magneto, and his Brotherhood of Mutants aimed to divert a comet to cause chaos and facilitate mutant domination. The X-Men, led by Kitty, battled against the Brotherhood to thwart Magneto’s plan. Despite its potential, the series never materialized, although many fans believe its animation and art style surpassed the eventual “X-Men: The Animated Series.” Notably, this version depicted Wolverine with an Australian accent, a departure from his traditional Canadian background.
The pilot, intended to launch a 65-episode syndicated series, aired in 1989 and was released on VHS but was never picked up. However, it laid the groundwork for the popular X-Men arcade game by Konami. Despite this pilot’s fate, the early 1990s saw the immense success of “X-Men: The Animated Series,” introducing countless children to the captivating world of the X-Men.
