10 Best X-Men: The Animated Series Episodes

1. Night Of The Sentinels

For a number of fans, 'Night of the Sentinels' was their first taste of the X-Men, and this two-parter takes that responsibility on without a single misstep.

Rather than giving viewers a standalone, light-hearted introduction to the concept, 'Night of the Sentinels' is instead a fairly dark tale that sees the team suffer a major loss. Starting with Jubilee's gradual discovery of, and horror at, her own powers, the story soon throws viewers right into the action. Within the first twenty minutes, we see Storm, Gambit, and Rogue battling Sentinels, the X-Men infiltrating a base, and get a feel for the team's diverse personalities.

Things promptly go wrong, however, and the second episode deals with the fallout. A few mistakes here and there lead to the (supposed) death of one team-member, while Beast ends up captured. This allows the writers to show the different mindsets of Cyclops and Wolverine (a major thread in the series and the comics), and makes it all the more gripping when the team eventually kiss and make up to rescue Jubilee in the big finale.

As opening episodes to an animated series go, 'Night of the Sentinels' is one of the strongest ever, establishing the world, the characters, and the central conflict with economy and thrills aplenty.