How to End A Series?: X-Men- The Animated Series (1992-1996)

 Everyone- myself included- is excited to see more X-Men of the Animated variety.

However, as important as the continuation of the series is, we should also remember how it last ended back in 1996.

Let me break out my 'Last Season of a Show' DVD Pile (which includes TMNT and Smallville) to see their...

At the UN, Heny Peter Gyrich (looking different now) is calling for a Law to lock up all Mutants!

Professor Xavier (alongside Wolverine, Cyclops and Beast- in his hat and coat disguise) is arguing against him...by just kind of hovering up onto stage.

He activates an 'energy disruptor,' which sets off Xavier's powers (revealing him publicly as a Mutant) and causing vague, life-threatening harm.

The way it turns on his powers reminds me of how they did this better in Logan (with Xavier's literal brain failing him).

Wolverine thinks he's dead to send us to commercials, but he's wrong.

Xavier is, however, dying.  Again- I'm not sure why.

Beast thinks that they can call Lilandra (of the futuristic Shi'ar Empire) to help, but only Xavier can call her.

Thankfully, Morph- last seen going into self-imposed exile- is here to make Xavier look alive, temporarily preserving Mutant peace.

Wolverine, Cyclops and Jean Grey go to Genosha (which also looks different and cheap) to stop Magneto from uniting an army of angry Mutants.

In Comic Book Cliche #14, the Jet is blown up one last time and they sneak in.

Oh and ignore the News Report about how Mutants now occupy Tehran, Iran, a City in Mexico and, most randomly, Duluth, Minnesota!

They briefly fight Magneto, but soon reveal the truth.

During said fight, Jean's telekinetic blast is briefly amplified by Magneto's powers (just go with it!), so they realize that he can jump-start Xavier like an old car to call Lilandra.

In fairness to the Episode, the late David Hemblem gives a great, Shakespearean monologue about how he's about to achieve his 'victory,' but now must abandon it to save his friend.

The plan works, but Xavier still gives his sad, sendoff all the same.  

Poor Storm- who has no lines- at least gets a nice bit of praise.

Was their plan too late?

No, of course not!

Deus Ex Shi'ar arrive to save Xavier, but they say that he must be with them to live.

They act like this is a final good-bye for Xavier- which is odd to me.

Then again, I don't see mention of Xavier in any of the X-Men '97 materials, so...maybe?

The (odd) End.

An unfortunate, but also oddly fitting Ending for this Show.  There's a Story here.

The short version- Saban ordered 11 more Episodes last minute, despite the Show's clear ending being made.  Unfortunately, Marvel was going through bankruptcy and the usual Animation Studio took on other clients (since they too thought that the Show was over).  

As such, they farmed it out to a different Studio on the cheap, making this Finale look like, well, someone else trying to animate the Show...with one arm tied behind their back.

The plan was to end the Show with Apocalypse's big, insane plan and everyone saves the day.
The actual end involves a final villain of Gyrich (not Sinister or Apocalypse or even Mesmero!) nearly killing the Professor.

There are some decent attempts to milk drama from this, mostly done by the Voice Cast.  Norm Spencer should also get some praise for his work, as should Cedric Smith.  It's just a shame that the final Ending- like Ninja Turtles- is pretty meh.

Then again, they still went out fighting the big bad and, not, say, The Ratcatcher!  They also didn't kill off Splinter- that happened like two Series' later.

There's promise in this one, to be fair, but it also kind of sucks.  It just looks and feels cheap, kind of like these random mutants (although this version of Sunfire wasn't 'so racist' that it got cut from Disney +)...

A fitting end to the Show...if you consider how it was suddenly yanked back into action with less money and cheap Animation.  

I don't blame the Animators- I blame Saban making one last cash grab.