Night of the Sentinels is the inaugural episode of the 1992 animated series X-Men, which played a pivotal role in bringing the X-Men into mainstream popularity. The episode begins with a young mutant, Jubilee, who is targeted by the government’s Mutant Control Agency and its giant robotic Sentinels. As she is pursued, she encounters members of the X-Men, who save her and introduce her to their world. This episode sets the stage for the series by highlighting the themes of prejudice, acceptance, and the struggle for mutant rights, which are central to the X-Men narrative.

The creation of X-Men: The Animated Series was a significant milestone for Marvel. Developed by Saban Entertainment and Graz Entertainment, the series was spearheaded by producers Eric Lewald and Sidney Iwanter, with Larry Houston as the director. The show was notable for its mature storytelling, complex characters, and faithfulness to the comic book source material. It was one of the first animated series to tackle serious social issues, making it stand out from other children’s programming at the time.

Before the animated series, the X-Men were primarily known to comic book readers. The comics, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963, had a dedicated but niche audience. The animated series, however, introduced the X-Men to a broader audience, significantly increasing their popularity. The show’s success helped cement the X-Men as a cultural phenomenon and paved the way for future adaptations, including the highly successful live-action films.

Night of the Sentinels not only introduced viewers to the X-Men but also set a high standard for animated superhero shows. Its impact on popular culture and its role in elevating the X-Men to new heights of fame cannot be overstated. The series remains a beloved classic, remembered for its compelling storytelling and its contribution to the superhero genre.

After watching a news report about a mutant attack leading to rising mutant hatred, Jubilee’s adoptive parents discuss the possibility of sending Jubilee to the Mutant Control Agency. Jubilee overhears this conversation and decides to run away from home. A Sentinel then lands on Jubilee’s street, looking for the young mutant. It breaks the wall into her room but finds that she is not there, leaving Jubilee’s adoptive parents petrified.

Jubilee has gone to the mall to play video games when her powers cause the arcade machine she was playing to break. After being chased out the arcade by the owner and customers, who were angry at her for being a mutant, she runs into two women (who unknown to her are Storm and Rogue of the X-Men), knocking them over. A Sentinel then breaks into the mall. Rogue and Storm reveal themselves and tackle the Sentinel in an attempt to save Jubilee. With an assist from Cyclops and Gambit, Jubilee is saved, but unconscious.

Jubilee wakes up in a hospital bed, in an infirmary room. She manages to escape the room and sees other members of the X-Men, including Beast and Morph. Professor X and Jean Grey are discussing the fight at the mall until Professor X reads Jubilee’s mind and finds out that she is trying to escape. Jubilee accidentally flees into the Danger Room where Gambit and Wolverine are sparring. When Jubilee thinks Wolverine is about to kill Gambit, she fires her sparks at him. Morph and Beast then walk in and calm the situation and Storm brings Jubilee to the roof. There she explains that the mansion they are at is a school for teaching mutants how to use their powers responsibly, Professor X is their leader and the mutants here are part of a team called ‘X-Men’.

Professor X discovers that the Mutant Control Agency had leaked information about Jubilee and that’s how the Sentinel managed to track her. A man, Henry Peter Gyrich, arrives at Jubilee’s parents’ house, questioning them. When Jubilee gets off the bus near her parents’ house she is attacked and defeated by a pair of Sentinels who were tracking her.

Back at the mansion, Professor X is organising an attack on the Mutant Control Agency, to stop more information being leaked, when Jean Grey realises that Jubilee is missing. Wolverine then sets off and tracks Jubilee up to her house, where he hits a dead end. The other X-Men land their plane, the Blackbird, at the Mutant Control Agency’s base. Wolverine, Beast, Storm and Morph are sent inside the base, where they manage to disable the security systems and are about to enter a room where a group of armed guards are waiting for them…

In the opening scene, Sabretooth makes a cameo on the news. The shot is reused in the opening scene of The Phalanx Covenant in season five. Trish Tilby is presenting the news report, but is unnamed.

In the comics, Jubilee’s parents were killed in an car accident that later turned out to be a hit on the wrong family: they had the same surname as the target.

The Sentinels seen in this series are based on the Mark II Sentinels, seen in Uncanny X-Men #57.

Jubilee also shorts out the arcade game she’s playing with her powers in the Generation X TV Movie, played by Heather McComb. In that case however, she’s promptly arrested.

The trip to the mall for Storm and Rogue comes from Jubilee’s first appearance in Uncanny X-Men #244. On that occasion, the women came to Jubilee’s aid when she was being persecuted by anti-mutant ‘hunters.’ When Gateway opened a portal to the X-Men’s base, Jubilee followed them and spent some time hidden in their base. Eventually she rescued Wolverine from the Reavers in #252 and the rest is history.

There are two different voice actresses for Storm. Originally Iona Morris voiced the character, but when unavailable for season 2, Alyson Seeley-Smith took over the role and re-recorded season 1 for continuity purposes.

Storm uses her lightning to activate the unstable molecules of her clothing into her uniform. This is a long standard function of the X-Men uniforms so they adapt to the user’s environment. It’s a feat used by it’s creator, the Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards. She first did this in Uncanny X-Men #97.

When Jubilee is hiding from Charles and Jean, Domino, Cannonball and Magneto can be seen on the news reports playing on the screens. One broadcaster can be heard referring to the ‘Genosha Beach Inn’ from Slave Island.

Xavier used his first hover chair in Uncanny X-Men #167, but the one he uses in this series, and others, is the most memorable and comes from the relaunch in X-Men #1.

Wolverine’s entrance into the series in the Danger Room is one of the most visibly recognisable in the series, and the most memorable. ‘Nuff said!

In Uncanny X-Men #273, Jubilee watched as Gambit and Wolverine skirmished in the Danger Room. The men had never really interacted before this moment and they were slightly hostile to each other. Gambit won the match.

The costumes of the X-Men are all from Chris Claremont and Jim Lee’s X-Men #1, still the highest selling comic book of all time and, on a personal note, this writer’s first comic.

Henry Peter Gyrich first appeared in Avengers #165 as Avengers’ liaison to the Department of Superhuman Activities, but later worked with the government on the Sentinel-creating Project: Wideawake.

Scott Summers, aka Cyclops was the very first X-Man. Jean Grey was Xavier’s first student/patient. He has a father’s affection for both of them. Apart from one panel in Uncanny X-Men #3 that we do not talk about. Ever.

Rogue mentions her father’s anger at her being a mutant, a scene we see in flashback in A Rogue’s Tale.

It’s a testament to this series and its cast that most of us who saw this series still hear these actors in our heads when we read the comic books. The voice cast is second to none. Cal Dodd’s delivery as Logan is superb – “Got bit by a dog too.”

Morph will take out security guards in a similar way in Courage.

AN OPENING TO REMEMBER

The opening credit sequence of X-Men is iconic and instantly recognisable. It begins with a powerful and energetic theme song composed by Ron Wasserman, which sets the tone for the action-packed series. The sequence showcases the main characters, each demonstrating their unique powers.

The animation starts with the X-Men logo, followed by a dramatic introduction of the team members. Cyclops fires his optic blasts, Wolverine extends his claws, and Storm summons lightning. Other characters like Rogue, Beast, Gambit, Jean Grey, and Professor X are also featured, each in dynamic action poses. The sequence culminates in a dramatic face-off between the X-Men and their adversaries, including Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants.

This opening sequence not only introduces the characters but also gives a glimpse of their abilities and the conflicts they face. It effectively captures the essence of the series, emphasizing themes of teamwork, heroism, and the struggle for mutant rights. The combination of the memorable theme song and the visually striking animation made the opening credits a fan favourite and a significant part of the show’s appeal.

– | Night of the Sentinels (Part 2)