X-Position: An X-Men Podcast #13: Whatever It Takes & Red Dawn

"I do not yearn for an easy life, Magneto. Only a just one."

These third and fourth installments of X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES' second season are representative of a revised story structure, adopted at the behest of the Fox Kids executives. Gone is the single, unbroken heavily serialized narrative approach of the first season, wherein episodes that weren't explicitly identified as multi-partners still ended in cliffhangers and flowed directly into the next adventure. This was especially pronounced in the midseason, when animation errors forced delays and the airing of episodes out of script order. Fox understandably wanted to avoid such problems by having the freedom to air episodes as they became available, rather than in a strict sequence. Their edict called for more one-and-one episodes and fewer multi-part stories in general. Knowing that the show's loyal fanbase had certain expectations of an elevated presentation for a Saturday morning cartoon, showrunner Eric LeWald and the production staff came up with an ingenious workaround. Professor Xavier and Magneto's diversion in the Savage Land was conceived as a single episode, to be animated all at once, but written in such a way that it could be easily edited and inserted as segments in other episodes, and therefore serialized across the entire season. These interstitial cutaway scenes did not have to adhere to a rigid order, as long as they generally conveyed the pair being continuously imperiled in some way while narrowly escaping with their lives. Thus, the network's demands were fulfilled while still allowing for a season-long "wraparound" storyline. Without meaning to, this would be one of the ways the series was brought into closer alignment with the subplot-heavy nature of the contemporary comics. In particular, "Whatever It Takes" serves as the first episode to feature distinct A, B, and C-plots for the series. Storm and Rogue's tussle with the Shadow King takes center stage, but Wolverine's solo outing provides a follow-up to the loose end of Morph's return, while drawing a line under his status (for now). Finally, as something akin to a back-up strip in comics, Professor X and Magneto send the episode out by finding themselves in a new, exotic setting and establishing their pattern for the season. Even if nothing critically important is happening, the rapid-fire pace and juggling of plots makes for an easy, immersive watch. With more episodic, single installment A-plots doing the heavy lifting in season two, X-MEN's creative team uses this as an opportunity to explore the cast in greater depth. The result is a round of rotating character spotlights, once again drawing heavily upon the lore of then-recent comics.

Whereas the season opening explored Scott and Jean's background with the revelation of Mr. Sinister as a presence menacing them from behind the scenes since childhood, Storm and returning guest star Colossus would receive similar treatment in "Whatever It Takes" and "Red Dawn," respectively. Flashbacks are employed generously to show, if not outright origin tales, pivotal moments from these characters' pasts. Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, and Beast will each get their turn at such character-centered episodes over the course of the season. This exemplifies an evolution of the show's mission, from successfully selling the X-Men collectively as a fighting team to endearing the young broadcast audience ever more to its individual members. When talking to X-Men loyalists of a certain age to this day, there's a reason why they point to the animated series -- and, whether or not they recall the exact details, this run of episodes -- as the common denominator that made them fans of the characters for life.

X-TRA: In more comics-related synergy, issues on sale in the month of these episode airings feature Scott and Jean getting engaged. Their nuptials would go a bit smoother in print than the version seen on screen. Conversely, Colossus receives much kinder treatment in animated form. His second appearance in "Red Dawn" comes just a few months after the longtime X-Man joined Magneto's Acolytes, itself the culmination of a series of personal blows in which Colossus lost his brother, parents, and sister in short order. One such tragedy also involved a confrontation with Omega Red in only his second comics story.