X-Men (1992-1997)

For the past 15 years, the X-Men have established one of the most prolific and successful superhero film series in history. However, in the 1990s, this Saturday morning favorite was perhaps the best-known version of the iconic Mutant characters. With a dark but playful tone, the show tackled a number of the most famous storylines from the comic books, including the Dark Phoenix saga and Days of Future Past. Professor X, Magneto, Wolverine and the rest were brought to vibrant life with rich writing and a top-notch visual style that ultimately came full-circle to inspire a comic book title based on this series itself. Along with DC's Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men led to the a mid-1990s boom in comic book cartoons, setting the stage for the big-screen explosion with Bryan Singer's original live-action film in 2000. Subsequently, Marvel tried to launch other animated series centering on the X-Men, but none has matched the impact and popularity of this one.