The first volume of the animated X-Men cartoon introduces Jubilee, a teen who can throw fireworks from her fingertips, as the newest addition to the X-Men. After defeating the gigantic mutant-hunting robots the Sentinels, the X-Men have to battle the master of magnetism himself, Magneto. The mutant team also has to contend with the looming threat of the immortal mutant Apocalypse and his evil four horsemen.

The first season incorporates many X-Men throughout the comics as guest stars, including Bishop, Archangel, Colussus, etc. It also adapts the popular and widely praised Days of Future Past storyline from the 1970's by Chris Claremont. The cartoon is unusually serialized, with each episode directly leading into the next. For instance, when the X-Men notice that the School for Gifted Youngsters has been demolished at the end of one episode, the next episode opens with them examining the aftermath of that destruction.

When I was 12 years old, this was my favorite cartoon. It took over a decade for it to come out on DVD. People continued to vote for it's release year after year. Hopefully, it will find a place in a new generation of 'tween and teen fans of the X-Men. With the Wolverine movie still fresh in everyone's mind, it's also interesting to take a look back and see when the X-Men were first becoming popular in the cultural mainstream. While it's likely that teens of all ages can appreciate the show, it will most likely be popular amongst teens of the younger generation who can still embrace an animated series. Also, the voice of Rogue in this cartoon alone is enough of a reason to check out this DVD from your local New York Public Library location.