I’m your boyfriend now Jean!!!
The X-Men are fighting for humanity and mutant rights again. With a future uncertain, both Bishop and Cable try to guide the X-Men through their past and help them face threats from Sinister and Apocalypse. The X-Men also find themselves battle old enemies like the Shadow King, Sabretooth, and Mystique. Be it celebrating Christmas with the Morlocks, helping Moira MacTaggert with her son Proteus, or helping Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch find their real parents, the X-Men will be there.
Airing from September 9, 1995 to May 4, 1996, X-Men—Season 4 also sometimes just goes by its episode numbers (Episode #46 to Episode #62). Due to some production problems, some of the episodes are actually from earlier seasons and the original airing schedule was affected by these problems. X-Men—Season 4 is split between X-Men—Volume 3 and X-Men—Volume 4.
I loved the X-Men cartoon, but I had fallen off at this point…but not because I disliked it. By this point in the series, the show was doing multi-episode arcs and the characters were pretty deeply engrained in stories. If you missed one show, it was sometimes not worth watching an episode (especially since it might not air again due to the weekly schedule of the show). It is too bad I didn’t keep watching because this was a pretty good season.
Hey, High Evolutionary…lets have a 17 episode storyline for an overly-convoluted plot and call it “The Evolutionary Wars”
I love how X-Men was a comic book cartoon. It wasn’t afraid to use guest-stars and the show was always filled with strange and surprising background characters. An example of this would be the war against the mutants in “One Man’s Worth” which featured tons of Avengers or “Beyond Good and Evil” which had appearances from characters like Moondragon, Rachel Summers, and Typhoid Mary…X-Men was a show for comic fans.
The animation for X-Men is iffy. Sometimes it is very good and sometimes, it is standard art for a Saturday morning cartoon. It is these inconsistencies in X-Men that do kind of hurt the show. I can forgive the show since it does provide some great storylines (but also can serve up stinkers like “Secrets, Not Long Buried” and “Love in Vain”).
X-Men—Season 4 continues a fun series. It is sad to see the series wrapping up and to know that Season 5 is the final season of the series. Season 4 might not have the great Phoenix Saga that X-Men—Season 3 possessed, but it is still a fun ride for comic book readers.
X-Men—Season 4 Complete Episode Guide:
“One Man’s Worth: Part 1”
4.1 One Man’s Worth: Part 1 (Episode #46) Airdate: 09/09/95
Bishop and Shard find the past has been changed by the murder of Xavier and travel to a world where there are no X-Men. With Xavier dead, a dark world has evolved where mutants are hunted by other superheroes. Bishop and Shard must team with the Wolverine and Storm of the alternate world to travel back in time to prevent Xavier’s assassination by Nimrod.
“One Man’s Worth: Part 2”
4.2 One Man’s Worth: Part 2 (Episode #47) Airdate: 09/16/95
Wolverine and Storm return to Bishop and Shard’s time after Xavier’s death and find it is worse than before. Mastermold orders Fitzroy, Bantam, and Nimrod to stop Wolverine, Storm, Bishop, and Shard before they can undo the damage done to the past.
“Courage”
4.3 Courage (Episode #48) Airdate: 09/23/95
Moira MacTaggert clears Morph from her exams and Morph returns to the X-Men. When a new metal is stolen, Morph and Wolverine are sent on a mission, and Morph finds that the Sentinels that almost killed him have returned. When Mastermold sends agents to capture Professor X, Morph might have to face his past when the X-Men fall into a trap.
“Proteus: Part 1”
4.4 Proteus: Part 1 (Episode #49) Airdate: 09/30/95
Moira’s mutant son Proteus has escaped onto Muir Island. As the X-Men search Muir Island for Proteus, Xavier remembers his past with Moira. Proteus reaches the mainland and searches for his father, and Moira realizes she might have to tell Xavier that Kevin is her son.
“Proteus: Part 2”
4.5 Proteus: Part 2 (Episode #50) Airdate: 10/07/95
Wolverine deals with Proteus attack on him as the X-Men are forced to protect Proteus’ father as his election day approaches. With Proteus’ rage toward his father increases, Xavier wonders if Kevin can be stopped.
“Sanctuary: Part 1”
4.6 Sanctuary: Part 1 (Episode #51) Airdate: 10/21/95
Magneto announces that he’s created a sanctuary for mutants upon Asteroid M, and the X-Men question if Magneto is plotting something. With Professor X, Beast, and Gambit going to Asteroid M to confront Magneto, the X-Men find Magneto is weakening in power. When a mutant named Fabian Cortez appears to be helping Magneto after a rescue from Genosha, Xavier questions what Fabian is hiding.
“Sanctuary: Part 2”
4.7 Sanctuary: Part 2 (Episode #52) Airdate: 10/28/95
Fabian Cortez has made his power play and accused Xavier, Beast, and Gambit of attacking Magneto. Professor X and Beast are forced to leave Gambit behind to reach Earth, and the X-Men find Fabian has plans for Earth…unless Magneto can return to stop him!
“Beyond Good and Evil: Part 1”
4.8 Beyond Good and Evil: Part 1 (Episode #53) Airdate: 11/04/95
Cable leads his team to stop Apocalypse once and for all but accidentally gives him access to the past through his computer. Now, time is in flux, and Bishop finds himself trapped in another dimension as the X-Men are hunted by Sinister at Jean and Scott’s wedding. With Jean as Sinister’s prisoner, Shard travels into the past to help the X-Men rescue her.
“Beyond Good and Evil: Part 2”
4.9 Beyond Good and Evil: Part 2 (Episode #54) Airdate: 11/11/95
Apocalypse reveals he’s working with the X-Men’s greatest enemies to collect people with psychic abilities to aid his quest. The X-Men seek out other psychics to intercept Apocalypse, and Wolverine, Shard, and Archangel find themselves in conflict Sabretooth, Mystique, and Magneto when they come for Psylocke.
“Beyond Good and Evil: Part 3”
4.10 Beyond Good and Evil: Part 3 (Episode #55) Airdate: 11/18/95
Cable manages to reach the past in an attempt to destroy the Lazarus Chamber and learns that het X-Men might be on Apocalypse trail also. Beast hunts for Bishop’s location and learns that he might be trapped in the timestream. With Cable, the X-Men try to destroy the Lazarus Chamber…but could give Apocalypse the advantage.
“Beyond Good and Evil: Part 4”
4.11 Beyond Good and Evil: Part 4 (Episode #56) Airdate: 11/25/95
Professor X and Wolverine have been captured by Apocalypse and now are hidden outside of time with the other kidnapped psychics. Apocalypse reveals he intends to destroy time itself and recreate the universe in his image. When Magneto and Mystique go against Apocalypse’s plans, it could be the only chance the X-Men have to defeat Apocalypse…and the final battle to protect time will be waged.
“Have Yourself a Morlock Little Christmas”
4.12 Have Yourself a Morlock Little Christmas (Episode #57) Airdate: 12/23/95
It is Christmastime and the X-Men are celebrating. When Wolverine, Storm, and Jubilee encounter Morlocks in a stolen ambulance, the X-Men learn Leech is ill. When Wolverine realizes Leech is dying, he finds he worries he cannot save him.
“The Lotus and the Steel”
4.13 The Lotus and the Steel (Episode #58) Airdate: 02/03/96
Wolverine finds himself having difficulty containing his rage and decides to journey back to Japan to find his center. There, Wolverine finds a village menaced by the Silver Samurai and his people. Wolverine is joined by Jubilee in helping organize the villagers to battle the Silver Samurai and his bandits.
“Love in Vain”
4.14 Love in Vain (Episode #59) Airdate: 02/10/96
Rogue desires a normal love when suddenly Cody, the boy she injured when she developed her powers, returns into her life. Though Cody can seem to touch her, Cody’s ties to a mysterious race encountered by Wolverine are about to be revealed.
“Secrets, Not Long Buried”
4.15 Secrets, Not Long Buried (Episode #60) Airdate: 02/17/96
Scott goes in search of his old friend Dr. Prescott at Skull Mesa and has his plane knocked out of the sky. Left without his powers, Scott discovers the town ruled by Solarr and his followers. Scott tries to raise the people against Solarr but finds no one is willing to fight for their freedom.
“Xavier Remembers”
4.16 Xavier Remembers (Episode #61) Airdate: 04/27/96
Professor X is trapped in a recurring nightmare…only to discover he’s the victim of the Shadow King again. When the Shadow King possesses Xavier’s body, the X-Men find their nightmares being brought to life.
“Family Ties”
4.17 Family Ties (Episode #62) Airdate: 05/04/96
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch learn from their father that their true parents’ identity is tied to an area called Wundagore Mountain. Working with the High Evolutionary, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch join the High Evolutionary in hunting down Magneto who he blames for their parents’ deaths. With the X-Men aiding him, Magneto learns the truth about what happened to his wife.
Related Links:
X-Men—Season 1 Review and Complete Episode Guide
X-Men—Season 2 Review and Complete Episode Guide
