The series X-Men: Evolution featured a diverse cast of
complicated characters. A common staple of the series was whether a particular
person had chosen their allegiances correctly, with several instances of a
character switching teams.
X-Men
Teachers
Professor X (Charles Xavier) (voiced by David Kaye ) is the
team's telepathic mentor and financier. He is very similar to his comic book
counterpart, only more casual. Like the comic Professor X, he is still somewhat
secretive, if only for the protection of his students.
Wolverine ("Logan") (voiced by Scott McNeil),
though similar in most ways to the classic Wolverine, has been seriously toned
down in violence, has a slightly different hairstyle, and is designed to be
more of a role model for the students and appeared more as a "gruff
uncle" type character. He is also in charge of the students combat and
survival training and is famous among the students for his apparently difficult
and challenging methods, as well as his strict and unyielding teaching manner.
On a side note, he is the only X-Man to change his uniform; at the beginning,
he wears an incarnation of his classic orange-black uniform with his
characteristic bladed mask, but then swaps it for a dark, maskless uniform very
similar to the version found in the Ultimate X-Men comic. His powers
(superhuman senses, strength, durability, agility and longevity, healing
factor, and adamantium claws and skeleton) are identical to his comic
incarnation.
Storm (Ororo Munroe) (voiced by Kirsten Williamson), like
her codename implies, is able to harness and manipulate the forces of nature.
Storm can summon lightning from a benign sky, manifest violent storms, call up
freezing blizzards and bring all forms of precipitation to bear. She can even
harness the power of wind, allowing her to fly. Ororo is known for her calm
personality and regal manner, and she was even worshipped as a Goddess in
Africa due to her ability to summon the rains. In the comics, Ororo is an only
child and an orphan; in Evolution, she has a sister named Vivian and a nephew,
Spyke. Storm is the first to notice Evan's powers at his basketball game in New
York. In both Evolution and the comics, Storm is claustrophobic, which is shown
in 'African Storm', though the show does not reveal the origin of her ailment
(she was trapped under wreckage following the accident that killed her
parents). While Storm is one of the X-Men's most popular and recognizable
female members, she plays a smaller role in X-Men: Evolution.[citation needed]
Her one spotlight episode, "African Storm," puts the emphasis on her
teenage nephew, Spyke, although her African origins are heavily touched upon
during this episode.
Beast (Hank McCoy) (voiced by Michael Kopsa) joins during
the second season. Beast is similar to his comic counterpart in most ways,
though the Evolution version speaks more casually. He was originally a gym
coach and chemistry teacher at Bayville High before his latent transformation
into the apelike Beast could no longer be controlled with the medications he
had formulated upon first learning of his mutation. This change of fortune
forced him to retire and join the X-Men, where he could continue to teach. It
was during the initial discovery of his mutation that he became acquainted with
Professor Xavier.
Students
Cyclops (Scott Summers) (voiced by Kirby Morrow) is somewhat
toned down from his comic book counterpart; he is less stiff and possesses a
more open sense of humor. Contrasting with many other incarnations, Cyclops is
not the aloof, doubtful loner, but a handsome and confident leader who exudes
natural authority, although he is still somewhat standoffish. While the other
students tend to look up to him, his competitive nature and closely held temper
will get in the way at times. He is the most officious and rule-abiding of the
X-Men and the least likely to fool around. After the third season, Cyclops and
Jean Grey began teaching the younger students at the Xavier Institute how to
better control and utilize their powers. Like the comics version, he has optic
blasts that can only be controlled by special visors made of ruby-quartz. This
Cyclops also owns, drives, and maintains a car. Magneto once tried to control
him by inventing a machine that would let Scott control his blasts at will, but
Scott soon destroyed his machine and later had to use his visor again.
Jean Grey (voiced by Venus Terzo) was "Miss
Popular" of the X-Men: smart, athletic, beautiful, well-liked, and the
second-in-command after Cyclops. However, she is more insecure than her comic book
counterpart[citation needed] and possesses a jealous streak when it comes to
Scott Summers. Unlike many mutants who began as social outcasts and came to
find their horizons expanded through their association with the Institute, Jean
starts out from a high position of status. After the third season, Cyclops and
Jean Grey began teaching the younger students at the Xavier Institute how to
better control and utilize their powers.
Jean Grey's unique telekinetic mutant abilities allow her to
manipulate matter through the force of thought alone and generate force fields,
and tap into the minds of others with telepathic powers. This incarnation of
Jean occasionally has trouble controlling her powers, and suffered at least one
major loss of control as she experienced a sudden surge in their scope. Various
hints dropped throughout the seasons indicate that she, like her original
version, is destined to assume the mantle of the Phoenix Force, though it is
expressed as the ultimate manifestation of her powers, rather than a separate,
sentient cosmic force (similar to her portrayal in the live action films).
After graduating from high school, Scott and Jean became teachers at the
institute. It is hinted that she is afraid of clowns.
Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) (voiced by Brad Swaile) is the
teleporting humorist of the team. The Evolution Nightcrawler is very similar to
his comic version and has a friendly big-brother relationship with Cyclops.
During his early days at the institute, he was still feeling very insecure about
fitting in and compensated for it with excessive goofiness until the episode
"Middleverse." Nightcrawler's Catholicism was not transferred from
the comics. Kurt is the biological son of Mystique, but was raised by kind
foster parents in Germany (instead of being abandoned by Mystique, she
accidentally dropped him over a bridge while escaping Magneto, and when she saw
he had been taken in by foster parents, she decided to let him remain with
them). He speaks with a German accent. For much of the show, Nightcrawler uses
a holographic image inducer in public to hide his appearance. It is later
revealed that Rogue is his adopted sister. It seems that he and Kitty Prydehave
a very close friendship.
Shadowcat (Katherine "Kitty" Pryde) (voiced by
Maggie Blue O'Hara) possesses the mutant ability to become cognitively
intangible. She initially had a thick valley girl accent, but it was eventually
phased out after the first season. She is the second youngest member of the
team. Kitty led a very sheltered life before joining the X-Men and was
initially afraid of Nightcrawler's "demonic" appearance, but she has
since grown into a very open-minded and worldly young woman, and she and Kurt
Wagner eventually develop a very close brother and sister friendship.
Kitty attracted the romantic attention of Lance Alvers the
moment they met, and he tried to comfort her with his sympathy (Kitty had just
developed her powers), but also wanted her to help him steal test answers. When
Lance gets out of control, Kitty joins the X-Men instead, although Lance still
had feelings for her. At the very beginning of Season 2 Kitty also develops
romantic feelings for Lance when he risked his life to save her from a falling
mascot statue, and they begin dating. However, during Season 3 when Principle
Kelly convinced The Brotherhood to gang up on the X-Men, Kitty felt betrayed by
Lance and they both realized that as long as they are on rival teams, their
relationship would not work out. At the end of Season 4, during their fight
against Apocalypse, however, Avalanche ended up protecting Kitty against
Magneto, who was Apocalypse's minion at that time. At the end of the series the
two are seen in each others' arms, having put aside their differences, and are
revealed to still be together in the future.
Rogue (Anna Marie) (voiced by Meghan Black), a serious
departure from the comic Rogue, is a reclusive, paranoid goth. She has a great
deal of angst with respect to her powers, which keep her from ever safely
touching anyone.[1] Due to the machinations of Mystique, Rogue initially
distrusted the X-Men and joined the Brotherhood of Mutants, but after learning
that Mystique tricked her by attacking her posing as members of the X-Men, she
switched loyalties. At first annoyed by Nightcrawler's joking behavior, she
becomes close to him after learning that she is his adopted sister, and both
renounce Mystique for abusing them.
The series established no birth name for Rogue and gave no
hints to it after her introductory episode. Rogue's mutant ability allows her to
draw upon the aspects of another (memories, habits, speech patterns, powers [if
mutant]) through bare skin to skin contact. It is uncontrollable and possibly
deadly.
Rogue was infatuated with Scott during the first and second
season and generally was hostile towards Jean because of it; but eventually she
gets over him and approves of his relationship with Jean. She shows a romantic
interest in Gambit during the season three episode, "Dark Horizon"
Part 1 (when she kisses him to absorb his powers, although being
mind-controlled at this point); in the season four episode, "Cajun
Spice", they resume contact, but it is unclear whether she is in love with
him. At the end of the season finale, Professor X's vision of the future shows
Gambit as part of the extended team of X-Men, with his arm around her, though
it is hinted that eventually Rogue and Cyclops do become romantically
involved.
Spyke (Evan Daniels) (voiced by Neil Denis), an entirely new
character, is Storm's nephew, with the ability to project bonelike spikes from
his skin.[1] He is the youngest member of the team. Spyke would much rather
play basketball or skateboard than study; he has problems with authority,
making him the "rebel" of the main team. Spyke and Quicksilver had an
ongoing rivalry since childhood that culminated when Pietro framed Evan for
robbery; however, their feud was rarely mentioned after their introductory
episode and never mentioned at all past the first season. In the third season,
Spyke left to join the Morlocks. He made a guest appearance in the fourth
season, where he was seen as a protector of oppressed mutants. Many critics
liked the change of the Spyke character, from a stereotypical teenager to a
violent-minded vigilante.[citation needed] Spyke has been compared to the comic
character Marrow (both have similar attitudes, powers, and ties to the
Morlocks) but the creators have stated that they were unaware of Marrow when
the show's production began.
New Mutants
As a whole, the New Mutants did not have a significant role
in the series. They were added in the second season of the show to make the
Xavier Institute seem more populated by having several students in the
background. During the show's four season run, the New Mutants remained in the
background, and only in a few instances did any of them contribute to an
episode's plot. Most often, they were relegated to sub-plots or background
gags. As a result, few of them are well-developed. The younger students are
only referred to as the "new recruits" in the actual series; they are
commonly called the "New Mutants" by fans because they include
several members from the original New Mutants comic book. While Boom Boom is
listed under 'Neutral Mutants' due to her lack of a direct allegiance to any
one party, she did originally attend the Xavier Institute as a 'New Mutant'.
Iceman (Bobby Drake) (voiced by Andrew Francis), the most
outgoing of the new recruits, later becomes a standby X-Man to take the place
of Spyke. After Spyke's departure, he became a regular in X-Men missions, including
being considered one of the more "experienced" students during the
season three finale to join Cyclops, Storm, Jean, Beast, Nightcrawler, Rogue,
and Shadowcat to fight Apocalypse. He also has the ability to convert his body
to ice and to produce ice from his hands.
Cannonball (Sam Guthrie) (voiced by Bill Switzer) is Bobby's
more practical-minded friend. He also deserves mention for nearly beating
Wolverine in a motorbike race, though his urge to "go Cannonball"
ruined his chances. Tall, gawky, and clumsy, he has unintentionally knocked
down several walls in the Institute. If he hits something he cannot demolish he
falls over, dazed.
Magma (Amara Juliana Olivia Aquilla) (voiced by Alexandra
Carter) is the only New Mutant who was the lead character of an episode
("Cruise Control"). She has a somewhat haughty, "royal"
attitude at times, and is easily discouraged when she does not live up to her
own expectations. Magma has a physiological connection with the earth, and
becomes physically ill when she is separated from it for a long period of time
(such as when on a boat trip). She also has an unlikely but deep friendship
with Tabitha Smith, aka Boom Boom. Magma's appearance has been significantly
altered from her comic book incarnation, where she has blond hair and blue
eyes; in Evolution, she is fully Brazilian with brown hair and brown eyes.
Amara's mutant ability allows her to harness the power of the earth elements,
allowing her to simulate effects associated with volcanic activity. Just like
Bobby, she can transform her body, and in this case, into lava.
Jubilee (Jubilation Lee) (voiced by Chiara Zanni), unlike
the original show, plays a minor role. She retains the playfulness of her comic
counterpart, and was often involved with Bobby's antics. As a nod towards the
original character, she always wears a yellow jacket when not in uniform. She
was removed in the third season (after the public revelation of mutants, her
parents no longer felt the Institute was a good place for her), but appeared in
a cameo during the series finale. Jubilation has the ability to generate
colorful plasma. She can form this energy into explosive streamers and light
shows, which she playfully refers to as 'Fireworks'.
Wolfsbane (Rahne Sinclair) (voiced by Chantal Strand) is a
relatively serene individual, only speaking in four episodes and eventually
being altogether removed from the cast during the third season, but returned in
a cameo during the series finale. She is of Scottish decent and is able to
transform into a lupine form. Her name was mispronounced as "Rohn-ee"
in "Retreat," but is correctly pronounced as 'rain' in
"Mainstream."
Multiple (Jamie Madrox) (voiced by David Kaye), the youngest
of the group, is constantly picked upon by his older peers. He has a hard time
controlling his powers, with a running gag that whenever Jamie bumps into
something the result is the frequent creation of numerous duplicates. Multiple
Man also seems to have taken a liking to Shadowcat.
Berzerker (Ray Crisp) (voiced by Tony Sampson) is a departure
from the mainstream continuity, where he is an extremely violent Morlock. Here,
he is fairly mellow, though he still has a temper. He was initially intended to
have an on-going rivalry with Sunspot, but aside from one scene this was phased
out of the show. His power allows him to harness electricity. It is shown in a
later episode that he was allied with the Morlocks before he joined Xavier's
School and tried to stop Spyke from joining them.
Sunspot (Roberto Da Costa) (voiced by Michael Coleman) was
shown to be a perfectionist and an overachiever. Roberto's unique mutant
ability is derived from the sun, effectively allowing him to become a living
solar panel. The energy absorbed from the sun allows Sunspot to "power
up" into an all-black radiating form and convert the solar energy into
physical strength, thermonuclear thrust for flight, generate a bright orange
fiery corona around his body, and absorb and re-channel both heat and light.
The Brotherhood
The Brotherhood had an evolving role throughout the series.
While the X-Men represent the ideal of mutant responsibility, the Brotherhood
represent the reality, wasting their powers on selfish, small-time interests.
They were little more than a plot device during the first season (often an
excuse to have the X-Men fight somebody), but from the second season onward,
they semi-retired from costumed villainy and were most often seen hanging out
in their run-down house, only occasionally committing petty crimes to pay for
bills and food. Despite their on-going contempt for the X-Men, the Brotherhood
(particularly Avalanche and Toad) were portrayed in a sympathetic light; they
were easily manipulated by their elders, such as Magneto, Mystique, and even
Principal Kelly, but they were not truly evil. The Brotherhood has been known
to team up with their rivals, often voluntarily such as in
"Ascension" when they aid Shadowcat's group of X-Men in defeating
Magneto (who is being controlled by Apocalypse) and stand side-by-side with
their former enemies at the Xavier Institute. The first time they all worked
with the X-Men was to stop the Juggernaut. At the end of the series The
Brotherhood have a change in morals and become heroes by joining the
S.H.I.E.L.D. Freedom Force.
Mystique (Raven Darkholme) (voiced by Colleen Wheeler) is
initially designed similarly to her comic counterpart, with her trademark white
dress (similar to a qipao) and iconic skull belt. From the second season
onwards, Mystique is given a drastic redesign, accentuating her similarity to
her son Kurt, and sporting a form-fitting black combat outfit. In earlier
appearances, Mystique used her real name as the disguised principal of Bayville
High to spy on the X-Men and recruit members of the Brotherhood for Magneto.
After her powers are exponentially increased due to an accident on Magneto's
part, she parts ways with him and begins to operate under her own agenda.
Mystique later becomes instrumental in Apocalypse's reawakening. Her backstory
reveals that Mystique adopted a four-year-old Rogue, leaving her to be raised
by a foster mother (Irene Adler), and Mystique is also the biological mother of
Nightcrawler. Though she cares deeply for her children, her actions usually
suggest otherwise. The show's incarnation of Mystique also has a fierce and
dangerous temper, and often throws tantrums when she is annoyed, most often
when dealing with Toad.
Avalanche (Lance Alvers) (voiced by Christopher Grey), a
grungy, hotheaded and rebellious loner, is the Brotherhood's field leader and
is known for his rivalry with the straight-laced Cyclops. Like his comic book
counterpart, Avalanche possess geological manipulation by generating seismic
waves from his hands.
Avalanche is often irrational and driven by his temper, but
as the series progresses, he becomes more mature and pragmatic, taking on a
more morally ambiguous role. He is reluctant to be a villain, rather he is
angered by societal hatred and contempt for mutants, whether good or evil, and
has been known to lapse into heroic roles. While Lance is mostly irritated by
his teammates, he tends to act as the "caretaker", only committing
petty crimes to pay for bills and groceries.
Avalanche has a soft spot and a romantic interest in
Shadowcat, even joining the X-Men briefly just to be closer to her. At the
start of Season Two, Lance makes several attempts to impress Kitty by causing
earthquakes during a school assembly; after saving her life, they become lab
partners and close friends. It is during this time that the two start dating,
in spite of their friends protests. During the third episode of Season 3 the
two break up briefly when Kitty learns that Lance was going to assist Duncan in
beating up the X-Men (Cyclops specifically). Lance and Kitty's relationship
seemingly ended, realizing that as long as they are on rival teams their
relationship would not work out. However they reunite in the final episode of
Season 4. At the end of the series, Lance and his team have a change of heart
in morals and join the S.H.I.E.L.D. Freedom Force.
Blob (Fred Dukes) (voiced by Michael Dobson), like the comic
version, is a bully with a big mouth and a small brain. Unlike the comic
version, this Blob seems to hide a sensitive side (as seen by the rather
obsessive way he treated Jean in the first episode he appeared, and his later
closeness to the rest of the Brotherhood). He is also one of the few characters
to change aspects of his physical appearance throughout the series (most
notably his 'haircut', but this is because of a prank he received from Boom
Boom).
Toad (Todd Tolanski) (voiced by Noel Fisher), like his comic
book counterpart, is a weak, smart mouthed, and weaselly punk with extremely
poor hygiene (resulting in, among other things, verynoticeable body odor) and a
wise guy attitude. On the show he is often used for comic relief. He seems to
revel in his own weirdness with a self-deprecating humor and feigned
over-confidence. Toad can be seen as Nightcrawler's counterpart, as they both
have animal-like appearances (Toad's webbed hands, elongated tongue, red/yellow
eyes, bowlegged, hunched stance, frog-like face shape), are superhuman
acrobats, have an unusual method of transportation (in Toad's case he tends to
jump and squat rather than walk and stand) and are the jokesters of their
teams. While Toad is really nothing more a coward at heart with absolutely no
fighting skill and is mostly useless in battle, he tends to act as a burglar or
spy, and, in doing so, gaining useful information for the team. He is seen in a
more sympathetic, heroic role in episode 37, "The Toad, the Witch, and the
Wardrobe", when he nearly gets killed by Magneto when he saves his love
interest Scarlet Witch from him. Like Avalanche, Toad is given another name in
X-Men: Evolution (the original being Mortimer Toynbee). He often tries to flirt
with Scarlet Witch, though she is usually repulsed by him. His strongest friend
in the Brotherhood is Blob, a fellow "freak amongst freaks," and he
and Nightcrawler are often depicted as rivals due to their acrobatic abilities,
though they are on friendly terms after "The Toad, the Witch, and the
Wardrobe". He often acts as a scapegoat for the rest of the Brotherhood,
bearing the brunt of blame for their actions.
Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) (voiced by Richard Ian Cox),
unlike Avalanche, retains most of his original counterpart's personality
traits, including his impatience, arrogance, and real name. The similarities
end there- this Quicksilver is a self-serving villain who will betray his
friends and even family to save himself. He is loyal to his father, Magneto,
only out of convenience. At the end of series one he wasn't seen to make it out
of the explosion on asteroid M and many fans thought he died in the explosion,
but, he returned unscathed and with no explanation at the beginning of series
two. Though he has a hand in betraying his sister Wanda, and is initially
afraid of her temper and power, he grows to care for his sister as the series
progresses. In season 3, Quicksilver becomes the official team leader due to
Magneto's influence, and even after Magneto's demise, continues to assume
leadership, giving the team some much-needed ambition. Early in the series, he
was shown to have a grudge rivalry with Spyke; after the first season, this is
never mentioned again.
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) (voiced by Kelly Sheridan) is
a tortured young soul. Locked up in an asylum by her father, Magneto, due to
his inability to control her powerful mutant ability, she grew bitter and
vengeful against the world. She was released from imprisonment by Mystique, who
sought to use her in her own revenge against Magneto. Wanda spent much of her
introductory series searching for her father, eventually finding and attempting
to kill him. However, after being subjected to the powers of Mastermind, she
now believes her father to be kind and caring, resulting in a calmer, more
well-adjusted Wanda who is fiercely devoted to Magneto's cause. Wanda's unique
mutant ability allows her to harness and manipulate the force of probability.
Her power, already dangerous in its own right, is easily tainted by her anger
and fury, making her all the more deadly. She can use hex bolts and hex spheres
to interfere with other mutants' powers, causing them to go haywire, or for
attacks to be shot back at the original attacker. She can generally cause bad
luck for people, making them trip or drop things when under the influence of
her powers. Wanda is also able to affect inanimate objects - things will break,
move (sometimes to accomplish a specific goal like trapping someone), and so
on.
Magneto's Acolytes
When the original Brotherhood fell out of Magneto's favor
(due to both incompetence and uncertain loyalty), he created a new team. Though
never named on-screen, they are referred to as The Acolytes, named after
Magneto's second-most famous team from the comics (the first, of course, being
the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants). Sabretooth and Quicksilver were retained, but
the rest of the team was brand new. The Acolytes were first referenced in
"On Angel's Wings," when Magneto invited Angel to join him (he
refused). The team was first revealed during the second season finale,
"Day of Reckoning," where despite being quite smaller in number than
the combined forces of the X-Men and the Brotherhood, held their own against
both. They were the primary threat against the X-Men in season three, until the
threat of Apocalypse sidetracks Magneto. Magneto apparently sought to further
expand the team, forcing the Brotherhood to prove they were worthy of being
Acolytes and even trying to recruit Wolverine (he also refused). The team
roster does not seem to be stable, as Sabretooth and Mastermind tend to
disappear, Quicksilver is never presented as a member in promotional material
(despite being one), and in "Dark Horizon" Toad and Blob are briefly
seen among the Acolytes.
Magneto (Erik Magnus Lehnsherr) (voiced by Christopher
Judge) is a powerful mutant supremacist. He is essentially unchanged from his
comic book version, but toned down a bit so that he appears more a manipulator
than a terrorist. In addition, the ambiguous nature of Magneto's personality
has been changed to make him a more effective villain (though he was seen as a
child in a concentration camp), resembling the 1960s version of the character,
with an apparent (but unstated) interested solely in mutant dominance, with
himself as leader.
Gambit (Remy LeBeau) (voiced by Alessandro Juliani), cast as
a Long John Silver-type villain, is outwardly similar to the original Gambit,
but is different in that he is a willing accomplice to Magneto. Trained as a
thief, Gambit is an amoral mercenary who will give his services to the highest
bidder. He appears to have a soft spot for Rogue (originally meant only as a
nod to their relationship in the comics) especially during the season four
episode, "Cajun Spice", in which he kisses his favourite playing card
(the Queen of Hearts, his "lucky lady") during a train journey and
then gives her this same card at the end, but whether or not he has sincere
affection for her is unconfirmed. However, in the final sequence at the end of
the series, Gambit was shown with the extended team of X-Men, with an arm
around Rogue. His nickname for Rogue is "Chérie" which is French for
darling.
Sabretooth (Victor Creed) (voiced by Michael Donovan) is a
violent brawler who has a deep enmity against Wolverine, but not the psychotic
killer of the comics. Little is revealed about Sabretooth except that he had
some involvement with Wolverine and Weapon X, and that he is one of Magneto's
most loyal followers. Oddly, he was depicted as a loner in the first season,
but from the first season's finale (The Cauldron) onward he was almost never
seen without Magneto.
Colossus (Piotr Rasputin) (voiced by Michael Adamthwaite) is
very similar to his comic counterpart. In this version, he is pressured into
serving Magneto, who has abducted his family. The whereabouts of his family
remain unknown at the end of the series. In the special feature 'X-Men Season
3: X-Posed' on the season 3 DVD, Colossus' sister is specifically mentioned as
being Magneto's hostage, with no mention of other family members, contrary (but
not contradictory) to what is stated in the series. This was likely an intended
plot point for future seasons.
Pyro (John Allerdyce) (voiced by Trevor Devall, sometimes
erroneously attributed to Michael Dobson) is a mad pyromaniac with a cackling
laugh and a broken Australian accent. The original Pyro was more controlled,
whereas this version's affinity for destruction and complete ignorance of
consequence border on outright insanity. In one notable scene he is watching
footage of Magneto's supposed demise at the hands of Apocalypse, rewinding,
playing back, and laughing several times. He differs from his comic book
counterpart in that he needs a constant stream of flame to sustain his power;
when Wolverine fights him midway through his repeated viewing of Magneto's
death, Wolverine severs his flamethrower pack and the fires already conjured
fade away. The special feature 'Cerebro Mutant Files: The Acolytes' on the
Season 3 DVD reveals that, like the movie, the name St. John Allerdyce (as Pyro
is named in the comics) is simplified to John Allerdyce.
Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde) (voiced by Campbell Lane) is the
group's telepath, though his membership on the team appears to be unofficial,
as he seldom appears. While his comic book counterpart could only cast
illusions, this version of Mastermind is also capable of telepathy, as well as
reading and even rewriting memories of other people (as he did to Wanda).
Independent mutants
Boom-Boom (Tabitha Smith), voiced by Megan Leitch. Tabitha
has a troubled past and a criminal father. Originally one of the New Mutants,
she felt that she did not fit in and moved in with the Brotherhood, who were
more her style. She often played practical jokes on the boys (such as shaving
off Blob's Mohawk while he slept) and abused their hospitality, though they did
little to stop her. She left following Mystique's return. Her role in the
series was significantly diminished afterward; she lived on her own and
appeared mostly in the company of her friend Amara. Her powers are making
energy 'time bombs' that can explode at will. In the final episode she is
pictured with the X-Men.
The Morlocks. The Morlocks made several appearances on the
show. Like in the comics, the Morlocks made their option of living down in the
sewers, because their mutations were far too apparent to stop humans from
shunning them from society. The characters included:
Callisto (voiced by Saffron Henderson), the leader of the
group, who has enhanced senses. She is more passive and reasonable than her
comic-book counterpart.
Caliban (voiced by Michael Dobson) a chalk-white character
able to detect the presence of other mutants.
Cybelle, an African American female with an acid touch.
Torpid, a mute little girl with huge hands who possesses a
paralyzing touch. She was created exclusively for the series.
Facade, who can blend into his surroundings. He was created
exclusively for the series.
Lucid, a froglike mutant who can see through solid objects.
He was created exclusively for the series.
One other Morlock, Scaleface (who can shapeshift into a
fire-breathing reptilian creature) appeared in one episode. She tried to
prevent Berzerker from escaping the Morlocks, a nod to their relationship in
the comics.
Later on, Spyke joined them when his powers went out of his
control, a nod to Marrow.
X-23, voiced by Andrea Libman and then Britt Irvin, is a
female clone of Wolverine who was raised since "birth" to be a killer
for HYDRA. She has two claws in each hand instead of three, and a single claw
in each foot. At first X-23 blames Wolverine for her wretched existence and
tries to kill him, but relents when she realizes that he had nothing to do with
her creation or emotional and mental abuse. In scenes from the future on the
final episode, X-23 is found as a member of the X-Men. It is noteworthy in that
she was created for and made her debut on X-Men: Evolution, and was later
adopted as a comic character.
Angel (Warren Worthington III), voiced by Mark Hildreth, a
young multi-millionaire, donned a costume and a mask to perform heroic deeds in
New York City, but stopped after his actions garnered negative attention from
Magneto. He eventually joins the X-Men in their concerted assault against
Apocalypse, and in scenes from the future in the final episode, Angel is shown
as a full member of the X-Men.
Forge, voiced by Samuel Vincent, in great contrast to his
comic counterpart, is a Bayville High student and mutant inventor from the late
1970s who was trapped in a pocket dimension he called "Middleverse"
for several years. Only when Nightcrawler found his way there and the X-Men
found a way to free him did Forge return, though he was, as he put it,
"twenty years late for curfew." While he is an ally of the X-Men, he
only appeared once more to test equipment that would enhance Nightcrawler's
teleportation range, at the cost of releasing extra-dimensional monsters into
the world. He is curiously absent from the final shot of the series, which
included the X-Men and the various allies they had gathered throughout the
series. He is shown as having a mechanical arm that seems able either to
actually shift into flesh or simulate it, and aside from his evident genius
displays no other power.
Havok (Alex Masters/Summers), Cyclops' brother, voiced by
Matt Hill. Long believed to be dead, Alex (who was adopted by the Masters
family rather than the Blanding family as his comic counterpart was) is
reunited with his brother Scott, though Alex has come under the influence of
Magneto, leading Scott away from the X-Men. Eventually, Alex and Scott realize
that Magneto has tricked them and help put an end to his plans. Alex turns down
an offer to join the X-Men, preferring to stay in Hawaii and become a
professional surfer. Despite this, he agrees to help in the fight against Apocalypse,
even donning an X-Men training uniform.
Danielle Moonstar, voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, is a
Native American mutant who befriends Kitty. Her powers of psychic projection
exposed the worst fears of her neighbors, which resulted in the entire population
of her small town moving away and leaving her and her grandfather the only
residents of a ghost town. Her story coincidentally parallels that of Forge,
the only other Native American in the series.
Destiny (Irene Adler), voice by Ellen Kennedy, a blind
mutant who has visions of future possibilities and events. In "Rogue
Recruit", it is implied that Destiny is employed by Magneto, but her true
loyalties lie with her longtime friend Mystique. She raised Rogue in Caldecott,
Mississippi, waiting for the day in which her potentially unlimited power would
manifest. Though Irene lies to Rogue on several occasions (such as telling her
that she must always cover her skin due to a phony illness, and convincing her
that the X-Men are dangerous mutant hunters), she clearly has genuine affection
for the girl.
Dorian Leach is a young boy whose mutation nullifies any
type of power, both energetic and mutant abilities, within range. His green
skin marks him as a mutant, and his mother struggles to protect him from anti-mutant
bigots. In his final appearance, Leech plays a vital role in the course of
events when Rogue absorbs his powers to vanquish Apocalypse.
HYDRA
Viper, also known as Madame Hydra, voiced by Lisa Ann Beley.
She is the green-haired leader of HYDRA. The character apparently dies while on
board her base as it is destroyed, although it is possible she survived, as in
the comics the character is known to cheat death.
Omega Red (Arkady Rossovich), voiced by Richard Newman. One
of Viper's underlings, Omega Red has a previous history with Wolverine that is
hinted at but never fully explained. He is depicted as working alongside HYDRA
as part of a deal to get revenge on Wolverine for something the Weapon X
program did. Wolverine has no memory of who Omega Red is or what they did to
him, but he swears vengeance upon them all, including Sabretooth, Wraith, and
Maverick.
Gauntlet, voiced by Mark Gibbon, is another member of HYDRA
who tries to get back their creation, X-23. Gauntlet appears to have been
either genetically altered or possessing a natural mutation that makes him
stronger, tougher, and with keener senses than the average human being. Like
other agents of HYDRA, he has access to a wide array of tools and equipment
that make him a formidable opponent and a dangerous tracker. Unfortunately for
Gauntlet, he was aboard the hovercraft with the Supreme HYDRA which X-23
destroyed.
Other villains
Apocalypse, voiced by David Kaye. Hinted at during the
second season, Apocalypse became the primary focus of the third and fourth
seasons, overshadowing even a fearful Magneto as the primary villain. Though
his back story remains largely the same as his comic counterpart, this
Apocalypse was sealed away behind three mystic doors in the Himalayas, using
Mesmero to help him escape. Once free, Apocalypse quickly proved that even the
combined forces of the X-Men and Magneto's Acolytes were no match for him, and
set out to use the Eye of Ages to turn all humans into mutants (or as Beast put
it, "reshape the world in his image").
This Apocalypse differed greatly from the original version,
most notably his initial appearances showed him as an iridescent god-like being
who never spoke. During the series finale he was altered to more closely
resemble his original appearance by becoming a blue cyborg with a penchant for
overly dramatic dialogue, which led to mixed reactions from fans.
Mesmero, voiced by Ron Halder, was little more than a
servant of Apocalypse in X-Men: Evolution. While Apocalypse was sealed away in
the Himalayas, Mesmero helped track down the items that would help free him. He
traveled with a circus (It is implied that he worked there before his time with
Apocalypse as he is found there once Apocalypse discards him) and used his
hypnotic powers to recruit the X-Men, then Gambit, and later Rogue alone to
help free Apocalypse. In contrast to his comic counterpart, this Mesmero looks
like a normal human with strange green tattoos on his body rather than a green
skin tone. Professor Xavier at one point hints that the bulk of Mesmero's power
is channeled from Apocalypse; after being abandoned, Mesmero does not show any
powers and is easily captured and interrogated.
Juggernaut (Cain Marko) (voiced by Paul Dobson). In
Juggernaut's first appearance on the show, it took the combined forces of the
X-Men & Brotherhood to stop him from harming Xavier & Mystique. However
in his second appearance, a substantially more experienced X-Men team managed
to defeat Juggernaut with the help of the environment. The most noteworthy differences
between the comic Juggernaut and the Evolution Juggernaut are that he is now
Xavier's half-brother rather than his stepbrother and that he is now a mutant
whose powers were activated by "mysticism". Another difference is the
helmet he wore had buckle-like locks on it allowing for it to be easily taken
off unlike his previous incarnation in the previous X-Men animated series where
it was bolted on. However, Juggernaut still possessed the same general weakness
from telepathic assault and his helmet was stated in his first appearance to
still provide protection.
Legion (David Haller/Lucas/Ian) was altered slightly from
the comics. He more closely resembled his father, Professor X, and had
inherited his psionic powers, but here Legion was also able to shapeshift
between his various personalities. Originally, Legion's personalities developed
due to mental disorders; in Evolution however they are manifestations of
repressed feelings. David Haller, the "true" personality, though
disappointed in his father's absence, holds no real hostility, and seems to
have no discernible powers. The dominant personality, Lucas, a Scottish punk,
demonstrates a hatred of Xavier and believes that he was abandoned in favour of
other mutants. He has psychic abilities superior to Jean's (formidable by this
point in the series) and even caused Professor X's attempt to suppress him to
backfire. Finally, a young, mute boy named Ian possessed pyrokinesis, including
the ability to create fire at will. His motivations remain unknown, but it seems
he sided with Lucas.
Bolivar Trask, voiced by John Novak. A former S.H.I.E.L.D.
agent as noted by his comment about learning of mutants through his involvement
with S.H.I.E.L.D. is a militant follower of the anti-mutant cause and he
secretly developed the Sentinel prototype underneath Bayville. He was arrested
for what happened and was later released by Nick Fury and allowed to create an
entire batch of Sentinels to combat Apocalypse.
The Sentinel only appeared twice in the series: the first
time as a single prototype that was unleashed in New York and the second time
as several units in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first line of defense against Apocalypse.
Unlike the original Sentinel robots in the comics, these are not authorized and
even got Bolivar Trask arrested. The design from the comics was also changed,
making this Sentinel more complex-looking than the comics' version, giving it
some abilities not seen with its comic counterparts.
Edward Kelly (voiced by Dale Wilson) was the second
principal of Bayville High (the first, Ms. Darkholme, aka Mystique, had
vanished) and carried suspicions about the mutant teens which became full-blown
prejudice when they were publicly revealed, causing him to make reforms at the
high school. Later, he ran for mayor of Bayville competing with the falsely
heroic Brotherhood for media attention- a nod to his career as a politician in
the comics.
Duncan Matthews (voiced by Vincent Gale) is the
stereotypical jock/football player. In his earliest appearances, he was little
more than the local high school jerk before becoming a rival to Scott for the
attention of Jean Grey. When mutants were outed through the entire school, he
began harassing Scott in disgust.
Despite developing a hatred of mutants himself, Duncan even
momentarily teams up with The Brotherhood to try to ridicule Scott in front of
the whole school, with minimum success. In season 4, Duncan returns with even
worse of a hatred for mutants, as he began terrorizing random mutants in the
street, arousing the wrath of Spyke. He is later seen with his friends trying
to kill him with mining guns, but are eventually taken down by the X-Men and
the Morlocks, and arrested right afterwards by the police.
Hungan, (voiced by Blu Mankuma) is a witch doctor from
Storm's tribe. He is jealous of Storm because her powers over the weather made
her a more venerable idol in their African village. Because of this he came to
America to seek revenge and drains Storm's powers using her fears of
claustrophobia to help him do so. Hungan captures her will into his scepter,
giving him the ability to control her body. The X-Men eventually located Hungan
and his tribesmen but he uses the mind-controlled Storm to attack them. Spyke
uses his powers to shatter the crystal atop Hungan's scepter, releasing Storm from
his control. Angrily, Storm engulfs the Hungan in a force of wind that threw
him into the sea. Afterwards Hungan's tribe disappears into the mist. It is
unclear if he is a mutant, relies on magic, or a combination of the two.
Hungan's name is a Haitian term referring to the chief voodoo priest.
Miscellaneous characters
Amanda Sefton, voiced by Moneca Stori, is Kurt Wagner's
human girlfriend. Sweet but shy, she discovered Kurt's mutation on her own but
remained deeply attracted to him. She is one of the few humans at Bayville High
who does not openly shun mutants. Caucasian in the comics, Amanda's ethnicity
was changed to mixed African American/Eastern European, and unlike her comic
book incarnation, she is not a practitioner of sorcery.
Margali is Amanda Sefton's mother, who forbids her from
seeing Kurt after he and Toad get into a fight that wrecks much of her house.
Though she still has her comic counterpart's European heritage, she has no
previous connection to Kurt and is not a sorceress.
Arcade, aka Webber Torque, is a freshman computer whiz.
Mystique, posing as a girl called Risty Wilde, gets him to hack into Cerebro
(which he thinks is merely a high-tech, interactive video game) so that she can
steal data about Scarlet Witch. In the comics, Arcade is an obnoxious,
flamboyant paid assassin, but in Evolution he is a normal, harmless (though
over-enthusiastic) student.
Gabrielle Haller is Professor Xavier's ex-wife and the
mother of Legion. The two married young and divorced because Xavier dedicated
too much time to his study of mutants. Unbeknown to him, however, Gabrielle was
pregnant at the time of their separation and decided to raise their son by
herself. In the comics, Gabrielle was, like Magneto, a Holocaust survivor. She
and Xavier were lovers and had their son out of wedlock, though this version of
Gabrielle also chose to hide David's existence from his father.
Paul is a blond schoolmate of Scott Summers and was one of
his good acquaintances. He made several appearances in the series, the last a
look of utter bewilderment when the X-Men were outed on TV.
Taryn Fujioka is a black-haired, attractive girl who houses
a crush on Scott. At first, she is Jean's best friend, but when Jean starts to
develop feelings for Scott herself, becomes her most bitter rival. Eventually
she and Scott start to date, in part because Jean never tried to date Scott.
However, when Scott was outed as a mutant, she shunned him.
Captain America, voiced by David Hayter, was a
government-sponsored superhero who fought for the Allies in World War II. With
Wolverine's help, he liberated Auschwitz (called a POW camp in the show due to
censors) in Poland and rescued a young Magneto. The super-soldier serum that
gave Captain America his powers was slowly killing him, however, and he was
cryogenically frozen.
Risty Wilde, voiced by Nicole Oliver, was the assumed
persona Mystique used to remain close to her adopted daughter, Rogue. Risty was
a goth-punk from England with purple hair, and from the beginning of the second
season, became fast friends with Rogue. The Risty persona was also used as a
cover for Mystique to obtain data from the Xavier Institute. After the public
revelation of mutants, Risty disappeared, allegedly because her parents had
made her stay in England due to the mutant scandal (in reality, Mystique had
been locked away in Area 51). Accidental skin contact with Rogue at a concert
caused Mystique to lose control of her power, finally revealing to Rogue that
Risty had been a false identity all along. Due to her purple hair and British
accent, many fans assumed she had been modeled after Psylocke, or might even be
the Evolution version of the character. The producers insist that it was a
coincidence, and the two are unrelated.
Nick Fury (voiced by Jim Byrnes and Hajime Iijima) is the
gruff leader of the secret government agency called S.H.I.E.L.D. He has helped
the X-Men on occasion, mostly when it benefits his own agenda.
Agatha Harkness, voiced by Pauline Newstone. She gives
Scarlet Witch training in various disciplines that helps her control her powers
and is also the person Nightcrawler turns to for help when his mother,
Mystique, is turned to stone by Apocalypse. Agatha Harkness does demonstrate
supernatural abilities on the show by putting out a fire, and other magical
tricks.
Dr. Deborah Risman, voiced by Lisa Ann Beley. A character
created for Evolution, Dr. Risman, after discovering the Weapon X project that
created Wolverine, worked to create a perfect soldier. She failed 22 times; the
23rd was the only success and became X-23. When X-23 escapes, Dr. Risman
defects from Hydra to Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. because of the moral
implications of the project while hoping S.H.I.E.L.D. can recapture X-23 before
any harm is done. When the character X-23 was adapted into the mainstream
Marvel universe, Deborah Risman was replaced with a similar character named
Sarah Kinney.
Pharao Rama-Tut: An alien who came to Earth (Ancient Egypt,
to be precise), where he became the land's supreme ruler. When he saw a young
mutant, who would eventually becomeApocalypse, as a threat to his rule, he
intended to have him eliminated. The scheme backfired due to Apocalypse's
mutant abilities and combat skills, which made Rama-Tut flee for his life to
parts unknown. He only appears in historical flashbacks at the end of the third
season.