Every ’90s kid remembers every iconic Marvel animated show on this list that made their childhood awesome. X-Men ’97 is just the start. We need Marvel to reboot every Marvel Animated show in here.
Iron-Man: The Animated Series
The series was a hit back then and kept the viewers at the edges of their seats. Some call it horrible but many loved the show for its use of humor, obscure characters, and most importantly – it’s portrayal of Tony Stark. The show ran for two seasons and did pioneered the concept of crossovers. While the idea is prevalent in today’s superhero movies, Iron Man: The Animated Series crossed over with the Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man: The Animated Series back in the ’90s. The two already had their own separate animated shows on the running. Iron Man did it way before it was cool.
Fantastic Four: The Animated Series
Marvel Studios is still having trouble bringing in Marvel’s First Family to the live-action arena. But an animated adventure is till on the cards and is very possible. The Fantastic Four animated series aired way back in 1994, the same year as Iron Man: The Animated series. In fact, they used to air back to back. The show ran for two seasons and had a variety of characters in its roster like Black Panther and Ghost Rider. The show was reportedly having a third season but the project was shelved. Season 3 of Fantastic Four: The Animated Series would have focused on the Sue Storm Pregnancy arc, and would have helped debut the world’s strongest mutant – Franklin Richards.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
The new Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer seems to be all the craze this week. Spider-Man in general, when you think about the wall-crawler, Tom Holland or Tobey Maguire come to mind. But for a ’90s kid, when he or she thinks about Spider-Man, the first thing we remember is the 1994 Spider-Man Marvel animated show. The show had so much potential and delivered on so many fronts. The show is still considered way ahead of its time. Apart from giving us a detailed portrayal of the man behind the mask and his struggles and inhibitions, Spider-Man: The Animated Series also did a bang on job on bringing in classic comic book story arcs. Even many Spider-Man villains managed to have incredible character depth.
Ultraforce
The 1995 animated series was based on the Malibu Comics superhero team of the same name. Malibu was an imprint owned by Marvel so technically it is a Marvel animated show. The show ran for only 13 episodes but garnered critical acclaim. Ultraforce was about a group of superhumans called Ultras who use their powers to fight other Ultras and protect innocent lives. Another show that was lightyears ahead of its time, Ultraforce had a pretty abrupt demise and should be resurrected.
Spider-Man Unlimited
In no way was this series deserving of the hatred it got back then. Comic book fans can be a real hard case sometimes. The moment a show strayed away from comic book source material, it is blasted off in the media. Spider-Man Unlimited had a fairly unique premise for a Marvel animated show. John Jameson, J Jonah Jameson’s son, and Spider-Man are stuck on an alternate reality Earth ruled by a villain called the High Evolutionary. There are superhero versions of the Green Goblin and the Vulture and even parallel reality versions of other heroes and villains. The show was cancelled right after its first 13 episode arc ended on a cliffhanger. Fans want closure!!
The Incredible Hulk
This legendary show is the perfect example of networks not honoring their own commitments. The show had two successful seasons runs and showed promise. But then Marvel Animation experienced a total rug-pull from the network sponsors. The 1996 show often featured cameos from other well-known Marvel characters. Apart from She-Hulk who became a hit appearing in the series, the show also featured the Gray Hulk. The Incredible Hulk often dived deep into what draws the line where Banner ends and Hulk begins. The Marvel Animated Show was complicated and beautiful
Silver Surfer: The Animated Series
The show used cel and CGI together, giving us animation that closely resembled the graphic deigns of the legendary Jack Kirby. The Silver Surfer show took some creative liberties. The Marvel animated show changed the origin story of the Silver Surfer and gave him a fresh new arc for the fans to explore. It had a mere 13 episode run in 1998 but still remains the most underrated Marvel animated show ever made. It deserves a comeback like X-Men ’97.
