The Mutant Ages

We've finally reached one of Maddy's favorite episodes (and favorite characters) in "X-23," a spotlight on the teen girl clone of Wolverine who was first introduced on this show and was later introduced to the comics as well. Ryan and Maddy analyze this episode's introduction to the character and then her comic book counterpart, and why we think this twist on Wolverine's story works so well. X-Men...

Finally, X-Men Evolution gives us a fun episode full of homoerotic undertones and overtones. Ryan and Maddy laugh their way through this recap of "Under Lock and Key," in which Mesmero returns and tries to steal some keys to bring back Apocalypse, and also Warren Worthington is here to flirt with Gambit and inspire Bobby to come out of the closet. Also, Xavier and Magneto should never get back tog...

For many weeks now, Ryan and Maddy have said that X-Men Evolution is getting dark and intense, but this week's episode deals with suicide, so it's a real heavy experience. Rogue has a mental breakdown upon learning that Scott and Jean are in a relationship, and then she finds out that Mystique has been posing as Risty. This results in Rogue having a full-on identity crisis, with every previous mut...

Ryan and Maddy open up the listener mailbag this week to answer questions about what it would be like if Xavier were actually a good mentor, which X-Men they'd take with them on a camping trip, and more! We conclude with another episode of The Mutant Ages: The Comic Book, featuring not one but two musical numbers. Next week's episode: "Self-Possessed," X-Men Evolution Visit our STORE: teespring.co...

X-Men Evolution's characters need to get out of the closet -- or the wardrobe, as this title suggests. "The Toad, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is all about Kurt and Toad, two self-conscious characters who want to look different. In Kurt's case, it's because he wants to impress Amanda's parents, even though she doesn't care he's blue and doesn't think they would either. In Toad's case, he's trying...

In this episode of X-Men Evolution, we get to meet the Morlocks and learn about their way of life, and we also learn about a new sports drink called Pow-R 8 that's poisonous to mutants. Meanwhile, Evan Daniels is finding that he can't hide who he is anymore. Spikes are growing all over his body, and retracting them feels painful. He's trying to stay closeted, as he must do if he hopes to continue...

Finally, Mystique gets her revenge on Scott Summers... or at least, she spends plenty of time torturing him, and totally would have killed him, except that Jean and Scott's sexy psychic connection ruins everything. This episode is really simple, but there is a moment when Scott and Logan are shirtless, and that's important to note. Also important to note? Maddy and Ryan are going back to a biweekl...

Bonjour, Gambit has arrived ... to stand outside the high school and pick on anybody who picks on his fellow mutants. Gambit isn't here to attend school, he's here to do the schooling! The Brotherhood gets to learn from this cool older guy, with Rogue and Kitty in hot pursuit. Very hot pursuit. This episode is gay. Next week's episode: "Blind Alley," X-Men Evolution Visit our STORE: teespring.com/...

Content warning for a lot of discussion of homophobic bullying that Maddy and Ryan experienced as teenagers, because this week's episode of X-Men Evolution took us on a trip back to our saddest memories. That said, "Mainstream" is another incredible episode about what it's like for mutants to re-integrate into society again now that everybody knows who they are. Luckily there's a fun side-plot wit...

This week, Maddy and Ryan sympathize with Juggernaut, who just wants to be left alone. The cops won't let him live, and they won't let the rest of the newly discovered mutants on X-Men Evolution live, either. Bayville has become a police state, with heavily armed soldiers patrolling the streets, and Congress is debating whether mutants should be allowed to exist. Storm and Beast stand up for their...

X-Men Evolution starts off its third season with a bang. The X-Men confront Mystique about where she's hiding Xavier, but within seconds, a bunch of cops and soldiers show up to kill everyone. For the rest of the episode, all of our heroes are on the run from the law. News broadcasts describe the climate of fear and paranoia that has gripped the nation in the wake of all mutants being outed. There...

Maddy and Ryan open up the mailbag to answer listeners' questions about who's the scariest X-Men villain, who they'd recruit to be their own personal Four Horsemen, and how each of their respective career paths and personal passions led them to where they are today. Next week's episode: "Day of Recovery," X-Men Evolution Visit our STORE: teespring.com/stores/the-mutant-ages E-mail us your feedback...

If only X-Men: First Class were a story about Magneto's origin. Or maybe just a catalogue of Magneto's romance with Charles Xavier. That's almost what it is, but then there's a whole bunch of other plotlines and themes in here, and they sure don't fit together. Come along with Maddy, Ryan, and Todd on their quest to figure out where Moira bought those garters, what the hell Emma Frost was doing in...

X-Men Evolution brings its second season to a devastating conclusion in "Day of Reckoning Part 2," in which Scott discovers Mystique's master plan, but far too late to do anything about it. Meanwhile, Magneto's master plan is the real concern, since it involves unmasking mutantkind in front of all humanity, and also unmasking Trask and his Sentinels. Shit gets incredibly real in this episode. Next...

Maddy and Ryan kick off the first half of X-Men Evolution's season two finale, an incredible double-header that lets Mystique show off the complexity of her long-term plan. "Day of Reckoning, Part 1" starts off with Logan cruising for Sabretooth in the sewers and getting kidnapped by Bolivar Trask, who makes his first appearance on this show and already has Sentinels waiting in the wings to murder...

Welcome to the show, Wanda Maximoff. We are so excited to see you. Maddy and Ryan recorded a super-long episode to analyze "The HeX Factor," an incredible introduction to X-Men Evolution's take on Wanda as a character. She's a 2000s era goth teen on a revenge quest against Magneto, and she's not a fan of Xavier either. Mystique shows up to help her out, as well as arrange an introduction between W...

Through a total coincidence, the episode of X-Men Evolution we're reviewing this week is all about stolen super soldier serum, supremacists, and Captain America. We just finished watching The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (check out our Patreon for a bonus ep about it), so we're really feeling the deja vu. The X-Men Evolution take on the story, titled "Operation Rebirth," includes all the same pol...

This one's for the ladies ... and anyone else who needs a lesson in early 2000s-era feminism. "Walk on the Wild Side" is a famous episode of X-Men Evolution because it's all about the X-gals teaming up and fighting crime together, no boys allowed. Its portrayal of feminism is pretty basic, tracking with the time period in which it came out. What's really important here is how gay this episode is....

In this episode of X-Men Evolution, Beast takes the X-kids on a field trip to the California Redwoods, and Maddy and Ryan wish they could go along too. This episode looks a lot like Disney's Tarzan (1999), so get ready for a lot of singing and an unexpected amount of clapping. We also talk about environmentalism, the beauty of the natural world, and Beast learning to love his natural queer self. T...

It's time to open up the mailbag! On this week's listener feedback episode, Ryan and Maddy answer questions about our least favorite X-Men comic book runs, whether mutants are a decent metaphor for disability, which five mutant powers we'd pick for ourselves, and so much more. Then, in the latest installment of The Mutant Ages: The Comic Book, Cloaky makes his big debut. In this episode, we also r...

At Bayville High School, the Sadie Hawkins dance is coming up, and all of a sudden, Scott Summers is in high demand with the ladies. "Shadow Dance" is all about teen drama and romance, especially when it comes to Kurt, who is still in the mutant closet but wants to get a lot closer to a cute girl in his math class named Amanda. This episode is cute as heck. X-Men Spotlight: Amanda Sefton Next week...

If you're afraid of clowns, don't watch the X-Men Evolution episode "Mindbender" (but feel free to enjoy our recap). The show introduces the hypnotic villain Mesmero, who uses his powers to take over Jean's mind and get her to steal a bunch of jewelry for him. Soon, he also takes over the minds of several other X-Men and takes them on epic heists to steal more stuff. Unfortunately, Mesmero does al...

Maddy, Ryan, and Todd do a spoiler-laden rundown of the first season of Wandavision. Was Wanda the hero, or just the protagonist? Which comic book stories inspired the various threads of Wandavision? Which television show or MCU film will snag that copy of the Darkhold next? Why couldn't media critics just be normal about this show? And is "Agatha All Along" going to be stuck in our heads forever?...

Uh... Merry Christmas? It's March, but X-Men Evolution's holiday special episode is next on the list, so here we are reviewing "On Angel's Wings." Queer metaphors abound in this melancholy story about Warren Worthington's self-hatred. Xavier and Magneto fight over who gets to welcome Warren to the mutant lifestyle. Also, Nightcrawler and Iceman kiss under the mistletoe. For real! X-Men Spotlight:...

In "Joyride," Lance joins up with the X-Men because he has a crush on Kitty, but he gets a lot more than he bargained for. Scott takes on the Xavier role in this episode by being a total hard-ass, and meanwhile, the New Mutants prove themselves to be total troublemakers who frame Lance for their shenanigans. Also, Maddy and Ryan share a lot of stories about times when they got in trouble as teenag...