X-Men Adventures is a 1992 comic book from Marvel Comics, part of the wider X-Men franchise. Released to accompany X-Men: The Animated Series, it's set in an Alternate Universe rather than the usual shared Marvel Universe, with its plots and characters closely based on the cartoon version. The series is written by Ralph Macchio, with art by Andrew Wildman and Robert Campanella. Color art is by Glynis Oliver.
The first issue was released September 15, 1992. The series ended with issue #15, released November 9, 1993.
It was followed by a Sequel Series, X Men Adventures 1993, also written by Macchio.
X-Men Adventures contains examples of the following tropes:
- Adaptational Nice Guy: A downplayed example. In the animated version of "Night of the Sentinels", Jubilee's powers short out an arcade game and she snarks at the manager when he challenges her. In the comic, she's apologetic and says she'll ask her mother to pay for the damage.
- Adaptation Deviation:
- When an unconscious Jubilee's first taken to the X-Men's mansion, Storm is there when she wakes up and gives her a guided tour. In the animated series, she wakes up alone and immediately tries to escape, accidentally entering the Danger Room.
- Unlike his X-Men: The Animated Series counterpart, Morph gets a grim vision of his death at the hands of the mutant-hunting Sentinels.
- Alternate Universe: The Watcher introduces the first issue, directly stating that the stories take place in an Alternate Universe (implicitly connected to the Marvel Universe) where the X-Men formed under different circumstances.
- Comic-Book Adaptation: It's a comic adaptation of X-Men: The Animated Series, which was itself an adaptation of the X-Men comics. The first story, introducing Jubilee, is a direct adaptation of the start of the animated series. Later stories also adapt specific episodes, but sometimes with more notable changes.
- Foreseeing My Death: In the first issue, Morph gets a horrifying vision of his death at the hands of the Sentinel robots.
- Narrator: The Watcher introduces the first story, "Night of the Sentinels", explaining that it takes place in an Alternate Universe where the X-Men formed under different circumstances. He's strongly implied to be the usual Marvel Universe version of the Watcher, scrying on another version of reality - and he doesn't actually interact with the heroes or act as The Watcher, as they remain unaware of his presence.
- Power Incontinence: At the start of the series, Jubilee's not got full control over her energy powers. She accidentally fries the family's VCR and an arcade video game.
- Related Differently in the Adaptation: A minor example, as Jubilee's adopted in the X-Men Adventures comics, but placed with foster parents in the series.
- Resentful Guardian: Jubilee's parents Martha and Martin argue over registering her in the government's mutant tracking scheme. Martha tells him that he'd never have suggested such a thing if Jubilee wasn't adopted. Martin doesn't deny it, instead focusing on what will happen if the neighbors find out.
- Sacrificial Lamb: The X-Men's shapeshifter Morph is killed by the Sentinels in the second issue.
