Tear Jerker / X-Men: Evolution

Tearjerkers in X-Men: Evolution.

• Kitty's status in her introduction episode. Not only is she dealing with her powers manifesting, she's also being bullied by two Alpha Bitches. When Jean first extends an olive branch, Kitty's first assumption is that her bullies put her up to it.
• In "Shadowed Past", Professor X visits Mystique to discuss recent events involving her son Kurt and asks her, "Was It Really Worth It?" The episode ends with Mystique watching a mother hug her daughter goodbye as she drops her off at school.
  • In a flashback (which Rogue first misinterprets as a dream) it's shown that unlike most of her other incarnations, she accidentally lost Kurt after trying to find a way to treat his mutation.
• In "Impact" Mystique has been turned to stone and Rogue learns that she might be the only one who can save her. However, in a sudden fit of rage stemming from everything Mystique put her through, she snaps and pushes the statue off a cliff onto rocks below. Kurt screams "NOOOO!" and bamfs down to rescue her, but it's too late... Rogue shows no remorse until she sees what this act has done to Kurt and she has to struggle to hold the tears back.
• In "Grim Reminder", when after Wolverine (even while under Mind Control) thinks he's killed Kitty and he howls in grief and self-loathing.
• In the episode that introduced X-23, her Back Story was virtually nothing but this. Then we have her breaking down during her conversation with Wolverine...
  • To solidify this, just look at the HYDRA employee who tells Wolverine about her and her involvement in X-23's creation and life. Wolverine is outraged and demands to know how this woman sleeps at night. Her response: "I don't."
• "On Angel's Wings":
  • An apartment building is burning down on Christmas and a teenage girl is desperately trying to get inside and save her mother, crying and screaming since the lady in a wheelchair and can't escape on her own.
  Girl: Please! Let me go, she can't walk, she can't get out! Let me save her, please! MOTHER!!!
  • In a heartwarming moment (and a huge moment of relief), Angel saves the lady and places her gently on a nearby bench, and soon she's reunited with her daughter.
  • The last couple minutes of the Christmas Episode of X-Men: Evolution definitely qualifies. It goes from a little girl who was saved by the vigilante Angel finally coming out of a coma and saying to her parents "My angel - he came to see me", complete with Rogue shedding a few tears, to a montage of various characters celebrating the holidays in their own way. Nightcrawler is seen embracing his parents (whom he hasn't seen for the entire first season and a good part of the second) in the airport, and near the end Wolverine is completely alone in a bar, playing pool. And there is piano music playing over all of this.
• In "Operation: Rebirth", Logan visits his old friend Captain America, who is frozen in stasis awaiting a cure for the cellular degeneration caused by the eponymous project. It's obvious that Logan really cares for the guy, and it's heartbreaking to see how much Cap's fate bothers him, especially since Logan doesn't usually show those sorts of emotions.
  "Been a long time, Cap, but I'm still fightin' the good fight. Today we had a victory... for you. You gotta know we'll find that cure; I promise you that. Because you and me... you and me, we made a great team. Yeah... I'll be here when you get out."
• At the end of the Season 2 finale, when returning to find the Mansion in ruins, the sheer panic in Jean's voice is heart breaking. She jumps out of the jet and starts screaming in anguish for the kids they left behind.
  "Where are the students?! Bobby! Amara!"
  • Fridge Brilliance makes this moment even sadder. Jean had shown herself to have a very protective Big Sister Instinct towards Amara in "Walk on the Wild Side", and they seemed to be quite close. And what's more is that Amara had been calling for the jet to come back for her when it took off - suggesting that she was supposed to be on the mission too (she's in her uniform as well) and just got left behind. You can tell in those few seconds she's envisioning both the poor girl being dead, and that she could have been saved if they'd waited for her.
• While Spyke isn't well-liked as a character, the episode "African Storm" can make you feel sorry for him as nothing seems to be going right; Storm starts to give up on him, and they strongly consider sending him back home. It's obvious he doesn't want to go, but thinks no one wants him at the institute. Of course this turns into heartwarming at the end, when he decides to stay.
• Professor X's speech at the end of the Grand Finale, especially the part with Jean turning into the Phoenix.
• The ending to "Sins of the Son". Xavier's attempt to save his son fails and he ends up sealing away David alongside the Ian personality, giving Lucas free rein to do as he pleases. Thanks to the show's cancellation, he never gets better.
• "The Cauldron". Scott's flashback to his parent's death and being separated from his brother, to a later scene where Jean tells him she doesn't want to know him anymore since he used Magneto's power machine and is now, against his will, bound to being loyal to him, to the point of attacking his friends.
  • Adding to that, has anyone ever seen that X-Men art meme? Near the bottom two questions are directed at Cyclops, one is 'why do you think he's so uptight' and 'why don't we prank him'. Normally this is served for some lighthearted (Or occasionally mean spirited) jokes directed at him. However one time one person answered them respectfully with 'My parents died' and 'Dude! His parents DIED!' It's quite sad yet reassuring that some people do pity him.
• Scott becomes The Woobie when he's left in Mexico without his visor or glasses, all as revenge by Mystique - showing how cruel she can be. While he is one of the older X-kids in this version, he's still a teenager and he's clearly terrified.
• Apocalypse seemingly killing both Charles and Storm in the penultimate episode. Sure they reappear as his Horsemen and ultimately get saved in the finale, but Jean collapses crying in Scott's arms - convinced there was something she could have done to save them.
  • During the fights with the Horsemen in the finale, Spyke is with the group facing Storm, and he unsuccessfully pleads with her to snap out of it.
• In one of the visions Charles has at the end of the series, Jean turns into the Phoenix. She isn't in any of the group shots from the rest of the montage. You know how this works out.