Jim Shooter was a known stickler for continuity for all things Marvel and that extended well past its comic book universe. He made his desires for the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Iron Man animated series to take place in the same universe known, but that was a challenge since X-Men aired on Fox and the Marvel Action Hour aired on UPN. Not only that, but the voice talent for the former worked out of Canada (to keep costs down) while the latter’s talent worked out of Los Angeles, which would also make such crossovers expensive. However, with Jameron Cameron’s Spider-Man nearing release in 1994, both Marvel and Fox planned to air a new Spider-Man animated series that year [1].
What Shooter and the Fox executives wanted was to make it an event so the latter mandated a crossover starring the Web Slinger and the Children of the Atom for X-Men: The Animated Series’ second season. This interference frustrated showrunner Will Meugniot and the production team despite Marvel and Fox offering additional funding for three additional episodes increasing the second season episode count to sixteen from thirteen. He would later describe the production as “hellish” and “rushed,” but completed it on time for its February 1994 air date regardless.
The “Mutant Agenda” three-parter aired on February 18 to much fanfare and a heavy marketing blitz. Its plot centered around the High Evolutionary abducting several mutants and stealing various pieces of technology using his “New Men” [2] in his bid to create a race superior to humans and mutants. Jean Grey and Jubilee are among the mutants kidnapped and the New Men steal an experimental “recombinator” during a demonstration attended by Peter Parker [3]. Both Spider-Man and the X-Men pursue them to Mount Wundagore where they come across each other by chance.
Spidey’s reputation (i.e. the Daily Bugle’s articles) precedes him and glib comment from the webslinger causes Wolverine to go berserk. The fight isn’t long, but it’s a memorable one that pits Spider-Man’s strength and agility against Wolverine’s fighting skills and killer instincts. Cyclops stops the fight and allows Spider-Man to accompany them although there is mistrust on both sides.
Meanwhile, the High Evolutionary creates the ultimate being from the genetic material he harvested and calls him Adam [4] before sending him to eliminate the Spidey and the X-Men. Despite their initial animosity between them, Spider-Man and the X-Men resolve their differences when they face New Men in their attempt to free Jean and Jubilee. This turns the battle in the heroes’ favor when Jean reaches out to Adam and convinces him that the High Evolutionary sees him as nothing more than an experiment. The revelation prompts Adam to abandon the battle, but the High Evolutionary sets off his base’s self-destruct, which forces the X-Men and Spidey to flee.
The three-parter ends at the X-Mansion where Spider-Man confirms to Professor X that he’s not a mutant and recounts his origin while declining to join his school. He amicably parts ways with the X-Men (even remarking to Wolverine that he shouldn’t believe everything he reads in the papers) who now view him as an ally in their mission of human/mutant coexistence.
“Mutant Agenda” was an unqualified success that saw Fox Kid’s highest ratings until the premiere of Dragon Ball Z later that year. It served as the launching pad for the Spider-Man series that debuted the following week, but more importantly it opened the door to unprecedented network crossovers with Marvel’s UPN shows in the following years where the first part would air on one network and the second part on the other.
Meanwhile, Batman: The Animated Series would see Batman team up with other characters from the DC universe such as Zatanna (a favorite of writer Paul Dini), Jonah Hex, but most curiously, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. The producers of the contact contacted Gaiman to write the episode and to their surprise, he agreed. “Perchance to Dream” [5] centered around a sedated Batman who is caught in a dream where his parents were never murdered.
Throughout the episode a stranger with chalk white, black eyes, and unkempt hair warns him that this world is not what it seems. Bruce dismisses it at first, soon realizes that every newspaper and book is a garbled mess. He confronts the stranger in the bell tower of Gotham Cemetery; the stranger reveals himself to be Dream of the Endless and that his world is the dream life he wanted, but could never have as Batman. While Batman fights the dream’s influence, the dream fights back with nightmarish versions of Thomas and Martha Wayne, and the criminal that murdered. It is only by letting them “kill” him that Batman breaks free. While he scarcely remembers his dream, he finds a memento waiting for him in the Batcave: an hourglass.
“Perchance to Dream” remains a highly regarded episode of B:TAS by fans and critics alike, but Warner Bros. was looking to move on after 85 episodes. With Superman ‘95 on the horizon and their plans to launch their own network in 1996, Warner Bros. would task the production team to produce a Superman animated series. With the success of Marvel’s crossovers, the Man of Steel would serve as a testbed to introduce their pantheon of heroes for a potential Justice League series.
[1] With John Semper Jr. as showrunner like OTL.
[2] Animals the High Evolutionary evolved to sapience.
[3] Voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes.
[4] Though not explicitly stated in the episode, it’s hinted to be Adam Warlock.
[5] An alternate version of the OTL episode with a similar plot, but the addition of Morpheus..