Marvel's Forgotten Sci-Fi Series That Surprisingly Has No Connection To The X-Men Is Streaming For Free

Marvel Comics' collection of live-action "X-Men" media has had a rocky trajectory throughout its 21st-century run. Between several trilogies, spin-offs, TV series, and cancelled projects, the 21st Century Fox "X-Men" franchise, for example, had a wobbly range of highs and lows that render it both memorable and troublesome to watch. Enthusiasts aiming to take in all possible mutant media beyond the comics may think they already have everything checked off the list.

However, the comic label produced another puzzling, lesser-known series long before anyone knew what the hell they wanted from Marvel in a post-Infinity Saga franchise, though it has little to do with the fan-favorite mutant superhero team. "Mutant X," a three-season Marvel Comics-inspired show developed by former Marvel Entertainment chief creative officer Avi Arad, is now streaming via Tubi, The Roku Channel, and The CW Network's website. The mutant-centered series, which aired in syndication from 2001 to 2004, was bizarrely unrelated to the comic series of the same name.

Rather than feature noteworthy heroes like Havok, Elektra, and Bloodstorm, the "Mutant X" show let an entirely original cast of mutants run the show. It also had no connection to the budding "X-Men" film series that launched a year before the show's premiere, instead focusing on a group of mutants that were created via genetic engineering, searching for and protecting others of their kind. The series is largely forgotten about today, perhaps due to its lack of connection to either the comics or the films it aired alongside. Or maybe Professor X wiped everyone's memories.

Marvel produced a strange array of "X-Men" TV shows throughout the 21st Century Fox "X-Men" film franchise's run. Beyond the several animated series that aired throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Marvel also produced the overlooked X-Men spin-off "Legion," which took place in a parallel universe from the Fox films. The 2017 series starred Dan Stevens as David Haller/Legion — the mutant, schizophrenic son of X-Men leader Charles Xavier/Professor X.

The three-season surrealist superhero series originally aired on FX, and streams on Hulu and Disney+ as of this writing. Another parallel series, "The Gifted," aired for two seasons on Fox from 2017 to 2019. The show, which takes place in a world where the X-Men disappeared, concerns a family with mutant children and their experiences living in an underground mutant society. It's also available to binge on Hulu and Disney+.

"Mutant X" differs from these later attempts at bringing the X-Men to television for its complete disregard for its source material. Some viewers and die-hard comic fans may loathe it for its lack of connection to its namesake, but outlets like Collider have listed it among some of the greatest obscure superhero TV series ever made. Regardless of others' opinions, it represents a piece of obscure comic book adaptation history that curious fans may enjoy checking out.