The Brotherhood

The Brotherhood had an evolving role throughout the series. While the X-Men represent the ideal of mutant responsibility, the Brotherhood represent the reality, wasting their powers on selfish, small-time interests. They were little more than a plot device during the first season (often an excuse to have the X-Men fight somebody), but from the second season onward, they semi-retired from costumed villainy and were most often seen hanging out in their run-down house, only sometimes committing crimes to pay bills. Despite their on-going contempt for the X-Men, the Brotherhood (particularly Avalanche) were portrayed in a sympathetic light; they were easily manipulated by their elders, such as Magneto, Mystique, and even Principal Kelly, but they were not truly evil. The Brotherhood has been known to team up with their rivals, often voluntarily such as in "Ascension" when they aid Shadowcat's group of X-Men in defeating Magneto (who is being controlled by Apocalypse) and stand side-by-side with their former enemies at the Xavier Institute.



Mystique (Raven Darkholme) is similar to her comic counterpart, however, unlike her comic book adaptation, Mystique is able to morph into the form of certain animals, most notably, a cat and several species of birds. In her comic book incarnation, her power is strictly limited to humanoid figures of equal size, as her mass never changes while morphing. In early appearances, she used her real name as the disguised principal of Bayville High, Miss Darkholme, to spy on the X-Men and keep an eye on the Brotherhood. Despite being their leader, Mystique is not considered part of the core Brotherhood team, mainly because after the first season, she spends most of her time away from the team. She is seen initially in the series to be working for Magneto, forming the Brotherhood team at his behest. This relationship ends, however, after a number of betrayals on Magneto's part. During the second season she launches several covert activities against the X-Men, and when it appears Magneto is moving openly she attempts to take control of Xavier's students, destroying the mansion in the process. When this attempt fails, she disappears for a while, but comes back later in the series as an "ally" of Apocalypse, who, of course, betrays her. As a side note, Mystique is also the only villain to change her uniform: in the beginning, she is wearing a white tunic similar to the incarnations in the mainstream comics and the X-Men animated series, but later changes into a more practical outfit consisting of a tight black top with matching miniskirt and built-in knickers (The latter outfit influenced the appearance of Mystique's comic-book incarnation when she appeared in a self-titled series as a reluctant agent for Professor Xavier). However, Mystique's original outfit was meant to be nude as in the movies, but because of the younger audience, it was replaced with the white tunic.



Avalanche (Lance Alvers) , grungy and rebellious, is the Brotherhood's unofficial field leader and has a rivalry with the straight-laced Cyclops. Avalanche is often irrational and driven by his temper, but as the series progresses, he becomes more mature and pragmatic, taking on a more morally ambiguous role. He is more reluctant to be a villain, and even lapses into heroic roles almost by accident. Avalanche has a developing romance with Shadowcat, and at one point he even joins the X-Men to be closer to her. Lance is a strong departure from his comic counterpart (originally named Dominic Petros), who never had heroic tendencies or a romance with Shadowcat.


Blob (Fred Dukes) (, like the comic version, is a bully with a big mouth and a small brain. Unlike the comic version, this Blob seems to hide a sensitive side (as seen by the rather obsessive way he treated Jean in the first episode he appeared, and his later closeness to the rest of the Brotherhood). He is also one of the few characters to change aspects of his physical appearance throughout the series (most notably his 'haircut').



Toad (Todd Tolansky) , less sycophantic than the original Toad, is a weaselly punk with poor hygiene (resulting in, among other things, very noticeable body odor) and a wise guy attitude. On the show he is often used for comic effect. He seems to revel in his own weirdness with a self-deprecating humor and feigned over-confidence. While Toad is ultimately a bit of a coward who strongly depends on others for protection, this has not prevented him from participating in fights with the X-Men so long as the rest of the Brotherhood team is involved. He gets to play a heroic role in episode 37, "The Toad, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". Like Avalanche, Toad is given another name in X-Men: Evolution (the original being Mortimer Toynbee). He often tries to flirt with the Scarlet Witch, though she is usually repulsed by him. His strongest friend in the Brotherhood is Blob, a fellow "freak amongst freaks," and he and Nightcrawler are often depicted as rivals due to their acrobatic abilities. He often acts as a scapegoat for the rest of the Brotherhood, bearing the brunt of blame for their actions.

Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff), unlike Avalanche, retains most of his original counterpart's personality traits, including his impatience and arrogance. The similarities end there- this Quicksilver is a self-serving villain who will betray his friends and even family to save himself. He is loyal to his father, Magneto, only out of convenience. Though he has a hand in betraying his sister Wanda, he grows to care for his sister as the series progresses. In season 3, Quicksilver becomes the official team leader due to Magneto's influence, and even after Magneto's demise, continues to assume leadership, giving the team some much-needed ambition. Early in the series, he was shown to have a grudge rivalry with Spyke; after the first season, this is never mentioned again.



Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a tortured young soul. Locked up in an asylum by her father, Magneto due to his inability to control her powerful mutant ability, she grew bitter and vengeful against the world. She was released from imprisonment by Mystique, whom sought to use her in her own revenge against Magneto. Wanda spent much of her introductory series searching for her father, eventually finding him and attempting to kill the Master of Magnetism. After Mastermind's tampering, she now believes her father to be kind and caring, resulting in a calmer, more well-adjusted Wanda who is fiercely devoted to Magneto's cause. Wanda's unique mutant ability allows her to harness and manipulate the force of probability. Her power, already dangerous in its own right, is easily tainted by her anger and fury, making her all the more deadlier as not only a mutant, but a woman who has been scorned.