21 Christmas Episodes from Your Favorite Comic-Based TV shows (Animated Edition)
1. Darkwing Duck, “It’s a Wonderful Leaf”
Wait, was there a Darkwing Duck comic before the TV show? Doesn’t matter; he still counts. While the title of this 1991 episode suggests a riff on Frank Capra’s classic holiday film — maybe a story where Darkwing learns what life in St. Canard might have been like if he never became a crime-fighter? — “It’s a Wonderful Leaf” is actually a nod to Bushroot, the plant-themed super-villain who strikes when it’s Christmastime in the city. After a bit of last-minute holiday shopping goes badly for our botanical baddie, he ends up vowing to make the city regret the day it ever heard of Christmas (boy, been there). So of course it’s up to the Terror That Flaps in the Night and his trusty sidekicks to beat back a battalion of belligerent Christmas trees on the attack. “The time has come to turn the Yuletide! To break your popcorn chains! To toss off your tinsel and to rise up against your oppressors!” Gotta admit, the guy knows how to give a rousing speech.
2. Batman: The Animated Series, “Christmas with the Joker”
“Christmas with the Joker” from 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series marks the first time Mark Hamill sat down to record his voice as the Clown Prince of Crime. Did the people in that recording studio know in that moment that they were witnessing history in the making? I’m going with yes. Plotwise, there isn’t much to say about the episode, which seems appropriate given the chaotic nature of our special guest villain. After breaking out of Arkham on Christmas Eve via his own Christmas-tree-turned-escape-rocket (and singing “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells” while doing so), the Joker holds Commissioner Gordon, Summer Gleeson and Harvey Bullock hostage while Batman and Robin fight their way through the Joker’s special take on the holidays, complete with a Santa tank and giant robot nutcracker soldiers. The day saved, our heroes return to Wayne Manor to resume watching It’s a Wonderful Life, a film that Bruce admits he has never seen before now: “I could never get past the title.” Oh, Bruce.
3. The Tick, “The Tick Loves Santa!”
Based on Ben Edlund’s satirical comic book, The Tick ran riot for three seasons (1994-96) on the Fox network’s Fox Kids block, introducing The City’s protector (“SPOON!”) and his fellow costumed heroes (like Arthur, American Maid, and Feral Boy) to a mainstream audience. This 1995 episode is as high on the holidays (and maybe something else) as it can get, with the Tick mistaking a lowly hood dressed as Santa for the real deal and accidentally chasing him into a giant electronic billboard — leaving Arthur to explain to the Tick that there is, in fact, no Santa. When the crook discovers the accident has given him the power to create multiple copies of himself, he continues his crime spree with a new gang of Santa Clones at his command… and the Tick can’t bring himself to fight any of the bad Santas! It takes the real Santa (who is so real, Arthur!) to deliver an important message to the Tick and any kiddies who might be watching at home: sometimes, it’s okay to beat the crap out of Santa. Or at least the fake ones. Fa la la la la…
4. X-Men: The Animated Series, “Have Yourself a Morlock Little X-Mas”
Admit it, you’re humming the show’s theme song right now, aren’t you? Given the themes of family and brotherhood that run through the X-Men comics, it’s no surprise there’s an occasional Christmas story in the mix, and the first animated series starring Marvel’s merry band of mutants is no exception. Airing just two days before Christmas in 1995, “Have Yourself a Morlock Little X-Mas” finds the team at the mansion decorating and cooking for the holidays before some of them, while on an outing at Rockefeller Center, get caught up in a life-or-death crisis involving the Morlocks, an underground-dwelling band of outcast mutants who have chosen to (as Burl Ives might have put it) hide their non-conformity from the rest of the world. You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll want to know where you can buy Gambit’s “C’est magnifique!” kitchen apron! Just remember: Gambit does not make TV dinners.
5. The New Batman Adventures, “Holiday Knights”
A continuation of Batman: TAS, The New Batman Adventures introduced a sleeker animation style to the DC Animated Universe of the 1990s, and often featured stories that focused less on Batman and more on the other residents of Gotham City. This is evident in “Holiday Knights,” a 1997 episode that consists of three separate vignettes taking place around the holidays. In the first, Harley and Ivy kidnap Bruce Wayne and use his credit cards to go on a shopping spree; in the second, Barbara Gordon is looking for a gift for her father when she spots a group of shoplifters who turn out to be more than what they seem; and in the final story, Batman and Robin race to stop the Joker from killing revelers at Gotham’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration. There’s plenty of fun here, with Harley and Ivy’s fashion show a particular treat, but for my money the sweetest part is when we learn Batman and Commissioner Gordon have a standing coffee date every New Year’s Eve. “Here’s to survival. Hopefully, we’ll be doing this again next New Year’s Eve.” Amen to that.
6. Men In Black: The Series, “The Black Christmas Syndrome”
Based on the hit films that were based on Lowell Cunningham’s comic stories, Men in Black: The Series told the continuing adventures of the men and women of the MiB, the shadowy government organization tasked with responding to alien threats and keeping Earth’s native population from learning of the existence of extra-terrestrial life in our own backyard. One of the running gags in the Men in Black franchise (aside from the absolute veracity of supermarket tabloids) is that a large number of Earth’s celebrities and public figures are actually aliens in disguise. That explains the existence of Santa’s elves, but what about Santa himself? As Agent K puts it, “Let’s just say some things are bigger than even MiB.” Alien or otherwise, Santa needs the MiB’s help big time when he’s kidnapped by a bad-guy alien from his workshop, and it’s up to Agent J and Agent K to save Christmas. (Fun fact: while Santa might be real, the whole North Pole thing is a smokescreen; “Big Nick” actually prefers the Four Seasons. The more you know.)
7. Sabrina: The Animated Series, “A Witchmas Carole”
Airing concurrently with the live-action 1990s sitcom starring Riverdale’s resident spell-caster, 1999’s Sabrina TAS ran in syndication on UPN and ABC for 65 episodes. (Another connection: Emily Hart, the voice of Sabrina in the cartoon, is the younger sister of Melissa Joan Hart, the star of the live-action show.) The cartoon presents Sabrina as a 12-year-old who won’t have her magical powers until she turns 16, but that doesn’t stop her from borrowing spells from the “Spooky Jar” in her aunts’ kitchen, an act that almost inevitably backfires in one way or another. In this holiday episode, Sabrina borrows some magic to scare the Dickens (pun!) out of Gemini “Gem” Stone, the spoiled rich girl who sees Sabrina as her main competitor for Harvey’s attention. In a twist on the classic Christmas story, Gem is still her nasty self even after “ghostly” visits from Salem, Hilda, Zelda and Sabrina — in the end, all it takes is a simple act of kindness from Sabrina to help Gem realize the error of her selfish ways. Because some kinds of magic can’t be found in a jar, is why.
8. X-Men: Evolution, “On Angel’s Wings”
Debuting the same year the first X-Men film hit theaters, X-Men: Evolution ran for four seasons on Kids’ WB, one season less than its animated predecessor. Another difference: unlike the 1990s cartoon, which tended to more closely follow the lead of the X-Men comics, Evolution gave the team new costumes, a new member (Spyke), and de-aged many of the X-Men so as to put them in high school with other non-mutant students and their “evil mutant” rivals. While the series wasn’t every X-Fan’s cup of tea, it did allow for new storytelling possibilities as familiar faces were recast in new and different ways. Case in point: “On Angel’s Wings” is a holiday episode that starts with a mysterious flying “angel” saving lives around the city. Xavier naturally assumes him to be a mutant; Magneto comes to the same conclusion and tries to recruit him to his cause, leading to a chase across the city with the “angel” (actually Warren Worthington, one of the original X-Men in the comics) saving Rogue. Light on plot or any deep thematic purpose, “On Angel’s Wings” is still a fun episode, especially the end showing the different ways that the team members spend the holidays. (Never change, Logan.)
9. Static Shock, “Frozen Out”
One of the things that made Static Shock stand out from most other superhero animated series of the early 2000s — aside from its African-American lead, 14-year-old Virgil Hawkins, and its majority Black voice acting cast — was its willingness to tackle thorny social issues. Being more of a “street level” superhero (and closer in age to his show’s intended audience) than the Justice League, Static was a natural choice to star in storylines that touched on real-life issues like bullying or gun violence. “Frozen Out” continues in that tradition by introducing Permafrost, a teenage girl capable of generating extreme cold. At first, she seems like another one of the “bang babies” Static has to battle to keep Dakota City safe, but then a pastor tells Virgil about how she ended up without a home after the death of her mother. Instead of fighting her, Static talks to her and asks about her life. She lets down her guard and says she thought nobody cared; Static saved the day by seeing her as a person instead of a problem. “This great country of ours is so very blessed, yet for some the blessings are out of reach,” the pastor says at the end of the episode, imploring his flock to be “ambassadors of compassion” to those in need. Preach.
10. Justice League, “Comfort and Joy”
Cartoon Network’s Justice League tended to follow a fairly rigid storytelling structure over its two seasons, with the series built around two- and three-episode story arcs in which DC’s mightiest heroes tackle threats big enough to require a team effort. The sole one-off episode in the series is 2003’s “Comfort and Joy,” a heartwarming half-hour that finds our heroes taking a break from world-saving to enjoy the holidays in their own unique ways. Batman spends Christmas on Watchtower duty. Green Lantern and Hawkgirl show each other how they spend the holidays. The Flash searches for the season’s hottest toy to give some orphans a merry Christmas and recruits the Ultra-Humanite (of all people) to help him find the elusive item. And Superman brings J’onn J’onzz home to Smallville to spend Christmas Eve with his parents. Without any big crisis or super-villain threatening to spoil the fun, we get space to enjoy the simple moments, like J’onn discovering the magic of Oreo cookies (an in-joke from the comics) or Clark insisting it was Santa who wrapped his presents in lead-lined paper when he was a kid. “My name is J’onn… I’m a Martian.” “Oh, we’re no strangers to aliens in this house. You just make yourself at home.” Sniff.
11. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, “The Christmas Aliens”
Based on a TMNT one-shot comic with the same title, “The Christmas Aliens” finds our sewer-dwelling ninjas saving Christmas — or at least, saving Christmas for a group of kids. As the rest of the team is back at headquarters decking the halls, Mikey is enjoying some wintertime fun in Central Park and admiring the toys in a toy store window, particularly that season’s hot seller, the “Little Orphan Alien” dolls. Investigating a noise in a nearby alley, he discovers some bad guys stealing a truckload of the dolls that were supposed to go to a local orphanage. We then cut back and forth between a thrilling chase through the city and Mikey’s friends growing impatient waiting for him to show up. After Mikey saves the shipment of dolls, he finally joins his friends… and we cut to the orphanage, where we see that the Turtles and their friends have dressed as elves (with Splinter as Santa) to hand out the dolls to the overjoyed children. Casey gets a kiss on the cheek from April while standing under the mistletoe and Mikey looks up at the camera to say, “Happy holidays, everyone!” A little cheesy? Maybe. But would we expect anything less than cheese from our favorite pizza-munching reptiles?
12. Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “Invasion of the Secret Santas!”
Airing on Cartoon Network between 2008 and 2011, Batman: The Brave and the Bold is best remembered for its lighter tone, Batman’s team-ups with lesser-known denizens of the DC Universe, and a kick-ass musical episode (it’s true, you now; he really does drive us bats). No one’s belting out a power ballad in “Invasion of the Secret Santas!”, though it does feature an android singing “Jingle Bells” in a less-than-seasonal monotone. After being reminded he’s “just a robot” by some kids talking about the Christmas spirit, Red Tornado turns to outdoor decorations, caroling and Christmas sweaters to try and feel the Christmas spirit for himself. But before he can crack the code, there’s a newsflash about invading aliens who demand Earth give up Santa so that “he will finally bring the children of Neptune the joy and happiness they have long been denied.” It’s hard not to love a cartoon that references Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. After our heroes team up to investigate, they discover the flying saucers are toys built by none other than Fun Haus (basically a jacked-up version of the Toyman from the Super Friends cartoons) — and he’s not finished with playtime yet! (See also: “army of evil robot Santas.”)
13. The Spectacular Spider-Man, “Reinforcement”
2008’s The Spectacular Spider-Man lasted just two seasons; you can thank legal battles between Disney and Sony Pictures Television for there never being a third. And that’s a shame; the show managed to create its own distinctive tone and style while blending in material from decades of comics, cartoons and films starring everyone’s favorite wall-crawling weasel. This Season 2 episode, set in the days leading up to Christmas, finds Spider-Man trying to track down a new crime lord who’s been hiring crooks and construction workers for a big job. Meanwhile, a whole lot of super-villains are breaking out of jail on the orders of the Master Planner, which can’t be good for Peter. Sure enough, his skating date with his friends at Rockefeller Center is interrupted by the arrival of Spidey’s biggest bad guys working on behalf of the Master Planner, who’s got a master plan for our hero. (He wants to kill him. I didn’t say it was a complicated plan.) Less a Christmas episode and more an episode that takes place at Christmas, it still manages to pull off a few yuletide zingers. “Guys! Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice! Can’t we put our differences aside for one night?” “Nope.” Heh.
14. Ultimate Spider-Man, “Nightmare on Christmas”
Disney’s takeover of Marvel saw a whole lot of Marvel properties going into the animation pipeline; Ultimate Spider-Man was one of them. Running from 2012 to 2017, its premise saw a younger Peter learning how to be a superhero with the help of Nick Fury, who offers him a chance to work within a team alongside four other young heroes: Iron Fist, Power Man, Nova, and White Tiger. 2014’s “Nightmare on Christmas” finds our young hero in another one of his self-pitying moments; after he thinks his friends have ditched him on Christmas Eve, he muses, “Nobody appreciates me. Why do I even bother? Sometimes I wonder if being Spider-Man is even worth it.” And with those fateful words, we’re off on one of those adventures where Spider-Man realizes what a “wonderful life” he really has. (Code Clarence! We’ve got a Code Clarence in the house!) The supernatural being taking Peter on a tour of what his life would be like if he gave up being Spider-Man is none other than Nightmare, that nocturnal nogoodnik who feeds on peoples’ fears and self-doubts, and he clearly sees Spidey as a five-course buffet. Will Spidey beat back his fears and save himself in time for Christmas gifts with his friends? Does Jameson want pictures of Spider-Man?
15. Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., “It’s a Wonderful Smash”
Speaking of It’s a Wonderful Life. In case you were wondering, the “S.M.A.S.H.” in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. stands for Supreme Military Agency of Super Humans; Hulk, She-Hulk, Red Hulk, A-Bomb, and Skaar team up to tackle threats that no other superheroes can face. (Though I don’t know, I think Thor or Captain Marvel could clear room in their schedule to pound on the Leader or beat back a Kree invasion, but maybe that’s just me.) After dealing with Blastaar in a fight where you can safely assume the phrase “Merry SMASH-mas!” is used, the team (like Spider-Man above) is bummed they don’t get the respect they deserve. When Rick makes a wish on a shooting star for the perfect Christmas, a blinding flash of white light takes us to an episode of “The Hulk Out Holiday Smash-travaganza,” a TV special taking place in a reality where Rick’s dating a supermodel, Red Hulk is the President, and even J. Jonah Jameson is singing their praises. What’s going on? Is any of this real? Let’s ask the “talking space raccoon” who comes down their chimney. It’s a fun episode, but honestly I was sold the second I saw the Hulk wearing a Christmas sweater.
16. Guardians of the Galaxy, “Jingle Bell Rock”
That episode of Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. featured guest appearances by the Guardians of the Galaxy, who would get their own animated series shortly after their first blockbuster film. While starring the same five team members seen in the Guardians films, the animated series followed the lead of other Disney XD shows by creating a world slightly different from the continuity of the Marvel Studios films. When the rest of the team feel like Quill’s head isn’t in the game, they learn it’s because he’s missing home, or more specifically he’s missing the Christmases he enjoyed with his mother when she was still alive. According to Drax’s research, Christmas is about “worshiping an evergreen that goes by the name of Carol… also something about a fat bearded man in a hover-sled.” That about sums it up, yeah. When their latest employer turns out to be a miserly jerk who skips on paying them what they’re owed, the Guardians take a page from their research and try to give him the Charles Dickens special, with decidedly mixed results. But on the bright side, at least Quill finally got that sled he always wanted. “And to all a good night!”
17. Teen Titans Go!, “Teen Titans Save Christmas”
With 345 episodes and a feature film (Teen Titans Go to the Movies!) to date, it’s pretty clear Teen Titans Go! and its gleefully anarchic brand of humor isn’t “going” anywhere anytime soon. As a show that manically skewers everything and anything (including the delightful absurdity of an irreverent show like Teen Titans Go! being the longest-running DC animated property ever), it’s not surprising to see sacred cows like Santa and “very special Christmas episodes” get a regular drubbing from the Titans. Holiday-themed outings have seen the Titans conspire to take themselves off Santa’s Naughty List, get embroiled in all-out war between Christmas and Halloween, trick Starfire into believing in Second Christmas, and help Santa get back into the “Holiday Mob” headed by Baby New Year… and yes, Virginia, you can safely assume there’s a “Teen Titans Save Christmas” episode in there, too. After the Titans foil Santa’s plans to take over all the holidays, he decides there won’t be Christmas for anyone and it’s up to the Titans to “avoid peak sadness levels by breakfast.” Their solution: take over for Santa and deliver presents to over 7 billion households in one night. No problem, right? Except for that laser-shooting reindeer hauling a pissed-off Santa…
18. Justice League Action, “Party Animal”
Watching Warner Bros. announce the umpteenth Batman, Joker or Harley Quinn project, it’s easy to forget just how deep DC’s bench is when it comes to compelling characters who don’t hail from Gotham City. Cartoon Network’s Justice League Action, much like the earlier Justice League Unlimited, took a deep dive into the DC sandbox with each episode, often finding interesting facets of characters that even most DC fans might not recognize. In 2017’s “Party Animal,” a harried Green Arrow is trying to throw the perfect Christmas party for his Justice League teammates when Plastic Man shows up with… Solomon Grundy? Yes, indeed. Tasked with taking the tranquilized “soulless undead animal” to S.T.A.R. Labs after his rampage through a city park, Plas decides he didn’t want to make a scene during the scientists’ Christmas party, so he brings Grundy to Green Arrow’s party instead. At first, it works out fine as a subdued Grundy only eats most of the food, but then a TV news report about his rampage sets him off and he busts out to finish whatever unspeakable horrors he has in mind — wait, no, he just wants to give a teddy bear to a little girl. Aw. Lesson learned: even soulless undead animals can feel the Christmas spirit.
19. DuckTales, “Last Christmas!”
“Bah, humbug!” “He said it!” A fellow by the name of Scrooge acting grumpy on Christmas Eve? Now where have I heard that one before? (No, seriously, didn’t we go there already?) When Disney announced a rebooted DuckTales show in 2015 with the same premise as the first DuckTales, fans of the original series couldn’t be blamed for feeling a bit anxious about what the House of Mouse was up to. But they needn’t have worried; turns out it’s really good. Want proof? After a set-up in which it couldn’t be more clear that Scrooge is about to get a visit from three certain ghosts, Dewey spies a green glow from his great-uncle’s bedchamber and rushes in to find Scrooge… wearing mistletoe and doing eggnog shots while the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future cheer him on. “I am more confused than usual,” says Dewey. Turns out the ghosts once haunted Scrooge’s house by mistake while they were looking for another Scrooge, but as Christmas Present says, “Your uncle was way more fun!” Despite the act, Scrooge actually loves everything about Christmas (except a certain Santa: “That churlish chimney-chaser is not to be trusted!”) and spends every Christmas with the ghostly gang popping in on holiday hootenannies throughout history. Sound likes fun; what could possibly go wrong?
20. My Hero Academia, “Have a Merry Christmas!”
File this under “It’s a Fact, Jack!”: They celebrate Christmas in other countries, too. Japan, for instance, is into Christmas big time, though for understandable reasons the emphasis there is more on secular traditions than religious ones. Take the 2021 episode “Have a Merry Christmas!” from the fifth season of the anime series My Hero Academia, based on the manga series of the same name by Kōhei Horikoshi. Even though the young students in Class 1-A at U.A. High have a lot on their minds between superhero classes, combat training, and the sudden destruction of Deika City by a group of villains just a few days before, they still make time to enjoy a huge Christmas feast in their dorm common room. The festivities end with a gift exchange and Izuku (the show’s protagonist) thinking about how even though their future is uncertain, he hopes they can all have this much fun next Christmas. It’s a sweet episode that offers the young heroes a chance to catch their breath in between other, more action-packed episodes to enjoy each other’s company for a moment — which is what the holidays should be about.
21. Beebo Saves Christmas
There are the Christmas TV specials (like the Star Wars Holiday Special) that make you wonder why anyone ever thought they were a good idea. And then you have specials like Beebo Saves Christmas that leave you asking how they ever got made in the first place. For the unacquainted, Beebo is a talking toy that resembles a furry bear-like creature; he first appeared in a 2017 episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, “Beebo God of War,” which saw the Tickle Me Elmo-like toy brought back to Viking times and worshiped by the locals as a god. (Par for the course with the Legends crew.) Since then, Beebo has popped up from time to time, establishing himself as a popular toy that exists in the same universe as the DC heroes starring in the CW’s line-up of comic-based shows. So far, so good; everyone knows superhero fans love a good Easter egg. But that wasn’t the holiday Arrow-verse producers had in mind when they pitched 2021’s Beebo Saves Christmas to the network, in essence creating a 45-minute toy commercial for a toy that doesn’t actually exist. Adding to the cheekiness of the whole thing is the fact the only meta-nod to Legends is the choice of Legends actor Victor Garber as the narrator — but even then, he’s not playing Martin Stein as the narrator, he’s just Victor Garber narrating a TV special. The craziest part? It’s actually pretty fun to watch, with toe-tapping songs and celebrity voices (Ernie Hudson!) that stack up against the best old-school animated specials. So… how about making Beebo a real thing now, guys? Guys…?
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