“Mutant X” Season 1 (2001-02, syndication), episodes 1-5 — “Mutant X,” the first branch of the “X-Men” tree to become a live-action show, is as guilty of theft as “Smallville” and “Alias.” The syndicated show is using the same story “Dark Angel” used last year: genetically-engineered kids on the run from a corrupt organization that wants to use them as weapons. Granted, “Mutant X” is based on a comic book that started long before “Dark Angel,” but since none of the characters are the same, the rip-off argument becomes valid.
— John Hansen, “Is this the season of the rip-off?,” NDSU Spectrum, Nov. 2, 2001