X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #2: Second Genesis

A reading order for stories starting with Giant-Size X-Men #1 in May 1975 and ending with Uncanny X-Men #142 in February 1981. A part of Crushing Krisis’s Collecting X-Men: A Definitive Guide. Last updated March 2021.

Era #1: Original X-Men  X-Men Reading Order Guide  Era #3: New Mutants

What does Era #2: Second Genesis include?

This era of the X-Men Reading Order is focused on the beginning of the Bronze Age run of X-Men, starting from the introduction of the second generation team in Giant-Size X-Men #1. That includes all of the team’s stories through Dark Phoenix Saga, Kitty Pryde joining the team, and Days of Future Past.

X-titles released in this era:

• Giant Size X-Men (1975) #1 & Uncanny X-Men (1963) #94-142 – see Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont
• Angel and Iceman in Champions #1-17 and various Champions guest appearances – see The Champions for collection information
• Captain Britain in Captain Britain, Vol. 1 (1976-77) #1-39, Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain (1977) #231-247, Marvel Team-Up (1972) #65-66 (but not the remainder of his early material – that’s in the next era!) – see Captain Britain for collection information
• Sabretooth’s debut in Iron Fist #14 and a full-team appearance in #15 – see Iron Fist for collection information

Later X-titles set in this era:

• Giant Size X-Men (1975) #3-4
• Back-up stories in Classic X-Men (1986) #1-44
• Uncanny X-Men: First Class (2009) Giant Size & #1-8

Notes:

• X-Men (1963) is often colloquially referred to as Uncanny X-Men (1963) even though the title did not officially pick up the “Uncanny” adjective until issue #142. That is my convention on Crushing Comics, as it’s all one volume of the same ongoing series.
• Each issue of the Classic X-Men (1986) reprint series included a back-up story. While some back-ups corresponded to the issue they reprinted (as with the back-up in Classic X-Men (1986) #3 fitting with UXM #95), many stories are set much earlier or later in continuity. I’ve noted them in their proper reading order here, partially to assist folks who picked up the Classic X-Men omnibus, but from an “ease of reading” standpoint I feel you should read them in batches (which I have also indicated below).
• I treat any Wolverine story that is after he gains his Adamantium in the Weapon X program but before he joins the team as being effectively a Silver Age story that occurred in parallel to Silver Age X-Men, thus they appear in the prior era of the guide.
• Beast joined The Avengers with Avengers (1963) #137 and is not tracked as an X-Man in this era, though he does make appearances in UXM.

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Era #2: Second Genesis Reading Order

• From the Ashes
• Where No X-Man Has Gone Before!
• Magneto Triumphant
• Arcade & Proteus
• The Dark Phoenix Saga
• Days of Future Past

This reading guide is unique in that it values continuity order for stories and characters but prioritizes an enjoyable read. Because retcon stories are placed by continuity regardless of when they are published, this reading order is full of story spoilers. Again, this is a full-spoilers reading order.

When the continuity order of two runs is concurrent or unclear, this guide follows two priorities:

1. Recommend the biggest chunk of reading with the least amount of substantial story conflict. A minor crossover point like a phone call or a costume change isn’t enough of a reason to shuffle between two unrelated story arcs.
2. Create the longest unbroken block of Uncanny X-Men and place it as early as possible in the order.

Generally, I’m not concerned with switching between single issues of different titles outside of a crossover. Minor appearances and cameos are selectively included. Full, unadulterated lists of character appearances can be found in the respective Reading Guide to each character (specifically, Wolverine).

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From the Ashes

The initial run of Uncanny X-Men stories from this era feature three of the most-significant X-Men stories of all time – the formation of the second generation team of X-Men, the first death of an X-Men, and Jean’s transformation into the Phoenix!

Giant-Size X-Men (1975) #1
See Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont for collection information
This historic issue introduces Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Proudstar, as well as brings Wolverine and Banshee into the fold. As such, I think it should be the first thing you read in this era, even though a handful of stories precede it.

Sequential Classic X-Men: There are a number of Classic X-Men stories that are set prior to this era. Classic X-Men (1986) #41-42 prior to this era – they are part of Cyclops’ Origin. Classic X-Men (1986) #19 is a Magneto story set prior to the same time as UXM #1. Classic X-Men (1986) #16 is a Banshee story set prior to his debut.

Optional: If you have not read them already, read Uncanny Origins (1996) #8 (Nightcrawler), X-Men: Origins – Wolverine, and X-Men: Origins – Colossus directly after Giant Size X-Men. Then, read Giant-Size X-Men (1975) #3. All of these issues have elements that precede Giant-Size X-Men #1, but it makes the most sense to read that issue first!

Sequential Classic X-Men: Read Classic X-Men (1986) #1 after Giant Size X-Men – it expands scenes from the issue and adds a substantial epilogue. Read Classic X-Men (1986) #44 after Giant Size X-Men to see how Rogue’s life is moving in parallel with her future teammates.

Sequential Classic X-Men: before UXM #94, read Classic X-Men (1986) #5, 10, and 2. These all fit into the training-montage time period early in UXM #94 and. before the team heads out on their mission, and the only thing they will spoil is that the original X-Men (other than Cyclops) quit the team – which is already telegraphed by the final page of Giant Size.

Optional: Read Giant-Size Fantastic Four (1974) #4 and Giant-Size X-Men (1975) #4 before UXM #94 and after Classic X-Men backups. These also occur during the training montage.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #94-103
See Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont for collection information
Issue #94 features the original X-Men departing and then a weeks-long Danger Room sequence, where other stories in this period before the team’s first mission can fit. There is a brief gap in action after #95 with Thunderbird’s death, and several weeks on either side of #97. Issues #98-101 occur in a rush. Jean becomes Phoenix in issue #101 and the team briefly breaks mid-issue while she convalesces, but they end the issue in Ireland in the middle of a confrontation that extends until #103. There is the briefest of implied breaks between #103-104 – perhaps a day?

Members of the X-Men make several other appearances in this period that you can intersperse with your reading, if you choose. They also appear in canonical retcon stories in Classic X-Men. However, skipping them will not take away from your chronological read! Click to expand a reading order of guest appearances and Classic X-Men.

Optional: The Champions #1-15 & Marvel Vault: Gambit & The Champions (2011)
See The Champions for collection information
If you chose to follow Angel and Iceman to Champions, here you can catch up on Champions (1975) #1-15, which start very soon after UXM #94 as Beast is in Avengers #150-151 immediately after #94 and some of these Champions issues happen before that! You need to read the issues here because Magneto appears in UXM #104 prior to the next issues of Champions.

In full sequential order, your Angel and Iceman read should consist of: Champions (1975) #1-4, Ghost Rider Vol. 2 (1973) #17, Champions #5-6, Avengers (1963) #151, Champions #7, Marvel Vault: Gambit & The Champions (2011), Champions #8-10, Marvel Treasury Edition (1974) #13, Champions #11-13, Ghost Rider (1973) #23, Champions (1975) #14-15, Godzilla (1977) #3, Iron Man (1968) Annual 4.

Optional: Captain Britain (1976) #1-14
See Captain Britain & Excalibur for collection information
If you chose to read Captain Britain, start here! Captain Britain begins after Marvel Preview #3 in 1975, as it shares some characters with that issue. Nick Fury appears in Captain Britain #15 sometime after Uncanny X-Men #98, which proceeds directly to #101. That means Captain Britain #1-14 occur at roughly the same time as Giant-Size X-Men through UXM #101.

Where No X-Men Has Gone Before

This brisk sequence of X-Men issues introduces the Shi’ar Empire, which sets up conflicts that will pay off 20 issues later in the Dark Phoenix Saga. More importantly, it’s one of the only places in this entire era where we have a fully-assembled, healthy, and relatively happy team that can accommodate inserted retcon stories prior to the Dark Phoenix Saga.

Optional: Iron Fist (1975) #14
See Iron Fist for collection information
The debut of Sabretooth! This likely occurs at the same time as UXM #104, with the fast-paced action in UXM #105-108 happening in the break after this issue so that the team runs into Iron Fist (already returned to NYC) just before UXM #109.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #104-110
See Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont for collection information
Issue #104 picks up about a day after #103 and makes reference to Jamie Madrox from Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4. The X-Men flee Magneto in the Blackbird at the end of the issue with a brief gap in action before #105, which ends with the team leaping into a portal to Shi’ar space. Issue #106 occurs in an instant (it is mostly flashback) and leads directly into #107-108. We see the team enter the mansion fresh from space in #109 for Wolverine’s confrontation with Guardian. That means there is no break in the action with Jean Grey active on the team and in her Phoenix costume until after #109, during the implied time of the rest of Moira MacTaggart’s stay with the team in New York before her last day in #110. Even more time passes after #110, leaving plenty of time for retcon stories that involve the entire team.

Sequential Classic X-Men: If you did not read them in the prior era, read Classic X-Men #14-15 between UXM #106-107. Note that #14 is set during UXM #65-97 and #15 shortly after Corsair leaves after for space – so, long before his debut in UXM #104! However, if you haven’t read them yet, they fit better here as part of the flashback action of UXM #106’s fill-in story.

Optional: After #108, you can read the debut of Deathbird in Ms. Marvel (1977) #9-10. However, please know this isn’t remotely a mutant or Shi’ar story – it’s mostly about Carol Danvers fighting MODOK underneath a shopping mall.

Iron Fist (1975) #15
See Iron Fist for collection information
This issue is effectively UXM #108.5, as it shows the team returning to their regular lives after their Shi’ar adventure. It is the one of the few guest appearances of this era that I would say is non-optional!

Sequential Classic X-Men: after UXM #109, Classic X-Men #28

Optional: After #110, Storm in the classic anti-smoking issue Spider-Man, Storm & Power-Man (1982)

Optional: Uncanny X-Men: First Class (2009) #1-8
See X-Men Ongoings for collection information
This run features the full team alongside an in-costume Phoenix, Lilandra, and Moira, which means it must take place entirely between the end of UXM #109 and the beginning of #111. Only issue #8 could be later. You can easily read the Giant-Size Special here as a prologue, though it is clearly meant to occur just after UXM #94.

Optional: Classic X-Men #1-19 (back-ups)
See X-Men Ongoings for collection information
If you are reading Classic X-Men backups in bulk rather than placing them in exact chronological order, read the stories from issues #1-19 here. All of these stories occur prior to UXM #111 and will not spoil any future stories. That said, issue #7 will introduce Emma Frost earlier than her debut, so you may wish to save it for just prior to UXM #129.

Optional: Captain Britain (1976) #15-26
See Captain Britain & Excalibur for collection information
We know that Captain Britain #15 occurs after UXM #101, and Captain America appears in Captain Britain #26 directly before his appearance in UXM #108. That means this run occurs entirely during UXM #101-107.

Optional: Captain Britain, Vol. 1 (1976-77) #27-39 & Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain (1977) #231-247
See Captain Britain & Excalibur for collection information
This run occurs entirely in the time of UXM #108-109, as Captain Britain’s next appearance (his first in the US!) must occur prior to UXM #111!

Optional: Marvel Team-Up (1972) #65-66
See Captain Britain & Excalibur or Spider-Man for collection information
This story introduces Captain Britain to America and is the debut of Arcade. While we won’t encounter Arcade until prior to UXM #222, Spider-Man’s continuity necessitates reading these issues here, since Marvel Team-Up #69-70 occurs around the same time as UXM #111.

Magneto Triumphant

Magneto comes back with a vengeance at the beginning of this period, making two critical guest appearances before making a grand return to Uncanny X-Men under Chris Claremont’s pen. The majority of the team is seemingly killed after their confrontation in UXM #112-113, which splinters the cast for the remainder of this period.

Optional: Captain America (1968) Annual 4
See Magneto or Captain America for collection information
This Jack Kirby story is Magneto’s next appearance after UXM #104, and Captain American cameos in UXM #108 prior to appearing here. However, it is not directly referenced by Claremont when Magneto returns, so it is not essential.

Optional: Wolverine tussles with Hercules in Marvel Treasury Edition (1974) #26 (5th story) prior to the back-up from Classic X-Men #18.

Sequential Classic X-Men: after UXM #109-110 and Captain America Annual 4, you can read Classic X-Men #12, 13, 18, 27, and 17.

Between Classic #27 and 17, Girl Comics Vol 2. #1 (6th story).

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #69
This functions as UXM 110.5. It is Havok and Polaris’s next story after his last appearance on Muir Island, plus it sets up the mystery of the missing X-Men and Beasts pursuit of them in #111. Havok and Polaris briefly cameo in a follow-up in #70, though they are no longer the featured team-up.

Optional: Super-Villain Team-Up (1975) #14 & Champions (1975) #16-17
See The Champions for collection information
These are Magneto’s next sequential appearances before UXM #111 and also the end of Champions.

Optional: The debut of Mystique as an active villain in Marvel Fanfare (1982) #60 (2nd story) and Ms. Marvel (1977) #16-18

Sometime in this period we glimpse Xavier and Scott in an otherwise non-continuity montage in Ghost Rider (1972) #34.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #111-121
See Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont for collection information
When: The story in these issues rockets forward with hardly any gap in the action for most of the team, save for a brief time lapse between #117-118. However, a lot of time elapses for the team, including a week during UXM #114.

Optional: If you chose to read Namor, continue to Defenders #52-56 here.  See Guide to Namor for his full chronology. Namor is not tracked by this guide any further, as he heads into 15yrs of guest-starring roles.

Members of the X-Men make several other appearances in this period that you can intersperse with your reading, if you choose. They also appear in canonical retcon stories in Classic X-Men. However, skipping them will not take away from your chronological read! Click to expand a reading order of guest appearances.

Optional: If you chose to follow Angel and Iceman to Champions, read Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #17-18 after you read all of Captain Britain. They occur prior to UXM #123. Then, continue to Incredible Hulk (1962) Annual 7 – the last issue for Angel before we next see him back in UXM.

Arcade & Proteus

The X-Men reassemble for a pair of legendary encounters prior to the dark Phoenix Saga – one against the pint-sized madman Arcade, the other against the deadly reality-warper Proteus. Meanwhile, Jean begins her slow decent into madness, fueled by Mastermind.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #122-124, Annual 3, & 125-128
See Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont for collection information
The action in #122-128 includes a few gaps for other stories on either side of Annual 3 between #124-125. The book starts to accelerate towards the Dark Phoenix Saga beginning in #126-128 during the Proteus story by showing Mastermind’s interference with Jean’s psyche, which means there are relatively few chances for other appearances placed later than this run unless they directly tie to the stories in #129-136.

Optional: Classic X-Men #19-33 (back-ups)
See X-Men Ongoings for collection information
If you are reading Classic X-Men backups in bulk rather than placing them in exact chronological order, read the stories from issues #19-33 here. All of these stories occur prior to UXM #129 except for Classic X-Men #20, and they will not spoil any future stories.

Weirdly, Marvel Team-Up (1972) #90 is set before #89, and includes Beast – not an active X-Men in this period. Based on Spider-Man’s chronology, this likely occurs either during the first part of UXM #122 or just after #124.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #89
Nightcrawler and Amanda Sefton star in this full issue – moreso than Spider-Man does – after UXM #124 and before Annual 3. This is written by Claremont, and part of the theme of UXM at this time of exploring the pre-X-Men lives of Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus. Since Nightcrawler is the only character whose background is outside of UXM, you have to read this issue to get it.

Members of the X-Men make several other appearances in this period that you can intersperse with your reading, if you choose. They also appear in canonical retcon stories in Classic X-Men. However, skipping them will not take away from your chronological read! Click to expand a reading order of guest appearances.

The Dark Phoenix Saga

After several years of build-up, the X-Men’s most famous story of all time finally arrives!

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #129-138
See Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont for collection information
Issues #129-137 happens with hardly any gaps aside from the space within UXM #129 as the team returns to the mansion sans Banshee, who stays behind on Muir Island. The stories in #138-140 & Annual 4 occur in the following weeks.

Optional: Classic X-Men #34-44 (back-ups)
See X-Men Ongoings for collection information
If you are reading Classic X-Men backups in bulk rather than placing them in exact chronological order, read the stories from issues #34-44 here.

Members of the X-Men make several other appearances in this period that you can intersperse with your reading, if you choose. They also appear in canonical retcon stories in Classic X-Men. However, skipping them will not take away from your chronological read! Click to expand a reading order of guest appearances.

After #138: Angel is somewhat active on the team in this period, and he’s in Marvel Treasury Edition (1974) #27 (3rd story)

Days of Future Past

The Dark Phoenix Saga seemed like an unbeatable climax to Chris Claremont’s first half-decade of X-Men, but he and John Byrne had another equally-enduring saga left between them with this grim, future-set story that recenters the mutant metaphor for the next run of the book.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) Annual 4 & #139-140
See Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont for collection information

Optional: Between UXM #138-140, both Mystique and Deathbird are in Ms. Marvel (1977) #22. Deathbird is then in Avengers (1963) #189.

Sequential Classic X-Men: After UXM #140, Classic X-Men #37-38, which lead directly to Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #203 and Dazzler #1 in the next Reading Order Era.

Optional: Angel is the featured team-up in Marvel Two-In-One (1974) #68

Storm briefly cameos in Marvel Two-In-One (1974) #69; she is not the featured team-up.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #141-142
See Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont for collection information
The classic Days of Future Past story, and the end of John Byrne’s run on the title.

Optional: If you chose to read Captain Britain, read his “Otherworld Saga” here in Hulk Comic (1979) #1 & 3-46, and Incredible Hulk Weekly (1980) #47-55 and #57-63. It was released at the same time as UXM #119-133, but it does not begin in continuity until after Avengers (1963) #226 per the participation of Black Knight – which places it significantly after Dazzler #1, which is in the next era.

Era #1: Original X-Men  X-Men Reading Order Guide  Era #3: New Mutants