A reading order for stories occurring prior to or parallel to X-Men #1 in September 1963. A part of Crushing Comics’ Guide to Marvel Comics. Last updated September 2018.
What does Era #0: Before The X-Men include?
This era of the X-Men Reading Order is focused on X-Men pre-history – stories retroactively inserted into the period prior to X-Men #1 in 1963. That mostly consists of Wolverine stories, since he has the most (and most interesting) history to dig through.
You could optionally read Namor’s Golden Age, Invaders, and Atlas Era stories in this period as well, if you choose to include him in your X-Men read.
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As a reminder: My approach is a little bit different than other reading order guides. My goal is to present a unified, enjoyable reading experience that takes things one story or run at a time. Generally, I’m not concerned with inserting single issues or even switching mid-issue. Minor appearances and cameos are selectively included. Full, unadulterated lists of character appearances can be found in their respective guides.
Era #0: Before The X-Men Reading Order
Mutants from BC to World War I
Rise of Apocalypse #1-4
See X-Men Limited Series for collection information
This story Occurs in ancient Egypt concurrent with events depicted in the time-travel story in Fantastic Four #19. Starts just after Apocalypse’s birth and continues through his rise to power – about 18 years of story.
Wolverine: Origin #1-6
See Wolverine for collection information
This story occurs in the mid/late 1800s over the course of approximately 20 years.
The Further Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix #1-4
See X-Men Limited Series for collection information
Despite Cyclops and Jean Grey projecting back into this story from the modern day, it occurs entirely in 1859. That said, you could be mildly spoiled by their presence in this past-time story.
Mutants from World War II to the Silver Age
The Magneto Testament #1-5
See X-Men Limited Series for collection information
This story occurs between 1935 and 1943.
Wolverine: Amazing Immortal Man & Other Bloody Tales
See Wolverine for collection information
X-Men: True Friends #1-3
See X-Men Limited Series for collection information
This is a tricky one. It’s a present-day series with a time-travel component, which finds a modern Kitty Pryde and Rachel Summers visiting a pre-WWII Logan. Again, the presence of present-day characters will spoil some later plot elements for you, but strictly by chronology it appears here.
Optional: Read Uncanny X-Men #268
Optional: Read Golden Age Namor stories here (including Invaders) – see Namor for more information.
Optional: Wolverine/Hercules: Myths, Monsters & Mutants #1-4 has many past sequences set in this period, though enough of it references the present that it could confuse you if this is your first X-Men read. See Wolverine for collection information
Wolverine #1000
See Wolverine for collection information
Logan #1-3
See Wolverine for collection information
Largely occurs in flashback to 1945
Sub-Mariner: the Depths #1-5
See Namor for collection information
This alternate history story occurs during the 1950s, but still serves as a good Sub-Mariner introduction without reading all of his Golden Age series.
Logan: Path of the Warlord OGN
See Wolverine for collection information
Set in the 1950s.
Optional: Read Atlas Era Namor stories here – see Namor for more information.
Optional: Read X-Men Origins: Sabretooth
Wolverine: Agent of Atlas #1-3
See Wolverine for collection information
This is set in 1958, which places it firmly prior to First X-Men and Weapon X
First X-Men #1-5
See X-Men Limited Series for collection information
This retcon story occurs in the 70s in Marvel’s modern sliding timescale, but it clearly is meant to predate X-Men #1 by more than a couple of years. Namor is homeless and without memories, Xavier is still at University in England, and Magneto is hunting Nazis in South America. It ends with characters moving towards their appearances in X-Men #1, but still several years away.
Optional: Read Uncanny Origins #2 (Legion) and X-Men (1991) #-1
Logan: Shadow Society OGN
See Wolverine for collection information
Logan was a Canadian Agent during this time, but it is just prior to his adamantium process.
The Edge of the Silver Age
Storm #1-6
See X-Men Limited Series for collection information
Storm is a pre-teen to teen in this edition. As Storm is canonically around the same age as Jean Grey, this occurs prior to or parallel to X-Men #1.
Angel: Revelations #1-5
See X-Men Limited Series for collection information
Prior to X-Men #1, as this features Angel’s origin in high school.
Optional: Read Uncanny X-Men (1963) #-1
X-Men Origins (various)
See X-Men Limited Series for collection information
This series of 2009-2010 sone-shots occur at various times prior to or concurrent with the original run of X-Men #1-65. Because some of these origins pre-date X-Men #1, I think it’s easiest to read the whole chunk of them in the Pre-X-Men era. However some origins – particularly Gambit’s – occur much later and involve characters and situations set up by prior X-Men stories.
Another reading order option for these issues would be to read them just before or after the debut issue of each of their characters. Here’s their exact placements:
- Cyclops occurs after X-Men #7, with flashbacks to #1.
- Colossus fits just prior to Giant Size X-Men
- Deadpool weirdly seems to fit after Agent X #15, which is pretty far into the future!
- Emma Frost has present day material that fits before New Mutants #16, but mostly occurs after her ongoing series in the next era.
- Gambit spans from pre-X-Men flashbacks right up until Gambit’s debut in Uncanny X-Men #266-267.
- Iceman occurs entirely prior to X-Men #1
- Jean Grey occurs prior to X-Men #7, but also with flashbacks that occur prior to #1. You should read Uncanny X-Men (1963) #-1 first, as it starts a few pages into this issue.
- Sabretooth occurs prior to First X-Men, above
- Wolverine has a framing sequence that occurs during Giant Size X-Men, but a big chunk of the issue occurs prior to Logan/Grimm, above.
Seems like there’s gaps. Am I missing something? I just finished Logan: Shadow Society, and starting First X-Men, What happened in between? Sabertooth was more the antagonist in Shadow Society but right away in First X-Men Logan and Creed are working together. Shouldn’t there be something in between these stories?
Yup same question…
Sadly, not all of these retcons make sense in relation to each other … and First X-Men is notoriously loose on continuity that makes sense. That said, I do think there’s some missing connective tissue of Sabretooth, which I’ll eventually figure out when I work on a guide for him.
another guide I reference sometimes for gaps.
http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/X-Men_Reading_Order
Awesome update! You added a ton more Era 0 titles to read. I’m going to sprinkle them in during the slow Era 1 series I’m reading through.
Definitely going to add in Namor. The Depths really got me interested in him as a character.
I read the first part of Wolverine: Amazing Immortal Man, just the Amazing Immortal Man story. Is it canon? I thought it was interesting no doubt about that. Seeing Logan in a circus feels like a natural fit for the character (similar to how they introduce him in X-Men the movie doing cage fights) but it felt more like a What If story than something that actually happened in the character’s history.
Can you please post what you have done for the next era and update the previous eras??? I’m really interested in doing a type of thing for my Youtube channel where I read the beginning of the X-men to the current stage, but this isn’t technically complete and it’d help if it was, so I don’t have to track down everything past October 2012 and set it where it should be.
Caleb – Thanks for your comment! Now that I have Batman guides, a post-2012 X-Men reading order is by far the #1 most requested feature on the site, so I’m definitely aware of the demand. I’ll be sure to trumpet that feature widely if it ever arrives.
Awesome work, thanks… Now I’ve got to check which are translated in Italian…
Only a doubt: the Storm’s mini series you mentioned at The Edge of the Silver Age point maybe wrong? I think it will be Ororo: Before The Storm (4 isuues).
Cheers from Italy.
I’m sure you’re correct on that Ororo series, thanks!
Should Storm 1-6 also be read at this point?
Thank you for taking the time to make this website. The Dawn of X titles have rekindled my love for the X-titles which has been dormant for over a decade. I appreciate your thorough, well-organized, and easy-to-read your website. I will definitely be consulting this site frequently :)
Thanks for your work.
It may have ‘canon’ problems, but I personally love Children of the Atom – my starting point for the X-Men.
This reading list has been incredibly helpful for me to read all the “pre-X-Men” stories recently – thank you!
A few (more recent) titles to add to this list if you’re still taking updates:
Origin II (2013) – Takes place around 1907, following on from Origin
Ruins of Ravencroft – Sabretooth (2020) – Takes place in 1909, and follows on from Origin II
Sabretooth: The Dead Don’t Talk (2024) – Takes place in 1909, following on from RoR: Sabretooth
Hellhunters (2024) – Takes place in 1944; Logan joins the team in issues 2-5
? think there is an issue in Gambit’s first ongoing series (issue 6 of 7 maybe?) that takes place during his childhood, with Selene of the immortals, if i remember correctly. Do you include flashback issues yere or keep series together, usually?