X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #1: Original X-Men

A reading order for stories starting with X-Men #1 in September 1963 and prior to Giant-Size X-Men #1 in May 1975. A part of Crushing Krisis’s Collecting X-Men: A Definitive Guide. Last updated March 2021.

Era #0: Before X-Men  X-Men Reading Order Guide  Era #2: Second Genesis

What does Era #1: Original X-Men include?

This era of the X-Men Reading Order is focused on Silver Age X-Men. That includes all of their original Silver Age stories from Uncanny X-Men (1963) #1-66, their “gap years” of guest appearances prior to Giant-Size X-Men in 1975, and stories later inserted into the period (like Emma Frost and X-Men: The Hidden Years).

X-titles released in this era:

• Uncanny X-Men (1963) #1-66 (issues #67-93 & Annual 1-2 are reprints) – see Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age
• Namor in Tales to Astonish and Namor, The Sub-Mariner – see Guide to Namor
• Magneto in various guest appearances – see Magneto
• Beast in Amazing Adventures #11-18 – see X-Men Ongoing Series

Later X-titles set in this era:

• Emma Frost #1-18 – see X-Men Ongoing Series
• Professor Xavier and the X-Men (1995) #1-18 – see  X-Men Ongoing Series
• Wolverine in Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #72-84 and various other post-adamantium pre-X-Men appearances. See Wolverine
• X-Men: First Class (various) – see X-Men Ongoing Series
• X-Men: The Hidden Years (1999) #1-22 – see X-Men Ongoing Series
• Various back-up stories from X-Men Classic (1986)– see X-Men Ongoing Series

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.
• I treat any Wolverine story that is after he gains his Adamantium in the Weapon X program as being effectively a Silver Age story that occurred in parallel to Silver Age X-Men, thus they appear in this era of the guide.
• However, I do not cover every Wolverine story in the X-Men Reading Order – only the major ones! See Guide to Wolverine for a reading order of every Wolverine appearance.

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Era #1: Original X-Men Reading Order

• Alternate Origins
• The Original Era of X-Men
• The Hidden Years
• Gap Years Guest Stars
• Wolverine Begins
• Read Anytime

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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Alternate Origins

Marvel frequently revisits the Silver Age origins of their heroes with modernizations and retcon tales. When these retroactive inserts re-cover existing material, they exist in dubious continuity – effectively, they are a version of the events that occurred, perhaps best seen as the recollections of an unreliable narrator.

X-Men: Grand Design (2018) #2
See X-Men Limited Series for collection information
Ed Piskor’s covers the entire Silver Age in one dense and incredible well-footnoted issue. This is an essential read to help frame this era for you, and maybe even to skip past reading it if Silver Age comics aren’t your thing. This series later diverges from the continuity we know and love, but at this point it’s a mostly-faithful summary.

X-Men: Season One OGN
See X-Men Limited Series for collection information
This is an modernized re-telling of roughly issues #1-10, so you can read it in the place of their earliest issues if you are not a fan of Silver Age titles. Alternately, this works as a perfect prologue to the All-New X-Men coming to the present at the end of 2012 – they are snatched from between the scenes in issue #8.

Professor Xavier and the X-Men (1995) #1-18
See X-Men Ongoing Series for collection information
This late 90s series is a 1:1 retelling of the original X-Men stories, starting from issue #1. It seems that Issue #5 of this series is an inserted story, which means #7 of this series aligns to #6 of X-Men, and so on until #18 retells X-Men #17.

The Original Era of X-Men

While the debut of the Fantastic Four marks the start of Marvel’s Silver Age, it was 1963 that yielded the biggest crop of memorable properties – Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers, and the debut of The X-Men! The original X-Men were five students newly recruited to Professor Xavier’s school – Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Iceman, and Jean Grey. Later, in the course of their adventures, they would encounter Havok and Polaris.

Optional: To read in strict chronological story order, you should read the Weapon X saga and Logan & Ben Grimm here, before the beginning of Silver Age stories. However, there is no narrative benefit from reading them prior to the start of Uncanny X-Men; they are in the “Wolverine Begins” section, below.

Optional: The stories in Uncanny X-Men (1963) #-1 and Classic X-Men (1986) #41-42 (back-ups) are a pre-UXM #1 Cyclops tale from his time in the orphanage; they work as a prologue to the Silver Age series, but also will tease Sinister long before his canonical first appearance.

Optional: Classic X-Men (1986) #16 (back-up) is set prior to UXM #28 as a story from Banshee and Black Tom’s college years as they court the same woman. Due to Siryn’s age compared to Cyclops’s, this likely occurs early in his time at the orphanage. I prefer to read it later with UXM #102-103 – Black Tom’s first full story.

Optional: The stories in Classic X-Men (1986) #15 (back-up) follows Corsair, Cyclops’s father, after he is forced to leave Earth. It’s likely only a few years later, so it canonically occurs prior to the first issue of X-Men.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #1-13
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age for collection information
There are several significant events in this initial run that help to place later retcons and flashbacks. Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants first appear in #4-5. The team first encounters Namor in #6. Cerebro debuts in #7. The original X-Men branch to time-travel to All-New X-Men (2012) during #8. Juggernaut’s first appearance is #12-13.

Optional: Classic X-Men (1986) #19 (back-up) is a UXM #1 era Magneto story. You can read it on either side of UXM #1, but I prefer to read it as a flashback after his fight in XM#113

Optional: If you did not read them in the prior era, you should read X-Men: Origins – Jean Grey and X-Men: Origins – Cyclops at some point between UXM #1-8.

Optional: After UXM #2, read Tales of Suspense (1959) #49 (see Guide to Iron Man). Tales of Suspense was Iron Man’s Silver Age title, and this story features the X-Men’s first encounter with the Avengers as a factory explosion briefly turns Angel evil. This is written by Stan Lee, so it easily integrates into a read of UXM and establishes that the X-Men were known to the wider superhero community prior to Magneto assembling his Brotherhood in UXM #4.

Optional: After UXM #3, the X-Men make a substantial appearance in gorgeous black-and-white in Rampaging Hulk (1977) #2 (see Guide to Hulk), an inserted story that shows their first encounter with The Hulk. Because Professor X is called to mentally wrangle the Hulk in Avengers (1963) #3, this is the only possible time this story can occur in continuity.

Optional: After UXM #5 (and Strange Tales (1951) #120), read Fantastic Four (1961) #28 (see Guide to Fantastic Four). This is the first full-team encounter between the FF and the X-Men, as they are manipulated first to train against each other and then to fight by Puppetmaster and Mad Thinker.

Optional: Magneto makes several Silver Age appearances that are not tracked by this guide, including after UXM #6 in Journey Into Mystery (1952) #109 (see Guide to Thor) where he tries to recruit Thor! See the Guide to Magneto for his full issue-by-issue chronology if you’d like to follow his appearances in the Silver Age.

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

Optional: You can begin reading Namor’s Silver Age solo stories in Tales to Astonish here, as he transitions to that title shortly after appearances in Fantastic Four #33 and Avengers #16. See Guide to Namor for his full chronology.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #14-18
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age for collection information
The team first fights Sentinels in #14-16 (which flow directly into #17-18), so any issue where they recognize those robot foes must fall afterward (even though some Sentinel stories with other characters have been retconned to occur prior).

After UXM #13: We get a glimpse of the team in this period during a flashback in X-Men Forever (2001) #3.

After UXM #14: The team cameos in Fantastic Four (1963) Annual 3, the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm, where they fend off some uninvited Mole Men.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #19-24
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age for collection information
Mimic debuts in #19. Jean Grey moves to Metro College in #24, so any stories featuring Jean living full-time at the mansion happen parallel to this period.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #24-38
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age for collection information
The X-Men don their new individual costumes in X-Men #39, so any story with Jean at college featuring the team in their original outfits likely occurs before then.

After UXM #27: Strange Tales (1951) #156 features a single-page cameo of the team as they (and other heroes) are warned not to interfere with Supreme Hydra’s plot.

Optional: A throwback story in X-Men Unlimited (1993) #42 (3rd story) is set after UXM #31

Optional: X-Men: First Class (2006) #1-8
See X-Men Ongoing Series for collection information
These initial X-Men stories start after Secret Witch and Quicksilver have defected from The Brotherhood but before they are Avengers, which place them after UXM #11 and end during the first few pages of UXM #14. They depict first meetings with The Lizard, Doctor Strange, and Thor. However, they confusingly mention some details of future plots like Sentinels and Juggernaut. Because of these anachronistic references, it’s best to read these here at the end of the “training costumes” era even if some of the stories are clearly meant to be set earlier.

Optional: X-Men: First Class Special (2007), & X-Men: First Class (2007) #1-16, X-Men: First Class Giant-Size Special (2008)
See X-Men Ongoing Series for collection information
First Class #1 begins with Jean training with Sue “Richards,” meaning it’s after her marriage to Reed in Fantastic Four Annual 3, which places these issues after UXM #18 at minimum. Professor Xavier says “it’s been a while” since the team encountered Sue. Jean is largely portrayed as living at the mansion during these issues, which means they cannot occur later than UXM #24 – though, because they contain other anachronistic references I’ve placed them here.

Optional: Magneto travels from UXM #18 to Avengers (1963) #47-49, which were published in the same month as UXM #39. See Guide to Magneto for his full chronology.

Optional: If you chose to read Namor in Tales to Astonish, you should wrap that up here and move on to Sub-Mariner (1968) #1-13. See Guide to Namor for his full chronology.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #39-66 & Avengers (1963) #53
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age for collection information
Avengers #53 is collected along with X-Men issues from this period and fits between XM #45-46. Magneto’s next appearance after that is X-Men #63. Note that issues #39-57 feature brief back-up stories, some of which contain origin material set prior to UXM #1. However, since these stories are very brief and haven’t been excerpted elsewhere, it’s easiest to simply read them here as they were published.

Optional: Angel appears in a pair of back-up stories in Ka-Zar (1970) #2-3 between UXM #48-49.

Optional: Lilandra’s across-the-universe psychic connection with Xavier is canonically triggered by the events of UXM #65, per the story in X-Men Classic (1986) #14 (backup). However, you might want to save this to read with UXM #105, when Xavier’s dreams of space come to a climax.

Uncanny X-Men (1963) #67-93 & King-Sized Special AKA Annual 1-2
These are reprints! Aside from their covers and minor art tweaks, there is nothing to read.

After #53: Sub-Mariner (1968) #14 features a brief cameo of the team in a montage of heroes reacting to a villainous warning.

Optional: If you chose to read Namor, continue through Sub-Mariner (1968) #14-30. See Guide to Namor for his full chronology.

The Hidden Years

The X-Men were effectively cancelled after Uncanny X-Men (1963) #66, but their exploits were popular enough to warrant the title continuing bi-monthly issues reprinting old stories with new covers from issue #67 in 1970 through issue #93 in 1975.

While X-Men characters continued to appear in the Bronze age starting in 1972, several stories have been retroactively inserted to explore their exploits as a team in the so-called “hidden years” between their cancellation in 1970 and reappearance in 1972.

Savage Hulk (2014) #1-4
See Hulk for collection information
This modern story stars the entire team and extends the Hulk tale from UXM #66.

Prior to the beginning of X-Men: The Hidden Years, the team appears in a brief back-up story in X-Men (1991) #94, a retcon tale inX-Men/Spider-Man #1, and in retcon stories in Fantastic Four: The World’s Greatest Comics Magazine #3-4 & 11

X-Men: The Hidden Years (1999) #1-22
See X-Men Ongoing Series for collection information
These stories are written to bridge the unseen time between #66 and Giant-Size X-Men. This run is generally uninterrupted by other appearances, though issue #21-22 is parallel to a Magneto appearance Fantastic Four #103-104, giving a general sense of where this run lies in continuity.

Optional: Magneto travels from UXM #63 to X-Men: Hidden Years (1999) #4 and then to Fantastic Four (1961) #102-104, before reappearing in Amazing Adventures (1970) #9-10 co-starring with the Inhumans. See Guide to Magneto for his full chronology.

Optional: If you chose to read Namor, continue through Sub-Mariner (1968) #31-43.  See Guide to Namor for his full chronology.

X-Men: First Class: Finals (2009) #1-4
See X-Men Ongoing Series for collection information
In Finals the team wears their post-#39 costumes and issue #1 begins with a pre-furry Beast! The final issue sees them all graduating together and heading to Krakoa, but that does not fit into continuity – since Beast was a furry Avenger at that point! Since this must fit before furry Beast, it’s easiest to assume it is one of the last stories prior to the Gap Years appearances from the Silver and Bronze ages.

Gap Years Guest Stars

After their effective cancellation in early 1970 and a two-year disappearance Note that, for collection purposes, all of the significant gap-years appearances of the X-Men were collected in The X-Men: Marvel Masterworks Vol. 7-8 and in X-Men Epic Collection, Vol. 4. All these appearances are labeled as “(MMW)” so you know how they are most-easily found.

Professor X cameos in Avengers (1963) #88 in 1971 alongside Reed Richards, trying to contain the rampaging Hulk. This appearance is followed by retconned backups in X-Men Deadly Genesis #1 & 4-5, and then the retconned first meeting of the Illuminati in New Avengers: Illuminati. See New Avengers for Illuminati material.

Optional: If you chose to read Namor, continue through Sub-Mariner (1968) #44-46. See Guide to Namor for his full chronology.

Incredible Hulk (1968) #150 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Hulk for collection information
This issue has a significant Polaris and Havok scene, with Lorna sent to retrieve Alex from his desert sabbatical by Xavier. Of course, Hulk is attracted by her flowing green locks. This occurs prior to Amazing Adventures (1970) #12 (but after the flashback in #11).

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #92 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Spider-Man for collection information
Iceman mistakenly believes Spider-Man is kidnapping Gwen Stacey (who, to be fair, is quite upset about being hauled off by Spider-Man). This can be more accurately place before Incredible Hulk, but this is the order in which it’s usually collected.

Amazing Adventures (1970) #11-17 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or X-Men Ongoing Series for collection information
This anthology title featured the transformation of The Beast from plain old big-footed guy to his familiar blue-furred appearance.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #4 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Spider-Man for collection information
This Spider-Man team-up is the full team’s first chronological appearance in original Silver Age continuity after Hidden Years. Really, this occurs during Amazing Adventures #14 for Beast, but it can be read after that entire run to avoid splitting it up.

Incredible Hulk (1968) #161 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Hulk for collection information
The newly-furry Beast runs into Hulk (and Mimic!) while trying to enjoy an incognito getaway directly after Amazing Adventures.

Optional: Beast is seen struggling to accept his furry new identity in a retcon tale in X-Men Unlimited (2004) #10 (2nd story) 

Optional: If you chose to read Namor, continue through Sub-Mariner (1968) #47-72 (though #72 may occur after Defenders, below). See Guide to Namor for his full chronology.

Optional: For an update on the Sentinels last seen in the Silver Age run above, you can read Avengers (1963) #102-104 prior to the next Magneto story.

Avengers (1963) #110-111 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Avengers (1963) for collection information
This battle between The Avengers and Magneto is one of the most-significant X-Men appearances during their gap years.

Professor X cameos briefly as an expert on mutations in Shanna, The She-Devil  (1972)#5. The team appear in flashback in a Mobius story in Adventures into Fear (1970) #20, which acts as a bridge from their appearance in Marvel Team-Up #4 to the plight of missing X-Men that would continue into Captain America, below.

Incredible Hulk (1968) #172 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Hulk for collection information
I’m surprised this got MMW treatment, as it’s a minor appearance of Xavier, Scott, and Jean to help the Hulk wrap up a fight against the Juggernaut. However, they specifically refer to the missing Angel from Avengers (1963) #111 to continue into their Captain America appearance.

Captain America (1968) #172-175 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Captain America for collection information
An incognito Banshee bumps into Cap and Falcon in issue #172 after picking up tickets for a Merle Haggard concert (I am not joking) and attacks them because he thinks Cap is trying to recruit him to a villainous gang. When Xavier, Cyclops, and Jean (in their classic blue-and-gold uniforms) intervene in the ensuing fight, this turns into a full-on team-up as part of the classic “Secret Empire” storyline.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #23 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Spider-Man for collection information
Iceman teams up with Human Torch; Cyclops, Iceman, and Jean also appear.

Code Of Honor (1997) #1 contains a scene from MTU #23.

Defenders (1972) #15-16 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Defenders for collection information
Magneto versus The Defenders! Xavier appears on the Defenders’ side of the fight. This is where Magneto is first transformed into a baby!

Beast appears in Captain America #183 and then joins the cast of Avengers in #137-140.

Optional: If you chose to read Namor, continue into his run in Super Villain Team-Up #1-13.  See Guide to Namor for his full chronology.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #38 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Spider-Man for collection information
A solo Beast team-up, though at this point he is already starring in Avengers (it fits between #140-141)! Really, this occurs after Wolverine’s debut in Hulk, but because the two stories don’t intersect it’s easier to read it here.

Note that Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4 is collected with other pre-relaunch X-Men guest appearances, but really that story occurs after Giant-Size X-Men and fits into the next era!

Wolverine Begins

While we had no hint of Wolverine’s existence prior to his first appearance in Incredible Hulk (1968) #180-181, really he had been banging around the Marvel Universe prior to that for some time.

Weapon X in Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #72-84
See Wolverine for collection information
This story is before Logan’s pre-Thing adventures with Ben Grimm, which means it actually predates Silver Age continuity! However, I have always thought of Wolverine’s entire pre-debut adamantium era as being a sort of alternate parallel history to Marvel’s Silver age. Also, it works as a jarring break from the original X-Men material to set up Wolverine’s appearance in Giant-Size X-Men.

Optional: Wolverine in Wolverine #900 (8th story) and Wolverine (1988) #-1 AKA Flashback, Alpha Flight (1997) #-1 AKA Flashback, Wolverine FCBD 2009

Optional: Read X-Men: Origins – Wolverine, if you haven’t already – but only to page 16!

Before the Fantastic Four: Ben Grimm & Logan (2000) #1-3
See Wolverine or X-Men Limited Series for collection information
This is set prior to Ben Grimm becoming The Thing, co-stars Carol Danvers and Black Widow, and plays out against a Cold War backdrop. Wolverine is in the Canadian armed forces, which implies this is after he receives his skeleton (as are the next two appearances). This read is made possible by our current knowledge that Wolverine did have coherent memories after the Weapon X process but before his debut in Hulk.

Wolverine/Cable: Guts and Glory (1999) OGN
See Wolverine or Cable

Optional: Alpha Flight Special (1992) One-Shot

Incredible Hulk #180-181 (MMW)
See Uncanny X-Men #1-93 – The Silver Age or Hulk for collection information
The classic debut of Wolverine in a three-way fight with Hulk and Wendigo!

Read Anytime

Emma Frost (2003) #1-18
See X-Men: Other Ongoing Titles for more reading options
When: This spans several years of Emma’s adolescent life, but in issue #6 Emma sees the X-Men in their post-X-Men #39 costumes. Given Emma’s relative youth in the majority of the series, it is best read as an interlude before moving on to Giant-Size X-Men and the early post-#94 run, as Emma appears as a relatively established villain in the late #120s.

Era #0: Before X-Men  X-Men Reading Order Guide  Era #2: Second Genesis