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X-Men Reading Order

Updated: X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #1: Original X-Men (The Silver Age)

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The Revised & Expanded X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #1: Original X-Men 

One of the biggest factors in CK’s popularity exploding in the early 2010’s was the X-Men Reading Order I debuted back in 2012.

It emerged from a moment of frustration, as all of my best projects tend to. This time, my ire was focused on the fact that no one had produced an actually readable chronological guide to reading X-Men. Existing guides were either simply ordered by release date or ridiculously complex lists that broke down every single-panel flashback.

None of them were comprehensive of every book, nor were they appropriate for the Trade Era of collected editions.

Despite being a major feature of CK, I can’t say I’ve ever been proud of the presentation of the Reading Order. A lot of the pages have a certain “git’er’done” quality to them that was a hallmark of CK’s early expansion that I’ve never had the time to improve.

Honestly, they always makes me think of the scrawlings of a Serial Killer, like the notebooks upon notebooks in Se7en. That’s what it looked like to figure out – I had giant rolls of paper unspooled across the floor with scribbles and crossouts and loop-de-loop arrows on them. [Read more…] about Updated: X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #1: Original X-Men (The Silver Age)

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 October 2018.

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.Giant Size X-Men (1975) #1

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 & Excalibur for collection information
  • Sabretooth’s debut in Iron Fist #14 – 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 #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.

[Read more…] about X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #2: Second Genesis

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 September 2018.

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).Uncanny X-Men (1963) #1

X-titles released in this era:

Later X-titles set in this era:

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.

[Read more…] about X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #1: Original X-Men

X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #3: The New Mutants

A reading order for stories starting from Uncanny X-Men #143 in March 1981 and ending with Uncanny X-Men #200 in December 1985. A part of Crushing Krisis’s Collecting X-Men: A Definitive Guide. Last updated October 2018.

Era #2: Second Genesis  X-Men Reading Order Guide  Era #4: X-Factor

What does Era #3: The New Mutants include?

This era of the X-Men Reading Order is focused on the widening of the X-Men’s world beyond the Second Genesis characters from Giant Size X-Men.

It includes Kitty Pryde and Rogue as active team members, X-Men beginning to make wider guest appearances, the spawning of a second ongoing title with New Mutants, the first spin-off books in the form of New Mutants and limited series like Wolverine and Magik. It ends with the X-Men’s popularity exploding and on the verge of Jean Grey’s return and the launch of a third ongoing title, X-Factor.Rogue joins the team in Uncanny X-Men (1963) #171

I’ve always had a hard time deciding where this era ends. While the poetic Uncanny X-Men #198 feels like a natural stopping point prior to Magneto’s trial, the bigger break comes with issue #200.

In that blockbuster issue Cyclops and Maddie are about to have a baby, Magneto is on trial, and a near-death Professor Xavier is whisked into space by Corsair and Lilandra. That sets up the epic fight over the team’s leadership in issue #201 to kick off the next era, “X-Factor.”

Flagship X-Series in this era:

Ongoing X-titles released in this era:

  • Alpha Flight (1983) #1-28 – see Alpha Flight
  • Dazzler (1981) #1-40 – see Dazzler
  • Defenders (1972) #103-124 – see Defenders
  • New Defenders (1983) #125-150 – see Defenders
  • New Mutants (1983) #1-35, Annual 1, & Special Edition – see New & Young X-Men
  • Captain Britain in: (see Captain Britain & Excalibur)
    • Hulk Comic (1979) #1 & 3-46 and Incredible Hulk Weekly (1980) #47-55 & #57-63
    • Marvel Super-Heroes (1979) #377-388
    • Daredevils [Marvel UK] (1981) #1-11
    • Mighty World Of Marvel, Vol. 2 (1983) #7-16
    • Captain Britain, Vol. 2 [Marvel UK] (1985) #1-14

Limited Series released in this era:

Later X-titles set in this era:

  • New Mutants: Truth Or Death (1997) #1-3 – see New & Young X-Men
  • Weapon X: First Class (2009) #1-3 – see Wolverine
  • Wolverine: First Class (2008) #1-21 – see Wolverine
  • X-Men & Alpha Flight (1998) #1-2 – see Alpha Flight
  • X-Men Gold (2014) One-Shot
  • X-Men Unlimited (1993) #39 & X-Men Unlimited, Vol. 2 (2004) #11 – see X-Men Ongoing Series

Notes:

  • There is very little guidance on where to place Alpha Flight, Captain Britain, and Dazzler amidst the stories of this era. I did a lot of reading, research, and going with my gut to fit them into a reading order.

[Read more…] about X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #3: The New Mutants

X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #0: Before The X-Men

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.

[Read more…] about X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #0: Before The X-Men