After Xavier: The Age of Apocalypse Twenty years ago, a tragedy occured that fractured all reality across the cosmic continuum. A good man was murdered by his own son and that death was never meant to be. He was a man with a dream, a vision of racial unity. With his dying breath, he entrusted the deliverence of his dream to another. An entire world has paid the price for this mistake since that day. Years before Charles Xavier would form the X-Men, his son. the mutant known as Legion, traveled back in time to kill his father's long time nemesis Magneto. He wanted to prevent Xavier from dealing with years of conflict so Charles could be a true father to him. Legion failed and accidentally killed Xavier instead. Cradling the lifeless body of Charles Xavier in his arms, Erik Magnus Lensherr made a promise to his friend, a promise to make the world a better place. Professor X would never live to lead the X-Men into a brighter day. Instead, it was Magneto, now responsible for Xavier's aspirations, who would lead his X-Men down a darker path of tomorrow in a world that might have been. With the battle between Legion and a team of X-Men sent back in time to stop him seen worldwide on television, mutants were revealed for the first time a full decade before they were seen in the normal Marvel Universe. Apocalypse made the decision to move up his quest for the creation of a world in his image: a world where mutants ruled and Survival of the Fittest was the only law. This era became known as the Age of Apocalypse. With no resistance from the Avengers or Fantastic Four, two teams that were not yet in existence, Apocalypse was able to take over the world. Magneto would do his best to fight against Apocalypse but he would fail. As Apocalypse triumphed in North America, Magneto gathered a team of mutants that he called the X-Men in memory of his dead friend. These X-Men would grow into a team during a darker age, with a darker mission, and they would work from the shadows. In this world, America was dead. What sat in its place was a gangrenous wound of a nation. The American dream of the creature Apocalypse. These altered states of America had become a staging area where Apocalypse prepared his next, best nightmare! To take the world as his own... He had already won. But still, a troubled dissident movement within America strove against the New World Order and, until recently, had been fighting a losing battle, outmatched and riven by internal dispute. With the discovery of a man purporting to be from an alternate timeline, the revolutionary cell known as the X-Men moved with renewed purpose in the Age of Apocalypse. The mysterious man known as Bishop claimed a better reality existed. A place of hope. A place that died along with Charles Xavier. One where the X-Men were led by Charles Xavier and the world was a better place. Magneto believed him. He sent his X-Men on missions to find ways to fix the past so they would not have to endure this awful future. Magneto believed he had succeeded. Apocalypse was defeated. The X-Men were able to right the wrongs of the past and repair the damage done by Legion. Charles Xavier survived and his reality was set right. Magneto and his X-Men freed the world from Apocalypse's tyranny and the original timeline was restored. But something else happened as well... The Age of Apocalypse survived! Now, the X-Men have a bigger task: convincing the world that mutants and humans can live together peacefully. Today, they attempt to round up any remaining allies of Apocalypse and create a new world where humans and mutants live side by side. Character Profiles ( A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ) A Aaronson, Jesse Aaronson, Terry Absorbing Man Abyss Amazon Angel Annihilus Apocalypse Arcade Arclight Artemis Aurora B Banner, Bruce Banshee Barton, Clint Bastion Beak Beast Bedlam Bedlam, Jesse Bedlam, Terry Beef Bevatron Bishop Black Bolt Black Panther Blake, Donald Blastaar Blink Blob Bova Box Braddock, Brian Brain Trust Brute Bullseye C Caliban Callisto Candra Captain Britain Carosella, Guido Castle, Frank Catseye Chamber Chang, Tommy Cheney, Lila Ch'od Clegg Colossus Cooper, Valerie Copycat Corbeau, Peter Corsair Crusher Crystal Cyclops Cypher D Damask Dane, Lorna Danvers, Carol Daredevil Dark Beast Dark Phoenix Dazzler Dead Man Wade Dead-Eye Deadpool Death I Death II Deathbird Delgado Destiny Diablo Dirigible D'ken Dominic Domino Dr. Doom Dukes, Fred Dupris, Samantha E Edenfox, T. Empath Emplate Enrique Essex Exodus F Fang Feral Flashback Forge Frankie Frost, Emma G Gallo Gambit Gateway Gideon Gladiator Gorgon Graves, Jeremy Green Goblin7 Grey, Jean Grey, Nathan Grimm, Ben Grizzly Guthrie, Elizabeth Guthrie, Josh Guthrie, Samuel Gyrich, Henry H Haller, Gabrielle Havoc Hawkeye Hepzibah Hobgoblin Holocaust Hulk Human Torch Husk I Icarus Iceman Impossible Man Impulse Invisible Woman Iron Man J Jahf Jetstream Jodie Jonath Jubilee K Karma Karnak Kelly, Robert King Bedlam Kingpin Kirika Knight, Misty Know-It-All L Leech Legion Lensherr, Charles Lockjaw M Mactaggert, Moira Madri Madrox, Jamie Magik Magma Magneto Mangle Marko, Cain Marrow Marvel Girl Marta Mastermind Mat Maximus May McCoy, Henry McKenzie, Scarlet Medusa Mentor Mimic Mirage Mondo Monets Monte Moonstar, Dana Moonstar, Danielle Morph Mr. Fantastic Multiple Man Murdock, Matt Mystique N Namor Nanny Nemesis Newcomer Newell Newt Nightcrawler Nightside Non-designate Northstar O Omega Red Oracle Owl P Parker, Peter Phantazia Phoenix Pierce, Donald Poppupian Ambassador Professor X Proudstar, John Psylocke Pyro Q Quicksilver Quietus R Rafe Ramsey, Douglas Random Rankin, Calvin Rasputin, Illyana Rasputin, Mikhail Raza Red Rex Rhino Richards, Reed Rictor Robertson, Joe Rogue Ross, Thunderbolt Rossovich Roulette S Sabretooth Sauron Scarlet Witch Scarlett Scintilla Sentinels Shadow King Shadowcat Shaw, Sebastian Silver Samurai Sinister Siryn Skin Slocum Smasher Soaron Sonique Spider-Man Spyne St Croix, Claudette St Croix, Monet St Croix, Nicole Stacy, Gwen Starbolt Stark, Anthony Storm Storm, John Storm, Susan Strong Guy Summers, Chris Sub-Mariner Sugar Man Sunfire Sunspot Switchback Synch T Tarot T'Challa Thing Thomas, Everett Thornn Thunderbird Tilby, Trish Titan Toad Trask, Bolivar Trask, Moira Triton U Unus V Vanisher Vincente Von Doom, Victor Vultura W War Warstar Weapon X White Queen Wing, Colleen Wild Child Wolfsbane Wolverine X X-Man Xavier, Charles Xorn Y Yashida, Mariko Yeti Team Glossary Team Glossary ( A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ) A Altered Humans Amazing X-Men Astonishing X-Men B Brain Trust Brotherhood Brood E Elite Mutant Force Exiles F Factor X G Gatekeepers Generation Next Guthrie Clan H Hellions Horsemen Human High Council I Infernal Gallop Infinites Inhumans Imperial Guard M Madri Marauders Morlocks N New Japan New Mutants P Pale Riders S Scavengers Sinister Six Starjammers Stryfe Force T Theatre Troupe U Underground Upscale Programs W Wagons Weapon X X X-Calibre X-Men X-Ternals Location Index World Map HHC Tactical Map Location Index ( A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ) A Asia Africa Alcatraz America Antarctica Atlantic Ocean Atrocity Zones Avalon B Big Ben Breeding Pens Bristol C Canada Cape Citadel Central America Ch'reesharaa Citadel Cold Grey Chicago Cullings D Dallas, Texas E Europe G Ghost Dance Ghost Lands Grand Central Station Guthrie Farm H Heaven Hudson River J Japan K Kansas Kennel Killing Zone L London M Maine Manhattan Island Massachusetts Academy Mexico Moon Morlock Tunnels M'kraan Crystal N Negative Zone New Mexico New Nile Newfoundland Niagara Falls North America O Orphanage P Pacific Ocean Paris S Seattle Core Sea Wall Sentinel Evacuation Shinjuku Ship South America Statue of Apocalypse T Temple of The Madri Tomb W Wakanda War Room Westchester White House Wundagore Mountain X Xavier Institute X-Men Cemetery Books and Chronology During the four month run that the Age of Apocalypse lasted, the X-Titles each underwent a cosmetic makeover. Below is a list of all those books pertaining to the Age of Apocalypse and their equivalents. Those without a comparable X-Book were one-shots with the exception of X-Universe, a two-part limited series, and Legion Quest which took place prior to the conversions. Age of Apocalypse Title Amazing X-Men Astonishing X-Men Chosen, The Factor X Gambit and The X-Ternals Generation Next Weapon X X-Calibre X-Man X-Men: Alpha X-Men Chronicles X-Men: Omega X-Universe Mainstream Equivalent X-Men Uncanny X-Men None X-Factor X-Force Generation X Wolverine Excalibur Cable None X-Men Unlimited None None Retro-Active Additions Some titles were released after the Age of Apocalypse had already come to a close as prequel books to provide a greater history and give further backstories for our alternate timeline. These include, in order of release date: Tales From the Age of Apocalypse: By The Light X-Man Annual 1996 Tales From the Age of Apocalypse: Sinister Bloodlines X-Man #-1 Blink Limited Series Anniversary Event 10 years after the Age of Apocalypse had come to a close, several books were published to commemorate the occasion. A six issue limited series set a year after the end of the original run was released as well as a handbook, a one-shot with four short stories, and two issues of Exiles that tied into this story. Exiles #60-61 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men: Age of Apocalypse 2005 X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Limited Series X-Men: Age of Apocalypse One-Shot Reading List and Chronology FAQ Now that you know the books, which should you read first? In order to follow chronology and have all events come in a comprehensible order, here is one suggested reading list. The purpose of this read order is not to have you go through the Age of Apocalypse reading everything in the exact sequence in which it occurs in continuity, but constructed as an arrangement which could be used to progress through the Age of Apocalypse crossover in order to make it a balanced read without contradicting continuity. However, if you are unable to follow multiple subplots, then you might do well to read through four straight issues of each series connecting dots where you can However, this listing assumes that the reader is competent enough to follow along by hopping to and fro and thus puts a premium on a steady, even-paced read rather than large blocks of concentrated reading. As such, all issues of each four part series were kept grouped together so that all the #1's and #2's were together. X-Universe #1 and #2 were placed with the #3 and #4 issues respectively so that it would end at the same time as the others just prior to X-Men: Omega. Of course, all stories set before the start of the "real crossover" were placed before X-Men: Alpha. Each section begins and ends with stories that contain events that influence the adjacent "chapter" with issues that adhered to no continuity outside of their own mingled inbetween. At no time in this read order should any cross-referenced events contradict, although you can feel free to drop my an e-mail if you believe I've slipped up somewhere. The headers before each section are not actual official labels for these groups of books, but rather a title from one of that chapter's stories that can be applied to a number of the themes in the books contained inside that section. If this is your first time reading through the Age of Apocalypse, I would recommend skipping over X-Man Annual 1996 (which features characters who survived the Age of Apocalypse and then traveled back in time to its past), the Blink Limited Series (whose events have no bearing whatsoever on the crossover and its sole purpose was to springboard Blink into her starring role in Exiles), and the One Shot's Shinjuku Incident. Although all of these stories are set within the world of the Age of Apocalypse, the tales told have no real influence in the grander scheme of things, although Shinjuku Incident does play a minor role in the character interactions between Weapon X and the Silver Samurai and helps to justify a new character introduced in the X-Men: Age of Apocalypse series released in 2005 during the anniversary of the original event. These books that you may or may not want to pass over on your first go 'round are listed with asterisks. Further details as to the positions of books and why certain issues were placed in those specific locations can be found in The Definitive Age of Apocalypse Chronology (Version 1.0). Legion Quest 0) Uncanny X-Men #319: Untapped Potential 1) X-Factor #109: The Waking 2) Uncanny X-Men #320: The Son Rises In The East 3) X-Men #40: The Killing Time 4) Uncanny X-Men #321: Auld Lang Syne 5) Cable #20: An Hour Of Last Things 6) X-Men #41: Dreams Die Origins 1) X-Men: Age of Apocalypse One Shot: Shinjuku Incident* 2) X-Men Chronicles #1: Origins 3) X-Man Annual #1996: Sins of The Father* 4) X-Men: Age of Apocalypse One Shot: Man Bites Dog 5) Tales From The Age of Apocalypse: Sinister Bloodlines 6) Tales From The Age of Apocalypse: By The Light 7) X-Men Chronicles #2: Shattered Dreams 8) Age of Apocalypse One Shot: Talking About My Generation 9) X-Man #-1: Breeding Ground 10) Blink #1: You Win! She's Back!* 11) Blink #2: Through The Looking Glass* 12) Blink #3: On The Side of Angels* 13) Blink #4: Full Recall* (Without Last Three Pages) Beginnings 14) X-Men Alpha: Beginnings 15) Astonishing X-Men #1: Once More, With Feeling 16) X-Calibre #1: The Infernal Gallop 17) Gambit and The X-Ternals #1: 14) Some Of Us Looking To The Stars 18) Generation Next #1: From The Top 19) Weapon X #1: Unforgiven Trespasses 20) Amazing X-Men #1: Crossing Guards 21) Factor X #1: Sinister Neglect 22) X-Man #1: Breaking Away Choosing Sides 23) Amazing X-Men #2: Sacrificial Lambs 24) Factor X #2: Abandoned Children 25) Weapon X #2: Fire in the Sky 26) Gambit and The X-Ternals #2: 23) Where No External Has Gone Before 27) X-Calibre #2: Burn 28) Generation Next #2: Hither Comes The Sugarman 29) Astonishing X-Men #2: No Exit 30) X-Man #2: Choosing Sides Turning Point 31) Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen 32) Astonishing X-Men #3: In Excess 33) Factor X #3: Open Wounds 34) Amazing X-Men #3: Parents of The Atom 35) X-Calibre #3: Body Heat 36) Gambit and The X-Ternals #3: To The Limits of Infinity 37) Generation Next #3: It Only Hurts When I Sing 38) X-Man #3: Turning Point 39) Weapon X #3: The Common Rights of Toads and Men 40) X-Universe #1: Last Stand Endings 41) X-Calibre #4: On Fire 42) Generation Next #4: Bye 43) Astonishing X-Men #4: Holocaust 44) X-Man #4: The Art of War 45) Factor X #4: Reckonings 46) Weapon X #4: Into The Maelstrom 47) X-Universe #2: Dying Breath 48) Gambit and The X-Ternals #4: The Maze 49) Amazing X-Men #4: On Consecrated Ground 50) X-Men Omega: Endings Beginning At The End --) Blink #4: Full Recall* (Last Three Pages) 51) X-Men: Age of Apocalypse One Shot: Beginning At The End 52) X-Men: Age of Apocalypse #1: Like Father, Like Daughter 53) Exiles #60: Son of Apocalypse (Part 1 of 2) 54) X-Men: Age of Apocalypse #2: Coming Up For Air 55) Exiles #61: Son of Apocalypse (Part 2 of 2) 56) X-Men: Age of Apocalypse #3: Comebacks 57) X-Men: Age of Apocalypse #4: Betrayal 58) X-Men: Age of Apocalypse #5: Sinister 59) X-Men: Age of Apocalypse #6: Chrysalis After you're finished wading through these, the mainstream issue immediately following X-Men: Omega is X-Men: Prime.