Age of Apocalypse Reading Order Guide

4 hours ago 7

This page contains affiliate links for eCommerce websites. How to Love Comics may recieve a small commission on purchases you make. Find out more in our affiliate disclaimer.

X-Men comics feature a lot of alternate universes. What-ifs and dystopian futures that show dark outcomes for Marvel’s mutants. One of the most notable of them is Age of Apocalypse, a world ruled by the villain Apocalypse after (accidentally) Charles Xavier dies. A big fan favourite, Marvel Comics has returned to this world countless times beyond the initial comic book event it featured in.

Find out how to read the Age of Apocalypse comic book event with this handy reading order. It also includes details on other comics set in the same world, as well as other helpful tips to make reading easier.

Is Age of Apocalypse good?

X-Men comics from the 1990s have a reputation for being extreme soap operas that were often too convoluted for their own good. Some people love the messiness of it, either due to nostalgia or because it aligns with their taste. However, it’s definitely not for everyone. Age of Apocalypse is a circuit-breaker from the mess, offering a relatively accessible X-Men story that doesn’t rely on history or ongoing stories.

Age of Apocalypse presents an alternate universe version of many X-Men characters, tweaking or subverting them in interesting ways. It still feels very 90s, but through a cleaner lens that may appeal to those who are not into the usual messiness.

Want to know more? I wrote about Age of Apocalypse in great detail in the early days of this website.

How is Age of Apocalypse structured?

Age of Apocalypse is an alternate universe event. As part of it, all the X-Men titles that were being published in 1995 were put on pause for four months. These were replaced with similar sounding miniseries set in the event’s world. These were:

X-Men became Amazing X-Men
Uncanny X-Men became Astonishing X-Men (not to be mistaken with Joss Whedon’s X-Men run a decade later)
Wolverine became Weapon X (not to be mistaken with the classic Barry Windsor Smith story about Wolverine’s origins or the subsequent series that involve the Weapon X Program)
Cable became X-Man (introducing a new character)
X-Force became Gambit and the X-Ternals
X-Factor became Factor X
Excalibur became X-Calibre
Generation X became Generation Next

Each comic series picked up where it left off at the end of the event, reverting back to it’s original name and continuing the numbering.

Age of Apocalypse also had many tie-in one-shots too. These add additional world-building.

Reading order

Below is the extended reading order for Age of Apocalypse. I’ve broken it down into different phases, with the build-up in Legion Quest, prequels, and the main event.

X-Men (1991 series) #40 cover by Andy Kubert.

Legion Quest

Legion Quest is a crossover that takes place just before Age of Apocalypse. The events of this crossover directly create the dark alternate universe that’s seen in the main comic book event.

X-Men (1991 series) #38 (Lead-up)

X-Factor (1986 series) #108 (Lead-up)

Uncanny X-Men #319 (Lead-up)

X-Men (1991 series) #39 (Lead-up)

Note: The above comics lead directly into Legion Quest. These can be a bit indecipherable if you’re not invested in the stories that were being told in 1994’s slate of X-Men comics. However, they do provide a little bit of context for the Legion Quest crossover. My advice: go with the flow and don’t worry too much about them.

X-Factor (1986 series) #109 (Part 1)

Uncanny X-Men #320 (Part 2)

X-Men (1991 series) #40 (Part 3)

Uncanny X-Men #321 (Part 4)

X-Men (1991 series) #41 (Part 5)

Cable (1993 series) #20 (Part 6)

Blink #2 cover Adam Kubert, Lary Stucker, and Richard Isanove.

Age of Apocalypse prequels

Marvel has published a bunch of prequel stories set before the main event. These add world-building and retroactively set some ideas up.

Blink #1 (of 4)

Blink #2 (of 4)

Blink #3 (of 4)

Note: Blink is a 2001 miniseries that returns readers to the Age of Apocalypse for a story starring Blink. It’s mostly set before the events of the main event. Issue #4 is not listed here as it’s set towards the end of Age of Apocalypse.

X-Men Chronicles #1

Tales from the Age of Apocalypse: Sinister Bloodlines #1

Tales from the Age of Apocalypse #1

X-Men Chronicles #2

X-Man (1995 series) #-1

Age of Apocalypse

Finally, we’re at the core Age of Apocalypse event. Follow this reading order to read every intertwining story.

X-Men: Alpha (1995) #1

Note: X-Men: Alpha (1995) #1 is the official start of Age of Apocalypse.

Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen #1

Generation Next #1

Astonishing X-Men (1995 series) #1

X-Calibre #1

Gambit and the X-Ternals #1

Gambit and the X-Ternals #2

Weapon X (1995 series) #1

Weapon X (1995 series) #2

Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #1

Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #2

Factor X #1

Factor X #2

X-Man (1995 series) #1

X-Calibre #2

Astonishing X-Men (1995 series) #2

Generation Next #2

X-Man (1995 series) #2

Astonishing X-Men (1995 series) #3

Factor X #3

Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #3

X-Calibre #3

Weapon X (1995 series) #3

Gambit and the X-Ternals #3

X-Universe #1

Generation Next #3

X-Man (1995 series) #3

Astonishing X-Men (1995 series) #4

Generation Next #4

X-Calibre #4

X-Man (1995 series) #4

Factor X #4

Gambit and the X-Ternals #4

Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #4

Weapon X (1995 series) #4

X-Universe #2

Blink #4 (of 4)

X-Men: Omega #1

Note: X-Men: Omega #1 is the official ending to Age of Apocalypse.

X-Men Prime (1995) #1

Note: X-Men Prime (1995) #1 is an epilogue to Age of Apocalypse. It also beings the slow build towards Onslaught Saga. Find out more in the “After Age of Apocalypse” section.

X-Man (1995 series) #53

X-Man (1995 series) #54

Note: X-Men (1995 series) #53-54 are a belated epilogue to Age of Apocalypse.

Uncanny X-Men #322 cover by Joe Madureira and Tim Townsend.

After Age of Apocalypse

So you’ve finished Age of Apocalypse and want to know what to read next. You can either skip the “Other comics set in the Age of Apocalypse” section below or continue with the slate of X-Men comics in 1995.

The following comics come directly after X-Men Prime and kick off new stories for each series in the X-Men line.

Uncanny X-Men #322
X-Men (1991 series) #42
X-Factor (1986 series) #112
Excalibur (1988 series) #87
Cable (1993 series) #21
Generation X #5
Wolverine (1988 series) #91
X-Man (1995 series) #5

Uncanny X-Men #322 and X-Men (1991) #42 begin the slow build up to the Onslaught Saga.

X-Man (1995 series) #5 continues on the adventures of Nate Grey – now in the regular Marvel Universe. The comic would run surprisingly long, with it ending with issue #75 in 2001.

The rest of the comics start new stories with their respective cast. Some of these will feature Dark Beast, who has become a fugitive of the Age of Apocalypse world. Find out his movements here.

Age of Apocalypse (2005 series) #1 cover by Chris Bachalo and Tim Townsend.

Other comics set in the Age of Apocalypse

Marvel cannot resist returning to an idea when they find success. As a result, over the last 30 years, the publisher has returned to the Age of Apocalypse several times. Here is a rough order of those comics.

Marvel Riot #1

Note: Marvel Riot #1 is a parody comic.

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005) #1 (one-shot)

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005 series) #1 (of 6)

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005 series) #2 (of 6)

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005 series) #3 (of 6)

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005 series) #4 (of 6)

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005 series) #5 (of 6)

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005 series) #6 (of 6)

Note: X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005 series) #1-6 miniseries published off the back of the 10th anniversary of the original event.

What If? X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2006) #1

Note: This “What If?” one-shot explores what would happen Legion had killed Xavier and Magneto.

Uncanny X-Force (2010 series) #11

Uncanny X-Force (2010 series) #12

Uncanny X-Force (2010 series) #13

Uncanny X-Force (2010 series) #14

Uncanny X-Force (2010 series) #15

Uncanny X-Force (2010 series) #16

Uncanny X-Force (2010 series) #17

Uncanny X-Force (2010 series) #18

Note: Uncanny X-Force (2010 series) #11-18 tells the Dark Angel Saga. A section of the story features the team going to the Age of Apocalypse.

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #1

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #2

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #3

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #4

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #5

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #6

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #7

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #8

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #9

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #10

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #11

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #12

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #13

Age of Apocalypse (2012 series) #14

Note: Marvel returned to the Age of Apocalypse in 2012 after it was featured in Uncanny X-Force (2010 series) for a series that ran for 14 issues.

Age of Apocalypse (2015 series) #1 (of 5)

Age of Apocalypse (2015 series) #2 (of 5)

Age of Apocalypse (2015 series) #3 (of 5)

Age of Apocalypse (2015 series) #4 (of 5)

Age of Apocalypse (2015 series) #5 (of 5)

Note: Age of Apocalypse (2015 series) is a tie-in for Secret Wars (2015). In this event, Battleworld is created from various parts of alternate universes in a patchwork-like manner. The Age of Apocalypse is one of those domains.

Giant-Size X-Men (2025 crossover)

Note: Giant-Size X-Men (2025) is a crossover that sees Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) travel to various points in X-Men history. Each of these revisit a classic story from a different angle and happen to celebrate an anniversary at the same time. Age of Apocalypse is one of those moments.

Collected editions

The whole Age of Apocalypse event has been collected many times. Find out below how you can read it in collected formats.

Trade paperbacks – old

The Age of Apocalypse was collected in five trade paperbacks in the 2000s.

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Prelude
Collects: X-Factor (1986 series) #108-109; Uncanny X-Men #319-321; X-Men (1991 series) #38-41; Cable (1993 series) #20; and X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Ashcan Edition

X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic Book 1
Collects: X-Men Chronicles #1-2, Tales from The Age of Apocalypse: By the Light, X-Man (1995 series) #-1, X-Man Annual ’96, Tales from The Age of Apocalypse: Sinister Bloodlines, and Blink #1-4

X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic Book 2
Collects: X-Men: Alpha, Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen, Generation Next #1, Astonishing X-Men (1995 series) #1, X-Calibre #1, Gambit and the X-Ternals #1-2, Weapon (1995 series) #1-2, Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #1-2, Factor X #1-2, and X-Man (1995 series) #1

X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic Book 3
Collects: X-Calibre #2-3, Astonishing X-Men (1995 series) #2-4, Generation Next #2-3, X-Man (1995 series) #2-3, Factor X #3, Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #3, Weapon X (1995 series) #3, Gambit and the X-Ternals #3, and X-Universe #1

X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic Book 4
Collects: Generation Next #4, X-Calibre #4, X-Man (1995 series) #4 and #53-54, Factor X #4, Gambit and The X-Ternals #4, Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #4, Weapon X (1995 series) #4, X-Universe #2, X-Men: Omega, Blink #4, X-Men: Prime #1

Trade paperbacks – revised

Marvel recollected the event in the mid-2010s. This condensed it into four books with a revised reading order.

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse – Dawn
Collects: X-Men Chronicles #1-2, Tales From the Age of Apocalypse #1-2, X-Man #-1, Blink #1-4; material from X-Men: Age of Apocalypse one-shot, and X-Man Annual ’96

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Volume 1: Alpha
Collects: Uncanny X-Men #320-321, X-Men (1991 series) #40-41, Cable (1993 series) #20, X-Men Alpha #1, Generation Next #1, Astonishing X-Men (1995 series) #1, Gambit and the X-Ternals #1, Weapon X (1995 series) #1, Factor X #1, X-Man (1995 series) #1, X-Calibre #1, and Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #1.

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Volume 2: Reign
Collects: Astonishing X-Men (1995 series) #2-3, Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #2-3, Gambit and the X-Ternals #2, Generation Next #2, Weapon X (1995 series) #2, X-Calibre #2-3, Factor X #2-3, X-Man (1995 series) #2-3, X-Universe #1, and material from X-Men: Year of the Mutants Collectors Preview

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Volume 3: Omega
Collects: Weapon X (1995 series) #3-4, Generation Next #3-4, Gambit and the X-Ternals #3-4, Astonishing X-Men (1995 series) #4, X-Man (1995 series) #4, X-Calibre #4, Factor X #4, Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #4, X-Universe #2, X-Men Omega, and Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen.

Buy Age of Apocalypse collections on…

Omnibus

Age of Apocalypse is available in two omnibus editions.

X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Omnibus
Collects: Uncanny X-Men #320-321, X-Men (1991 series) #40-41, Cable (1993 series) #20, X-Men Alpha #1, Amazing X-Men (1995 series) #1-4, Astonishing X-Men (1995 series) #1-4, Factor X #1-4, Gambit And The X-Ternals #1-4, Generation Next #1-4, Weapon X (1995 series) #1-4, X-Calibre #1-4, X-Man (1995 series) #1-4, X-Men Omega #1, Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen, and X-Men Ashcan #2

XX-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Companion Omnibus
Collects: X-Men Chronicles #1-2; Tales from The Age of Apocalypse #1-2; X-Man (1995 series) #-1, #53-54; Blink #1-4; X-Universe #1-2; Exiles (2001 series) #60-61; Age of Apocalypse One-Shot; Age of Apocalypse (2005 series) #1-6; What If? X-Men Age of Apocalypse; material from Hulk: Broken Worlds #2; X-Man Annual ’96; X-Men Prime; and X-Men: Endangered Species, Exiles: Days of Then and Now

Buy Age of Apocalypse Omnibus on…