The Avengers and the X-Men, or the two most popular superhero teams in Marvel, go to war! Avengers vs. X-Men (also known as AvX or AvsX) is a 2012 crossover event involving the return of the Phoenix Force and the subsequent war between the Avengers and the X-Men. The 12-issue twice-monthly series features a storyline by Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, and Matt Fraction, with a rotating team of artists including John Romita Jr., Olivier Coipel, and Adam Kubert.
One of the biggest Marvel events, Avengers vs. X-Men was a commercial success at the time and the repercussions resulted in the new status quo of the Marvel Universe presented in the company’s Marvel NOW! relaunch initiative.
What to read before Avengers Vs. X-Men?
As Avengers Vs. X-Men is the culmination of a decade of stories featuring the company’s two largest franchises, it is best to have read at least a number of stories before to know what the Scarlet Witch did and who Hope Summers is:
- Avengers Disassembled
Collects Avengers #500-503; Avengers Finale. - House of M
Collects House of M #1-8 - X-Men: Messiah Complex
Collects X-Men: Messiah Complex One-Shot, Uncanny X-Men (1963) #492-494, New X-Men (2004) #44-46, X-Men (2004) #205-207, X-Factor (2005) #25-27 - X-Men: Second Coming
Collects X-Men: Second Coming (2010) #1-2, Uncanny X-Men (1963) #523-525, New Mutants (2009) #12-14, X-Men: Legacy (2008) #235-237, X-Force (2008) #26-28. - X-Men: Schism
Collects X-Men: Second Coming (2010) #1-2, Uncanny X-Men (1963) #523-525, New Mutants (2009) #12-14, X-Men: Legacy (2008) #235-237, X-Force (2008) #26-28.
Avengers Vs. X-Men Reading Order:
The Collected Editions
- Avengers vs. X-Men Omnibus
Collects Avengers vs. X-Men (2012) #0-12; Point One (2011) #1 (AVX story); AVX: Vs. (2012) #1-6; Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite (2012) #1, 6, 10; Avengers Academy (2010) #29-33; Secret Avengers (2010) #26-28; Avengers (2010) #25-30; New Avengers (2010) #24-30; X-Men Legacy (2008) #266-270; Wolverine & the X-Men (2011) #9-16, 18; AVX: Consequences (2012) #1-5; Uncanny X-Men (2011) #11-20; A-Babies vs. X-Babies (2012) #1
Also collected in:
- Avengers vs. X-Men Hardcover
Collects Avengers vs. X-Men #0–12, AvX: VS #1–6, Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite #1, #6, #10, Material from Marvel Point One - Avengers vs. X-Men Companion
Collects Avengers Academy #29-33; Secret Avengers #26-28; Avengers #25-30; New Avengers #24-30; X-Men Legacy #266-270; Wolverine & The X-Men #9-16, 18; Uncanny X-Men #11-20; AVX: Consequences #1-5; A-Babies VS. X-Babies #1
Also collected in:
- Avengers: X-Sanction
Collects Avengers: X-Sanction #1-4. - Avengers vs. X-Men
Collects Avengers vs. X-Men #0–12, Material from Marvel Point One - Avengers vs. X-Men: VS
Collects AvX: VS #1–6, A-Babies vs. X-Babies #1 - Uncanny X-Men by Kieron Gillen Volume 3
Collects Uncanny X-Men #11–14 - Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron Volume 3
Collects Wolverine and the X-Men #9–13 - New Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis Volume 4
Collects New Avengers #24–30 - Secret Avengers by Rick Remender Volume 2
Collects Secret Avengers #26–31. Also collected in Avengers vs. X-Men: Avengers - Uncanny X-Men by Kieron Gillen Volume 4
Collects Uncanny X-Men #15–20 - Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron Volume 4
Collects Wolverine and the X-Men #14–17 - Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis Volume 4
Collects Avengers #25–30 - Avengers vs. X-Men: Avengers
Collects Avengers Academy #29-33, Secret Avengers #26–28 - Avengers vs. X-Men: X-Men Legacy
Collects X-Men Legacy #266–275 - Avengers vs. X-Men: Consequences
Collects AVX: Consequences #1-5.
Issue by Issue
Avengers: X-Sanction serves as a prologue to the main event with Marvel Point One and Avengers Vs. X-Men #0.
- Marvel Point One #1
- Avengers: X-Sanction #1-4
- Avengers #24.1
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #0
- Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite #1
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #1
- Wolverine & the X-Men #9
- New Avengers #24
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #2
- AvX: Versus #1
- Uncanny X-Men #11
- Avengers #25
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #3
- Avengers Academy #29-31
- Wolverine & the X-Men #10
- X-Men: Legacy #266-267
- Secret Avengers #26-28
- Avengers #26-27
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #4
- AvX: VS #2
- Wolverine & the X-Men #11
- AvX: VS #5 (takes place during AvX #4)
- Uncanny X-Men #12
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #5
- AVX: VS #3
- Uncanny X-Men #13
- Uncanny X-Men #14
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #6
- Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite #6
- X-Men: Legacy #268
- Avengers Academy #32-33
- Avengers #28
- Uncanny X-Men #15-17
- New Avengers #25-26
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #7
- AVX: VS #4
- New Avengers #28
- New Avengers #29
- Avengers #29
- Wolverine & the X-Men #12-13
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #8
- New Avengers #27
- X-Men: Legacy #269-270
- Wolverine & the X-Men #14
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #9
- Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite #10
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #10
- Wolverine & the X-Men #15-16
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #11
- Uncanny X-Men #18
- Avengers Vs. X-Men #12
- Uncanny X-Men #19
- New Avengers #30
- Avengers #30
- AVX: VS #6
- Wolverine & the X-Men #18
As the title suggests, AVX: Consequence is a five-issue limited epilogue series exploring, said Kieron Gillen, “the emotional conflict between the major players left on the board once the battle dust has settled”.
- Uncanny X-Men #20
- AVX: Consequences #1-5
- A-Babies vs. X-Babies #1 (spoof)
A little bit later, we had AvX Aftermath, a single-title story arc surrounding Iron Man in space (one of the other Avengers or X-Men are involved).
- Iron Man #6-8
Where is Wolverine and The X-men 17? It was a spoof issue about Goop that diverged from the event and it’s not necessary to read.
What If? The entire event is reimagined in four issues in What If? AVX.
What to read after Avengers Vs. X-Men?
Marvel enters a new era with Marvel Now! and a number of relaunches, some titles being a response to the events of After Avengers Vs. X-Men.
- Uncanny Avengers by Rick Remender and John Cassaday follows a new team of Avengers that initially features a line-up of both classic Avengers and X-Men.
- Uncanny X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis and Chris Bachalo centers on Cyclops and the remnants of his Extinction Team following the conclusion of Avengers vs. X-Men.
- X-Men Legacy by Si Spurrier and Tan Eng Huat centers around Legion (David Haller), the son of Professor X. David’s story grows organically from those events.
- And A+X is a comic book anthology series that was launched as a follow-up to the 2012 event Avengers Vs. X-Men.