David Haller was the first X-Men character to receive a live-action TV Series. You could then easily imagine that he was a prominent X-Men. Even though he made his debut in the 80s, he doesn’t appear in many Marvel comic books. Despite that, David Haller, also known as Legion, left his marks on the X-Men Universe and the readers.
Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz, David Haller made his first appearance in New Mutants #25 (March 1985). He is the mutant son of Charles Xavier, the famous leader of the X-Men, and Gabrielle Haller, a Holocaust survivor who chooses not to tell Xavier she was pregnant after their amicable breakup. Xavier would learn sometime after founding the New Mutants that David was his son.
David is one of the most powerful mutants who have the ability to create spontaneous mutations with varying attributes and can warp reality. He also suffers from a dissociative identity disorder. David can absorb the psyche of someone upon their death and create new alter egos. Each one of his personalities is associated with a power, like telepathy (Jemail Karami), telekinesis (Jack Wayne) or pyrokinetic (Cyndi).
This reading order was requested by David Agetua, one of our readers! Don’t hesitate to leave a comment or write to us with some other suggestions!
David Haller (Legion) Reading Order
This is David Haller’s first story arc collected in one trade paperback! David Haller is no ordinary mutant. Son of Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men, David’s incredible mental powers fractured his mind — and now, each of his personalities controls a different ability! And they’re not all friendly, as Xavier and the New Mutants find out the hard way! But as Legion struggles to control the chaos in his head, he attracts the attention of one of Xavier’s oldest and most malevolent foes: Amahl Farouk, the Shadow King, who’s secretly been stalking and manipulating the X-Men and their allies. When the Shadow King sinks his hooks deep into David’s mind, will two teams of X-Men be enough to defeat him — or will David be the key to the villain’s ultimate victory?
- X-Men: Legion – The Shadow King Rising
Collects New Mutants (1983) #26-28, #44; Uncanny X-Men (1981) #253-255, #278-280; X-Factor (1986) #69-70
Also those issues have also been collected in:
- The New Mutants Omnibus Vol. 1 (Marvel Graphic Novel (1982) #4; New Mutants (1983) #1-34; New Mutants Annual (1984) #1; Marvel Team-Up (1972) #100 (A Story), #149; Marvel Team-Up Annual (1976) #6; Uncanny X-Men (1981) #160, #167, #180, #189, #192; Magik (1983) #1-4)
- The New Mutants Omnibus Vol. 2 (New Mutants (1983) #35-54; New Mutants Annual (1984) #2-3; New Mutants Special Edition (1985) #1; X-Men Annual (1970) #9-10; Power Pack (1984) #20, #33; Fallen Angels (1987) #1-8; Firestar (1986) #1-4; New Mutants: War Children (2019) #1; material from Web of Spider-Man Annual (1985) #2)
- The New Mutants Epic Collection: The Demon Bear Saga (New Mutants (1983) #13-31 and Annual #1)
- X-Men by Claremont and Lee Omnibus Vol. 1 (Uncanny X-Men (1963) #273-280, X-Factor (1986) #63-70, Ghost Rider (1990) #26-27, and X-Men (1991) #1-9 and material from #10-11.)
- X-Men Epic Collection: Dissolution & Rebirth (Uncanny X-Men (1963) #248-267)
- X-Men Epic Collection: Mutant Genesis (X-Men Annual (1970) #15, X-Factor (1986) #65-70, Uncanny X-Men (1981) #278-280, X-Men (1991) #1-3 and material from New Mutants Annual #7 & X-Factor Annual #6)
Rise to the Age of Apocalypse
Legion’s once-shattered psyche is finally united, with a singular purpose – to make up for all the misery he has visited on his father, Charles Xavier. And to do it, he plans to make Xavier’s dream a reality – by travelling back in time to kill its greatest obstacle, Magneto!
- X-Men: Legionquest
Collects Uncanny X-Men #318-321, X-Men (vol. 2) #38-41, X-Men Unlimited #4-7, X-Men Annual (1992) #3, X-Factor #107-109, Cable #20.
Despite being the man responsible for Age of Apocalypse, David doesn’t appear in this saga, with the exception of its conclusion X-Men Omega #1.
The Return of Legion
Without any surprise, David wasn’t dead but stuck in a timeless interdimensional limbo. He was found here by Magik. She offers him to bring him back to Earth in exchange of his help to destroy her nemeses, the Elder Gods.
- New Mutants by Zeb Wells: Complete Collection
Collects New Mutants (2009) #1-11, #15-21 and material from X-Necrosha #1 and Marvel Spotlight: New Mutants.- Legion joins the X-Men in New Mutants (2009) #14, collected in X-Men Milestones: Second Coming
Also Collected in:
- New Mutants Vol. 1: Return of Legion (New Mutants (2009) #1-5)
- New Mutants: Fall of the New Mutants (New Mutants, vol. 3 #15–21)
Age of X and its aftermath
In Age Of X, reality has changed: In a world where the X-Men never existed and mutantkind has been hunted to extinction, the few remaining Homo superior have banded together to make their last stand.
- X-Men Milestones: Age Of X
Collects Age of X Alpha (2011) #1, X-Men Legacy (2008) #245-247, New Mutants (2009) 22-24, Age of X: Universe (2011) #1-2. - X-Men: Legacy – Aftermath
Collects X-Men: Legacy #242–244, 248–249. - X-Men: Legacy – Lost Legions
Collects X-Men: Legacy #250–253
Following those events, David is seen again with his father in Avengers vs. X-Men #5.
X-Men Legacy
Legion, the most powerful and unstable mutant in the world, and son to Professor Charles Xavier, has killed gods and reshaped the face of the universe. NOW! in the aftermath of Avengers vs. X-Men, Legion will finally attempt to conquer his demons…and embrace his father’s legacy!
- X-Men: Legacy Vol. 1 – Prodigal
Collects X-Men: Legacy (vol. 2) #1–6 - X-Men: Legacy Vol. 2 – Invasive Exotics
Collects X-Men: Legacy (vol. 2) #7–12 - X-Men: Legacy Vol. 3 – Revenants
Collects X-Men: Legacy (vol. 2) #13–18 - X-Men: Legacy Vol. 4 – For We Are Many
Collects X-Men: Legacy (vol. 2) #19–24 - Legion: Trauma
Collects Legion #1-5
Following is a new X-Men crisis, with Legion and the X-Men facing the Horsemen of Salvation:
- Uncanny X-Men: Disassembled
Collects Uncanny X-Men (vol. 5) #1–10.
Age of X-Man: An Alternate Reality Event
Alert Event! The X-Men have helped make the world into a utopia where no one lives in fear and hatred is a thing of the past. All people are united under the banner of mutantkind, and all of mutantkind idolize the X-Men. In this reality, Legion has been placed in the Danger Room Prison Complex and is the most dangerous prisoner. Take a look at the Age of X-Man Reading Order to know more about it.
- Age of X-Man: The Marvelous X-Men
Collects Age Of X-Man: Alpha and Omega, and Age Of X-Man: The Marvelous X-Men #1-5. - Age of X-Man: Prisoner X
Collects Age Of X-Man: Prisoner X #1-5.
Legion of X
Professor X announced to the people of Earth the new mutant nation of Krakoa, under the creative guidance of Jonathan Hickman. It’s a new world for the X-Men, but what is David Haller’s place in it? Si Spurrier is in charge to give us an answer, first with Way of X, then with Legion of X, where Legion works with Kurt Wagner.
- Way Of X by Si Spurrier Vol. 1
Collects Way of X (2021) #1-5, X-Men: The Onslaught Revelation (2021) #1. - Legion Of X by Simon Spurrier Vol. 1
Collects Legion Of X (2022) #1-5. - Legion of X by Simon Spurrier Vol. 2
Collects Legion Of X (2022) #6-10 and X-Men: Before the Fall — Sons of X. Issue 6 is part of A.X.E.: Judgement Day.
The story continues…