The Multiverse is made up of many alternate realities, each unique and full of possibilities. Some are more famous than others. Among the most notorious are the Ultimate World of Miles Morales and The Maker, the dystopian future of Marvel 2099, the Zombieverse, and the Age of Apocalypse.
In the late nineties, artist Alex Ross designed one of Marvel’s most iconic dystopian realities: Earth-X. This world first appeared in Wizard Magazine, where the legendary artist was asked to create a possible future for the Marvel Universe. Ross depicted a future where superpowers had become commonplace. These initial concepts, today known as the Earth-X Sketchbook, attracted readers, and the magazine quickly sold out. This success led Marvel to commission a full comic series, developed by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, with artists John Paul Leon and Doug Braithwaite.
While Earth-X started as a possible future of Earth-616, the series retconned the origins of superheroes, disconnecting them from the mainstream Marvel Universe entirely. Earth-X evolved to become Earth-9997, an alternate reality.
Today, we jump into the world of Earth X, a dystopian reality where most of the population has gained superpowers, many heroes have fallen or been reimagined, and the future remains uncertain. Check out our complete comic reading order for Earth-X, including every issue and appearance, along with our guide to omnibus and trade paperback editions.
The Earth X Comics Universe, Issue-by-Issue Reading Guide
Where to start reading the Earth X Comics Universe? A prequel titled Marvels X was released in 2020. While you can read it in chronological order, we recommend following the publication order for a better experience, as the prequel has more impact with prior knowledge of the original series.
You can find all the single issues of Earth X here.
- Earth X #0
- Earth X #1-12
- Earth X #X
- Earth X #1/2 – The events depicted in this issue are set before Earth X #0, but works better as an epilogue
(Optional) – The short Nighthawk comic series is set in the mainstream Marvel Universe and not part of the Earth X timeline. However, it does give some explanation about Nighthawk’s visions.
- Nighthawk (1998) #1-3
Universe X! Continue to explore this dystopian Marvel Universe and all the moral and philosophical dilemmas faced by heroes and villains with the sequel, Universe X. Captain America joins forces with the resurrected Captain Mar-Vell to battle Death herself, as the heroes grapple with the catastrophic effects of Earth’s shifting magnetic axis. This part of the story consists of a 12-issue comic limited series and several one-shots highlighting specific characters.
You can find all the single issues of Universe X here.
- Universe X Special: 4 (one-shot)
- Universe X #1-3
- Universe X: Spidey (one-shot)
- Universe X #4
- Universe X: Cap (one-shot)
- Universe X #5-8
- Universe X: Beasts (one-shot)
- Universe X #9-11
- Universe X: Iron Men (one-shot)
- Universe X #12
- Universe X #X
The final chapter of Marvel’s possible future! Paradise X is the final installment of the Earth X Trilogy. Earth’s heroes seek out the new Death while cosmic forces prepare for war, including conflicts brewing within the Negative Zone, as they wrestle with the future of a superpowered and potentially immortal humanity.
You can find all the single issues of the Paradise X comics here.
- Paradise X: Heralds #1-3
- Paradise X #0-2
- Paradise X: Xen (one-shot)
- Paradise X #3-5
- Paradise X: Devils (one-shot)
- Paradise X #6-8
- Paradise X: Ragnarok #1-2
- Paradise X #9-12
- Paradise X: A (one shot)
- Paradise X #X
Marvels X! Twenty years after Earth X, Alex Ross returned to his dark universe with a prequel story, co-written again with Jim Krueger and illustrated by Well-Bee. This miniseries sets the stage for the dystopian future of Earth-X, following David, one of the last humans without powers, as he is hunted by his superpowered neighbors. With only one hope—the heroes of New York—David embarks on a quest to find Captain America and the others, facing an extraordinary and dangerous new reality along the way.
- Collects Marvels X #1-6.
Weapon X-Men! Coming from Christos N. Gage and Yıldıray Çınar is a team of Multiversal Wolverines, including Earth X Wolverine (Logan-9997). This story reconnects with the character following the events of Paradise X
- Weapon X-Men (2024) #1-4
Earth X Collected Editions Series
Earth X Omnibus
The most recent Earth X comics edition is the two omnibus collecting the Earth X trilogy and all the materials released connected to Alex Ross’s dark vision of the Marvel Universe. These two books were released before 2020, so Marvels X is not collected in that format.
- Earth X Trilogy Omnibus: Alpha
Collects Earth X #0-12, #1/2, #X, Epilogue and Sketchbook; and Universe X #0-12, Universe X #X, Universe X Special: 4, Universe X Special: Spidey, Cap, Beasts, Iron Men and Universe X Omnibus #1. - Earth X Trilogy Omnibus: Omega
Collecting Paradise X: Heralds #1-3; Paradise X #0-12, Paradise X #X, Paradise X: Xen #1, Paradise X: Devils #1, Paradise X: A #A and Paradise X Special Edition #1; Paradise X: Ragnarok #1-2 and Nighthawk (1998) #1-3.
Earth X Comics trade paperbacks
Before reprinting the Earth X Trilogy in Omnibus, Marvel released the whole story in several trade paperbacks, with the recent addition of Marvels X (and Weapon X-Men)
- Earth X
Collects Earth X 0-12, X. - Earth X Trilogy Companion
Earth X Sketchbook, Earth X #1/2; and the never-before-printed X-51 Earth X prequel, originally serialized as an online comic. - Universe X Vol. 1
Collects Universe X #0-7, Universe X: 4, Universe X: Spidey And Universe X: Cap. - Universe X Vol. 2
Collects Universe X #8-12, X, Beasts, Iron Men and material from Universe X: Omnibus. - Paradise X Vol. 1
Collects Paradise X #0-5, Paradise X: Xen And Heralds #1-3. - Paradise X Vol. 2
Collects Paradise X #6-12, Ragnarok, Devils, A, X. - Marvels X
Collects Marvels X #1-6. - Weapon X-Men
Collects Weapon X-Men #1-4.