Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer Alan Davis, the Excalibur team made its first appearance in 1987 in Excalibur Special Edition #1 (aka Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn). This British team was conceived as a way to combine elements of two Marvel properties: the X-Men and Captain Britain.
Here is the official synopsis: The United Kingdom’s champion, Captain Britain (the protector of Great Britain who got his superhuman powers with the help of the legendary wizard, Merlyn), and his paramour, the metamorphic Meggan, band together with former X-Men Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde when Gatecrasher and her Technet are sent to capture Rachel “Phoenix” Summers! From their lighthouse base, the heroes of Excalibur will tackle the ferocious Warwolves, the unstoppable Juggernaut and Mojo mayhem! Things get wild with Arcade, the Crazy Gang and the X-Babies — and really heat up as Excalibur is drawn across the Atlantic to an Inferno raging in New York! And don’t forget Lightning Squad, the alternate Nazi versions of Excalibur!
There are multiple volumes of Excalibur, the first one with the original team lasted from 1988 until 1998! As with New Mutants, per example, the series came back later for short periods of time and is now part of the Hickman Era.
Excalibur Reading Order
The Excalibur series was launched after the Fall of the Mutants event. But for more context about why Nightcrawler and Kitty Pryde were left aside at that point and didn’t fit anymore in the X-Men when they came back, you’ll need to take a look at the Mutant Massacre storyline.
As for Captain Britain, the brother of Betsy Braddock (Psylocke), a new Captain Britain Omnibus collects everything that predates the launch of Excalibur. For the minimum to know, the first volume of the Excalibur Epic Collection has an introduction to the character. If you’ll like to know more, see our Captain Britain Reading Order.
Excalibur Volume 1 (1988-1998)
- Excalibur Epic Collection: The Sword Is Drawn
Collects Captain Britain #1-2; Excalibur #1-11, Special Edition, Mojo Mayhem and material from Mighty World of Marvel #7, 14-15; Marvel Comics Presents #31-38. At that point, only read the first five issues of Excalibur, 6-7 are part of the Inferno crossover (also collected in X-Men: inferno Omnibus). Once Inferno ended, you can read the rest. Also collects Excalibur Omnibus vol. 1. - Excalibur Epic Collection: The Cross-Time Caper
Collects Excalibur #12-30. Also collected Excalibur Omnibus vol. 1. - Excalibur Epic Collection: Girls’ School From Heck
Collects Excalibur #31-41; Excalibur: Weird War Iii, The Possession And Air Apparent; Sensational She-Hulk #26 And Material From Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #75. Also collected Excalibur Omnibus vol. 1 and vol. 2.
Claremont left with Excalibur #34 (1991). Beginning with Excalibur #42, Davis returned to the series, this time as both writer and penciller, and resolved many plotlines that Claremont had left unconcluded.
At that point, Captain Britain appeared in the 1990 series Knight of Pendragon (in issues #1, 4-8, 10-12 & 18). They are collected in The Knights of Pendragon Omnibus.
- Excalibur Epic Collection: Curiouser and Curiouser
Collects Excalibur (1988) #42-58, Excalibur: XX crossing and material from Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #110. Also collected in:- Excalibur Visionaries: Alan Davis, Vol. 1
Collects Excalibur #42-50. Also collected in Excalibur Omnibus vol. 2. - Excalibur Visionaries: Alan Davis, Vol. 2
Collects Excalibur #51-58. When: #52 is Professor X’s first appearance after Shattershot – even before UXM #288. #57-58 occur directly after X-Men #13. This run ends prior to X-Cutioner’s Song. Also collects in Excalibur Omnibus vol. 2.
- Excalibur Visionaries: Alan Davis, Vol. 1
- Excalibur Visionaries: Alan Davis, Vol. 3
Collects Excalibur #59-67. Also collects in Excalibur Omnibus vol. 2.
After Davis left again with issue #67, writer Scott Lobdell (Uncanny X-Men) filled in for over a year (issues #68-82). Those issues are hard to find. They are not properly collected for now. You can find #71 in X-Men Milestones: Fatal Attractions and #78-80 & #82 in X-Men Milestones: Phalanx Covenant.
After Lobdell, Warren Ellis assumed writing duties (issues #83-103), then Ben Raab took over until the cancellation of the series in 1998 with issue #125.
- Excalibur Visionaries: Warren Ellis, Vol. 1
Collects Excalibur (1988) #83-90 and material from X-Men Prime. Note: To avoid spoilers, stop at #86, then read the rest with Age of Apocalypse (X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Reading Order). - Excalibur Visionaries: Warren Ellis, Vol. 2
Collects Excalibur (1988) #91-95, X-Man #12 And Starjammers (1995) #1-4. - Excalibur Visionaries: Warren Ellis, Vol. 3
Collects Excalibur (1988) #96-103, Pryde and Wisdom #1-3. - Excalibur Epic Collection: The Battle for Britain
Collecting Excalibur (1988) #104-115, -1; Colossus (1997) #1; Kitty Pryde: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1997) #1-3; New Mutants: Truth or Death (1997) #1-3. - Excalibur Epic Collection: You Are Cordially Invited NEW
Collects Excalibur (1988) #116-125, X-Men Unlimited (1993) #19, X-Men: True Friends (1999) #1-3, Excalibur (2001) #1-4
- Excalibur Omnibus vol. 1
Collects Excalibur Special Edition #1, Excalibur #1-34, Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem #1, Quasar #11, Thor #427-429, Material From Marvel Comics Presents #31-38. - Excalibur Omnibus Vol. 2
Collects Excalibur #35-67, Excalibur: Weird War III #1, Excalibur: The Possession (1991) #1, Excalibur: Air Apparent #1, Excalibur: XX Crossing #1, Sensational She-Hulk #26; material from Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #75, 110. - Excalibur Omnibus Vol. 3
Collects Excalibur (1988) #68-103 And Annual #1-2, X-Men Unlimited (1993) #4, X-Factor (1986) #106, X-Force (1991) #38, X-Man #12, Pryde And Wisdom #1-3, And Material From Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #174 And Marvel Holiday Special 1996.
Excalibur Volume 2 (2001)
In 2001, Excalibur came back for a four-issue limited series written by Ben Raab with Captain Britain and Meggan about The Otherworld.
- Excalibur: Sword of Power
Not Collected
Excalibur Volume 3 (2001)
In 2004, Marvel Comics launched a new ongoing Excalibur series. It was written by Chris Claremont, but it was not connected to the previous series. This series took place after New X-Men by Grant Morrison.
- Excalibur: Forging the Sword
Collects Excalibur vol. 3 #1-4 - Excalibur Vol. 2: Saturday Night Fever
Collects Excalibur vol. 3 #5-10. - House of M: Excalibur – Prelude
Collects Excalibur vol. 3, #11-14.
You will also find issues Excalibur #8-14 in the new House of M Companion Omnibus, taking place before the main event.
The World of the X-Men is about to change forever. It’s time for House of M, a big Avengers/X-Men Event (for more information see our Reading order). For the essential:
- House of M
Collects House Of M #1-8
New Excalibur (2006-2007)
This time, Captain Britain is back, but the team is not the same. This New Excalibur also came from Chris Claremont, at first. Frank Tieri took over after #8.
- New Excalibur: Defenders of the Realm
Collects New Excalibur #1-7. - New Excalibur: Last Days of Camelot
Collects New Excalibur #8-15. - New Excalibur: Battle for Eternity
Collects New Excalibur #16-24. - X-Men: Die By the Sword
Collects X-Men: Die By the Sword #1-5.
Excalibur Volume 4 (2019-2021)
Relaunched as a part of Dawn of X in October 2019, Excalibur made Betsy Braddock the new Captain Britain. The Otherworld is rocked by war! It is a new era for mutantkind as a new Captain Britain holds the amulet, fighting for her Kingdom of Avalon with her Excalibur at her side–Rogue, Gambit, Rictor, Jubilee…and Apocalypse.
- House of X/Powers of X (introduction to the Dawn of X era)
Collects House of X #1-6, Powers of X #1-6. - Excalibur by Tini Howard Volume 1
Collects Excalibur #1–6. - Excalibur by Tini Howard Volume 2
Collects Excalibur #7–12.
- X of Swords
Collects X-Men #12, X of Swords: Creation #1, X-Factor #4, Wolverine #6, X-Force #13, Marauders #13, Hellions #5, New Mutants #13, Cable #5, Excalibur #13, X-Men #13, X of Swords: Stasis #1, X-Men #14, Marauders #14, Marauders #15, Excalibur #14, Wolverine #7, X-Force #14, Hellions #6, Cable #6, Excalibur #15, X-Men #15, X of Swords: Destruction #1. - Excalibur by Tini Howard Volume 3
Collects Excalibur #16-21. Issue #21 is part of the Hellfire Gala event. - Excalibur by Tini Howard Volume 4
Collects Excalibur #22-26.
Last Updated on March 15, 2024.