Ambitious was 1995 X-Men’s crossover storyline, that’s the least we can say. Like The Clone Saga (reading order), “Age of Apocalypse” became an era-defining moment in the Marvel Universe. With this event was published new X-Men related mini series including X-Calibre, Gambit and the X-Ternals, Generation Next, Astonishing X-Men, Amazing X-Men, Weapon X, Factor X, X-Man, and X-Universe.
Everything began when the mutant known as Legion traveled back in time with the intention to kill Magneto before he can commit multiple crimes against humanity. But instead of Magneto, Legion accidentally kills his own father, Professor Charles Xavier. That tragedy led to a catastrophic change in the timeline. Without Professor X, Apocalypse was able to attack 10 years sooner than he did in the original timeline. He took control of Earth and, from that point on, nothing was the same as before. The victory of Apocalypse is not complete. He’s still opposed by several factions of mutant resistance. One group manages to send the mutant Bishop back in time to prevent the murder of Professor Xavier, undoing the entire timeline.
X-Men Age of Apocalypse Reading Order:
The old TPBs Editions
- 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, X-Man Annual ’96. - X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Vol. 1: Alpha
Collects Uncanny X-Men #320-321, X-Men#40-41, Cable #20, X-Men Alpha, Generation Next #1, Astonishing X-Men #1, Gambit and the X-Ternals #1, Weapon X #1, Factor X #1, X-Man #1, X-Calibre #1, Amazing X-Men #1, X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Ashcan Edition. - X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Vol. 2: Reign
Collects Astonishing X-Men #2-3, Amazing X-Men #2-3, Gambit And The X-Ternals #2, Generation Next #2, Weapon X #2, X-Calibre #2-3, Factor X #2-3, X-Man #2-3, X-Universe #1, Material From X-Men: Year Of The Mutants Collectors Preview. - X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Vol. 3: Omega
Collects Weapon X #3-4, Generation Next #3-4, Gambit And The X-Ternals #3-4, Astonishing X-Men #4, X-Man #4, X-Calibre #4, Factor X #4, Amazing X-Men #4, X-Universe #2, X-Men Omega, Age Of Apocalypse: The Chosen.
The Omnibus Editions
- X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Omnibus
Collects Uncanny X-Men #320-321, X-Men #40-41, Cable #20, X-Men Alpha, Amazing X-Men #1-4, Astonishing X-Men #1-4, Factor X #1-4, Gambit & The Externals #1-4, Generation Next #1-4, Weapon X #1-4, X-Calibre #1-4, X-Man #1-4, X-Men Omega, Age Of Apocalypse : The Chosen and X-Men Ashcan #2. - X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Omnibus Companion
X-Men Chronicles #1-2, Tales from the Age of Apocalypse #1-2, X-Man #-1 & 53-54, Blink #1-4, X-Universe #1-2, Exiles (2001) #60-61, X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005) one-shot & #1-6, What If? (1989) #77 & 81, What If? X-Men Age of Apocalypse; and portions of Hulk: Broken Worlds #2, X-Men Prime, X-Man Annual 96, X-Men: Endangered Species, Exiles: Days of Then & Now, and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Age of Apocalypse 2005.
X-Men Age of Apocalypse Issue by Issue Reading Order:
It’s a Marvel event, so you know it’s not straightforward.
Prelude/Legion Quest
- X-Men Vol. 2 #38
- X-Factor #108
- Uncanny X-Men #319
- X-Men. Vol. 2 #39
- X-Factor #109
- Uncanny X-Men #320
- X-Men Vol. 2 #40
- Uncanny X-Men #321
- X-Men Vol. 2 #41
- Cable #20
Age of Apocalypse
- X-Men Chronicles #1-2
- X-Men Alpha #1
- Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen
- Astonishing X-Men #1
- X-Calibre #1
- Generation Next #1
- Gambit and the X-Ternals #1
- Weapon X #1
- Amazing X-Men #1
- X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Ashcan Edition #1
- Factor X #1
- X-Man #1
- Amazing X-Men #2
- Factor X #2
- Weapon X #2
- Gambit and the X-Ternals #2
- X-Calibre #2
- Generation Next #2
- Astonishing X-Men #2
- X-Man #2
- Factor X #3
- Astonishing X-Men #3
- Amazing X-Men #3
- X-Calibre #3
- Gambit and the X-Ternals #3
- Generation Next #3
- X-Man #3
- Weapon X #3
- X-Universe #1
- X-Calibre #4
- Generation Next #4
- Astonishing X-Men #4
- X-Man #4
- Factor X #4
- Weapon X #4
- X-Universe #2
- Gambit and the X-Ternals #4
- Amazing X-Men #4
- X-Men Omega #1
The companion series
Some put them before X-Men Alpha #1, I think it’s good to have a better understanding of the story before reading some of them (after the #1s).
- Tales From the Age of Apocalypse #1-2
- X-Man # -1
- X-Man Annual ‘96
- Blink #1-4
What to read after X-Men Age of Apocalypse?
Chronologically, after the Age of Apocalypse came Onslaught (see the reading order). To stay in the AoA story, you can read the X-Men: New Age of Apocalypse series from 2005.