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X-Men Reading Order, Part. 5: Marvel NOW, All-New, All-Different Marvel & ResurrXion (2012-2019)

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Our exploration of the ever-expanding world of the X-Men comics is continuing. The following reading guide covers the comic books published between 2012 and 2019, before Jonathan Hickman’s House of X/Power of X. This era includes major events like Battle of the Atom, The Trial of Jean Grey, AXIS, The Last Will and Testament of Charles Xavier, Death of Wolverine, Inhumans vs. X-Men, the Terrigen Mist Crisis, Apocalypse Wars, Civil War II, Phoenix Resurrection, Hunt for Wolverine, and Extermination.

After the event of the Avengers vs. X-Men crossover event and the relaunch of the Marvel Comics Universe under the banner “Marvel NOW!,” most X-Men titles were either concluded or restructured. Wolverine and the X-Men continued, while All-New X-Men was launched, featuring the original five X-Men—brought to the present day by Beast—who eventually formed a separate team under the leadership of Kitty Pryde. Astonishing X-Men also continued but was later canceled, and in its place, Amazing X-Men was launched, initially focusing on the return of Nightcrawler. Meanwhile, Uncanny X-Men was relaunched with Cyclops leading a faction of mutant revolutionaries.

Then the All-New, All-Different Marvel era introduced a major relaunch for X-Men comics following Secret Wars (2015). This era was defined by the Terrigen Mist crisis, which made Earth inhospitable for mutants, leading to tensions between mutants and Inhumans. Many X-Men went into hiding, while others took a more aggressive stance to protect mutantkind. And finally, the ResurrXion era, a soft relaunch of X-Men comics following Inhumans vs. X-Men, marked the end of the Terrigen Mist crisis and was focused on the mutants rebuilding their future.

This is Part #5 of our tentative to compile a comprehensive X-Men Reading Order using the collected editions–You can find the first part here (The Silver Age & Chris Claremont, 1963-91), the second part here (Age of Apocalypse & Onslaught, 1991-2001), the third part here (From the Grant Morrison era to Civil War), the fourth part that leads us to Avengers Vs. X-Men, and the sixth part here.

This is a massive reading guide, so here is a menu to help you navigate. Some parts are under construction for now. I’ll keep updating this article regularly.

X-Men Reading Order: The Menu

The reading guide is a work in progress. It’s a major project, it will take time to complete it.

  1. X-Men: The Silver Age Reading Order (1963-70)
  2. The Chris Claremont X-Men Reading Order (1975-1991)
  3. ’90s X-Men Reading Order (1991-2001)
  4. The Modern Era Reading Order (2001-2004)
  5. X-Men ReLoad Reading Order (2004-2007)
  6. Messiah trilogy, Dark Reign, Schism, Avengers Vs X-Men Reading Order (2007–2015)
  7. X-Men: Marvel NOW Reading Order (2012-2015)
  8. All-New, All-Different Marvel X-Men Reading Order (2015-2017)
  9. ResurrXion Era Reading Order (2017-2020)
  10. The X-Men of Krakoa Reading Order: Dawn of X/Reign of X (2020-2021)
  11. The X-Men of Krakoa Reading Order: Destiny of X (2022-)

I. X-Men Marvel NOW Reading Order (2012-2015)

The Avengers vs. X-Men event ended with the demise of Professor X at the hands of a Phoenix-possessed Cyclops. The mutants were divided with Wolverine reviving the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning in order to train the upcoming generation of mutants, fulfilling Xavier’s ideal, and Cyclops on the run, leading an X-Men group committed to defending mutantkind at any cost.

As usual, Deadpool being a mutant, his stories are included, but they rarely are connected to the X-Men comics.

In the aftermath of Avengers vs. X-Men, Legion will finally attempt to conquer his demons…and embrace his father’s legacy in X-Men: Legacy.

The Uncanny Avengers comic book series centers on a superhero team composed of members of both the Avengers and the X-Men that come together following the conclusion of the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline. Within the Marvel Universe itself, the team is known as the Avengers Unity Squad. Also, there’s “A+X“, an anthology series featuring in each issue a different team-up of an Avenger and an X-Man.

Cable is back with a new X-Force team at his side:

New Comics Series Alert! Written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Stuart Immonen, the All-New X-Men comics series centers on the original X-Men, Professor X’s original five students – Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel, and Beast – who are brought from the past to the present to confront their future counterparts.

In the Savage Wolverine comics, Wolverine awakes to find himself transported to the Savage Land and labeled public enemy number one! With no memory of how he got there, and Shanna the She-Devil his only ally, Logan must unravel the mystery that slumbers at the heart of the Savage Land before it finds a way to kill him first!

x-men logoThe Uncanny X-Men comics series is back, written Brian Michael Bendis, with art by Chris Bachalo. In the wake of the Phoenix event, exactly what are Cyclops and his team of outlaw X-Men: visionary revolutionaries or dangerous terrorists? Whatever the truth, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magneto, and Magik are gathering new mutants.

There is now a second X-Force Team, one led by Psylocke with Storm, Spiral, Fantomex, Bishop, and Puck.

(optional) Event Comics Alert! Age of Ultron: For years, the Marvel Universe has lived in fear that the artificial intelligence known as Ultron would one day evolve to fulfill its greatest desire: to wipe out all organic life and take over the Earth. That day has arrived! You can skip it, but if you want to read it, follow our reading order.

Alert Comics X-Event! Battle of the Atom: In a desperate bid to save Xavier’s dream, the Beast brought the original X-Men forward to the present. Now, with the timeline – and all of existence – in jeopardy from their presence, they must go back. But faced with the horror of what fate would have in store for them, young Cyclops and Marvel Girl are intent on staying and forging their own destiny.

Alert Comics Event! Infinity/Inhumanity: First the Avengers event in which Thanos, the Mad Titan, unleashes his forces on Earth in the latest chapter of his endless quest for death (reading order here), then the Inhuman Event in which, after the Terrigen Bomb has revealed the Inhumans in mankind’s midst, individuals across the globe manifest uncanny new abilities, the Avengers, X-Men, Hulk, Spider-Man and more face a world forever altered (reading order here).

New Comics Series! All-New X-Factor is a new iteration of the X-Factor superhero team written by Peter David, a return to the corporate-sponsored version of the team that was the initial concept when the first version of X-Factor debuted in 1986.

The Uncanny X-Force comics and the Cable and X-Force comics became one! The new X-Force series came from Simon Spurrier, Rock-He Kim and Jorge Molina starring Cable, Psylocke, Fantomex, Dr. Nemesis, and Marrow.

New Comics Series! Amazing X-Men by Jason Aaron is a continuation of a storyline in Wolverine and the X-Men and sees a team of X-Men searching for deceased member Nightcrawler in the afterlife.

Alert Comics Event! The story of “Original Sin” began when Uatu, the mysterious space god who’s been watching mankind from the moon for as long as we can remember … is found dead. But who shot the Watcher? Check out our guide to reading the Original Sin comics in order for more info. Or just go for the X-issues that are in the next X-books:

Death of Wolverine! The man called Logan is no stranger to death. Now, at the end of a long and violent life, he faces his own date with the reaper – but you can be sure Wolverine will go out fighting! The impact of his demise will be felt far and wide – as X-23, Daken, Sabretooth, Mystique, and Lady Deathstrike continue to shape Logan’s legacy. But who are the latest subjects of the revamped Weapon X program? For more information, I invite you to check out our reading guide to the Death of Wolverine comics.

  • Death Of Wolverine Omnibus
    Collects Wolverine (2013) #1-13, Wolverine (2014) #1-12, Wolverine Annual (2014) #1, Death Of Wolverine #1-4, Death Of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program #1-5, Death Of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy #1-7, Death Of Wolverine: Deadpool & Captain America, Death Of Wolverine: Life After Logan, Nightcrawler (2014) #7, Wolverine & The X-Men (2014) #10-11, Storm (2014) #4-5 And Material From Marvel 75th Anniversary Celebration.

Alert Comics Event! AXIS: The Red Onslaught is broadcasting waves of telepathic hate across the globe – and Marvel’s greatest heroes have turned on their moral axis! What will the Avengers and X-Men find in the Red Skull’s bleak “re-education camps”? What is Tony Stark’s dark secret? And with the heroes “inverted” to evil, who will stand against them? How about an army of villains?! For more, follow the AXIS Reading order.

Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex
Collects Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Alpha #1, Guardians of the Galaxy (2013) #24-25, Legendary Star-Lord #9-11, All-New X-Men #38-39, Guardians Team-Up #3, Nova (2013) #28, Cyclops (2014) #12, Captain Marvel (2014) #14, Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Omega #1.

Event Comics Alert! This is the end of Marvel Now! The conclusion is a Big Bang, with the 2015 Secret Wars: The interdimensional Incursions have eliminated each and every alternate universe one by one. And now the Marvel Universe and Ultimate Universe have collided…and been destroyed! Follow the full Secret Wars reading order here.

  • Secret Wars
    Collects Secret Wars #0,#1-9, Free Comic Book Day 2015.

All-New, All-Different Marvel X-Men Reading Order (2015-2017)

At the beginning of the All-New, All-Different Marvel era, the X-Men faced the Terrigen Mist. Released into Earth’s atmosphere by the Inhumans, it was toxic to mutants, causing a deadly disease known as M-Pox. Mutants were not only dying but also becoming infertile, pushing them closer to extinction once again. With Earth no longer safe for mutantkind, Storm led the X-Men to relocate to Limbo, establishing X-Haven, a sanctuary for mutants within the demonic dimension. Meanwhile, Magneto took a more aggressive approach, assembling his own team to ensure mutants had a future—by any means necessary.

Three X-Men comics dominate this era: Volume 2 of All-New X-Men by Dennis Hopeless and Mark Bagley, Volume 4 of Uncanny X-Men by Cullen Bunn, Greg Land, and Ken Lashley, and Extraordinary X-Men by Jeff Lemire and Humberto Ramos. Also, X-23 became Wolverine and got a solo series, as Old Man Logan did.

All-New Wolverine is the first comic book series to star Laura Kinney (formerly X-23) as the Wolverine. It’s the introduction of Gabby, Laura’s clone sister, who becomes her companion during their adventures. The series has been collected in the All-New Wolverine by Tom Taylor Omnibus.

Coming from Chris Sims and  Chad Bowers the X-Men ‘92 comics is a continuation of the X-Men: The Animated Series universe starring characters of the popular 1990s Fox Kids Saturday morning cartoon including Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Beast, and Jubilee

Apocalypse Wars: The X-Men face the assault by Apocalypse and fight to survive on three different fronts: the past, present, and future! A full Reading order is coming soon.

The Event is also collected in one volume: X-Men: Apocalypse Wars (collecting All-New X-Men #9-11, Extraordinary X-Men #8-12, Uncanny X-Men #6-10)

Event Comics Alert! It’s time for Civil War II. The X-Men played a really minor part in the event, but if you want to know more about it, follow our guide to reading the Civil War II comics in order. The X-comics connected to the war are the following:

Event Comics Alert! Inhumans Vs. X-Men! It’s the end of the era and the story begins with the Inhumans’ power-granting Terrigen mists threatening the lives of every mutant on the planet, the X-Men have no choice but to declare war to save their future. Check out the full IvX reading order for more info. 

ResurrXion Era Reading Order (2017-2020)

In 2017, following Inhumans Vs. X-Men, Marvel Comics relaunched various comic book series related to the Inhumans and the X-Men franchises under the “ResurrXion” banner. The Terrigen Mist was destroyed, allowing mutants to live freely on Earth once more. With the existential threat to their species lifted, the X-Men sought to rebuild their legacy. With Cyclops and Wolverine both gone, Kitty Pryde stepped up as the new leader, relocating the Xavier Institute to Central Park, New York, to re-establish the X-Men as public superheroes. As for Magneto, he decided to mentor the time-displaced original X-Men as they continued searching for their own place in the world.

New titles were launched: X-Men Blue, X-Men Gold, Weapon X, but also new volumes of Astonishing X-Men and Generation X, and new solo series for Cable, Jean Grey, and Iceman. Later, X-Men Red was added, then the Rogue & Gambit miniseries.

The Astonishing X-Men comics series is back (it’s volume 4). The series starts when a band of X-Men members find themselves reunited in London to face the threat of the Shadow King. The team includes Psylocke, Bishop, Angel, Gambit, Fantomex, Old Man Logan, Rogue, and Mystique (initially disguised as Beast)

The Weapon X program is back with more evil plans than ever. Old Man Logan and Sabretooth have to team up to stomp it out before it gets any stronger and catch on the Totally Awesome Hulk. 

Alert (optional) Comics Event! Secret Empire: Captain America, Sentinel of Liberty, is living a lie! The Cosmic Cube has remade the world’s greatest hero into a secret true believer in the cause of Hydra, wholly dedicated to its mission of progress through authority and unity through adversity! You can skip it, but if you are interested, here is our full Secret Empire reading order.

The Marvel Legacy Era

The Marvel Legacy publishing initiative was a kind of soft relaunch introduced by Marvel Comics following the conclusion of the Secret Empire and Generations storylines, but the X-Men comics were (surprisingly) not affected by it.

New Comics Series! X-Men Red written by Tom Taylor, with art by Mahmud Asrar and later Carmen Carnero, followed a new team of X-Men led by Jean Grey following her return during the Phoenix Resurrection storyline.

News Comics Series! After the events of X-Men Gold #30 and the five-issue miniseries Rogue & Gambit, Mr. and Mrs. X revolve around the married life of Rogue and Gambit.

Continuity alert! The storyline Hunt For Wolverine is the follow-up to the Death of Wolverine, and is continued with Return of Wolverine. This is about how Wolverine returned from the dead following his death. You can check out our Hunt for Wolverine Reading Order for more information.

  • Hunt For Wolverine
    Collects Hunt For Wolverine #1, Hunt For Wolverine: Weapon Lost #1-4, Hunt For Wolverine: Adamantium Agenda #1-4, Hunt For Wolverine: Claws Of A Killer #1-4, Hunt For Wolverine: Mystery In Madripoor #1-4, Hunt for Wolverine: Dead Ends #1, Where’s Wolverine pages and material from Marvel Legacy #1.

Exiles LogoWritten by Saladin Ahmed with art by Javier Rodríguez, the 2018 Exiles comics series was a relaunch of the classic Exiles concept. This time, Blink (Clarice Ferguson), a veteran member of previous Exiles teams, is tasked with reassembling the group to correct timeline anomalies that were causing multiversal destruction. 

Alter Comics Event! In Extermination, the original team of teen mutants brought together by Professor Charles Xavier many years ago has been shunted through time to find a world they barely recognized but we’re determined to help. Now, finding themselves targeted for death, the future of mutantkind ays squarely in the hands of its past.

  • Extermination
    Collects Extermination #1-5 and the Extermination stinger pages.
  • X-Men: Summers and Winter
    Collects X-Men: The Exterminated 1, Uncanny X-Men Annual 1, Merry X-Men Holiday Special 1

The ongoing titles X-Men Gold, X-Men Blue, and X-Men Red were ended, and Uncanny X-Men was relaunched, leading to the end of that era.

Alert Comics Event! There’s a War of Realms: Malekith, king of the Dark Elves, has been conquering the Ten Realms and now has his sights set on the last one: Earth. The X-Men are caught in the middle of it. The full reading order of the event is here (great stuff), but if you only want what’s about the X-Men, here is what’s essential:

  • War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men
    Collects War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men #1–3; Uncanny X-Men (vol. 5) #17; War of the Realms: War Scrolls #2 (B- and C-stories only)

Alternate Reality 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. When danger threatens the world, the Marvelous X-Men set things right for the good of all. And no one dares say otherwise. Take a look at the Age of X-Man Reading Order to know more about it.

After that, all X-Men titles were canceled. A new era will begin in:

Coming Next: The X-Men by Jonathan Hickman

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