The 1995 crossover storyline Age of Apocalypse was one of the most ambitious crossover events in X-Men history. Much like The Clone Saga in the Spider-Man titles, this story became an era-defining milestone within the broader Marvel Universe.
Unlike traditional crossover events, which build upon existing continuity, the Age of Apocalypse storyline temporarily replaced the main X-Men titles with entirely new series set in an alternate universe. These included X-Calibre, Gambit and the X-Ternals, Generation Next, Astonishing X-Men, Amazing X-Men, Weapon X, Factor X, X-Man and X-Universe. Each of these limited series explored different aspects of a dystopian timeline dominated by the ancient mutant Apocalypse, offering radically altered reimaginings of familiar characters and dynamics.
The story kicks off when Legion (David Haller), the mentally unstable son of Professor Charles Xavier, travels back in time intending to assassinate Magneto in the hope of preventing the ideological conflict that would later erupt between Magneto and Xavier. However, Legion’s mission ends in tragedy when he inadvertently kills Xavier instead. This assassination fractures the timeline, giving rise to an alternate reality in which Apocalypse begins his conquest of Earth a decade earlier than in the original continuity.
In this alternate timeline, Apocalypse has successfully established a brutal regime in which only the strongest survive. Mutant supremacy is enforced, and much of the human population is either subjugated or annihilated. Yet, despite his dominance, pockets of resistance remain. Various mutant factions form underground movements to oppose Apocalypse’s reign. Among them is Bishop, who retains memories of the original timeline and becomes the key to restoring it.
The Age of Apocalypse had a lasting cultural and commercial impact and remains a landmark event in 1990s comics. It continues to inspire X-Men writers, who have expanded its story beyond the original 1995 crossover event. These new comics include prequels, sequels, one-shots, and ongoing series. But, for this article, we begin by focusing on the original event that laid the foundation for the Age of Apocalypse universe. In a later section, we will examine everything that followed.
The Original X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Event Reading Order
Like most of those massive events, Marvel collected them in multiple formats through the years. We will take a look at those, beginning with the omnibus collections and concluding with a detailed issue-by-issue reading order.
It’s a story set in another continuity. As a result, you don’t need to read anything before, but if you want to know where the story takes place in the overall X-Men continuity, check out our guide to 1990s X-Men.
X-Men: Age of Apocalypse: The Omnibus Collection
Omnibus editions are oversized hardcover volumes that compile large portions of interconnected storylines across multiple comic book series. As such, Marvel’s Age of Apocalypse omnibuses collect the full event, presenting it in order with all relevant issues across various X-Men titles. This is a massive event and, while not always the most practical format, the omnibus collection may be the best one to discover the full event today.
- 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: The Trade Paperback Collections
When it comes to collecting X-Men: Age of Apocalypse in trade paperbacks, there are multiple collections, and things can get confusing. Like with the X-Men: The Complete Age of Apocalypse Epic, which was published in 2006, or the multiple individual trades that came out in the 1990s.
However, Marvel Comics has put a collection out a decade ago and recently reprinted it completely. A three-book set updated and in order.
- X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Vol. 1: Alpha
Collects Uncanny X-Men (1981) #320-321, X-Men (1991) #40-41, Cable (1993) #20, X-Men Alpha, Generation Next #1, Astonishing X-Men (1995) #1, Gambit And The X-Ternals #1, Weapon X (1995) #1, Factor X #1, X-Man #1, X-Calibre #1, Amazing X-Men (1995) #1, X-Men: Age Of Apocalypse Ashcan Edition. - X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Vol. 2: Reign
Collects Astonishing X-Men (1995) #2-3, Amazing X-Men (1995) #2-3, Gambit And The X-Ternals #2, Generation Next #2, Weapon X (1995) #2, X-Calibre #2-3, Factor X #2-3, X-Man (1995) #2-3, X-Universe #1, and material from X-Men: Year Of The Mutants Collectors Preview. - X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Vol. 3: Omega
Collects Weapon X (1995) #3-4, Generation Next (1995) #3-4, Gambit and the X-Ternals (1995) #3-4, Astonishing X-Men (1995) #4, X-Man #4, X-Calibre (1995) #4, Factor X (1995) #4, Amazing X-Men (1995) #4, X-Universe (1995) #2, X-Men Omega (1995), Age of Apocalypse: The Chosen (1995).
X-Men Age of Apocalypse Issue-by-Issue Reading Order
Given the number of comics involved, Age of Apocalypse can be intimidating to approach. What follows is a detailed issue-by-issue reading order, beginning with the Legion Quest prologue and continuing through the full arc of the 1995 crossover.
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
After the X-Men: Age of Apocalypse ended
After the conclusion of the original Age of Apocalypse event in 1995, the main X-Men universe resumed normal continuity. While the AoA timeline was ostensibly erased, elements of the event echoed across the X-Men franchise for years (see the next section of the article). Peace was certainly not on the menu for the X-Men, who were launched on the road to Onslaught, their next massive event.
X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Extended Universe
Although the original 1995 crossover was intended to be a self-contained storyline, the Age of Apocalypse universe proved to be very popular among readers. As a result, over the years, Marvel Comics has revisited this alternate timeline in various forms, including sequels, prequels, one-shots, spin-offs, and multiverse crossovers.
The following section focuses on stories that expand and build on the mythology of the AoA world. They explore the long-term consequences of Apocalypse’s rule, the resistance movements that emerged, and the fates of familiar characters in unfamiliar roles.
First, as far as collecting those stories, you can start with the “Companion” omnibus, which collects the AoA-related comics published before the 2010s.
- 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.
The other good option for all those stories is the following 2-book set, which separates prequels and sequels of The Age Of Apocalypse event.
- 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: Twilight
Collects X-Man #53-54; X-Men: Age of Apocalypse (2005) #1-6; Exiles (2001) #60-61; What If? (1989) #77 & 81; What If? X-Men Age of Apocalypse; material from X-Men: Age Of Apocalypse One-Shot, Hulk: Broken Worlds #2, X-Men Prime, X-Men: Endangered Species, Exiles: Days of Then & Now.
More stories have been coming out of Marvel Comics, starting in 2011 when the Age of Apocalypse was featured in a storyline in the ongoing series Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender, the Dark Angel Saga.
- Uncanny X-Force Vol. 3: Dark Angel Saga Book 1
Collects Uncanny X-Force #14-19. - Uncanny X-Force Vol. 4: Dark Angel Saga Book 2
Collects Uncanny X-Force #8-13.
The following year, spinning directly out of Uncanny X-Force, a new Age of Apocalypse ongoing series was launched, written by David Lapham with art by Roberto De La Torre and others. The series focuses on Weapon Omega (a corrupted version of Wolverine), who has inherited Apocalypse’s mantle and continues his brutal regime. In this world, humans are the minority, and their survival is increasingly precarious. The story centers on a group of human freedom fighters, including some former X-Men villains, who form the resistance movement known as the X-Terminated. Key characters include Jean Grey, Sabretooth, Prophet (William Stryker), Horror Show (Graydon Creed), Goodnight (Donald Pierce), Deadeye (Zora Risman), and Fiend (Francesca Trask).
- Age of Apocalypse Vol. 1: The X-Terminated
Collects Age of Apocalypse #1-6, Uncanny X-Force #19.1. - Age of Apocalypse Vol. 2: Weapon Omega
Collects Age of Apocalypse #7-12.
It all ends during the 2013 “X-Termination” crossover event.
- X-Men: X-Termination
Collects Age of Apocalypse #13-14, X-Treme X-Men Vol. 2 #12-13, X-Termination #1-2, Astonishing X-Men Vol. 3 #60-61.
Among others, the Age of Apocalypse is featured as one of the many domains of Battleworld in the 2015 Secret Wars event, which redefined the Marvel Universe. This is a five-issue limited series penned by Fabian Nicieza, with artwork by Gerardo Sandoval and Iban Coello. Unlike the original 1995 crossover, in this version of the AoA universe (part of Doom’s Battleworld), the story focuses on Doug Ramsey (Cypher), whose unique ability to decipher all languages makes him a target for Apocalypse’s Horsemen.
- Age of Apocalypse: Warzones!
Collects Age of Apocalypse Secret Wars #1-5.
After that series, the Age of Apocalypse universe has been put aside for years. However, in 2019, Marvel Comics tried something different with Age of X-Man, a spiritual successor to AoA, though it is not set in the same universe. Instead, it explores a utopian dystopia created by Nate Grey (X-Man), who reshapes reality according to his ideal vision of peace, order, and mutant harmony.
In 2025, it’s the 30th anniversary of Age of Apocalypse, and Marvel Comics decided to bring back this dystopian future. First in Giant-Size Age Of Apocalypse (2025) #1, in which Kamala Khan fights Legion and both of them end up stuck in the darkest future of all: the Age of Apocalypse! And it’s only hours from its inevitable end. Kamala has to find what’s left of the X-Men to save herself.
Then, in September 2025, a new Age of Apocalypse six-part event series by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Simone Di Meo is offering a new direct sequel as the story is taking place in the direct aftermath of the original crossover’s explosive finale. To save their reality, the last surviving AoA X-Men are on a mission that will take them into the main Marvel Universe, where they will come into conflict with their classic counterparts.
- X-Men of Apocalypse event series
Starts in November!
The story continues…
Go back to our X-Men Comics Guide!
Note: An earlier version of this guide appeared on our site in 2020.