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The Age of Apocalypse universe came to a close long ago… or did it? This year, a team of X-Men will make the leap to the mainline Marvel U.
Fight for the future
It’s almost hard to believe Age of Apocalypse hit stores thirty years ago. If you were a fan of Marvel’s rampantly popular 90s X-books, then it was almost required reading, as the variant-future hook things up in a major way. Apocalypse was despot, ruling the world with an iron fist after the untimely death of Charles Xavier, and all that stood in his way were Magneto and his X-Men.
The limited time event took the place of the regular X-books on stands, and was absolutely massive in scope. Fans found heroes swapping places with villains, with heroic Sabertooth and the reluctant villain Cyclops, as well as wholly new characters, some of whom would have lasting impacts on the actual reality of the Marvel U.
While those heroes and villains have mainly faded by now though, the Age of Apocalypse universe hasn’t. Long-thought lost to the ebb and flow of Marvel’s various timelines and multiverse, it’s coming back in what sounds like a big way this fall. Marvel took the wraps off of X-Men of Apocalypse the other day, a limited event series that’ll be helmed by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Simone Di Meo.
The title will bring the AoA’s version of the X-Men into the main Marvel U in three distinct parts, as they seek a way to save their future. First up, there’s X-Men of Apocalypse Alpha #1, which will be followed by a four part X-Men of Apocalypse mini-series, before coming to a close in X-Men of Apocalypse Omega #1.
THE X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE CRASH INTO THE MAIN MARVEL UNIVERSE!
A dystopian future created when Charles Xavier was killed, AGE OF APOCALYPSE is home to a wartorn group of X-Men led by Magneto. In order to free their Earth from Apocalypse’s cruel reign, they were willing to sacrifice their very existence—or so they thought! The main timeline was restored, Apocalypse was defeated, but their world lived on!
Taking place in the direct aftermath of the original crossover’s explosive finale, X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE reignites the mission of this iconic reality’s X-Men as they journey here to ensure their universe’s survival. This desperate mission will take them into the main Marvel Universe, where they will come into conflict with their classic counterparts, forever impacting both team’s destinies!
“Thirty years ago, THE X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE took the comics world by storm and I was lucky enough to be part of it,” Loeb shared. “There were new characters! New designs! Heroes who were villains and villains who were heroes! Now, for the 30th anniversary, an all-new, all-different story with spectacular art by Simone Di Meo brings us to this uncanny team that shouldn’t even exist — and they are coming here! Join Gambit, Sabretooth & Wild Child, Blink, Forge and Morph and more as they try to save one universe without dooming another!”
“Working with a legend like Jeph is really exciting,” Di Meo said. “I’ve known his work for years along with the great impact it’s had on this industry and I’m really honored. Beyond that, I’ve really found a friend and someone who’s passionate about his work so it’s really nice to work with him, Marvel and Tom [Brevoort] together day by day trying to build the best book of my career.
“Being able to touch a legendary story like Age of Apocalypse is unexpected for me, that event has an important place in Marvel history, and being able to enter it and give my own take is absolutely incredible. I’m giving my all to make all the readers happy, from the longtime fans who loved the event in the ‘90s and the new ones who I hope can become just as passionate about it. I’m excited and nervous at the same time!”
Check out the main cover for X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE ALPHA #1 by Simone Di Meo along with a first look at interior artwork and stay tuned for more news about the series in the weeks ahead, including exciting variant cover reveals. For more information, visit Marvel.com.
Marvel Comics press release
Watch for X-Men of Apocalypse Alpha #1 to hit the racks on September 3rd. After that, it’s on to the mini-series main event, with X-Men of Apocalypse #1 in November.
