What Is the Age of Apocalypse?

Age of Apocalypse is a Marvel Comics storyline and alternate-universe concept that originated in 1995 as a massive X-Men crossover event, reshaping the entire Marvel mutant line for several months. In this dark timeline, Charles Xavier was killed before he could found the X-Men, allowing the villain Apocalypse to conquer North America. The story starred alternate versions of beloved X-Men like Magneto leading the X-Men, Weapon X (Wolverine), and Dark Beast, with heroes fighting against Apocalypse's brutal regime. The 2012–2013 ongoing series in our catalog — running 14 issues — revisited this dystopian universe, continuing stories set in that ravaged world long after the original event. It's one of Marvel's most celebrated alternate-timeline epics, beloved for its dark tone and bold reimagining of nearly every X-Men character.