Hey Daron old buddy how was your holiday?
Mine was good, a pretty no frills dinner since my parents were just moving into a new house…but it was good. You?
Mine went pretty well actually. Although, I have to admit the turkey put me out.
Yeah it happens to all of us. Let’s start this up.
Um…did you just write my line?
Justin emails
How would you rank & describe these X-Men storylines? I’m not sure which TPB I should pick up first.
Fall of the Mutants
Inferno
Mutant Massacre
X-tinction Agenda
X-cutioner’s Song
Mutant Genesis
From the Ashes
Phoenix Rising
Days of Future Present
Days of Future Past
Dark Phoenix Saga
I know the last two are pretty much definitive X-Men stories, but I’ve never read them, only about them. Plus I wanted to know where the other stories stand compared to them.
Thanks,
Alright this is my ranking:
1. Days of Future Past
2. Dark Phoenix Saga
3. Phoenix Saga itself. (You forgot it so I had to added it.)
4. Mutant Massacre
5. Phoenix Rising (Birth of X-Factor)
6. From the Ashes
7. Fall of the Mutants
8. Inferno
9. Mutant Genesis
10. X-tinction Agenda
11. X-cutioner’s Song
12. Days of Future Present (A good story but not half as good as Future Past.)
Pru emails
I loved the age of apocalypse when I read it, years ago. I borrowed all the comics from a friend and instead of studying for my exams, read them all over 2 weeks.
I would love to find and read them again, but I don’t know if you can buy them in any collections….all I can do is read Exiles and enjoy Blinks adventures. Sigh.
Reading your breakdown of all the characters brings it all back. Thanks!
I’m glad you’re enjoying my series already, which is exactly why I do fun things like this series and the X-Men the End. I can tell you there are trades for most of the AOA series:
Ultimate Mutants: Amazing X-Men
Ultimate Mutants: Astonishing X-Men
Ultimate Factor-X
Ultimate X-Man
Ultimate Weapon X
Ultimate Gambit & the X-Ternals
Ultimate X-Calibre
Ultimate Generation Next
X-Men: Dawn of the Age of Apocalypse
X-Men: Twilight of the Age of Apocaylpse
So check your local comic shop.
As a side note, Pru. Instead of trying to track down all these different collections if you wait a couple months you’ll probably be able to get some nicer, newer, an more collected trades when Marvel releases their 10th anniversary collected editions of Age of Apocalypse in the very near future. – The Overlord
Manny has a little correction
Hello Jim! Great work on the AOA retrospective! I’ll have to get anal on you though for a sec (I know how you love when I do that ;) and correct you, as per the Know-It-All entry. Know-It-All isn’t Monet St Croix. She is Claudia St Croix, one of the twins, going by Claudette in 616. She and Nicole also appeared in the Steve Epting pencilled post-AOA special, where they were referred to as ”the Monets”. You’ll need to bear in mind that there wasn’t supposed to be a real Monet St Croix back then, as Scott Lobdell’s intention was to reveal that the twins had made up the name Monet, and Penance was just a dead and dumb girl from the Balkans. All the ”Monet is really real” retcon is Larry Hama’s fault. Know-It-All’s real name, referenced in the first issue of Generation Next was one of the earliest clues as to Monet’s secret identity…
I thought you might catch that one after I posted it. I actually read that myself after the fact. I have the other Monet listed later in the series.
Mathan asked on the boards:
I miss “What The?” Did you have a favorite issue of that series?
What The? was a funny book incase any of you fans out there don’t remember it. I loved the series myself, it was hysterical, but I do have a favorite issue.
Issue #7 is probably my favorite, which was basically Avengers vs. JLA spoof. There are plenty of fun issues though. If anyone hasn’t tried the series, you should track some back issues down and give it a try.
Age of Apocalypse
In this continuing feature we’ll be looking at the Age of Apocalypse and the difference between the characters of that world and their Marvel Counterparts. We start with part two today.
Brute
Real Name: Unrevealed
Group Affiliation: Outcasts
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: brown
Hair: bald
Brute was a part of Sinister’s breeding pens until Forge helped him escape. He joined Forge’s group.
Died: Sinister killed him
Mastermind
Real Name: Jason Wyngarde
Group Affiliation: Outcasts
Height: 5′ 10″
Weight: 140 lbs.
Eyes: Black
Heir: Gray-black
He was a prisoner of Sugar Man’s, until Forge and Magneto freed him with an older Nate Grey. He joined Forge in thanks.
Died: Domino killed him
Soaron
Real Name: Karl Lykos
Group Affiliation: Outcasts
Height: 7′
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eyes: Red
Hair: None
Soaron was part of Forge’s band of Outcasts.
Sonique
Real Name: Theresa Rourke Cassidy
Group Affiliation: Outcasts
Height: 5′ 6″
Weight: 112 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Reddish blonde
Theresa was on a train in the Kansas prairies when Forge and his crew freed her. In thanks she joined Forge’s group and became close with Nate
Toad
Real Name: Mortimer Toynbee
Group Affiliation: Outcasts
Height: 5′ 8″
Weight: 260 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Toad was part of Forge’s group of Outcasts.
Died: Killed by Grizzly
Real Name: Nate Grey
Group Affiliation: Outcasts
Height: 5′ 9″
Weight: 135 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Nate was a genetically engineered offspring of Cyclops and Jean Grey. Sinister created him and wanted to use him to kill Apocalypse. He escaped thanks to Forge and joined his group. He killed Sinister and later joined Magneto in defeating Apocalypse. He then came to the Marvel Universe
Bruce Banner
Real Name: Robert “Bruce” Banner
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Other Aliases: Thing
Height: 5′ 9″ as Banner, 6′ 6″ as Thing
Weight: 128 lbs. as Banner, 900 lbs. as Thing
Eyes: Brown as Banner, gray as Thing
Hair: Brown as Banner, black as Thing
Banner was a researcher in this world who used mutants to turn himself into the gray monster, the Thing. As the Thing, he willingly worked for Mikhail until the High Council needed him to stop the attack on the sea wall.
Clint Barton
Real Name: Clint Barton
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: 6′ 3″
Weight: 230 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
Clint was one the refugees who escaped and became part of the strike force against Mikhail.
Donald Blake
Real Name: Donald Blake
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Donald Blake never found the hammer of Thor in this world. He was a doctor in Wakanda until the High council needed him on the mission to stop Mikhail.
Died: In battle with Mikhail.
Brian Braddock
Real Name: Brian Braddock
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: 5′ 11″
Weight: 180 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
In this world, Brian never took on the powers of Captain Britain and is the owner of Braddock Industries, the manufacturer of the Sentinels, and a member of the Human High Council.
Died: Pierce killed him
Bullseye
Real Name: Unrevealed
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 6′
Weight: 185 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
Bullseye in this world was a test subject of Mikhail’s until freed.
Frank Castle
Real Name: Frank Castle (born Castiglione)
Known Relatives: Wife (, deceased), Children (Unnamed, deceased)
Group Affiliation: Monk
Height: 6′
Weight: 200 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Frank left New York during Apocalypse’s attack but his family didn’t. He joined a group of Monks that helped human refugees.
Valerie Cooper
Real Name: Valerie Cooper
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 5′ 9″
Weight: 135 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: Blond
Val helped Cyclops free mutants from Sinister’s breeding pens.
Carol Danvers
Real Name: Carol Danvers
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: 5′ 11″
Weight: 120 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Carol was a spy working for the High Council. She helped Logan on his mission against Pierce.
Died: Pierce killed her.
Emma Frost
Real Name: Emma Frost
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height 5′ 10″
Weight 142 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Emma had a lobotomy to remove her mutant powers in this world. She worked with the High Council ever since.
Gateway
Real Name: Unrevealed
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 4′ 6″
Weight: 80 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Grey-black
Weapon X asked this mutant to help him and the High council.
Ben Grimm
Real Name: Benjamin J. Grimm
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
He and Sue escaped the attack on New York. Unfortunately, Reed and Johnny died while fleeing the city.
Henry Peter Gyrich
Real Name: Henry Peter Gyrich
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 6′ 8″
Weight: 225 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: Red
Gyrich is a genetic fundamentalist, believing all mutants are abominations that must be destroyed.
Robert Kelly
Real Name: Robert Kelly
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: 5′ 10″
Weight: 140 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Kelly was one of the humans who spoke out against Apocalypse and his horde until his wife was taken captive by Apocalypse.
Misty Knight
Real Name: Misty Knight
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 5′ 9″
Weight: 136 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Misty along with others tried to flee to Canada but where stopped by the Brood.
Died: In battle with Brood.
Scarlett McKenzie
Real Name: Scarlett McKenzie
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: Green
Hair: Red
Scarlett was a spy working for the Council at Heaven.
Murdock
Real Name:
Group Affiliation: Former Servant of Mikhail Rasputin
Height: 6′
Weight: 200 lbs
Eyes: blue
Hair: red but shaved bald
Toxic Disposal Corps member in this universe turned into Mikhail’s servant. He betrayed Mikhail and joined the rebels.
Namor
Real Name: Namor McKenzie
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 6′ 2″
Weight: 320 lbs.
Eyes: Blue-gray
Hair: Black
Namor was in Atlantis during Apocalypse invasion. Apocalypse latter invaded Atlantis itself.
Died: Killed by Apocalypse
Peter Parker
Real Name: Peter Parker
Known Relatives: May Parker (Aunt, Deceased), Ben Parker (Uncle, Deceased)
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 5′ 10″
Weight: 165 lbs.
Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Brown
Peter was Gwen’s friend before New York was attacked and he was killed.
Died: During attack on New York.
Reed Richards
Real Name: Reed Richards
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 6′ 1″
Weight: 180 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Reed led an escape attempt from New York during Apocalypse strike.
Died: Reed was killed during the escape.
Joe “Robbie” Robertson
Real Name: Joe “Robbie” Robertson
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 6′ 1″
Weight: 210 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: White mottled with black and gray
Robertson refused to flee Manhattan when Apocalypse came. He ran his own underground paper for a time until Chris Summers took him with him during the flight to Canada.
Died: Killed by the Brood.
Thunderbolt Ross
Real Name: Thaddeus E. Ross
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: Blue
Hair: white
Thunderbolt Ross was a five-star General in the United States Army until Apocalypse attacked. He joined the High Council to take out Apocalypse.
Sentinels
Designed by the Trasks, and manufactured by Braddock Enterprises, the Sentinels are the Human High Council’s primary line of defense. In this universe, the X-Men cannot be harmed by them unlike Apocalypse’s forces.
Gwen Stacy
Real Name: Gwendolyne Stacy
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: 5′ 7″
Weight: 130 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Gwen was in Paris during Apocalypse’s strike. Donald Blake found her in Wakanda dying and took her into the group. She became a good operative and led the attack on Mikhail
Tony Stark
Real Name: Anthony Stark
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: 6′ 1″
Weight: 185 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
Tony Stark was a technological genius. He worked with the High Council to sabotage Apocalypse. He went with the group to fight Mikhail.
Johnny Storm
Real Name: Jonathan ‘Johnny’ Spencer Storm
Known Relatives: Susan Storm (sister)
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 5′ 10″
Weight: 170 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Johnny was part of Reed’s group of escapees but died while running.
Died: Saving Refugees
Suzie Storm
Real Name: Susan “Suzie” Storm
Known Relatives: John Storm (brother, deceased)
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: 5′ 6″
Weight: 120 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
Sue was part of Reed’s group, but unlike many she made it out alive. Her and Ben later helped in the fight against Mikhail.
Chris Summers
Real Name: Christopher “Chris” Summers
Known Relatives: Philip Summers (father, status unknown), Deborah Summers (mother, status unknown), Katherine Anne Summers (wife, deceased), Scott Summers (Cyclops, son, deceased), Alexander Summers (Havok, son, deceased)
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 6′ 3″
Weight: 175 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
The Summers family, like in the 616 world, where attacked by a Shi’ar craft. Chris and his wife where taken, leaving Cyclops and Havok behind. Chris and Kate where subject of experiments. His wife died and he returned to Earth infected by the Brood. He went about trying to help some human refugees by making them part Brood.
Died: Cyclops killed him.
Katherine Summers
Real Name: Katherine Anne Summers
Known Relatives: Chris Summers (husband, deceased), Scott Summers (Cyclops, son, deceased), Alex Summers (Havok, son, deceased)
Group Affiliation: none
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: brown
Hair: brown
See above…
T’Challa
Real Name: T’Challa
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 6′
Weight: 185 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
T’Challa is the last King of Wakanda. He was leader when Apocalypse came to Wakanda and took it for his own.
Died: Killed by Apocalypse.
Donyell Taylor
Real Name: Donyell Taylor
Group Affiliation: none
Other Aliases: Bandit
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: brown
Hair: brown
Donyell was with his brother on the Blue Area of the Moon.
Dwayne Taylor
Real Name: Dwayne Taylor
Group Affiliation: none
Other Aliases: Pure Power
Height: 6′ 3″
Weight: 200 lbs
Eyes: brown
Hair: black
Dwayne was one of the survivors of the AOA who went to the Blue Area of the Moon.
Bolivar Trask
Real Name: Bolivar Trask
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: brown
Hair: brown
In this world Bolivar married Moira Mactaggert and created the Sentinels to help stop Apocalypse.
Died: Killed by Apocalypse’s Defense Grid
Moira Trask
Real Name: Moira Kinross Trask
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: 5′ 7″
Weight: 135 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Moira and her husband Bolivar Trask were the designers of the Sentinels. She also helped head the High Council.
Victor Von Doom
Real Name: Victor Von Doom
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: 6′ 2″
Weight: 225 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Victor was raised by Gypsies until they where killed by mutants. He joined the High Council and led the attack on Mikhail.
Colleen Wing
Real Name: Colleen Wing
Group Affiliation: none
Height: 5′ 9″
Weight: 135 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Colleen was part of the refugees that where trying to go to Canada, led by Chris Summers
Died: After being infect by the Brood.
Mariko Yashida
Real Name: Mariko Yashida
Group Affiliation: Human High Council
Height: 5′ 7″
Weight: 128 lbs
Eyes: green
Hair: black
Mariko Yashida was one of the few Japanese survivors when Apocalypse attacked her country. She’s part of the High Council who’s goal it is to stop Apocalypse.
Starjammers
Ch’od
Real Name: Ch’od
Group Affiliation: Starjammers
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: red
Hair: none
Ch’od, like in Marvel was a member of Starjammers
Deathbird
Real Name: Cal’syee Neramani
Group Affiliation: Starjammers
Height: 5′ 8″
Weight: 180 lbs
Eyes: White
Hair: None
Deathbird leads the Starjammers in the AOA
Hepzibah
Real Name: Hepzibah
Group Affiliation: Starjammers
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: blue
Hair: white
Hepzibah like in the regular Marvel U is a Starjammer.
Raza
Real Name: Raza Longknife
Group Affiliation: Starjammers
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Eyes: greeb
Hair: red
Like in 616, Raza is a Starjammer.
Alright I do this every year for those people looking for gifts for that Marvel fan in your life. So here are a few gift ideas just for you.
1. Marvel Movies: Spider-Man II just came out Tuesday and for those that don’t own it, it’s a must have for their collection. Of course if they don’t have Punisher or another Marvel movie those will work as well.
2. Trade Paperbacks. Any collection they don’t have are cool and cheaper in Trade Form.
3. Marvel Statues: These are always cool. Get their favorite heroes in statue form.
4. Shirts: Hey I love these myself. I’ve got like 7 or 8 in my closet and my shop is having a sale on them here this month, so I may get more. Again getting their favorite characters is the best option.
5. Comics: Back issues and the like are also fun to get. You can buy lots if need be and let them sort it out.
Just a few ideas. Ask them what they like and what they read. If you need help with any trades and the like, email me. I can give you a list of great trades and issues to track down.
That’s it for this week. We’ve got part 3 of AOA next week with the start of Apocalypse’s forces.
Daron, old buddy want to sign off?
No problem, Jim. I really only have one thing I want to mention this week, and that’s Ben’s final Watchtower. No one’s more sad to see Ben go than me, (promotion aside ;) but before he left, Ben left us with his finest work. If you haven’t read the column yet, please do so if for no other reason than as a favor to me. I know you’ll enjoy it.
Now my turn. Notes first:
1. Again, I would like to say farewell to our beloved co-Editor-In-Chief Ben Morse. He’s a great friend and without him I would not be here writing this today. You really did a great job with Comics Nexus and 411 Comics before this. Don’t forget us and if you need anything ask.
2. We’re moving to Wednesdays here with the Handbook as of next week, so you’ll get a chance to read this column a day earlier.
3. As stated above Spider-Man II is in stores so run out a get your copy today. Best movie so far of the Marvel group.
4. We have a thread up on the message boards where you can ask your questions for the Marvel Handbook if you’d rather do that instead of sending an email.
That’s it for the notes. Now the classic send off.
Reporting from the Marvel Universe I’m Jim Trabold. Have a good week and keep reading.
