Major X-Men Alternate Timelines

Even though they live in a world that hates and fears them, the X-Men’s lives could be so much worse. Across the parallel timelines and alternate realities of the Multiverse, the X-Men and mutants like them have been hunted to extinction by Sentinels and conquered by cruel tyrants like Apocalypse. Even in realities where mutantkind survived the massacres and extinction agendas, they saw trusted friends become bitter rivals as the world ended around them.

As the X-Men enter a dark new timeline in AGE OF REVELATION, let’s take a look back at some of the alternate timelines where the X-Men faced strange new worlds, apocalyptic futures, and false utopias where Professor X’s dreams turned into living nightmares – all available to read now on Marvel Unlimited!

DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

The X-Men got their first glimpse of a doomed future for "Days of Future Past" in UNCANNY X-MEN (1963) #141-142 by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. In this iconic story, which took place on Earth-811, Sentinels hunted mutants and superhumans to the brink of extinction as they took over North America. Mystique and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants inadvertently kicked off this timeline when they killed Professor X, Senator Robert Kelly, and Moira MacTaggert, a longtime X-Men ally.

As those deaths set off a wave of anti-mutant hysteria and laws, Cyclops and Jean Grey got married and produced a powerful telepathic daughter named Rachel Summers. After Sentinels like Nimrod killed most of the X-Men, Rachel sent the mind of her timeline’s Kitty Pryde back in time into her teenage body as a last resort.

With the older Pryde’s warnings, the X-Men stopped the Brotherhood from unleashing this nightmarish reality. After she traveled to the present day and became a member of the X-Men herself, Rachel helped form the mutant team Excalibur and returned to her timeline, where she and her allies finally defeated the Sentinels.

THE AGE OF APOCALYPSE

The AGE OF APOCALYPSE began when Legion, the immensely powerful son of Professor X, traveled back in time and accidentally killed his father before he formed the X-Men. While Magneto established the X-Men to continue his late friend’s dream, the ancient mutant Apocalypse emerged from the shadows and took over this timeline.

In a world devastated by war, Magneto and his X-Men fought Apocalypse and his lieutenants starting in X-MEN: ALPHA (1995) #1 by Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, Roger Cruz, and Steve Epting. Here, mutants like Sabretooth and Blink fought alongside this world’s most prominent X-Men, while icons like Cyclops and Dark Beast became generals in Apocalypse’s armies.

With help from a time-traveling Bishop, Magneto defeated Apocalypse, but Weapon X—this world’s Wolverine—continued Apocalypse’s dark mission. A few of the main Marvel Universe’s heroes have visited this timeline, and several residents of Earth-295—including the powerful telepath X-Man (Nate Grey)—have spent time the main Marvel Universe. 

HOUSE OF M

Struggling to accept the deaths of her children, Scarlet Witch used her reality-warping powers to bring the dreams of the X-Men and Avengers to life in HOUSE OF M (2005) #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel. As a result, Magneto transformed the world into a mutant utopia. While humans became second-class citizens in this timeline, Magneto sat as the head of a mutant royal family based on the island of Genosha.

While some heroes like Luke Cage joined the Human Resistance against Magneto, most lived their ideal lives. For instance, Spider-Man enjoyed a career as a successful celebrity, scientist, and entrepreneur who was happily married to Gwen Stacy.

Thanks to a young mutant named Layla Miller, many of this timeline’s heroes regained memories of their real lives and revolted against Magneto’s rule. When the Scarlet Witch ultimately restored reality, she depowered most of the world’s mutants in a seismic event called "M-Day."

OLD MAN LOGAN

When Marvel’s most dangerous villains teamed up to take down the world’s heroes, Mysterio used his illusions to manipulate Wolverine into killing the X-Men in the OLD MAN LOGAN timeline. As the Red Skull ruled the United States for decades, Old Man Logan lived the quiet life of a farmer until WOLVERINE (2003) #66 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven.

After an elderly Hawkeye (Clint Barton) called Logan back into action, the heroes drove through the ruins of the country and villain-controlled territories to confront the Red Skull in Washington, D.C. An older Star-Lord (Peter Quill) also spent time wandering the country while fighting the Universal Church of Truth and the church’s leader, Galactus.

After living through a similar timeline, another version of Old Man Logan traveled to the main Marvel Universe and joined the present-day X-Men. As his healing factor failed, this Old Man Logan returned home and tried to help Bruce Banner Jr., his adopted son, and the Avengers of the Wastelands rebuild their fallen world.

SINS OF SINISTER

When all of the world’s mutants lived and worked together on the island nation of Krakoa, Mister Sinister corrupted several members of the Quiet Council that governed the island and accidentally unleashed a millennium of horror in SINS OF SINISTER (2023) #1 by Kieron Gillen and Lucas Werneck. Through cloning and injections, Mister Sinister implanted aspects of his personality into the Quiet Council, most of the X-Men, and eventually most of Earth’s population.

As Sinister’s cruel programming overtook their personalities, Professor X, Emma Frost, and the rest of the Quiet Council took over the world and launched a century-long war against the rest of the universe. Using genetically engineered chimera mutants that possessed the powers of multiple mutants, the Sinister-influenced Quiet Council created a twisted cosmic empire that lasted for 1,000 years. After Sinister realized what he had created, a clone of Moira MacTaggert used her reincarnation abilities to erase this timeline by stopping Sinister before he could infect the Quiet Council.

CABLE AND ASKANI’S FUTURE

Although the X-Men always managed to stop Apocalypse in the present, the ancient mutant managed to take over the world in the 36th century on Earth-4935. Following decades of Apocalypse’s cruel reign, an older version of the time-traveling Rachel Summers formed the Clan Askani to defeat the ruthless tyrant. Inspired by the modern X-Men, the Askani believed that the Askani’son would save them.

After Apocalypse infected the infant Nathan Summers with the Techno-Organic Virus, Askani forces brought the powerful young son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor to this timeline in X-FACTOR (1986) #68 by Chris Claremont, Jim Lee, and Whilce Portacio. While Nathan grew into the battle-hardened Cable with Askani and his time-traveling parents, Apocalypse raised Cable’s clone to become his villainous successor, Stryfe. Once he killed Apocalypse, Cable and his Clan Chosen paramilitary team battled Stryfe and his allies in the New Canaanites.

BATTLE OF THE ATOM

When the X-Men split into rival factions, Beast teleported teenage versions of the original X-Men—including his younger self—to the present to warn them about their futures. However, the young X-Men decided to stay in the modern Marvel Universe to try and save the future. Although the teenage X-Men eventually went back home, the dark future of Earth-13729 introduced a world where they stayed in the present in X-MEN: BATTLE OF THE ATOM (2013) #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Frank Cho, and Stuart Immonen.

In this future, several X-Men had children, a vampiric Jubilee carried on Logan’s legacy as the new Wolverine, and Dazzler was assassinated shortly after she became President of the United States. The X-Men continued to operate with a mix of new and veteran heroes, while the villainous children of Professor X formed a New Brotherhood, which saw Deadpool, Beast, and a version of Jean Grey battle the X-Men. When this Brotherhood traveled to the modern Marvel Universe, the X-Men of the past, present, and possible future teamed up to defeat them.

X-MEN FOREVER

After 16 years, Chris Claremont’s iconic run as the X-Men’s primary writer ended in 1991. However, Earth-161 offers a glimpse of what could have happened if Claremont had stayed on the title starting in X-MEN FOREVER (2009) #1 by Claremont and Tom Grummett.

In this timeline, Storm was replaced by Perfect Storm, an evil version of herself who killed Wolverine and secretly served the mutant-hating Consortium. Sabretooth, who was Wolverine’s father in this world, took his son’s place on the X-Men to avenge him. As her relationship with Cyclops fizzled out, Jean Grey engaged in a secret romance with Logan and fell in love with Beast. Rogue and Nightcrawler also permanently traded their mutant powers and distinct appearances.

With Professor X away in deep space, the X-Men worked closely with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. in this timeline. These X-Men also dealt with a disease called "Mutant Burnout," a condition that caused mutants to die young. Even as their teammates died and went through drastic changes, these X-Men remained dedicated to the ideals they fight for in every corner of the Multiverse.

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