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''Earth X'' is a 1999
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
published by American company
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. ''Earth X'' was written by
Jim Krueger Jim Krueger () is an American comic book writer, novelist, and filmmaker. Early life Jim Krueger and his brother grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He developed an interest in comic books and storytelling in his youth, and has described a fateful t ...
with art by
John Paul Leon John Paul Leon (April 26, 1972 – May 2, 2021) was an American comic book artist, known for his work on the Milestone Comics series ''Static'', and the Marvel Comics limited series ''Earth X''. Leon also provided artwork for a number of style g ...
. Based on
Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which he collaborated wi ...
' notes, the series features a
dystopian A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...
version of the
Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
. The series was followed by two sequels, ''Universe X'' and ''Paradise X'', and a prequel, ''Marvels X''. The universe of ''Earth X'' is designated
Earth-9997 ''Earth X'' is a 1999 comic book limited series published by American company Marvel Comics. ''Earth X'' was written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian version of the Marvel Univ ...
. The ''Earth X'' incarnation of Spider-Man will make his cinematic debut in the 2023 feature film '' Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'', depicted as a member of
Miguel O'Hara Spider-Man 2099 is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for the Marvel 2099 comic book line, and is a futuristic re-imag ...
's Spider-Forces.


History

''Earth X'' began in 1997 when '' Wizard'' magazine asked Alex Ross to create a possible dystopian future for Marvel. Ross designed a future where all ordinary humans had gained superpowers, and he examined how some of the most well-known Marvel characters (including
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
,
Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
and the Incredible Hulk) would manage a world where their superhero powers had now become commonplace. The issue of ''Wizard'' that contained the Ross article sold out rapidly. Demand was so extensive that in 1999 (in affiliation with Marvel), they republished the article as the ''Earth X Sketchbook'', which also sold out. Based on this indicator of fan interest, Marvel commissioned Ross to create a full series based on his notes.


Plot summary


''Earth X''

Earth X is one of a number of planets implanted with a gestating
Celestial Celestial may refer to: Science * Objects or events seen in the sky and the following astronomical terms: ** Astronomical object, a naturally occurring physical entity, association, or structure that exists in the observable universe ** Celes ...
egg. About ten years after the end of the heroic age,
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appears in '' Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ...
releases the mutagenic
Terrigen Mist The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peopl ...
s into Earth's atmosphere, seeking to transform humanity into
Inhumans The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peop ...
so that his people would not suffer persecution. He blinded
Uatu Uatu (), often simply known as the Watcher, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #13 (April 1963). He is a membe ...
the Watcher to prevent him from witnessing his actions, and Black Bolt and the Inhumans leave Earth. Unable to operate his observation equipment, Uatu transports X-51 (
Machine Man Machine Man (also known as Aaron Stack, Mister Machine and serial number Z2P45-9-X-51 or X-51 for short) is an android superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Jack Kirby for '' 2001: A ...
)—who has long since given up super-heroics to imitate the life of his human creator—to the Moon to act as Earth's new Watcher. X-51 gets increasingly annoyed at Uatu's assurance of the heroes' defeat. After killing
Red Skull The Red Skull is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and its predecessor Timely Comics. The first version, George Maxon, appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 and #4. The main ...
,
Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
quits the
Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
, considering himself unfit for the team. Shortly afterward,
Reed Richards Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...
constructs a worldwide network of
vibranium Vibranium () is a fictional metal appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts of kinetic energy. Mined only in Wakanda, the metal is associated w ...
power centers to solve the looming energy crisis, but the experiment fails when one of Reed's scientists falls into the reactor, causing a worldwide explosive chain reaction. The scientist that fell into the reactor became encased within vibranium and discovered that she can manipulate the rare metal, becoming the Iron Maiden. The Terrigen Mists begin mutating Earth's human population, though much of the world blames "Plague X" on Richards' failed experiment. Benny Beckley, the young son of
Comet Man Comet Man (Stephen Beckley) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Comet Man was the subject of a limited series in 1987, created by Bill Mumy, Miguel Ferrer, and Kelley Jones. ...
, gains the ability to control the actions of others and becomes known as Skull. Nearly all of the world's
telepaths Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
are killed by the backlash caused by Beckley's power manifestation. Meanwhile,
Doctor Doom Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the fi ...
and
Namor the Sub-Mariner Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies In ...
fight the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
. Doom is killed in an explosion along with Susan Richards. Namor kills
Johnny Storm The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a si ...
. Franklin Richards responds by cursing Namor, causing one side of his body to burst into flame upon contact with air, forcing Namor back into the ocean. A distraught Reed Richards dons Doom's armor and exiles himself to Castle Doom in
Latveria Latveria is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted within the storylines of Marvel's comic titles as an isolated European country ruled by the fictional Supreme Lord Doctor Doom, suppose ...
. Soon after, the
Absorbing Man Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #114, cover dated March 1965, created by writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Ja ...
absorbs
Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...
. The
Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...
defeats the Absorbing Man with a
computer virus A computer virus is a type of computer program that, when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code. If this replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be "infected" with a compu ...
. Attempting to isolate the virus by turning to stone, the Absorbing Man is shattered by the Vision after murdering the Avengers. Absorbing Man's pieces are scattered amongst the world's leaders so that he can never be reassembled.
Norman Osborn Norman Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first ...
manipulates America into electing him President by using alien DNA to create the Hydra—a parasite collective that mind-controls its host bodies—and grants
Tony Stark Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
(one of the last unmutated humans) political asylum in exchange for constructing robotic replicas of the fallen Avengers to battle the Hydra menace. Loki tricked Odin into changing Thor into a female and discovers an elaborate Celestial manipulation on a cosmic scale: ancient humans were modified by the Celestials, given the ability to develop powers in order to act as a type of anti-bodies meant to stop radical elements such as deviants and alien species from harming the Earth and the Celestial embryo growing within it. Along with Earth, the Celestials modified the native species of many planets harboring Celestial embryos. Species affected by Celestial modification gradually undergo an evolution process where they develop powers either through natural means such as mutants, or unnatural means such as meta-humans like Spider-Man. Species with Celestial modifications in theory hold enough power to rival the celestials, but are inhibited by a clever psychological safeguard put in place by the Celestials. The safeguard relates to constructivist philosophy, that essentially states that people are shaped by their environment. The deities and devils within the Marvel universe are species that were modified by Celestials and unwittingly inhibit their own abilities due to the fact that they self-identify as a Marvel deity or devil. These evolved beings hold their sense of identity being reinforced by those that interact with them. Loki realizes that he was only the evil son of Odin and a Norse God because when he evolved beyond his mortal form his psyche became a tabula rasa. The first interaction that he had with another in that form were Nordic humans who thought that he was an evil god and thus he became one. Meanwhile, Captain America and his partner
Redwing The redwing (''Turdus iliacus'') is a bird in the thrush family, Turdidae, native to Europe and the Palearctic, slightly smaller than the related song thrush. Taxonomy and systematics This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his ...
learn that the Skull is gathering a mind-controlled army. After Redwing is overcome by the Skull's powers, Captain America retreats and recruits allies to fight the Skull. Meanwhile, the Inhuman Royal Family return from space and contact Reed Richards, hoping to reunite with their people. While trying to find the lost Inhuman nation with
Cerebro Cerebro (; Spanish for "brain", from Latin ) is a fictional device appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The device is used by the X-Men (in particular, their leader, Professor Charles Xavier) to detect humans, specifica ...
, Richards discovers Bolt's actions. The Skull's army reaches New York, overtaking it, and Captain America and his allies fall to the Skull's powers. While the Skull is distracted, Captain America kills the child dictator and liberates his followers. Before the heroes can celebrate, the Celestials arrive on Earth to germinate the embryo. As the Celestials prepare to attack New York, Loki arrives with a host of Asgardians found in the afterlife and announces he's not bad because he formed the Avengers. Tony Stark sacrifices himself while trying to hold off the arriving Celestials. Black Bolt is killed just after using his voice to travel across the universe and call for
Galactus Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, Galactus is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of ...
, who is revealed to be devouring worlds in order to destroy Celestial embryos growing within them. Galactus kills several Celestials and forces the others to flee. Afterwards, Galactus consumes Earth's Celestial embryo. Galactus prepares to leave, and Reed requests that he remove his helmet. Galactus reluctantly agrees, revealing that he is actually Franklin Richards. Franklin Richards previously convinced himself that he was Galactus, willingly sacrificing his own identity to turn into the destroyer of worlds after realizing that Galactus needed to exist in order to keep the Celestial population in check. This needed to be done after the Fantastic Four killed the original Galactus with the ultimate nullifier. Reed Richards also realizes this fact and makes the heartbreaking decision to not remind Franklin of who he originally was for the sake of the universe. X-51 realizes the Watchers' true purpose is to watch over Celestial eggs because one of their numbers failed to stop the birth of Galactus millions of years ago. X-51 destroys Uatu's ears and decides to destroy all Celestial eggs gestating inside the various planets within the universe. Reed converts his vibranium power network into "Human Torches", hoping to burn off the Terrigen Mists and restore Earth's human population.


''Universe X''

With the Celestial embryo gone, the Earth's mass is reduced, causing a shift in orbit and polarity as well as drastic worldwide climate changes. One-fourth of New York's population dies as temperatures plummet. The Tong of Creel, a cult dedicated to reassembling the Absorbing Man, begins killing those who hold his fragments. Under
Mephisto Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition. Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Méphisto'', a 1931 French film * Mephisto (1981 film), ''Mephisto'' (1981 film), a German- ...
's influence, Pope Immortus founds a church advocating mutant dominance of the galaxy and the destruction of Reed's Human Torches. Meanwhile,
Mar-Vell Captain Marvel (Kree name Mar-Vell, Earth alias Walter Lawson) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by penciller, artist Gene Colan ...
is reincarnated as the child of the synthetic Him and
Her Her is the objective and possessive form of the English-language feminine pronoun She (pronoun), she. Her, HER or H.E.R. may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Music * H.E.R. (born 1997), American singer **H.E.R. (album), ''H.E.R.'' ...
, though his soul remains in the Realm of the Dead. Captain America becomes the Mar-Vell child's guardian and embarks on a worldwide quest with his new ward to obtain various items in order to deal with Earth's restless mutant population and prepare for an impending war in the Realm of the Dead. Arriving at Zero Street, the duo is attacked by the Night People, and Captain America sacrifices his life to save the Mar-Vell child. Mar-Vell reveals that other than creating constructivist safeguards to stop species that they modified from being able to challenge their supremacy, the Celestials also schemed to manipulate causality and fatalism by helping to create beings such as death and Mephisto to distort truth and reality. Mar-Vell also discovered that beings that travel through time actually create new universes in the process of doing so and Celestials, acting through others such as Mephisto, encouraged time travel as it created entirely new universes for the Celestial to inhabit and grow in number. When the Tong of Creel finally reassembles the Absorbing Man in New York, he attacks the city's Human Torch. Battling New York's heroes, the Absorbing Man absorbs Manhattan itself, adding its buildings and streets to his being, but
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
and Iron Maiden convince the villain to transform himself into vibranium and use his mass to stabilize the planet's fluctuating orbit and polarity. Meanwhile, in the Realm of the Dead, Mar-Vell leads an army of deceased heroes and villains against
Thanos Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 ( cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Deviant w ...
and
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
. With the artifacts collected by himself and Captain America in his possession, Mar-Vell shows Thanos how Death has manipulated him and convinces Thanos to use the
Ultimate Nullifier The Ultimate Nullifier is a fictional device of immense power appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The device made its first appearance in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' volume 1, issue #50 (May 1966), in ...
on the entity.


''Paradise X''

With Death destroyed, Mar-Vell constructs a Paradise in the center of the
Negative Zone The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The location is depicted in various publications from Marvel, most frequently in ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Captain Mar ...
for the dead to inhabit. However, those among the living find themselves unable to die. Meanwhile, X-51 decides that the inhabitants of alternate Earths should be warned about the Celestial embryos he believes are growing within their planets. He spreads the alarm across the multiverse by recruiting and dispatching Heralds from alternate timelines such as
Bloodstorm ''BloodStorm'' is a 1994 arcade fighting game published by Strata and developed by Incredible Technologies. It is considered a quasi-sequel to '' Time Killers''. ''BloodStorm'' was dubbed as a possible "'' Mortal Kombat''-killer" in an attempt ...
(Ororo Monroe, Earth-1298),
Deathlok Deathlok (also referred to as Deathlok the Demolisher) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Astonishing Tales'' #25 (Aug. 1974), created by Rich Buckler. At least three subs ...
(Luther Manning, Earth-7484), Hyperion (Earth-1121),
Killraven Killraven (Jonathan Raven) is a character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as a freedom fighter in several Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apoca ...
(Earth-691),
Iron Man 2020 Iron Man (Arno Stark) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a superhero appearing as the counterpart of the superhero Iron Man in the (then) future year of 2020 set in the multiverse world o ...
(Earth-8410), Spider-Girl (Earth-1122), and
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
(
Days of Future Past "Days of Future Past" is a storyline in the Marvel Comics comic book ''The Uncanny X-Men'' issues #141–142, published in 1981. It deals with a dystopian future in which mutants are incarcerated in internment camps. An adult Kate Pryde transfer ...
Earth-811). After banishing the Watchers of Earth-9997 to alternate worlds with the hope that their presence will lead to the discovery and destruction of each Celestial embryo, X-51 takes his Heralds to his Earth, where he will aid each in achieving his or her wishes. In Mar-Vell's Paradise, the
High Evolutionary High Evolutionary (Herbert Edgar Wyndham) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Chukwudi Iwuji will portray the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3''. ...
's equipment transforms the souls of Black Bolt, Captain America, Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Dr. Doom,
Giant-Man Giant-Man is the alias used by several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Editorial Story Hank Pym, the first Giant-Man, with the Wasp, appeared in many superheroes stories published in the serial ''Tales to ...
,
Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, and Tony Stark into the Avenging Host, charged with ushering souls from the Realm of the Dead to Paradise. Those who enter Paradise consume a piece of the
Cosmic Cube The Cosmic Cube is a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There are multiple Cubes in the Marvel Universe, all of which are depicted as containment devices that can empower whoever wields them. Although th ...
, enabling them to create their own, seemingly perfect pocket reality. But as more souls enter Paradise, it begins to expand and consume entire worlds within the
Negative Zone The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The location is depicted in various publications from Marvel, most frequently in ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Captain Mar ...
, causing
Blastaar Blastaar (, ), sometimes called the Living Bomb-Burst and Blasstaar, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Blastaar is an opponent of the Fantastic Four and lives in the Negative Zone. He is also a ...
and
Annihilus Annihilus () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily as an adversary to the Fantastic Four. The character debuted in '' Fantastic Four Annual'' #6, which was published in November 1968. Annihilus w ...
to attack the
Baxter Building The Baxter Building is a fictitious 35-story office building appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The building is depicted in Manhattan, and its five upper floors house the Fantastic Four's headquarters. Publication hist ...
in New York. Reed Richards,
Bruce Banner The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
, the Beast, and several other brilliant scientists convene to discuss a solution to Death's absence. They decide to access the imprisoned Jude the Entropic Man, who can turn others to dust on contact, and synthesize his essence into a chemical to end the suffering of those unable to die. With the chemical complete, Reed, growing suspicious of Mar-Vell's motives, plans to use
Pym Particles Dr. Henry Jonathan "Hank" Pym () is a character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, the character first appea ...
to slow Paradise's rapid growth within the Negative Zone.
Mephisto Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition. Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Méphisto'', a 1931 French film * Mephisto (1981 film), ''Mephisto'' (1981 film), a German- ...
frees Jude from captivity, convincing him to go on a killing spree. Mephisto then steers Jude to Britain, where Mephisto hopes to find the
Siege Perilous In Arthurian legend, the Siege Perilous ( cy, Gwarchae Peryglus, also known as The Perilous Seat, cy, Sedd Peryglus) is a vacant seat at the Round Table reserved by Merlin for the knight who would one day be successful in the quest for the Holy ...
, which will allow him to traverse the multiverse. With the help of
Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
,
Doctor Strange Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
,
Psylocke Psylocke is the name of two connected fictional Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutant superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. The first character to use the Psylocke moniker, Betsy Braddoc ...
and the sacrifice of a recently resurrected Meggan, King Britain is able to slay Mephisto with
Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
. Meanwhile, in Paradise, Reed and a legion of heroes confront Mar-Vell. After Paradise is nearly conquered in the name of the
Supreme Intelligence The Supreme Intelligence is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Supreme Intelligence is an artificial intelligence that rules the alien race known as the Kree. The Supreme Intel ...
by the arriving souls of the
Kree The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are a fictional scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic list of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the p ...
military, Mar-Vell explains to Reed that he (Reed) is to become the new
Eternity Eternity, in common parlance, means Infinity, infinite time that never ends or the quality, condition, or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside time, whereas ...
. Using his new role as Eternity, Reed is able to end the conflict and free the remaining heroes from their Cosmic Cube-induced dream-worlds. Once this is accomplished, Mar-Vell explains to Reed that his plan is to build a wall around their universe, preventing any further influence from the Celestials. Feeling that his work is not yet complete, Mar-Vell tells the people of Paradise that he is going to the source of Excalibur, which is strongly implied to be the original universe.


''Marvels X''

In 2020 Marvel published ''Marvels X'', a prequel to ''Earth X'' written by Krueger. It focuses on the last normal human being on Earth named David as he deals with the aftermath of the terrigen mist that turns most of the individuals of Earth into super powered beings and freaks.


Characters (''Earth X'' and ''Universe X'')

*
Uatu Uatu (), often simply known as the Watcher, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #13 (April 1963). He is a membe ...
 – Uatu has been blinded and hasn't been able to watch the Earth for twenty years, and has become very nihilistic and callous. *
Machine Man Machine Man (also known as Aaron Stack, Mister Machine and serial number Z2P45-9-X-51 or X-51 for short) is an android superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Jack Kirby for '' 2001: A ...
 – A transparent Machine Man has become the New Watcher after Uatu became blind, and ultimately renders Uatu useless by removing his source of hearing, annoyed at his assurance at the heroes' defeat.


Avengers

* Steve Rogers/Captain America – Steve Rogers/Captain America is 100 years old and showing his age, although still in physically good shape. He has become a broken, haunted man who struggles to maintain hope in defending the nation whose name he bears. He bears an A-shaped scar on his forehead. * T'Challa/Black Panther – T'Challa/Black Panther mutated and now is a ''Panther-Man''. * Bruce Banner/Hulk – Hulk has been separated from Bruce Banner, and Bruce is now a child while the Hulk has devolved into an ape-like creature. The Hulk serves as Bruce Banner's eyes as Bruce is now blind. * Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel – Ms. Marvel assisted Mar-Vell in fighting Death. *
Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
 – Thor is now a woman due to Loki tricking
Odin Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
into thinking that Thor needs to learn humility as a female.


Avenging Host

After Mar-Vell killed Death, he reshapes part of the Realm of the Dead into a paradise and selected a group of dead heroes to be its guardians called the Avenging Host where most of its members have angel-like forms. * Blackagar Boltagon/Black Bolt – After trying to stop
Maximus Maximus (Hellenised as Maximos) is the Latin term for "greatest" or "largest". In this connection it may refer to: * Circus Maximus (disambiguation) * Pontifex maximus, the highest priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome People Roman h ...
from detonating the Terrigen Crystal Bomb, he died in battle against the Celestials. He sports an angel-like appearance with a skin pattern and wings that resemble his costume. * Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom – He dies in an explosion. Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom adopts metallic skin and bird-like wings. * Hank Pym/Giant-Man – Absorbing Man kills him by impaling him on the
Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and the ...
. * Clint Barton/Hawkeye – Clint Barton/Hawkeye was mutated to have two additional sets of arms. Absorbing Man kills him by absorbing rubber and deflecting his arrows back at him. * Tony Stark/Iron Man – Fearing mutation, Tony Stark isolates himself in a sterile environment, remotely controlling his Iron Man suits. * Matt Murdock/Daredevil – He and Elektra Natchios are killed by
Bullseye Bullseye or Bull's Eye may refer to: Symbols * ◎ (Unicode U+25CE BULLSEYE), in the Geometric Shapes Unicode block * (Unicode U+0298 LATIN LETTER BILABIAL CLICK), the phonetic symbol for bilabial click Animals and plants * Bull's Eye, ''Euryo ...
. * Phoenix Force – In death, adopts a hybrid appearance of Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force.


Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four no longer exist with the exception of Invisible Woman. * Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic – Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic wears Doctor Doom's armor and inhabits his castle. In Universe X, he donates an arm for Alicia Master to sculpt in the image of Susan Storm-Richards and the two are reunited. In ''Paradise X'', he becomes the New Eternity. * Susan Storm/Invisible Woman – Invisible Woman accepted her fate and ultimately learned to live in the dystopian society, in addition to never return to her home. * Ben Grimm/Thing – Thing married
Alicia Masters Alicia Reiss Masters is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is usually depicted as a supporting character to the superheroes the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer. Created by Stan Lee and Jack ...
and they have two children, Buzz and Chuck (Brothers Grimm). * Johnny Storm/Human Torch - The Human Torch was killed by
Namor the Sub-Mariner Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies In ...
by snapping his neck.


X-Men

* Charles Xavier/Professor X – Charles Xavier/Professor X died at the beginning of the mutations when the Skull's power manifestation caused a psychic backlash and the X-Men disbanded. His spirit later aided Mar-Vell in fighting Death. * Warren Worthington/Archangel – Archangel lost his fortune and became a literal "
guardian angel A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in A ...
". * Sean Cassidy/Banshee – Banshee was killed by Black Tom Cassidy. His spirit later aided Mar-Vell into fighting Death. * Hank McCoy/Beast – Beast's fur became white and he moved to
Wakanda Wakanda () is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Wakanda has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is located in sub-Saharan Africa, and is home to the superhero Black Panther. Wakanda first app ...
to work under Black Panther. * Nathan Summers/Cable – Cable fully succumbed to the
techno-organic virus A techno-organic virus (T-O virus) is a fictional virus appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. In the comics, the T-O virus transforms organic material into techno-organic material, which resembles both machinery and living t ...
and took refuge in Sentinel City. * Piotr "Peter" Rasputin/Colossus – Colossus became the Czar of Russia. * Scott Summers/Cyclops – Cyclops, under a new identity called Mr. S, becomes the leader of a new team of X-Men to help Captain America. * Alison Blaire/Dazzler – Dazzler was killed by Mephisto in retaliation for Mar-Vell killing Death. * Alex Summers/Havok – Havok joined his father Corsair in space following Professor X's death. * Robert "Bobby" Drake/Iceman – Iceman is trapped in his ice form and was forced to move to a colder climate. He built a city at the North Pole. * Katherine "Kitty" Pryde/Shadowcat – Katherine "Kitty" Pryde/Shadowcat was killed when protecting Piotr "Peter" Rasputin/Colossus from a bullet that was meant for him at the time when he couldn't shift to his metal form. * Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler – Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler is a shadow of his former self and has forgotten that identity. After some trickery by Mephisto, Nightcrawler becomes what he always resembled, a demon. After losing his arm, Nightcrawler becomes Belasco: Lord of Limbo (an alternate realm sometimes referred to as Purgatory). *
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack K ...
 – A woman who appears to be Jean is now married to Wolverine and the Phoenix Force resides in the Realm of the Dead. It is unclear how Jean could be alive when the Skull's emergence apparently killed all other telepaths. Later in the ''Earth X'' series as she is leaving Wolverine, the woman states that she is in fact
Madelyne Pryor Madelyne Jennifer Pryor is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith (comics), Paul Smith, the character first appeared in ''Uncann ...
. * Longshot – Longshot went missing and not even X-51 can find him. * Jamie Madrox/Multiple Man – Multiple Man ended up with the Wendigo Curse when he ate one of his dupes due to a food shortage. *
Nate Grey Nathaniel Grey (X-Man) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Steve Skroce, the character first appeared in ''X-Man'' ...
 – Nate was infected by the techno-organic virus and became Stryfe. He battled Cable and died trying to protect Madelyne Pryor. * Lorna Dane/Polaris – Polaris leaves with Havok to join Corsair in space. * Anna Marie/Rogue – According to X-51, Rogue was killed by a kiss that killed Gambit as well. However, Beast recounts that Rogue was so grief-stricken by Gambit's death that she sought a cure for her mutant ability through Sauron (who ended up taking her life as well as her powers). The details of either of these two accounts, or if they are related or not remains to be substantiated. * Ororo Munroe/Storm – Ororo Munroe/Storm marries T'Challa/Black Panther and becomes the Queen of Wakanda. * John Proudstar/Thunderbird – John Proudstar/Thunderbird is seen in the Realm of the Dead talking with Professor X. * James "Logan" Howlett/Wolverine – Wolverine is married to the woman claiming to be Jean Grey. Despite his claim that his healing factor prevents him from gaining weight or becoming intoxicated, he is overweight and appears to be drunk. With help from Machine Man, he discovers that he is the descendant of
Moon-Boy Moon-Boy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is best known as the constant companion of Devil Dinosaur. Publication history Being primarily a supporting character to Devil Dinosaur, Moon-B ...
's species.


New X-Men

This is the new incarnation of the X-Men that is led by Cyclops. They were former members of the second Daredevil's circus: * Charmer – Charmer can create energy constructs in the shape of snakes. She has feelings for her new mentor, which remains unrequited. * Dogface – Dogface is implied to be a mutated dog living in Wakanda. He was the Dog-Faced Boy before joining the X-Men. * Double-Header – Double-Header is a two-headed human. * Mermaid – Mermaid has mutated a fish tail giving her the appearance of a mermaid. She is able to "swim" in the air. * Tower – Tower is a giant human.


Other heroes

* Brian Braddock/Captain Britain – Brian Braddock/Captain Britain is the king of Britain. * Christopher Summers/Corsair – Christopher Summers/Corsair is joined by Alex Summers/Havok and Lorna Dane/Polaris in space. * Daredevil II – Following the death of the original Daredevil, a man with a powerful healing factor (who Thing believes to be Wade Wilson/Deadpool) has taken his name and performs as a circus stunt-man, using his powers to overcome horrific injuries. *
Devil Dinosaur Devil Dinosaur is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as resembling an enormous, crimson colored ''Tyrannosaurus''-like theropod dinosaur. Created by Jack Kirby, the chara ...
and
Moon-Boy Moon-Boy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is best known as the constant companion of Devil Dinosaur. Publication history Being primarily a supporting character to Devil Dinosaur, Moon-B ...
 – Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy are both dead. Their corpses are found on the Blue Area of the Moon. It is revealed that Wolverine is a descendant of Moon-Boy's species. *
Doc Samson Doc Samson (Leonard Skivorski Jr.) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Universe, known as a supporting character in ...
 – Doc Samson becomes a psychiatrist of the Skull. He is killed when the Skull uses his powers to make Doc Samson rip himself inside out. * Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange – Doctor Strange is killed in his astral form by Clea, who then allies herself with
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
. His body is looked after by Wong. Mar-Vell later restores his astral form enabling Doctor Strange to return to life. * Kevin Plunder/Ka-Zar – Ka-Zar mutates to have the head of a smilodon. *
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
 – Luke Cage fights crime as a police officer. *
Mar-Vell Captain Marvel (Kree name Mar-Vell, Earth alias Walter Lawson) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by penciller, artist Gene Colan ...
 – Mar-Vell is reborn as a child and goes on a crusade to gather various powerful artifacts in order to create a paradise. Captain America joins him on his quest. * Namor McKenzie/Namor the Sub-Mariner – Namor is cursed by Franklin Richards for killing Human Torch. One side of his body burns when in contact with air forcing him to remain in the ocean. * Kyle Richmond/Nighthawk – Kyle Richmond/Nighthawk's eyes, given by a disguised
Mephisto Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition. Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Méphisto'', a 1931 French film * Mephisto (1981 film), ''Mephisto'' (1981 film), a German- ...
, allow him to see into the future. He dictates what he sees to his colleague Isaac Christians so that a record can be kept of what will become of history. * Hobbes Brown/Prowler – Hobbes Brown/Prowler possesses a piece of Absorbing Man following his rampage in Washington DC. *
Rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * R ...
 – Rom is stranded in Limbo and is forced to fight Dire Wraiths constantly. He has become known there as "the greatest Spaceknight". * The Micronauts  - known as the "ant-men" * Shanna O'Hara/Shanna the She-Devil – Shanna O'Hara/Shanna the She-Devil mutates to resemble a humanoid leopard. *
Peter Parker/Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August ...
 – Peter Parker is publicly revealed as Spider-Man and retires, figuring he is no longer needed in this world of powers. However, he leaps into action once again after his daughter had been turned into a slave of the Skull. * May "Mayday" Parker/Spider-Girl – Spider-Girl has bonded with the
Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
symbiote, though she remains fully in control. * Shiro Yoshida/Sunfire – Sunfire now rules Japan as its emperor.


Villains

* Carl "Crusher" Creel/Absorbing Man – Carl "Crusher" Creel/Absorbing Man absorbs Ultron's intelligence and gains better knowledge of his abilities. He kills the Avengers until Vision infects him with a virus and shatters him. Absorbing Man is brought back by the Tong of Creel and attacks New York. He is convinced by Loki and Iron Maiden to turn his body into Vibranium to save New York. *
Bullseye Bullseye or Bull's Eye may refer to: Symbols * ◎ (Unicode U+25CE BULLSEYE), in the Geometric Shapes Unicode block * (Unicode U+0298 LATIN LETTER BILABIAL CLICK), the phonetic symbol for bilabial click Animals and plants * Bull's Eye, ''Euryo ...
 – Bullseye is killed when Daredevil learns the Hand's body-swapping technique. * Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus – Doctor Octopus is seen in Spider-Man's illusion on Peter Parker of which he took control. * Enforcers – The Enforcers act as the bodyguards to President Norman Osborn. **
Fancy Dan The Enforcers are a team of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as adversaries of the Superhero, superheroes Spider-Man and Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), Daredevil. The original Enforcers con ...
 – Fancy Dan mutates and becomes invisible except for his mustache. **
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
 – Montana mutates and develops the ability to change his hands into lassos. ** Ox – Ox mutates, taking the form of a humanoid ox (somewhat similar to a
minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "pa ...
). * Norman Osborn/Green Goblin – Norman Osborn is the President. His face has mutated to resemble a goblin, but he wears a mask to look human. He is later killed by the Skull. After he is tossed from his office window, his foot catches on the flag which breaks his neck, thus killing him in a way similar to
Gwen Stacy Gwendolyne Maxine Stacy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in those featuring Spider-Man. A college student and the daughter of George Stacy and Helen Stacy, ...
's death. *
High Evolutionary High Evolutionary (Herbert Edgar Wyndham) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Chukwudi Iwuji will portray the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3''. ...
 – High Evolutionary uses one of his devices to convert Franklin Richards into the new Galactus. *
Immortus Immortus (; Nathaniel Richards) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the future self of Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror, and Iron Lad / Kid Immortus, and a descenda ...
 – Immortus is the Pope of a church dedicated to himself. * Billy Russo/Jigsaw – Jigsaw commits suicide and dwells in the Realm of the Dead. * Wilson Fisk/Kingpin – Kingpin is dead and dwells in the Realm of the Dead. *
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
 – Loki has figured out that the Gods (of this Marvel Earth) are instead long-lived mutants who are mind-locked by the
Celestials The Celestials are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Depicted as cosmic beings, the characters debuted in the Bronze Age of Comic Books and have reappeared on numerous occasions. The Celestials ...
into believing that they are immortal, never-changing gods so that they won't evolve further as mutants and potentially threaten the Celestials (as was the case with Reed Richards' son Franklin, who is so powerful as a mutant that just by ''believing'' himself to be
Galactus Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, Galactus is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of ...
, gained the powers and abilities of Galactus). * Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto – At the time when the Terrigen Mist is in the atmosphere, Magneto thinks he is getting a "mutant" brother through every mutation. Magneto manipulates the Sentinels into building a sanctuary called Sentinel City in the Savage Land. Due to the polar shift in the planet, he loses his power which was later gained by Toad. Toad humiliates Magneto until Iron Maiden with the help of Cable restores part of earth's polarity giving Magneto back his power. * Calvin Zabo/Mister Hyde – Mister Hyde is in the Realm of the Dead as one of the mindless dead. The details of his death are unknown. * Karl Lykos/Sauron – Hank McCoy/Beast claims that, grief-stricken after killing Gambit with a kiss, Anna Marie/Rogue turns to Sauron's draining abilities in an attempt to lose her powers, but ended up losing her life as well. Whether this is true is not confirmed. *
Skull The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, the ...
 – Son of
Comet Man Comet Man (Stephen Beckley) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Comet Man was the subject of a limited series in 1987, created by Bill Mumy, Miguel Ferrer, and Kelley Jones. ...
, Benjamin Buckley aka The Skull is the main antagonist of the series. An adolescent
neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
, he uses his
Terrigen Mist The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peopl ...
granted-telepathic powers to rule the world, taking advantage of the Mists' catastrophic effects. Captain America defeats him by snapping his neck. * Spiders Man – An African-American homeless man who mutates to a reptilian form that resembles Spider-Man's costume. He uses energy webs that can trap people in an illusion. *
Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...
 – His intelligence is absorbed by Carl "Crusher" Creel/Absorbing Man. * Vulture (Marvel Comics), Adrian Toomes/Vulture – Adrian Toomes/Vulture mutates into his namesake minus the wings. He is associated with the Enforcers.


Other characters

* Harry Osborn – Harry is seen in Spider-Man's illusion on Peter Parker of which he gained control. * J. Jonah Jameson – J. Jonah Jameson loses his job and the ''Daily Bugle'' goes out of business when Spider-Man reveals his identity as Peter Parker. Jameson later mutates into a humanoid donkey. * John Jameson (comics), John Jameson – John becomes Man-Wolf. Regulates his Man-Wolf transformations with a special device created by Reed Richards that absorbs ambient sunlight, which retards the transformation into the Man-Wolf during the evening hours. * Red Ronin - decommissioned by Norman Osborn, his blueprints were used to make Iron Man's very last armor.


Clarifications

Initially, the ''Earth X'' storyline was purported as being the future of Earth-616, but the series often substantially retconned the origins and workings of characters to better suit the story, to the point where they were no longer reconcilable with their counterparts in the mainstream Marvel Universe. One example is the revelation in ''Paradise X'' that Wolverine is not a mutant, but instead one of the few remaining "pure strain humans", free from the genetic manipulations of the Celestials (as well as a descendant of
Moon-Boy Moon-Boy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is best known as the constant companion of Devil Dinosaur. Publication history Being primarily a supporting character to Devil Dinosaur, Moon-B ...
). Marvel editors solved these discrepancies by officially declaring that anything stated in ''Earth X'' would not be considered Canon (fiction), canonical. It is later revealed in issue #11 of ''Paradise X'' that the events shown in the series are not set in an alternative future, but rather an alternative present (the issue reveals that ''Paradise X'' is set in 2003, the year of publication). The ''Paradise X'' series was never properly concluded, due to editorial interference midway through its publication. Due to dwindling sales, the ''X'' and ''A'' specials, which were intended to be double-sized issues, were both reduced to 22 pages and the intended ending was never used. Writer Jim Krueger expressed dismay at the loss of pages and not being able to use the original ending. In the intended ending, Captain America, suspecting Captain Marvel's treachery, would have killed Marvel just as Marvel put the energy wall around the universe to keep out the Celestials and Elders. At this final moment, having ascended to the throne of Paradise, Captain America would have realized that Marvel's intentions were good: "Cap would have sat on the throne, completely unworthy of it. And this, this would have been the final testing necessary to make Cap worthy of it". Additionally, a planned limited series, ''Tales of Earth X'', was proposed but never greenlighted. The series, set before the events of ''Earth X'', would have revealed the final days of characters like Professor X before the mutation that turned the world into mutants and killed all of Earth's psychics. A one-shot called ''The Earth X Companion'' was released in 2008, containing production notes and sketches by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross as well as a short story drawn by artist Bill Reinhold detailing the fate of one of Nick Fury's Life Model Decoys.


Collected editions

In September 2005, Marvel released a 592-page hardcover deluxe edition of ''Earth X''. This new edition includes 12 issues of the ''Earth X'' regular series, the #0 and #X bookends, the #1/2 issue (drawn by artist Bill Reinhold) and the Epilogue. It also contains extras pulled from the Graphitti hardcover, Marvel's trade paperback and the sketchbooks. The various trade paperback (comics), volumes include: *''Earth X'' (hardcover, September 2005, , softcover, January 2001, , July 2006, ) *''Universe X'': **''Volume 1'' (softcover, February 2002, , December 2006, ) **''Volume 2'' (softcover, June 2002, , March 2007, ) *''Paradise X'': **''Volume 1'' (softcover, October 2003, , August 2007, ) **''Volume 2'' (softcover, December, 2003, , September 2007, ) Accompanying volumes include: *''Earth X Trilogy Companion'' (collects ''Earth X'' #1/2, background material and sketches, 200 pages, October 2007, )


In other media

The ''Earth X'' incarnation of Spider-Man will make his cinematic debut in the 2023 feature film '' Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'', depicted as a member of
Miguel O'Hara Spider-Man 2099 is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for the Marvel 2099 comic book line, and is a futuristic re-imag ...
's Spider-Forces.


See also

* Multiverse (Marvel Comics) * ''Inhumanity (comics), Inhumanity'' * ''Kingdom Come (comics), Kingdom Come'', another alternate universe series, illustrated by
Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which he collaborated wi ...
for DC Comics which has similar themes and artwork to Earth X.


References


External links

* * * * * *
Read Earth X #1 online

Infinite Ammo: Greatest Graphic Novels Review
{{Marvel Multiverse Dystopian comics Marvel Comics dimensions Fiction about Earth, X Comics about parallel universes