Ever since I created this site, people have commented or emailed from time-to-time asking about a reading order for the Ultimate X-Men line. Of course they have! I named my site theultimatexmenreadingorder, which, on its face, would seem to imply directly that it is a reading order for that line. Of course, as I explain on my home page, that’s not what I meant. I meant that this site is the ultimate one to use if you want to follow the entire team history of the mainline comic X-Men in chronological order. I get that it’s confusing, but it is what it is. I think changing it now might be confusing to all the people who already use the site. That said, I have read the entire Ultimate X-Men story and organized it. I did this a few years before I ever read the mainline story (read: over a decade ago). So since I had already done it and people keep asking me about it, I figured, why not add it to the site too? That way, people who come here looking for it will find what they were looking for – and hopefully stick around for the rest!
So, here it is. If you’re stumbling on this page and are not familiar with the Ultimate X-Men, they are from an alternate universe, for which Marvel published series under the banner of Ultimate Marvel between 2000 and 2015. Ultimate X-Men was the second series to begin publishing, in 2001. The Ultimate Marvel universe was supposed to be an updated version for modern times, appealing directly to teens and young adults. It has a reputation for being unnecessarily edgy at times, and that’s true. But it also had a lot of cool reinterpretations and inspired moments, and you might be surprised how many superhero movies have been directly or indirectly inspired by stuff that started in Ultimate comics (its a lot of them).
It’s been a while since I read these, so there may be a higher chance that something here is incorrect than there would be in the mainline order. On the other hand, Ultimate books are usually much more straightforward and easy to follow, and I did read them all just like I did the mainline order, so this should be pretty accurate. Feel free to contact me and let me know if you find something that’s isn’t.
Happy reading!
- Ultimate Marvel Team-up #1
- Ultimate X-Men #1
- Ultimate X-Men #2
- Ultimate X-Men #3
- Ultimate X-Men #4
- Ultimate X-Men #5
- Ultimate X-Men #6
- Ultimate Marvel Team-up #11
- Ultimate X-Men #7
- Ultimate X-Men #8
- Ultimate X-Men #9
- Ultimate X-Men #10
- Ultimate X-Men #11
- Ultimate X-Men #12
- Ultimate X-Men #13
- Ultimate X-Men #14
- Ultimate X-Men: Wizard #1/2
- Ultimate X-Men #15
- Ultimate X-Men #16
- Ultimate X-Men #17
- Ultimate X-Men #18
- Ultimate X-Men #19
- Ultimate X-Men #20
- Ultimate X-Men #21
- Ultimate X-Men #22
- Ultimate X-Men #23
- Ultimate X-Men #24
- Ultimate X-Men #25
- Ultimate War #1
- Ultimate War #2
- Ultimate War #3
- Ultimate War #4
- Ultimate X-Men #26
- Ultimate X-Men #27
- Ultimate X-Men #28
- Ultimate X-Men #29
- Ultimate X-Men #30
- Ultimate X-Men #31
- Ultimate X-Men #32
- Ultimate Spider-Man #40
- Ultimate Spider-Man #41
- Ultimate Spider-Man #42
- Ultimate Spider-Man #43
- Ultimate Spider-Man #44
- Ultimate Spider-Man #45
- Ultimate X-Men #33
- Ultimate X-Men #34
- Ultimate X-Men #35
- Ultimate X-Men #36
- Ultimate X-Men #37
- Ultimate X-Men #38
- Ultimate X-Men #39
- Ultimate X-Men #40
- Ultimate X-Men #41
- Ultimate X-Men #42
- Ultimate X-Men #43
- Ultimate X-Men #44
- Ultimate X-Men #45
- Ultimate X-Men #46
- Ultimate X-Men #47
- Ultimate X-Men #48
- Ultimate X-Men #49
- Ultimate Spider-Man #66
- Ultimate Spider-Man #67
- Ultimate Nightmare #1
- Ultimate Nightmare #2
- Ultimate Nightmare #3
- Ultimate Nightmare #4
- Ultimate Nightmare #5
- Ultimate X-Men #50
- Ultimate X-Men #51
- Ultimate X-Men #52
- Ultimate X-Men #53
- Ultimate X-Men #54
- Ultimate X-Men #55
- Ultimate X-Men #56
- Ultimate X-Men #57
- Ultimate X-Men #58
- Ultimate X-Men #59
- Ultimate X-Men #60
- Ultimate X-Men Annual #1
- Ultimate X-Men #61
- Ultimate X-Men #62
- Ultimate X-Men #63
- Ultimate X-Men #64
- Ultimate X-Men #65
- Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #1
- Ultimate X-Men/Fantastic Four #1
- Ultimate X-Men/Fantastic Four #2
- Ultimate X-Men #66
- Ultimate X-Men #67
- Ultimate X-Men #68
- Ultimate X-Men #69
- Ultimate X-Men #70
- Ultimate X-Men #71
- Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #1
- Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #2
- Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #3
- Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #4
- Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #5
- Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #6
- Ultimate Spider-Man #91
- Ultimate Spider-Man #92
- Ultimate Spider-Man #93
- Ultimate Spider-Man #94
- Ultimate X-Men #72
- Ultimate X-Men #73
- Ultimate X-Men #74
- Ultimate X-Men Annual #2
- Ultimate Vision #0
- Ultimate Extinction #1
- Ultimate Extinction #2
- Ultimate Extinction #3
- Ultimate Extinction #4
- Ultimate Extinction #5
- Ultimate Power #1
- Ultimate Power #2
- Ultimate Power #3
- Ultimate Power #4
- Ultimate Power #5
- Ultimate Power #6
- Ultimate Power #7
- Ultimate Power #8
- Ultimate Power #9
- Ultimate X-Men #75
- Ultimate X-Men #76
- Ultimate X-Men #77
- Ultimate X-Men #78
- Ultimate X-Men #79
- Ultimate X-Men #80
- Ultimate X-Men #81
- Ultimate X-Men #82
- Ultimate X-Men #83
- Ultimate X-Men #84
- Ultimate X-Men #85
- Ultimate X-Men #86
- Ultimate X-Men #87
- Ultimate X-Men #88
- Ultimate X-Men #89
- Ultimate X-Men #90
- Ultimate X-Men #91
- Ultimate X-Men #92
- Ultimate X-Men #93
- Ultimate Spider-Man #118
- Ultimate Spider-Man #119
- Ultimate Spider-Man #120
- Ultimate X-Men #94
- Ultimate X-Men #95
- Ultimate X-Men #96
- Ultimate X-Men #97
- Ultimate X-Men/Fantastic Four Annual #1
- Ultimate Fantastic Four/X-Men Annual #1
- Ultimate Origins #1
- Ultimate Origins #2
- Ultimate Origins #3
- Ultimate Origins #4
- Ultimate Origins #5
- Ultimate Spider-Man #129
- Ultimatum #1
- Ultimate Spider-Man #130
- Ultimate X-Men #98
- Ultimatum #2
- Ultimate Fantastic Four #58
- Ultimate Spider-Man #131
- Ultimate Fantastic Four #59
- Ultimate X-Men #99
- Ultimatum #3
- Ultimate Spider-Man #132
- Ultimate Fantastic Four #60
- Ultimate X-Men #100
- Ultimatum #4
- Ultimate Spider-Man #133
- Ultimatum #5
- Ultimatum Fantastic Four: Requiem #1
- Ultimatum X-Men: Requiem #1
- Ultimatum Spider-Man: Requiem #1
- Ultimatum Spider-Man: Requiem #2
- Ultimate X #1
- Ultimate X #2
- Ultimate X #3
- Ultimate X #4
- Ultimate X #5
- Ultimate Fallout #1
- Ultimate Fallout #2
- Ultimate Fallout #3
- Ultimate Fallout #4
- Ultimate Fallout #5
- Ultimate Fallout #6
- Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye #1
- Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye #2
- Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye #3
- Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye #4
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #1
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #2
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #3
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #4
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #5
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #6
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #7
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #8
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #9
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #10
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #11
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #12
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #13
- Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #13
- Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #14
- Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #13
- Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #14
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #14
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #15
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #16
- Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #15
- Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #15
- Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #16
- Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #16
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #17
- Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #17
- Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #17
- Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #18
- Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #18
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #18
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #18.1
- Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #18.1
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #19
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #20
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #21
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #22
- Ultimate Comics: Wolverine #1
- Ultimate Comics: Wolverine #2
- Ultimate Comics: Wolverine #3
- Ultimate Comics: Wolverine #4
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #23
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #24
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #25
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #26
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #27
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #28
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #29
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #30
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #31
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #32
- Ultimate Comics: X-Men #33
- Hunger #1
- Hunger #2
- Hunger #3
- Hunger #4
- Ultimate Comics: Cataclysm #0.1
- Cataclysm – Ultimate Comics: X-Men #1
- Cataclysm – Ultimate Comics: X-Men #2
- Cataclysm – Ultimate Comics: X-Men #3
- Cataclysm – Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #1
- Cataclysm – Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #2
- Cataclysm – Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #3
- Cataclysm – Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1
- Cataclysm – The Ultimates’ Last Stand #1
- Cataclysm – The Ultimates’ Last Stand #2
- Cataclysm – The Ultimates’ Last Stand #3
- Cataclysm – Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #2
- Cataclysm – Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #3
- Cataclysm – The Ultimates’ Last Stand #4
- Cataclysm – The Ultimates’ Last Stand #5
- Survive #1
- All-New X-Men #31
- All-New X-Men #32
- All-New X-Men #33
- All-New X-Men #34
- All-New X-Men #35
- All-New X-Men #36
Note: After Cataclysm, the Ultimate Universe continued on for a little bit longer, but there were only three running titles and none were X-Men titles. Kitty Pryde was a member of The All-New Ultimates, which ran for 12 issues, so you can follow her through that if you want. Then the Universe ended as Earth 1610 (Ultimate Marvel) and Earth 616 (Mainline Marvel) experienced an incursion. There is a ton of background for that, covered largely in Jonathan Hickman’s run on New Avengers. You can peruse the main X-Men order to find the most essential issues if you want to read that (specifically eras 19-21), because I have included them there, but I’m not adding them here because the actual end of the Ultimate Universe, which is chronicled in Secret Wars #1 and Ultimate End #1-5, doesn’t really involve the Ultimate X-Men characters much at all. It is far more concerned with saying goodbye to various Ultimates and moving Miles Morales to the mainline universe. So I’m not sure reading all of that is even worth it if you just want the story of the Ultimate X-Men. Don’t get me wrong – Hickman’s run on Avengers and New Avengers was fantastic. Secret Wars itself was fantastic. Ultimate End was a mess, but it’s worth reading if you followed the Ultimates or Spider-Man. They just don’t really do much to add onto the X-Men’s story.
The Ultimate X-Men Reading Order 