Updated: X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #4: X-Factor (Patreon)

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The Revised & Expanded X-Men Reading Order Guide – Era #4: X-Factor 

This era covers every X-Men story from Uncanny X-Men #143 in January 1988 and ending with Uncanny X-Men #243 in April 1989 & X-Factor #40 in May 1989. 

That includes the time period where X-Men truly became a franchise, gaining three additional ongoing spin-off titles with X-Factor, Excalibur, and Wolverine - plus Wolverine's run in Marvel Comics Presents and a handful of mini-series that covered the team's first real, extended interactions with Fantastic Four and The Avengers!

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This was a challenging era to figure out, but also a fun one ... for at least three different reasons

First, this might be the most tightly-integrated of any era of X-Men with multiple titles. 

Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson write the entirety of the X-line between the two of them (plus Power Pack, for Simonson). It allows for them to not only establish an order of stories, but to plan issues to to be simultaneous, with little kernels of plot rippling back and forth through them.

Nowhere is that more evident than early in the era during the big events of the era. It kicks off with the latter half of Secret Wars II, which weaves between every issue of both Uncanny and New Mutants. Then comes "Mutant Massacre," a curious indirect crossover where the story progresses less like a jagged line and more like a wave of plot. 

"The Fall of the Mutants" significantly (and separately) changed each team's status quo. And while "Inferno" involved a direct crossover between Uncanny and X-Factor, it also featured a wave of plot that rippled through New Mutants, X-Terminators, and Excalibur.

Another reason I'm a fan of this era is the intense shuffling of the cast. 

Cyclops switches from X-Men to X-Factor. Jean Grey returns! Rachel Summers disappears to later turn up in Excalibur along with UK imports Captain Britain and Meggan plus the injured Nightcrawler and Shadowcat.

X-Factor introduces us to Rictor, Rusty, Skids, and Artie, and expands the personalities of Boom Boom and Leech. The New Mutants lose a pair of members and absorbs some of those errant X-Factor teens.

Meanwhile, Claremont adds Ann Nocenti’s Longshot to the team, imports Psylocke, finally makes Dazzler an X-Men, brings Havok and Polaris into his fold for the first time, and makes Forge a full-time cast member!

At this point, we’re just waiting for the introductions of Jubilee, Gambit, and Bishop before we’ll have the full cast of adult X-Men recognized across all media!

Finally, I feel as though this era is the first time the X-Men feel connected to the wider Marvel Universe. 

Sure, they've had occasional run-ins with Spider-Man or Captain America in the past. But, here they significantly expand their relationship with the Avengers and Fantastic Four and have multiple run-ins with Daredevil and Hulk. Plus, Inferno envelops all of the Marvel heroes in New York!

It was fascinating to watch all three of these elements intertwine as I rebuilt the continuity of this era issue by issue. They're why I thought "X-Factor" was the perfect name for it - because there's simply something special and remarkable about this period of X-Men!