The X-Termination Reading Order

CROSSOVER EVENT: X-TERMINATION

Nightcrawler Heads Home, And Upsets the Multiverse

Kurt Wagner is Nightcrawler, the demonic-looking mutant with the powers of teleportation. But he's not our Nightcrawler. Brought here from an alternate universe, meet Kurt Darkholme, the ruthless version, a vengeful swordsman mutant from the Age of Apocalypse. Willing to betray others and murder, he came her to hunt down his enemies. And having achieved his goals in our universe, he wants to go home.

It started in March 2013 with the X-Termination event, involving two of the vast Marvel Universes. Nightcrawler wants to return home; how he gets there doesn't matter anymore. Our world, our mutants and heroes, better get out of his way!

This is a Landing Page for the X-Termination event. It will entail a Reading Order and Summary with some artwork. You'll also be able to get up to speed on the event if you're jumping in for the first time.



What You Need To Know First
Background Info 

Above: In Uncanny X-Force #11 (2011), Wolverine and his team follow "Dark Beast" to his universe, a place we know of as Age of Apocalypse.

What we know of as the "Prime" Universe is called Earth-616; this is where most of our favorite superheroes live and adventure. In this reality, Nightcrawler, once a member of the Uncanny X-Men, died in X-Force #26 (2010) while battling a villain known as Bastion. The Nightcrawler that resides here now was brought to this reality in Uncanny X-Force #17 (2012) and is actually from a reality called the Age of Apocalypse, also known as Earth-295, where Apocalypse launched a human extinction event and attempted to rule. In this land, the mutants have taken over. Age of Apocalypse was first detailed in a 1995 crossover and later it's own 2012 series (also called Age of Apocalypse).

If you're interested in learning the history behind the Age of Apocalypse, this Nightcrawler's homeworld, the following book will assist you:

X-Men: Age of Apocalypse
Charles Xavier is dead - killed twenty years in the past during a freak time-travel accident - and the world that has arisen in his absence is dark and dangerous indeed. The Darwinian conqueror Apocalypse rules with an iron fist, ruthlessly enforcing his dictum that only the strong shall survive - and in Apocalypse's long shadow, hidden among a downtrodden humankind, are a group of ragtag freedom fighters led by Xavier's oldest friend, Magneto: the Amazing X-Men! When Bishop, last survivor of the true Marvel Universe, locates the X-Men and explains how the world went wrong, these embittered mutants and their tenuous allies must risk everything - and undertake a dangerous and multi-pronged quest - to put things right! The comics event of 1995 is collected in one deluxe oversized hardcover! Collecting Uncanny X-Men #320-321, X-Men #40-41, Cable #20, X-Men Alpha, Amazing X-Men #1-4, Astonishing X-Men #1-4, Factor X#1-4, Gambit & The X-Ternals #1-4, Generation Next #1-4, Weapon X #104, X-Calibre #1-4, X-Man #1-4, X-Men Omega, Age of Apocalypse The Chosen, and X-Men Ashcan #2.

What you'll be reading here is the beginning conception that formed this alternate reality.

If your interested in reading how Kurt Wagner, the original Nightcrawler of this reality died, you'll want to read: X-Men: Second Coming

And if you want to learn how the latest version of Nightcrawler, Kurt Darkholme, appeared in our reality, read: Uncanny X-Force, Vol. 3: The Dark Angel Saga, Book 1 and Uncanny X-Force, Vol. 4: The Dark Angel Saga, Book 2


Reading Order
The Basic List for The X-Termination Event

Final Update: 04/24/2013

Prelude
000 Age of Apocalypse #13
001 X-Treme X-Men #12

Main Event
002 X-Termination #1 Alpha
003 Astonishing X-Men #60
004 Age of Apocalypse #14
005 X-Treme X-Men #13
006 Astonishing X-Men #61
007 X-Termination #2 Conclusion<--Released: 04/17/2013


Summary Order
The Details on The Issues

000 Age of Apocalypse #13 (Begins the event. With Weapon Omega having been defeated nine months ago, The Age of Apocalypse is now neutral between humans and mutants. Lady Penance is now their ruler, having given the islands of Hawaii to non-powered race. There are still clashes with remnant forces, but the closest thing to peace has been in acheived. In Buffalo, New York, Logan is now battling for survival. tracking Cyclops, he and his former Minister of Famine, fight to the death. By the end, he stabs Summers in the throat. Jean finds him, though, and attempts to make amends. Unfortunately, Logan is no longer the same person and rejects her. The real plot, though, begins in Earth-616. Kurt Darkholme is no longer satisfied staying in this reality. Having finished his mission here, he determines that it's time to return home. On the last page, he finds the Dark Beast, a version of Hank McCoy in Manhattan, and threatens to kill him unless he sends him back.

001 X-Treme X-Men #12 (This issue has no official ties by the cover, but feeds directly into the X-Termination event and is based placed here, before Allison and her team appear in X-Termination Alpha #1. On a world on the other side of the Multverse, Dazzler and her team have been on a mission to kill ten evil versions of Charles Xavier threatening the universe. They are at the final three on this world, coming to a Sphinx-like monlith where a dimensional rift has grown. The Xavier's have been feeding it slaves to become more powerful. Dazzler and her team strike, but as the battle wanes, the rift becomes increasingly unstable. They cover the disembodied Xavier and he tells them that he never betrayed them, but was forced to comply with the other two. As the rift prepares to destroy this version of the universe, Xavier then teleports them to another universe. On the last page, though, we see three strange figures appearing the place they left behind.) 

002 X-Termination Alpha #1 (Officially begins the event, but follows from Age of Apocalypse #13. Wolverine, leading a team hot on Nightcrawler's trail, tracks Kurt and Dark Beast to the Dreaming Celestial in San Francisco. It's Hank's theory that the Celestial exists in all dimensions at the same time, so if they can get in, getting out to their reality should be much easier. Using Kurt's power, they teleport in, but as they prepare to cross over, something goes terribly wrong. Down below, Shan uses her mind control to stop Dark Beast; Kurt teleports down to fight until there is an explosion above. Somehow, Dark Beast and Kurt end up in Age of Apocalypse, but Hank keeps saying it went terribly wrong. Wolverine and his team (from Astonishing X-Men) follow them through; shortly after, Dazzler and her team (from X-Treme X-Men) appear. Clearly there's a dimensional rift as the denizens from multiple realities argue. But suddenly three beings appear as Xavier attempts to close it down. They disintegrate him, leaving these X-Men to figure the rest out.)
003 Astonishing X-Men #60 (Continues immediately from X-Termination Alpha #1. The fight continues, but the mutants are losing. The three figures are feeding off energy and growing. Karma invades their minds and they learn that all of the dimension traveling and teleportation has freed them, enemies of the Celestials. Iceman manages to freeze them, but once they break free, one of them goes through the portal to Earth-616. Fearing and end to his world, Wolverine jumps with Hercules, Northstar, and his counterpart, Howlett, through the portal after it. The last two break off where one feeds on the portal and the other heads towards the Age of Apocalypse city. Prophet finally reveals his counter-plan: The Apocalypse Seed, which should have enough power to get rid of them. He breaks the team into two, keeping AoA Nightcrawler, Dazzler, Iceman here with Jean, but going through with the others to close the gate.)
004 Age of Apocalypse #14 (Continues from Astonishing X-Men #60, where Wolverine and his team have followed the dimensional eater through the portal. Back on Earth-616, Wolverine, Northstar, Hercules, and Howlett arrive in San Francisco to watch the dimensional creature attacking the Dreaming Celestial. It has now awakened and is fighting for its life.Meanwhile, back in the alternate reality of New Apocalypse, Jean Grey and the rest are doing everything they can to stop the advancement of another dimension eater on the Apocalypse Seed.  Half of them, with Fiend are attempting to halt it, but the now appear to be dead. Once they arrive where the Seed is hidden, though, Jean and Nightcrawler betray the rest of the team. From Prophet's advice, Jean believes she might be able to harness the Seed and use its power to fight off the dimensional intruders. Unfortunately, before she can use it, the evil Hank McCoy leaps in and steals the canister containing the power. And back on Earth-616, Wolverine and his team have managed to cut the feeder from the Celestial, but it's too late. Somehow, the energies coming off it have latched onto the cosmic deity, drawing out its energies.)
005 X-Treme X-Men #13 (Continues from Age of Apocalypse #14.  Hercules now lays dead, having sacrificed himself for time. Meanwhile, the dimension eater, now Celestial sized, grows stronger. And now, things are worse; apparently part of some species, it summons billions more like it to this world. In the Age of Apocalypse reality, they are fairing no better. One of the dimensional eaters is following them and the source of great power, The Apocalypse Seed. But now Evil Beast has stolen it and it's tearing him apart. Teleporting back to his dimension with Howlett and Young Nightcrawler, who dies during this issue. Prophet learns what has happened and convinces their Kurt Darkholme and Jean Grey to teleport in and grab it. The Dimensional Eater makes a grab for the seed, but it hurts him. Now sensing that this artifact may be the key to killing them, the teams make a ploy to gather all of them together for one final destructive act. Jean must now use the seed and become the ultimate weapon against universal death.)
006 Astonishing X-Men #61 (Continues from X-Treme X-Men #13. The Apocalypse Seed has now been consumed by Jean Grey; although she feels the power eating at her, she brings the fight to the Devourers. Meanwhile, and Earth-616, Sage establishes a link to the Celestial Black Box and learns their origin; they are the anti-life creatures, created by The Celestials, and later imprisoned between dimensions. The only solution is to trap them once more. They are teleported back to the reality of the Age of Apocalypse and all is explained. The Prophet has already figured this out; more dimensional eaters are coming and he warns them to leave this domain. His plan is now set in stone: The Age of Apocalypse will be the new prison for the Devourers. All who want to survive will have to leave this universe now.)
007 X-Termination #2 Conclusion (Continues from Astonishing X-Men #61. With Jean fighting the Devourers and Prophet's plan to let their reality die, everyone else begins to leave. Nightcrawler starts teleporting people, one by one. Suddenly, as he turns to take Iceman, Dark Beast jumps in and ends up with them on Earth-616. All that's left is Alison now, and she pleads with Prophet to come with her. He rejects the notion saying he is the captain and must go down with his ship. Before he can utter another word, though, Jean knocks him out from surprise, telling Alison to take him with her. Back on Earth-616, the group is now assembled; they have to close the portal. Nightcrawler suddenly comes up with a suicide plan. He teleports to the portal and teleports it in on itself, creating a "knot" and closing it off. Unfortunately, he appears to have died in the process. Whatever happened on Apocalypse remains to be written. Many heroes have died, but Earth-616 has been saved with the conclusion of this story.)


Checklist
Issues Involved in the event

Age of Apocalypse #13
X-Treme X-Men #12-13
X-Termination #1 Alpha
X-Termination #2 Conclusion




X-Cellent Points
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