Let’s get this out of the way. If the Marvel Universe put together a tournament to crown the most unlikeable character, our friend Quicksilver would be the #1 seed. Pietro Maximoff — along with his sister, Wanda, the Scarlet Witch — graced us with their presence way back in the original Lee/Kirby X-Men. Pietro has remained brash, impatient, and generally the worst throughout his comic history. He also happens to be a world-class speedster who has spent significant time with the Avengers, the Inhumans, the Fantastic Four, and across various X-Books. Let’s get up to speed.
Related Reading Orders:
The X-Men (Chris Claremont Era)
The X-Men (Modern Era)
1960s – The Twins
Quicksilver starts off on the wrong foot before realizing the error of his ways.
X-Men Epic Collection: Children of the Atom
Collects: X-Men (1963) #1-23
Quicksilver and his sister, the Scarlet Witch, are introduced in issue 4 as part of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. The twins owe Magneto a life debt after he saved the Scarlet Witch’s life, but It is quickly apparent that Magneto’s dangerous ideology is too much for them.
Avengers Epic Collection: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
Collects: Avengers (1963) #1-20
Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch join a new Avengers team as Pietro attempts to be on best behavior.
Avengers Epic Collection: Once An Avenger
Collects: Avengers (1963) #21-40
The new Avengers team struggles to gain footing with Pietro’s challenging personality, not helping matters.
X-Men Epic Collection: Lonely Are The Hunted
Collects: X-Men (1963) # 24-45; Avengers (1963) # 45
Avengers Epic Collection: Masters of Evil
Collects: Avengers (1963) #41-56, Annual (1967) #1-2; X-Men (1963) #45
Magneto abducts the twins and attempts to brainwash them into rejoining the brotherhood.
1970s – The Marriage
This decade is an important period for Quicksilver as his character begins developing outside of the relationship with his sister. It is not great, though, as Quicksilver has an awful personality.
Collects: Avengers (1963) #69-79
Collects: Avengers (1963) #80-88, Incredible Hulk (1962) #140
Collects: Avengers (1963) #89-100.
Collects: Avengers (1963) #101-110, Daredevil (1964) #99, Avengers (1963) #111.
Critically injured in a battle with the Sentinels, Quicksilver is saved by Crystal (and Lockjaw) of the Inhumans. Crystal nurses Pietro back to help, and they fall in love with the intention to get married. Pietro always finds out about Wanda’s relationship with Vision.
Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four 13
Collects: Fantastic Four (1963) #129-141
Crystal’s former boyfriend, The Human Torch, travels to Attilian and does not take her and Pietro’s news well.
Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four 14
Collects: Fantastic Four (1963) #142-150i
The Wedding of Crystal and Pietro has a very special guest, Ultron.
Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four 15
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961) #151-163, Giant-Size Fantastic Four #3-4
As the first non-Inhuman to marry into the Royal Family, Quicksilver is given a mission with Crystal’s life at stake.
Marvel Masterworks: The Inhumans 2
Collects: Inhumans (1975) #1-12, Captain Marvel (1968) #52-53 and material from What If…? #29-30, Marvel Fanfare #14 & Thor Annual #12.
Collects: Avengers (1963) #167-168 and #170-177, and Thor Annual #6
Quicksilver is part of the Avengers team during the wacky Korvac saga.
Collects: Avengers (1963) #181-187.
An important series that sheds light on the twins’ upbringing.
1980s – The Fall
Like most of us, Quicksilver’s life in the 1980s will not be looked back fondly upon.
Fantastic Four Masterworks Vol. 21
Collects: Fantastic Four (1981) #232-240, Annual (1983) #16; Fantastic Four Roast (1982) #1
Fantastic Four Masterworks Vol. 22
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961) #241-250; What If? (1977) #36; Silver Surfer (1982) #1; Marvel Fanfare (1982) #2.
First comes love, next comes marriage, now comes an inhuman-mutant(?) baby in a baby carriage.
Vision & The Scarlet Witch – The Saga Of Wanda And Vision
Collects: Giant-Size Avengers (1975) #4, Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982) #1-4, Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985) #1-12, West Coast Avengers (1985) #2
Quicksilver and Crystal’s marriage falls apart, and the twins learn the truth about their father.
Fantastic Four Epic Collection: All in the Family
Collects: Fantastic Four (1961) #296-307, Fantastic Four Annual #20; Fantastic Four vs. the X-Men #1-4
A crazed Quicksilver kidnaps Alicia Masters. Suffice to say, it’s clobberin’ time.
Avengers West Coast Epic Collection: Tales to Astonish
Collects: West Coast Avengers (1985) #25-37, West Coast Avengers Annual (1986) #2, Avengers Annual (1967) #16, Marvel Graphic Novel (1982): Emperor Doom
Quicksilver attacks the West Coast Avengers, including his sister. Get a hold of yourself, Pietro.
1990s – The Redemption: Take One
The 1990s are Quicksilver’s first redemption after falling from grace. Don’t get me wrong, he is still a curmudgeon, but he at least is trying to do right.
Avengers West Coast Visionaries – John Byrne, Vol. 2: Darker than Scarlet
Collects: Avengers West Coast #51-57 and #60-62.
The unfortunate truth about Wanda and her twins.
Avengers – West Coast Avengers: Along Came A Spider-Woman
Collects: Avengers West Coast #58-59, #63-75
Reeling from the events of Darker than Scarlet, Quicksilver leaves the team.
X-Factor Epic Collection: All-New, All-Different X-Factor
Collects: X-Factor (1986) #71-83, Annual #7; Incredible Hulk (1968) #390-392
Fearing his powers are killing him, Quicksilver turns to the Government-sponsored X-Factor for help.
X-Force Epic Collection: X-Cutioner’s Song
Collects: Cable: Blood & Metal #1-2, Uncanny X-Men (1981) #294-296, X-Factor (1986) #84-86, X-Men (1991) #14-16, X-Force (1991) #16-19, Stryfe’s Strike File #1, New Warriors (1990) #31.
Quicksilver is part of the combined X-Teams trying to unravel the plot of Professor X’s life.
X-Factor Epic Collection: X-Aminations
Collects: X-Factor (1986) #84-100, Annual #8
Magneto’s Acolytes attempt to recruit Quicksilver to their side.
Collects: Avengers #368-369, X-Men #26, Avengers West Coast #101, Uncanny X-Men #307, and Black Knight: Exodus
Quicksilver’s daughter, Luna, is kidnapped as terrorists attempt to stage a war in Genosha.
X-Men/Avengers: Onslaught Vol. 1
Collects: Cable (1993) #32-33, Uncanny X-men (1981) #333-335, X-force (1991) #55, X-man (1995) #15-17, X-men (1991) #53-54, X-men Unlimited (1993) #11, Onslaught: X-men (1996) #1, Avengers (1963) #401, Fantastic Four (1961) #415
X-Men/Avengers: Onslaught Vol. 2
Collects: Cable (1993) #34-35, Incredible Hulk (1968) #444-445, Wolverine (1988) #104, X-factor (1986) #125-126, Amazing Spiderman (1963) #415, Green Goblin (1995) #12, Spider-man (1990) #72, X-man (1995) #18- 19, X-force (1991) #57-58, X-men (1991) #55, Uncanny X-men (1981) #336, Iron Man(1968) #332
Collects: Uncanny X-Men (1981) #333-337, X-Men (1991) #53-57, Onslaught: X-Men (1996), Onslaught: Marvel Universe (1996), Onslaught: Epilogue (1996), Avengers (1963) #401, Fantastic Four (1961) #415, Wolverine (1988) #104, Cable (1993) #3
Pietro returns to the Avengers but is left heartbroken due to the events of Onslaught.
Collects: Quicksilver #1-13, Heroes For Hire (1997) #15-16, Heroes For Hire/Quicksilver Annual ’98
In this rare standalone series, Quicksilver receives a promotion of sorts as he becomes the leader of the Knights of Wundagore.
Collects: Avengers (1998) #1-11.
Quicksilver is one of many candidates brought in for a relaunched Avengers squad.
Magneto Rex (Uncollected)
Collects: Magneto Rex #1-4.
Let’s be honest; this is an incredible name for a series. Also, Polaris and Quicksilver try to spy on Magneto.
2000s – The Son of M
Dammit, Pietro. Things were going so well.
Collects: Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet; Maximum Security #1-3; Avengers (1998) #35-44, Annual 200
Collects: The Ultron Imperative #1, Avengers (1998) #45-56, 1.5.
Collects: House of M (2005) #1-8.
Quicksilver is by the Scarlet Witch’s side as her walls come crashing down around her, leading to the House of M. For more, please check out House of M.
House of M: Fantastic Four/Iron Man
Collects: House of M: Fantastic Four #1-3 and House of M: Iron Man #1-3.
Quicksilver’s life in the House of Magnus is further explored.
Collects: Son of M #1-6.
A Broken Pietro turns to desperate measures after the events of House of M.
X-Factor Vol. 2: Life and Death Matters
Collects: X-Factor #7-12.
Quicksilver’s new powers become a concern for X-Factor Investigations.
Collects: Silent War #1-6.
A brutal confrontation between Black Bolt brutally and Quicksilver set after the events of Son of M.
X-Factor Vol. 3: Many Lives of Madrox
Collects: X-Factor #13-17.
X-Factor continues to keep Quicksilver at an arm’s distance while they try to discover his intentions.
Collects: X-Factor #18-24.
Quicksilver’s plot comes into focus. Can X-Factor stop him in time?
2010s – The Redemption 2: The Quickening
Let’s try this again.
Mighty Avengers by Dan Slott: The Complete Collection
Collects: Mighty Avengers #21-36, Secret Invasion: Requiem
A repowered and redeemed(?) Quicksilver joins the Mighty Avengers.
Collects: Realm Of Kings, Realm Of Kings: Inhumans #1-5, Realm Of Kings: Son Of Hulk #1-4, Realm Of Kings: Imperial Guard #1-5
Quicksilver attempts to make amends to the Inhumans with a gift and finds out about Crystal’s new husband, Ronan the Accuser.
Avengers Academy: The Complete Collection Vol. 1
Collects: Avengers Academy #1-12, Avengers Academy Giant-size #1, Thunderbolts (1997) #147, Material From Enter The Heroic Age #1
Quicksilver becomes a teacher at the Avengers Academy and with one student blackmailing Pietro for extra course work.
Collects: X-Men #12-15, Giant-Size X-Men #1
A tale from the forgotten past, as the first X-Men cross Magneto’s first Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Avengers: The Children’s Crusade
Collects: Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #1-9 & Avengers: The Children’s Crusade– Young Avengers #1
Uncle Pietro gets involved in the conflict over Wanda’s now super-powered twins.
Avengers Academy: Second Semester
Collects: Avengers Academy #21-28.
The Academy seeks help from Magneto, which bristles our surly speedster.
Collects: Avengers vs. X-Men 0-12
The Phoenix is coming! Quicksilver joins the fray as the Avengers and X-Men face off. For more on this event – please see Avengers Vs. X-Men.
All-New X-Factor Volume 1: Not Brand X
Collects: All-New X-Factor 1-6
Quicksilver joins the new corporate-sponsored X-Factor team led by his half-sister Polaris.
All-New X-Factor Volume 2: Change of Decay
Collects: All-New X-Factor #7-12
Quicksilver is a double agent but for once in his life, for good reasons.
All-New X-Factor Volume 3: Axis
Collects: All-New X-Factor #13-18
After a lifetime of acting like Quicksilver, Pietro tries to make amends with his daughter Luna. For more on this event – please see Axis.
Collects: Avengers: MILLENIUM Infinite Comic #1-6; Avengers (1963) #56, #71
The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver find Hydra has built a time portal. Nothing to see here.
Uncanny Avengers Volume 1: Counter-evolutionary
Collects: Uncanny Avengers (2015) #1-5
Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch take a vacation to counter-earth and learn the shocking truth around their history.
Uncanny Avengers: Unity Vol. 1: Lost Future
Collects: Uncanny Avengers (2015) #1-6 & material from Avengers #0.
Uncanny Avengers: Unity Vol. 2: The Man Who Fell To Earth
Collects: Uncanny Avengers (2015) #7-12.
Quicksilver faces off against Ultron, and it doesn’t go well.
Collects: Civil War II #0-8, Free Comic Book Day 2016 (Civil War II) #1. For more coverage, please see Civil War 2.
Uncanny Avengers: Unity Vol. 3: Civil War II
Collects: Uncanny Avengers (2015B) #13-17.
Scarlet Witch by James Robinson: The Complete Collection
Collects: Scarlet Witch (2016) #1-15, Doctor Strange: The Last Days of Magic (2016) #1.
Scarlet Witch tries to unfold the mysteries of her life, so of course, her brother is hanging around.
Uncanny Avengers Vol. 4: Avenge The Earth
Collects: Uncanny Avengers #18-22.
Red Skull has made Quicksilver a hypnotically-programmed sleeper agent.
Collects: Secret Empire #0, Secret Empire #1-10, Secret Empire Omega #1, Captain America #25; material from Free Comic Book Day 2017 (Secret Empire 1).
Quicksilver’s (admittingly suspect) loyalty is called into question as losses start to pile for the Rebellion during the events of Secret Empire. For more on this event, please see Secret Empire.
Uncanny Avengers: Unity Vol. 5: Stars and Garters
Collects: Uncanny Avengers (2015) #26-30.
Quicksilver’s ego has near-fatal consequences for one Avenger.
Collects: Avengers (2016) #675-690
The whole dang Earth is stolen and the only heroes who aren’t left frozen in time is the nearly infinite Avengers bench. A grand finale for Waid Avengers, Ewing’s USAvengers, and the Unity-squad Avengers.
Collects: Quicksilver: No Surrender #1-5.
As the superpowered chess match continues throughout No Surrender, Quicksilver is pulled to a world frozen in time with someone—or something—targeting the important people in his life.
Empyre: Captain America & The Avengers
Collects: Captain America (2020) #1-3, Empyre: Avengers (2020) #1-3.
During the events of Empyre, Quicksilver and Mockingbird and Woman Man, attempt to keep the peace between a temperamental Skrull-Kree alliance. For more on this event, please see – Empyre.
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