Good golly Onslaught is a mega event. You’d think the X-Universe was safe after Age of Apocalypse overturned all of reality, but nope, the story just gets bigger and wider reaching from there.
As it stands, Onslaught is one of the more poorly collected events inside Marvel Unlimited (many issues are missing). There is, fortunately, a reasonably straightforward (for the X-Men) way to navigate the event through collected trade paperbacks (and even an omnibus
I will lay out the trade reading order, and issue by issue comic book reading order for Onslaught below.
Related Reading Orders:
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Onslaught Trade Reading Order
1 — X-Men Road to Onslaught Vol. 1
(Start Here!)
X-Men Prime #1 — This is a great jumping on issue if you’ve just finished Age of Apocalypse
Uncanny X-Men #322
X-Men #42
X-Men #43
X-Men #44
Uncanny X-Men #323
Uncanny X-Men #324
X-Men Annual ’95 #1
Uncanny X-Men #325
X-Men #45
Uncanny X-Men #326
X-Men Unlimited #8
Marvel Swimsuit Special — Has nothing to do with Onslaught, unless of course the villain was secretly powered by the sexual awakening of millions.
2 — X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Vol. 2
X-Men & The ClanDestine #1 — (Listed as X-Men: Clan Destine in Marvel Unlimited)
X-Men & The ClanDestine #2
Uncanny X-Men Annual ’95
X-Men Timelines — Answers a bunch of X-Men history questions, actually pretty fun, like an X-Men encyclopedia
X-Men #46
X-Men #47 — X-babies.. no really.
Uncanny X-Men #327
X-Men Unlimited #9
Uncanny X-Men #328
Sabretooth #1
X-Men #48
X-Men #49
X-Men Hotshots — Bunch of splash page/covers of X-Men, including a Tony Harris Wolverine (omgomgomg)
3 — X-Men: The Road to Onslaught Vol. 3
Uncanny X-Men #329
Uncanny X-Men #330
Archangel #1
X-Men vs. The Brood #1
X-Men vs. The Brood #2
X-Men Unlimited #10
X-Men #50
Uncanny X-Men #331
Uncanny X-Men #332
Wolverine #101
X-Men #51
X-Men #52
Xavier Institute Yearbook — Another nice X-Men encyclopedia style add-in
0 — X-Men: Prelude to Onslaught
(Not Recommended!)
As is the way of the X-Men, the Onslaught collected editions begin with a weird, complex, confusing twist.
Onslaught breaks down like this: There are three “Road to Onslaught” set up books, and then there are four “Complete Onslaught Epic” collections. As you know, the Road to Onslaught collection are above, with the Complete Epic below.
The prelude, then, is a prelude to what are already prelude books. It functions very much like a Wikipedia recap of the X-Men up until this point, with excerpts from comics and a fair amount of overlap with The Road to Onslaught.
As such, I do not recommend starting with this Prelude!
Here are the relevant issues excerpted within the prelude, if you’re interested:
Onslaught Prelude Comic Book Issue Order
Uncanny X-Men #287 (First appearance of Bishop)
X-Men #25 (Part of Fatal Attractions
X-Man #10
Uncanny X-Men #322 (issue is collected in full for Road To Onslaught, Vol 1
Wolverine #93
X-Men #46 (The next two issues are collected in Road to Onslaught Vol. 2
X-Men #49
X-Men #50 (issues is collected in Road to Onslaught Vol. 3
X-Force #52
Uncanny X-Men #331
X-Men Unlimited #10 (This issue’s actually pretty great with Dark Beast vs. Earth-616 Beast! It is collected in Road to Onslaught Vol. 3
Wolverine #100
Generation X #15
Cable #31
Cable #32
Uncanny X-Men #333
X-Man #15
X-Man #16
X-Man #17
X-Men Unlimited #11
Excalibur #99
Cable #33
4 — Onslaught The Complete Epic, Book 1
X-Men #53
Uncanny X-Men #334
X-Men #54
Fantastic Four #414 (The Trade includes literally one page from this issue)
Avengers #400 (Again, one page in the trade)
Onslaught: X-Men
Avengers #401
Fantastic Four #415
Cable #34
Incredible Hulk #444
5 — Onslaught The Complete Epic, Book 2
Excalibur #100
Wolverine #104
X-Factor #125
X-Factor #126
The Sensational Spider-Man #8 (inclusion of this issue kind of hilarious – it’s barely a panel of a tie-in)
Amazing Spider-Man #415
Green Goblin #12
Spider-Man #72
X-Man #18
X-Force #57
Punisher #11
6 — Onslaught The Complete Epic, Book 3
X-Men #55
Uncanny X-Men #336
Cable #35
X-Force #58
X-Man #19
Incredible Hulk #445
Iron Man #332
Avengers #402
Thor #502
Wolverine #105
7 — Onslaught The Complete Epic, Book 4
Fantastic Four #416
X-Men #56
Onslaught: Marvel Universe
Cable #36
Uncanny X-Men #337
X-Men #57
Onslaught Epilogue
Iron Man #6 (as part of Heroes Reborn)
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I originally decided to start reading Comics from the Heroes Reborn era. I enjoyed it but it made me want to understand what happened to lead to such an event. Well I realized it was Onslaught, and that it was an x-men villain.
I started reading x-men just because I really wanted to understand who this super powerful villain is.
Fast forward almost 2 years, I’ve reached the Onslaught saga, after reading EVERY SINGLE x-title or title that has a guess staring and xmen. It was a ridiculous road, but I fell in love with the x-men and I don’t see myself going back to reading random stories and big events, Im too engaged with the x-men.
Thank you CBH, your guides made it possible to start this road. Though lots and lots of what I’ve read never been mentioned here, but it’s understandable. I literally looked for every single comic book out there, and IM SURE I missed at least 25% of what is out there. The most important stuff are in the guide, and your way of structuring these made me understand how to slot in and out comics to make more sense. Without it, I’d probably not understand the x-men universe as I do.
Well. There are 20 plus years to cover, I’m excited.
Thank you CBH, without you I don’t know if I ever got to this point.
Um. You forgot uncanny xmen #335
OK, I’m wrapping up the Onslaught Omnibus. Your reading order through the whole Onslaught era has been invaluable, and my roadmap. But now I see no map ahead for Heroes Reborn and/or Heroes Return. What do I properly read next? I have MU, so that helps. Another map, please!! You are the best, and I will contribute as soon as I can one of these days (blame Social Security not keeping up with cost of living)! Stay well, Sir!
Hey- looking over this list – you are missing Uncanny X-Men #335 which I believe should be placed right after Onslaught: X-Men. Thanks for all the good work you put into this- the site is awesome.