Marvel celebrates AGE OF APOCALYPSE 30th anniversary with new event storyline

Back in March, Marvel announced that industry legend Jeph Loeb would be returning to the House of Ideas write a Revelations Backup Story for GIANT-SIZE AGE OF APOCALYPSE. Loeb of course was one of the architects of the original AGE OF APOCALYPSE storyline from the ’90s. With this year marketing the 30th anniversary of the popular X-Men event, it won’t come as a surprise that Marvel has revealed that Loeb along with artist Simone Di Meo are collaborating on X-Men of Apocalypse, an all-new six-part event series this September.

Here’s how Marvel describes the event:

Mirroring the first Age of Apocalypse saga, X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE will kick off in X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE ALPHA #1, continue through X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE #1-4 starting in November, and conclude in X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE OMEGA #1. A prelude to the event will be featured in Giant-Size Age of Apocalypse #1 next month, where Loeb and Di Meo team up for the one-shot’s special Revelations Backup story.

A dystopian future created when Charles Xavier was killed, AGE OF APOCALYPSE is home to a wartorn group of X-Men led by Magneto. In order to free their Earth from Apocalypse’s cruel reign, they were willing to sacrifice their very existence—or so they thought! The main timeline was restored, Apocalypse was defeated, but their world lived on!

Taking place in the direct aftermath of the original crossover’s explosive finale, X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE reignites the mission of this iconic reality’s X-Men as they journey here to ensure their universe’s survival. This desperate mission will take them into the main Marvel Universe, where they will come into conflict with their classic counterparts, forever impacting both team’s destinies!

Loeb teased what fans can expect:

“Thirty years ago, THE X-MEN OF APOCALYPSE took the comics world by storm and I was lucky enough to be part of it,” Loeb shared. “There were new characters! New designs! Heroes who were villains and villains who were heroes! Now, for the 30th anniversary, an all-new, all-different story with spectacular art by Simone Di Meo brings us to this uncanny team that shouldn’t even exist — and they are coming here! Join Gambit, Sabretooth & Wild Child, Blink, Forge and Morph and more as they try to save one universe without dooming another!”

Di Meo expressed immense excitement about the project:

“Working with a legend like Jeph is really exciting,” Di Meo said. “I’ve known his work for years along with the great impact it’s had on this industry and I’m really honored. Beyond that, I’ve really found a friend and someone who’s passionate about his work so it’s really nice to work with him, Marvel and Tom [Brevoort] together day by day trying to build the best book of my career.

“Being able to touch a legendary story like Age of Apocalypse is unexpected for me, that event has an important place in Marvel history, and being able to enter it and give my own take is absolutely incredible. I’m giving my all to make all the readers happy, from the longtime fans who loved the event in the ‘90s and the new ones who I hope can become just as passionate about it. I’m excited and nervous at the same time!”