Created by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, Earth X is a dark and disturbing take on the Marvel Universe. Released in 1999, the mini-series ran for 12 issues, telling the story of a world where the Avengers are dead, everyone has superpowers, and a Celestial is gestating in the core of the Earth. Nothing in the Marvel Universe is as it was and yet there are still heroes fighting to ensure that humanity (or what it has become) survives. Iron Man, now the last human, has isolated himself from the world, Captain America fights on against a new incarnation of the Skull, and X-51 (aka Machine Man) has become the Earth’s new Watcher.
Alex Ross’s art alone has made the series iconic but it is also a must read part of Marvel history. Earth X had so much success that it was followed up by two additional series set in its dark future- Universe X and Paradise X. Almost every hero ever published by Marvel plays some part in the trilogy, even Rom and the Micronauts who are handled extremely carefully due to the legal issues surrounding them. Earth X and its sequels are sure to be an insightful and fun are for any fan of Marvel history and lore.
