X-Men Epic Collection 23 Fatal Attractions prhcomics.com/book/?isbn=9781302956851 Publication Date: 23 Apr 2024
The thrilling saga that commemorated the X-Men’s 30th anniversary!
Magneto tears Wolverine’s world apart! As the terrifying Legacy virus spreads among mutantkind, the X-Men suffer a truly heartbreaking loss. Then, when the messianic madman Magneto returns, offering mutantkind safe haven aboard his asteroid home, which longtime X-Man will join his Acolytes…and why? Secrets of Magneto’s life are finally revealed as the villain’s threat to mankind grows — but when the X-Men face him in a final showdown, both Magneto and Professor X will do the unthinkable! Plus: The Upstarts target Forge! A techno-organic threat rises! Gambit takes center stage in a solo tale that sheds new light on the New Orleans Thieves and Assassins Guilds! And peer deep into the inner workings of the X-Mansion!
Collecting:
Uncanny X-Men (1981) 301-306
X-Men (1991) 24-25
X-Men Unlimited (1993) 2
Wolverine (1988) 75
Gambit (1993) 1-4
X-Men: Survival Guide to the Mansion (1993) 1
520 pages
$49.99 USD, $62.50 CAD
Uncanny X-Men 301 is cover dated June 1993 the same month as Amazing Spider-Man 378, Avengers 363, Fantastic Four 377 & X-Men 21.
X-Factor was on issue 91, Wolverine 60, Excalibur 66, X-Force 23 & Cable 2
Infinity Crusade 1, Thunderstrike 1, USAgent 1 & X-Men Unlimited 1 were all published that month
www.mikesamazingworld.com/main/features/newsstand.php?publisher=marvel&type=cover&month=6&year=1993&sort=alphaX-Men 24 is cover dated September 1993 the same month as Amazing Spider-Man 381, Avengers 366, Fantastic Four 380 & Uncanny X-Men 304
X-Factor was on issue 94, Wolverine 73, Excalibur 69, X-Force 25 & X-Men Unlimited 2
www.mikesamazingworld.com/main/features/newsstand.php?type=cover&month=9&year=1993&publisher=marvel&sort=alpha&checklist=null&variantex=null&collectionex=nullX-Men 25 is cover dated October 1993 the same month as Amazing Spider-Man 382, Avengers 367, Fantastic Four 281 & Uncanny X-Men 305.
X-Factor was on issue 95, Wolverine 74, Excalibur 70, X-Force 27 & Cable 5.
X-Men 2099 started that month
www.mikesamazingworld.com/main/features/newsstand.php?type=cover&month=10&year=1993&publisher=marvel&sort=alpha&checklist=null&variantex=null&collectionex=nullUncanny X-Men 306 is cover dated November 1993 the same month as Amazing Spider-Man 383, Avengers 368, Fantastic Four 382 & X-Men 26.
X-Factor was on issue 96, Wolverine 75, Excalibur 71, X-Force 28 & Cable 6
Transformers Generation 2 started that month and Avengers West Coast turned 100. The Bloodties Event started in Avengers 368 & X-Men 26
www.mikesamazingworld.com/main/features/newsstand.php?type=cover&month=11&year=1993&publisher=marvel&sort=alpha&checklist=null&variantex=null&collectionex=nullCover is X-Men 24 was Uncanny X-Men 305 on preview images
Title is Crossover Event Collected within
Epic 22 finished with Uncanny 3 months behind X-Men: this book opens with Uncanny playing catchup which included events leading into their issue of Fatal Attractions
This is the how thre Fatal Attractions Crossover Event unfolds:
X-Factor 92 - July 93
X-Force 25 - August 93
Uncanny X-Men 304 - September 93
X-Men 25 - October 93
Wolverine 75 - November 93
Excalibur 71 - November 93
So there's X-Factor 92 or X-Force 25, which precede the X-Men's story, or Excalibur 71, which follows it, in this Epic but the X-Men issues and Wolverine, which form the core of the story and are perfectly readable without the other three.
However the entire event will be collected over the whole Epic collection line:
X-Factor 92 - X-Factor Epic 8 X-Aminations
X-Force 25 - X-Force Epic 3 Assault on Graymalkin
X-Men 25 & Wolverine 75 - Wolverine Epic 6 Inner Fury
Excalibur 71 - will be in Excalibur Epic 5 Day of Future Yet to Come, due out December 2024
All 3 issues are more loosely related to the main event but whereas X-Factor 92 & X-Force 25 are more removed, Excalibur 71 serves as an epilogue to the X-Men's involvement and does feature X-Men.
There are MANY other collections of the Fatal Attractions:
The first trade of this event I had had just the basic issues listed above.
A 2012 oversized hardcover, effectively what would be an Omnibus now MASSIVELY expanded on that collecting:
Uncanny X-Men (1963) #298-305, 315 And Annual #17;
X-Factor (1986) #87-92;
X-Men Unlimited (1993) #1-2;
X-Force (1991) #25;
X-Men (1991) #25;
Wolverine (1988) #75;
Excalibur (1988) #71.
In 2016 a new Paperback printing collected it as
Uncanny X-Men (1981) #298-300, #303-304 And #315;
X-Factor (1986) #92;
X-Force (1991) #25;
X-Men Unlimited (1993) #2;
X-Men (1991) #25;
Wolverine (1988) #75;
Excalibur (1988) #71.
I'll be hanging onto that for Uncanny 315 & Excalibur 71 for a while yet. The same contents were used for the Mutant Milestone.
X-Men Unlimited (1993) 2, included in this book and some of the more recent Fatal Attractions compilations is a solo Magento tale.
Gambit (1993) 1-4 is a little after most of the material in this book but not a huge amount:
www.mikesamazingworld.com/main/features/series.php?seriesid=4171&page=galleryDecember 1993 - March 1994 same months as Uncanny 307-310 & X-Men 27-30
I imagine that's in here as it was a better fit than the X-Men's next story Bloodties for the available space - Avengers 306 & the double sized 307, X-Men 26, Avengers West Coast 101 and Uncanny X-Men 307, which is six issues worth.
X-Men: Survival Guide to the Mansion (1993) 1 is a handbook, cover dated August 1993 same month as Uncanny 303 and X-Men 23
www.mikesamazingworld.com/main/features/newsstand.php?publisher=marvel&type=cover&month=8&year=1993&sort=alphaNo X-Men Annual 2? X-Men Annual 2 was published same month as X-Men 25 so that's the first item on out list for X-Men Epic 24
Epic 24 Calculations
(from October 1993) X-Men Annual 2 was published the same month as X-Men 25 that's in Epic 23. (2 issues worth)
(from November & December 1993) Bloodties is Avengers 368 & X-Men 26, Avengers West Coast 101, Uncanny X-Men 307 & Avengers 369. (6 issues worth, 8 total)
December 93: X-Men Unlimited 3 same month as X-Men 307, which is part of Bloodties & counted already, & X-Men 27, which isn't. (3 issues worth 11 total)
January 94: Events in Unlimited continues in X-Men 28 same month as Uncanny 308. (2 more issues, 13 total)
February 94: Uncanny 309 & X-Men 29 (2 issues, 15 total)
March 94: Uncanny 310 & X-Men 30 (2 issues worth, 17 total)
X-Men 30 is Scott & Jean's wedding which brings in X-Men The Wedding Album (17 pages, about an issue's worth, 18 total
Also March 94, the same month as Uncanny 310 & X-Men 30 is Unlimited 4, Nightcrawler, Rogue & Mystique (2 issues worth, 20 issues)
Epic 24 Contents:
Uncanny X-Men 307-310
X-Men 26-30
X-Men Annual 2
X-Men Unlimited 3 & 4
Avengers 368 & 369
Avengers West Coast 101
X-Men The Wedding Album
Shall we push on?
Epic 25 Calculations
April 94: Uncanny 311 & X-Men 31 (2 issues worth, 2 total)
May 94: Uncanny 312 & X-Men 32 (2 issues worth, 4 total)
June 94: Uncanny 313, Uncanny Annual 18, X-Men 33 & Unlimited 5 (6 issues worth, 10 total)
July 94: Uncanny 314 & X-Men 34 (2 issues worth, 12 total)
August 94: Uncanny 315 & X-Men 35 (2 issues worth, 14 total)
May-August 94 is The Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix (4 issues worth, 18 total)
X-Men Annual 3 is same month as X-Men 37 (Uncanny 317) (2 issues worth, 20 total)
Epic 25 Contents:
Uncanny X-Men 311-315
Uncanny X-Men Annual 18
X-Men 31-35
X-Men Annual 3
X-Men Unlimited 5
The Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix 1-4
Epic 26 Calculations
Originally my Epic 26 took us all the way to Age of Apocalypse. However a flaw in my calculations was pointed out which meant Epic 26 had too much in it which has led to me splitting the remaining pre AoA material between two books and loading up with extras a bit.
The main add ins for this Epic are the other X-Book Phalanx issues which I originally left out. I feel happy including them because Life Signs (X-Factor, X-Fore & Excalibur) tells the story of the X-Men's rescue and Final Sanction (Wolverine & Cable) features Scott & Jean's return and Wolverine's first contact with the X-Men after Wolverine 75.
September 94: Uncanny 316 & X-Men 36 (Unlimited 6 is the same month but needs to be placed after Phalanx) (2 issues worth)
October 94: Uncanny 317 & X-Men 37 (2 issues worth, 4 total)
September & October 94: X-Factor #106, X-Force #38 & Excalibur #82 (6 issues worth, 10 total)
September & October 94: Wolverine (vol. 2) #85 & Cable #16 (4 issues worth, 14 total)
(from September 94) Unlimited 6 (same months as Uncanny 316 & X-Men 36 above)(2 issues worth, 6 total)
November 94: Uncanny 318 & X-Men 38 (2 issues worth, 18 total)
December 94: Uncanny 319 & X-Men 39 (2 issues worth, 20 total)
Epic 26 contents:
Uncanny 316 & X-Men 36
Uncanny 317 & X-Men 37
X-Factor #106
X-Force #38
Excalibur #82
Wolverine (vol. 2) #85
Cable #16
Unlimited 6
Uncanny 318 & X-Men 38
Uncanny 319 & X-Men 39
(20 issues worth)
Epic 27 Calculations:
Epic 27 meanwhile gained 2 issues of X-Factor, detailing Legion's activities immediately prior to Legionquest which are marked with the Legionquest branding. Cable 20, which I'd been itching to include anyway, shows what happens to the X-Men when the effects of Legion's deed hit and Wolverine 90 has his return to the mansion and confrontation with Sabretooth that sets up some post AoA material. The limited series were in anyway, I place them pre AOA and the Year of the Mutants Collectors' Preview nicely fills the space with similar material seen elsewhere of recent.
December 94: Unlimited 7 (2 issues worth)
November & December 94: X-Factor 108-109 (2 issues worth, 4 total)
January 95: Uncanny 320 & X-Men 40 (2 issues worth, 6 total)
February 95: Uncanny 321 & X-Men 41 (2 issues worth, 8 total)
February 95: Wolverine 90 & Cable 20 (2.5 issues worth, 10.5 total)
December 94-March 95: Bishop 1-4 same months as Uncanny 319-321 & X-Men 39-41 and Amazing 1 & Astonishing 1 (4 issues worth, 14.5 total)
January-April 95: Rogue 1-4 same months as Uncanny 320-321 & X-Men 40-41 and Amazing 1 & 2 & Astonishing 1 & 2 (4 issues worth, 18.5 total)
February 95: X-Men:Year of the Mutants Collectors' Preview #1 (32 pages, 1.5ish issues worth, 20ish issues total)
Epic 27 Contents:
Unlimited 7
X-Factor 108-109
Uncanny 320 & X-Men 40
Uncanny 321 & X-Men 41
Wolverine 90
Cable 20
Bishop 1-4
Rogue 1-4
X-Men:Year of the Mutants Collectors' Preview #1
(20 ish issues)
And *THAT* does bring us to Age of Apocalypse, with a clean break should X-Men print it in their Epics or skip over it to X-Men Prime and the Road to Onslaught.