E

EARTH X. Published from 1999 through 2003, the Earth X trilogy proved to be both

a reinterpretation of the Marvel Universe and dystopian future story about the end
of the Marvel Universe, written by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross partly as a response
to DC Comics’ Kingdom Come (1996), for which Ross served as the artist. Much
more exhaustive than that venture, this trilogy was broken down into three story arcs
of 14 issues named Earth X, Universe X, and Paradise X. Th ough originally aimed to
explore the mainstream continuity of the Marvel Universe, it deviated signifi cantly
enough to be deemed an alternate Marvel Universe.
While Ross did all the covers, the artwork was drawn by John Paul Leons and inked
by Bill Reinhold in the fi rst series, Earth X. However, for Universe X and Paradise X,
the list of penciler extended to include Brent Anderson, Dougie Braithwaite, Jackson
Guice, Steve Pugh, Ron Randall, Steve Sadowski, Th omas Yeates, and Steve Yeowell.
Additionally, the series was unusually text-laden with often two to six pages of text in
the appendix of each issue. Th ese pieces carried on conversations among main charac-
ters that followed up with diff erent pieces of the chapter or set the scene for the next
chapter.
Th e narrative begins in the near future with one X-51 (also known as Machine Man)
being transplanted to the moon by Uatu, the Watcher of Earth. X-51 soon learns that
he has been brought there to play the role of Watcher since Uatu has been unexpectedly
blinded. On Earth, a destitute and disillusioned Captain America rallies together the last
of the world’s heroes to fi ght against the boy known as the Skull, the last telepath alive,
who is controlling most of the world’s superheroes to do his bidding. Scott Summers
looks to revive the X-Men while Mr. Fantastic, dressed as Dr. Doom, helps the Inhu-
mans’ King Blackbolt fi nd their hidden child on Earth. Th e entire human population