• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Crushing Krisis

The Newest Oldest Blog In New Zealand

  • Archive
  • DC Guides
    • DC New 52
    • DC Events
    • DC Rebirth
    • Batman Guide
  • Marvel Guides
    • Omnibus & Oversize Hardcover DB
    • Marvel Events
  • Star Wars Guide
    • Expanded Universe Comics (2015 – present)
    • Legends Comics (1977 – 2014)
  • Valiant Guides
  • Contact!
You are here: Home / consume / comic books / New For Patrons: The Definitive Guide to Marvel’s X-Man, Nate Grey

New For Patrons: The Definitive Guide to Marvel’s X-Man, Nate Grey

November 5, 2018 by krisis

Today’s new guide for Patrons of Crushing Krisis covers an unusual X-Men character, a copy of another character who went one to helm one of the longest-running X-Men solo series before disappearing into the aether (literally) for nearly a decade…

X-Man, Nate Grey – The Definitive Reading Order and Collecting Guide

Let’s get one thing out of the way first: yes, this is really a guide for one 80-issue ongoing and fewer than 50 additional appearances by a character who went forgotten for a decade, and then for another half decade after a brief return.

That’s it! And, yet, X-Man AKA Nate Grey is about to make a major comeback to the world of X-Men, so it was time he got his own guide.

He debuted as part of “Age of Apocalypse” in 1995, and it’s important to remember that this event was quite specifically not an alternate reality at the time. It was the only version of Marvel’s reality that existed in the present day thanks to Legion going back in time to murder his father, Charles Xavier, rather than his target Magneto. (Oops!)

Nate Grey was a critical figure in the Age of Apocalypse – a version of Cable unravaged by time and the TO virus. While our Cable relied on his tactical skill and his leverage over the timestream to thwart his enemies, Nate Grey only needed Cable’s heritage of raw, uninhibited mutant power – the kind that Mr. Sinister had spent years trying to realize in our original timeline.

Age of Apocalypse was well-received and marvelous fun to read at the time. The idea of four of its characters and one of its titles persisting into Marvel-616 continuity was thrill! Of course, it made the most sense for that title to be X-Man, the most unique and singular of all the converted books.

However, there was the question of what to do with Nate Grey. In the Age of Apocalypse he was the most-powerful rebel, but in 616 Marvel he had nothing to rebel against. There was no narrative to welcome Nate Grey to the main Marvel timeline. 

His counterpart Cable was himself a mysterious figure on the outskirts of X-Men continuity with a nebulous connection to his parents Scott and Jean. X-Man became that, but moreso. At least with Cable writers could lean into his military nature to make him a mutant fixer of sorts.

Nate Grey had no such centering narrative device. Writers increasingly leaned into his messianic tendencies, but also his naiveté and lack of allies (except Spider-Man!) leaving him vulnerable. His series was a meandering read then and it remains one today. At the time, I’d spend each month waiting for the big reveal – the plot thread that made bringing Nate back all worthwhile.

In retrospect, I know that it never existed and would never come. Despite the impressive name, X-Man became one of the most tertiary X-titles. Nate had no part in the X-Men, save for his brief intersections with “Operation Zero Tolerance” and a later appearance in Astonshing X-Men (no, not the Whedon one, the “X-Men vs. Apocalypse” lead-in).

It all culminated with Nate Grey abandoning his physical form to disperse himself into the cells of every living being on Earth in issue #75, to the utter non-reaction of the rest of the world.

Of course, that’s an easy death from which a Marvel character can return. It just took a decade to happen, in the pages of Dark X-Men. Nate Grey made a terrific and mysterious loaded gun in the hands of Norman Osborn, but that was quickly defused in the pages of Abnett & Lanning’s New Mutants into just another fish-out-of-water team member.

And then, once again, in 2013 Nate Grey disappeared without a trace – though this time his body was presumably still intact.

Now, in the final months of 2018, Nate Grey appears to be primed to make his return in the pages of the relaunched Uncanny X-Men, as messianic as ever … to be followed by his own event! Will The Age of X-Man mark a permanent closing parenthesis to Nate’s birth in the Age of Apocalypse? Or, will it be a springboard to place him in the position of power in the Marvel Universe it’s always been implied that he deserves?

Tune in to X-Men comics over the next three months to find out!

Want access to this guide today? It’s available in exchange for covering $1.99 a month of CK’s hosting expenses. Those “Pledgeonaut” Patrons now have access to 36 exclusive guides – that’s 1.5 guides per dollar of pledging per year at the Pledgeonauts level!

Current Exclusives For Pledgeonauts ($1.99+/month): 36 Guides!

DC Guides: Animal Man, Aquaman, Books of Magic, Catwoman, Batman – Index Ongoing Titles, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Flash, Justice League, Lucifer, Mister Miracle, Nightwing, Outsiders, Sandman Universe, Suicide Squad, Teen Titans & Young Justice

Marvel Guides: Alpha Flight, Ant-Man & Giant-Man, Champions, Darkhawk, Dazzler, Domino, Falcon, Gwenpool, Legion, Marvel Era: Marvel Legacy, Moon Boy / Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur, Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan, Power Pack, Scarlet Witch, Sentry, Silk, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Venom, Vision, X-Man – Nate Grey

Related posts:

  1. X-Man, Nate Grey – The Definitive Collecting Guide and Reading Order
  2. New For Patrons: The Definitive Guide to Marvel’s Legion, David Haller – The Son of Xavier!
  3. New For Patrons: The Definitive Guide to Marvel’s Domino – star of Deadpool 2!
  4. New For Patrons: The Definitive Guide to Spider-Man, Miles Morales
  5. New For Patrons: The Definitive Guide to Marvel’s Vision
  6. New For Patrons: The Definitive Guide to Marvel’s Ant-Man – every one of them!
  7. New For Patrons: The Definitive Guide to Dazzler!

Filed Under: comic books Tagged With: Marvel Comics, New Comic Guide, X-Man, X-Men

Previous Post: « New for Patrons: The Definitive Guides to The Sandman Universe
Next Post: New For Patrons: The Definitive Guides to Sabretooth and Weapon X »

Primary Sidebar


Support Crushing Krisis on Patreon
Support CK
on Patreon


Follow me on Twitter Contact me Watch me on Youtube Subscribe to the CK RSS Feed

About CK

About Crushing Krisis
About My Music
About Your Author
Blog Archive
Comics Blogs Only
Contact Krisis
Terms & Conditions

Crushing Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Events Guide

Marvel Omnibus Guide

Spider-Man Guide

DC Comics

  • New For Patrons: Guide to Beta Ray Bill
    Creating my Beta Ray Bill Guide answered all my big questions, chief among them being: why is he a walking horse-person dressed like Thor? […]
  • Drag Race France Season 1 Episode 1 – Bonjour, Bonjour, Bonjour: Review & Power Ranking
    Where do the Drag Race France power rankings stand after a debut episode all about getting to know these 10 French queens and their talents? […]
  • D&D 5e-Compatible Kickstarter Round-Up: Adventuring With Pride, Herbarium, Servants of the Lich King, & more!
    A critical look at every D&D 5e-compatible Kickstart project closing by July 4 based on its sales pitch, pledge levels, and in-game offerings. […]
  • Shanice - I Love Your Smile single coverMusic Monday: “I Love Your Smile” by Shanice
    "I Love Your Smile" is a perfect encapsulation of the pure, twinkling, late-80s R&B birthed by Janet Jackson with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. […]
  • on new (old) holidays
    On Friday I got to experience something for the first time I can recall: celebrating a new public holiday for the first time. […]
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 7, Episode 7 – Legendary Legend Looks: recap & power ranking!
    The All-Winners design Legendary Legends Looks inspired by RuPaul's favorite past outfits, and two of them are entirely red carpet ready! […]
  • New for Patrons: Guide to Marvel’s Angela
    From her debut in the pages of Spawn to her secret Asgardian history, I look at the complete comic book history of Neil Gaiman's Angela! […]
  • New for Patrons: Guide to Marvel’s Valkyrie
    Introducing a reading guide to every issue of Marvel's Valkyrie, from classic Defenders member Brunnhilde to the new MCU-inspired Rūna. […]
  • Drag Race France Season 1 – Pre-Season Power Rankings
    Drag Race France's debut season features 10 queens I've never seen before, and I've ranked them all based on their promo looks and Instagrams. […]
  • What makes a good Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition official release or 5e-Compatible supplement?
    There's an ever-increasing amount of D&D 5e-compatible material in the world, but how exactly do you choose what's right for your table? […]

Layout copyright © 2017 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

Links from Crushing Krisis to retailer websites may be in the form of affiliate links. If you purchase through an affiliate link I will receive a minor credit as your referrer. My credit does not affect your purchase price. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program (in the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain), eBay Partner Network, and iTunes Affiliate Program.