Even the most obsessive X-Men fan likely has trouble keeping track of the ever-expanding roster of mutants and the various alternate universes, reboots, spin-offs, retcons, and splinter groups in the X-Men comic book franchise. Thankfully, the good folks at IGN have made that universe a little easier to understand. This sleek new video timeline infographic charts every team member who has served with the X-Men over the past 52 years and offers some historical context on the franchise as well.
It all started in 1963 when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby launched a comic about five crime-fighting mutants and their leader Professor X. Since then the team has expanded to include dozens of members. While names like Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm might be familiar to casual X-Men fans, this video delves deep into X-Men lore to highlight characters like Dazzler (a disco singer), Danger (a sentient version of the X-Men’s training room), and at least three different characters named Thunderbird.
In addition to the video, IGN also offers a written timeline on its site.