"Wolverine and the X-Men" order of events

[Kevin W.]

What comes first, "Wolverine and the X-Men #4-8" or "Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha and Omega"?

[Jason Doty]

I believe Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha and Omega takes place between Wolverine and the X-Men no.3 and 4.

[JephYork]

Any specific reasoning for that?

-Jeph!

[Jason Doty]

Jeph wrote

Any specific reasoning for that?

Yeah, Wolverine and the X-Men no.1-3 takes place on the first day of school, Alpha and Omega says it takes place after that and pushing it after all the events that take place after no.4, seems to push the premise of the story too far back in the chronology.

[JephYork]

In what way?

(Pretend you're explaining this to someone who hasn't read the story.)

-Jeph!

[Jason Doty]

O.k.
Wolverine & the X-Men no.1-3 (First day of school-attacked by the Hellfire Club, Quire meets Broo)

Wolverine & the X-Men no.4-8 (School attacked by alien, while Wolverine's in space with Quire, Wolverine gets crippled, kids save the day to repair Wolverine's legs while Beast is injured by Sabretooth in space)-This whole time Quire is being less anti-social and helping.

Wolverine & the X-Men no.9 (beginning of Avengers vs. X-Men)

While I agree that there is a break between no.8-9. The premise of Alpha & Omega is that Quire wants to prove that he's better than Wolverine and wants him to pay for forcing him to come to the school. By Wolverine and the X-Men no.4 he's kinda excepted his place and even developed some friendships.

A case could be made for between 8-9, Its just my opinion that it should come early in the series. Anybody else got thoughts on this?

[Paul Bourcier]

I agree with you, Jason.

[JephYork]

Editor Nick Lowe informs the Handbook staff that "Alpha & Omega" occurs between Wolverine & the X-Men #4-5.

-Jeph!

[Frans]

How does Nick Lowe explain Kitty's pregnancy at the end of #4? Which is followed up immediately in #5 etc.

It's better to place this as Jason said, between #3 and #4.

And another thing, editors have no strong track record as far as chronology is concerned, so I'm not inclined much to follow up on their statements.

[JephYork]

"The editors" aren't some monolithic Unimind entity who can be lumped together and disregarded in toto. Just because some guys might treat inter-title continuity more loosely than others, doesn't mean we should automatically disregard anything any editor says, in favor of fan theories. Nick Lowe worked on creating both these books; he just might have a grasp of how they fit together. At the very least, this is a statement of *editorial intent*, which can be helpful when chronologizing.

As for your comments -- unless I missed something, Kitty doesn't appear in "Alpha & Omega", does she? And I seem to recall a line from W&X #5 saying that Kitty had been locked in her room for "days", meaning that #5 wouldn't literally follow #4 immediately...

Then again, I don't own the books, and I'm working off memory on the above. But if I'm right, Nick's placement isn't impossible.

(What's more, this placement is reflected in an updated Quentin Quire OHOTMU profile that will be published soon ... I think it's slated for the back of the "Alpha & Omega" HC.)

-Jeph!

[Frans]

As for the editors, I was a bit harsh in my comment, apologies.

I haven't stated that Nick's placement would be impossible, I just think it's better placed between #3 and #4.

You're right on both accounts, though. Kitty Pryde does not appear in "Alpha and Omega" and Rachel states in W&X #5 that she is been in her room for a "couple of days". In those couple of days "Alpha and Omega" can happen, but with all the ruckus and the quarantine it's strange Kitty Pryde stays in her room all the time.