Spoilers for the original Phoenix storyline and its aftermath through the end of the Muir Island Saga. That’s where I’m at in my X-Men reading, so I’m stopping there.

Spoilers for the original Phoenix storyline and its aftermath through the end of the Muir Island Saga. That’s where I’m at in my X-Men reading, so I’m stopping there. I’m a huge fan of the Phoenix storyline from start to finish. I’ve seen it in the movies, I’ve watched it in the shows, and I’ve read it in the comics. It’s one of my favorite time periods in X-Men, and I spent a lot of time with it while reading chronologically. I wanted to give the whole thing some room, because there’s a lot more to it than Jean turning into Dark Phoenix. Jean started as Marvel Girl, one of Xavier’s original students. You get to spend years with that version of her before any of this happens. She already matters to the team, and her relationship with Scott already has a history. Then the shuttle comes down, and she’s the one trying to get everybody home alive. That’s where it starts. She takes the exposed controls during the flight back to Earth while everyone else is sheltered from the radiation. She’s trying to hold everything together long enough to save them, even though it’s killing her. The shuttle crashes into Jamaica Bay, and she comes out of the water as Phoenix. That entrance is such a huge change from the character you’ve been reading. The power, the costume, the way she carries herself. And then she collapses. They still have to get her to a hospital. Whatever has happened to her, the people standing there are worried about Jean. As the story moves into the Shi’ar, Lilandra, D’Ken and the M’Kraan Crystal, you start seeing just how much has changed. The X-Men are suddenly dealing with something that threatens the universe. They can fight the Imperial Guard, and the Starjammers can help them, but the crisis inside that crystal goes far beyond a normal fight. Phoenix is the one who can reach into it and repair the damage. Storm and Corsair help anchor her while she restores the lattice inside the crystal. She saves the universe. That’s a hell of a place to take somebody who started out training with four other kids at Xavier’s school. I think that part matters when talking about everything that comes later. There’s a whole stretch where Phoenix is helping people and saving lives on a scale the rest of the team can barely understand. The story gives you time to see why the X-Men trust her, why Scott loves her, and why the thought of losing her is so hard for them. I already knew where the name Dark Phoenix was eventually going. But reading through the buildup still matters. You see the rise first. You see what she’s capable of when she’s trying to save people. Then you get to watch all of that become something the X-Men might not be able to survive.