The Phoenix Saga stands as a pinnacle of comic book storytelling, crafted by the legendary duo Chris Claremont and John Byrne. This epic narrative unfolds over a significant portion of their tenure, commencing with the prelude in Uncanny X-Men #98 and culminating in issue #137 with the Dark Phoenix Saga. The third season of X-Men ambitiously adapts this saga, dividing it into The Phoenix Saga with five episodes and The Dark Phoenix with four episodes. Central to this interstellar epic is Jean Grey, brought to life by Catherine Disher’s voice, beginning with a bang in the episode fittingly titled Sacrifice.

The Phoenix Saga spotlights Jean Grey, who, upon being imbued with the cosmic Phoenix Force, experiences disrupted memories and newfound, immense powers. The X-Men are thrust into a mission to safeguard the enigmatic M’Kraan Crystal. The narrative takes a sinister twist in The Dark Phoenix, where Jean’s mind is manipulated by Jason Wyngarde, planting a false history and sparking a psychic duel between Professor X and Emma Frost. This alteration awakens a voracious appetite for malevolence within the Phoenix Force, leading to Jean Grey’s transformation into the formidable Dark Phoenix.

Sacrifice, the saga’s inaugural episode, lays the groundwork for the drama to follow: Professor X’s premonitions prompt the team to hijack a space shuttle, triggering a sequence of events that will irrevocably change Jean Grey’s fate…

In a startling dream, Professor X envisions a cosmic battle, prompting him to urgently gather the X-Men. With Rogue away, he directs them to commandeer a space shuttle to aid Peter Corbeau, who’s besieged by aliens at a space station. The team stealthily infiltrates the shuttle base, leaving Jubilee behind as they launch into orbit. Upon attempting entry to the station, they’re ambushed by knockout gas, courtesy of the treacherous Eric the Red.

Eric the Red, having seized control of the station, reports to Shi’ar emperor D’Ken Neramani, boasting of capturing both the needed astronaut and the X-Men. His attempt to eject the team into space is thwarted by Jean Grey‘s quick thinking. Eric reveals the station’s purpose: monitoring a wormhole for Lilandra Neramani‘s escape from the Shi’ar. As the X-Men engage, Eric commands his enthralled crew to attack. Lilandra’s ship emerges from the wormhole, and Eric targets her with the station’s laser. The X-Men’s counterattack inadvertently damages the station, triggering an explosion.

The team rescues Corbeau and the station’s crew, but their escape is jeopardized by a deadly energy trail from Lilandra’s ship. Beast proposes sheltering in the shuttle’s solar probe to avoid radiation. However, with the auto-pilot destroyed, manual navigation is the only option. Cyclops steps up, but Jean, absorbing the necessary skills telepathically, insists on piloting, securing the team within the solar probe as she steers them through the perilous radiation.

Xavier’s haunting vision of alien ships chasing Lilandra was first depicted in Uncanny X-Men #97, complete with Lilandra’s otherworldly spacesuit.

Gambit, who hasn’t slept yet, remarks that breaking into government facilities isn’t typically on the X-Men’s agenda. Indeed, their last such venture was the doomed mission in Night of the Sentinels.

Dr. Peter Corbeau, a former associate of Xavier’s from the comics, made his debut in Incredible Hulk #148. He’s been a steadfast supporter of Xavier, often providing a haven away from the team. His design for the Project: Starcore spacesuits features a striking and recognizable logo. – if you’re a fan of boldly going somewhere…

The moniker Eric the Red has been adopted by Davan Shakkari, introduced in Uncanny X-Men #97. Both Cyclops and Magneto have donned the disguise on separate occasions.

The episode’s climax, with Jean assimilating Corbeau’s knowledge, incapacitating Scott, and bidding farewell, mirrors the dramatic conclusion of Uncanny X-Men #99, right down to that harrowing final frame.

“HEAR ME X-MEN… NO LONGER AM I THE WOMAN YOU KNEW…”

The Phoenix Saga unfolds as the X-Men embark on a space mission following their clash with Sentinels. Jean Grey, caught in a solar flare, is presumed dead but emerges as the Phoenix, her psychic abilities now immensely magnified. She becomes the saviour of the universe in a battle against the Shi’ar Empire by securing the M’Kraan Crystal. The saga takes a dark turn as she transforms into the Dark Phoenix, annihilating a solar system, which incurs the Shi’ar Empire’s ire.

Live-action adaptations have stumbled, exemplified by films such as X-Men: The Last Stand, which condensed the story, diminished Jean’s powers, and modified crucial elements. In contrast, the animated X-Men series shone brightly. Its third season masterfully adapted the monumental Marvel Comics storyline. Later adaptations have found it challenging to capture the same enchantment, establishing the animated series as the most successful adaptation to date.

Out of the Past (Part 2) | The Phoenix Saga (Part 2): The Dark Shroud