The X-Men (1963)

With Wolverine and Nightcrawler captives of Alpha Flight, Cyclops leads Colossus and Storm to the exhibition grounds for the Calgary Stampede.

The X-Men make their final stand against Alpha Flight for the stake of Wolverine!

Cyclops, Storm and Colossus find where Alpha Flight are holding Wolverine and Nightcrawler and break in. A huge battle starts between the two groups, and Shaman locks up the place with magic, so Banshee, Colleen Wing and Misty Knight or the authorities couldn't enter. Shaman summons a storm, but without total control of his powers, the weather goes crazy and the entire Canada starts to suffer. The storm gets out of control and it's up to Storm save everyone with all his powers. At the end, Wolverine realizes that Alpha Flight only wants him, and surrender. The battle stops and they take Wolverine as prisoner, but he manages to escape and flies home with X-Men.

Colossus is pushed to his limits by his teammates...can he save them in time? Plus, who has been hired to end the X-Men?

Peter has psychological problems dealing with his inadequacy in the group, and well as his doubts of being an X-Man, which are affecting his performance. Wolverine has a pep talk with him.

Ororo makes a visit to her old Harlem apartment, in the vague hope that her parents have survived, only to be confronted by the thugs and addicts of the streets.

Meanwhile, Black Tom and The Juggernaut are back, and have hired assassin Arcade to murder the X-Men.

Welcome to Murder World. When Arcade kidnaps the X-Men, can the Amazing Spider-Man save his friends from the deadly confines of Arcade's game?

Spider Man is swinging around when he pass above Cyclops and Colleen Wing and say hello - Cyclops still thinks that Jean is dead. Suddenly a truck captures the couple, and Spider Man realizes that that truck belongs to Arcade, and calls Mansion X to warn the X-Men, but is Arcade who actually answer the phone. He had already captured Storm, Banshee and also Colossus and Nightcrawler with their dates Betsy Wilford and Amanda Sefton. After having a dinner with Mariko Yashida, Wolverine is also captured by Arcade's minions.

When the X-Men awake they are all inside some strange balls traped in a giant arcade machine, at Arcade's Murderworld Theme Park. Each one of the X-Men is then send to a different kind of trap - Cyclops is in a room with 3 doors and a moving wall, Colossus is at a room with a fake Russian Colonel Alexei Vazhin that tells him he is a traitor to join X-Men, Wolverine is inside a glass room with living images that attack him, Banshee is still with damaged vocal cords inside a World War II air battle, Nightcrawler is in another room with alive bumping cars attacking him, and finally Storm is in a flooding chamber. Cyclops manages to escape destroying the wall instead of the door and find Wolverine, but suddenly Colossus strikes out and attack them both saying that they are all traitors of Russia. At his room Arcade is laughing...

Note: The Cockrum-illustrated title box on the cover is replaced by a Byrne -pencilled one in this issue. Byrne wanted to wait until he'd drawn as many issues of the X-Men as Cockrum did before he changed it.

Arcade has brainwashed Colossus and he may very well be the most dangerous part of Murderworld for the X-Men.

Arcade is at his room watching the X-Men and tells Colleen about his childhood, when he was a very rich boy and his father stop giving him money. He killed his parents and liked the feeling, then became a professional assassin, but got bored and started to bild this Murderworld. He tells that it were Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy who hired his services to kill the X-Men.

One by one, the X-Men manage to escape their trap, helping eache other in their way. The X-Men have barely escaped their challenges when they are beset upon by PROLETARIAN, a brainwashed Peter who now believes he is the hero of the Soviet State! At the end, Arcade realizes that the X-Men had won he's game this time and release them.

Jean is now residing on Muir Island with Alex, Lorna and Jamie, where Moira MacTaggert can begin testing on her strange Phoenix powers. In the shadows, a man that once was Angus MacWhirter is hidden and hungry. Jean still thinks her friends X-Men are all dead, including Cyclops, the man she loved.

Meanwhile, the X-Men are training hard in Danger Room and Wolverine angered with Scott. In Shiar Empire, Xavier has known about Jean and the Phoenix Force and is concerned, as much as Moira is in Muir Island. Then Moira realizes that the Mutant X had escaped from his prison and her mental scream gets to Jean, who flies toward her. Suddenly, Jean is transported to the 18th century with another outfit, but quickly returns and is attacked by Angus, who knocked her down.

Back at X-Mansion, the X-Men have just been re-united with the Beast, excited with the knowledge that both he and Jean have survived the Magneto ordeal, when they get a call from Lorna asking them to help with a mysterious attacker!

The X-Men find out that their mystery attacker MUTANT X is none other than Moira MacTaggert's own son, Proteus, a mutant who constantly needs new "host" bodies to survive. He had escaped from his prison and "absorbed" Angus MacWhirter's body when he broke in the research center. Moira tells the X-Men that his son only has two weakness - iron and the need of new bodies to drain energy off.

They begin a search of the area, where Jean has another "episode" with Jason Wyngarde, the man who is slowly manipulating her to his whim . Meanwhile, Nightcrawler, Wolverine and Storm have come face to face with the enemy, who now has the ability to warp reality itself! When Proteus tries to take Wolverine's body, the adamantium stops him and Storm arrives, but the X-Men discover that Proteus has the power of disturbing reality and are defeated.

Note:

• This issue contains the Hostess ad The Incredible Hulk and the Ultimate Weapon!

Moira frightens off Proteus with a rifle and iron bullets, just as he is about the deliver the final blow to Storm. The team regroups and Cyclops engages the members into a tussle, just to make sure there are no lasting effects on them after going up against Proteus, especially Wolverine, who was frighten off by Proteus powers. For the first time Wolverine respects Cyclops as a leader.

The team finds Proteus in Edinburgh, where he has come to kill his father, Joe MacTaggert, husband of Moira. Proteus takes the body of his father just as the X-men arrive for the final battle!

Notes:

• This issue contains the Hostess Superhero Ad, Captain Marvel VS Professor Sneer

The X-Men are in Edinburgh fighting Proteus, who is inside his father body and holding dis mother Moira captive. Proteus uses his power to disturb reality. The X-Men have to save civilians from the wild city that attacks them. Cyclops decides to weaken Proteus and orders Storm to cool him off, but Proteus traps her in a crystal and Wolverine has to save her. Banshee shoots him but Proteus again reacts and drops Banshee inside a big hole in the ground. Nightcrawler goes after him and saves him, but Proteus tries to close the hole and they almost get killed falling after a quick teleportation and Polaris has to save them. Phoenix then attacks Proteus but is also defeated and Wolverine slashes him with his adamantium claws. Weakened by so many attacks and by adamantium, Proteus couldn't react when Cyclops and Havok attack him together. Suddenly, Prototeus escape again and goes after Moira. At the last moment, Colossus serves as a bait and when Proteus tries to posses his human body, he turned himself into organic steel and kills Proteus.

Kitty Pryde has been offered scholarships at both the Xavier Institute and Emma Frost's Massachusetts Academy. Where will she go? Plus, the X-Men engage... the Hellfire Club!

The X-Men leave Muir Island in Scotland, but Banshee decides to stay with Moira. Havok and Polaris still think they don't belong with the X-Men, and also stay behind with Madrox. During the flight, Jean has visions about her past with Jason Wyngard again, and it is even more real than last time. When they finally get to the Mansion X, sensors warn that there's a person inside, but when they enter, it's Professor X, back from the Shiar Empire. After some days of rest, Jean still thinks she can't control the Phoenix Force and is afraid. Professor X is having problems training the X-Men, treating them like children as he used to do with his first students. Cyclops tries to argue that they are all grown men now, specially Wolverine and Storm, but Xavier doesn't want to listen. Suddenly, cerebro alarm goes out and there is two new mutants detected, one in New York, to which Xavier sends Jean, Cyclops and Nightcrawler, and another in Chicago, where Xavier goes with Storm, Colossus and Wolverine. Xavier says he will use the trip to know his new students better.

Meanwhile, in the Hellfire Club in Chicago, Wyngarde is watching everything happening in X-Mansion, with Sebastian Shaw, Harry Leland, Donald Pierce and Emma Frost, all members of the Inner Circle.

In Chicago, a young girl named Katherine Pryde is arriving home after school, and Emma Frost is at her place talking with her parents about a school in Massachusetts. Kitty says she's having headaches again and goes to her room. Surprisingly, she appears back in the living room after a huge headache. Soon after Emma leaves, the X-Men arrive with Professor X and invite Kitty to join his school. They went to an ice cream place and Kitty soon becomes friends with Ororo and likes Peter very much. Suddenly, the window crashes and three armored guys enter and attack the X-Men. During the battle, Wolverine realizes that the enemies know them and are prepared for their powers, and changes targets with Storm. That works and they win the battle, but during the fight Kitty passes through the walls and discovers she has some kind of power. Then Emma Frost uses her mental powers to knock out the three X-Men and captures them. At the end Kitty Pride follows the group using her power to enter the hovercraft.

Note: This is the first appearance of the popular X-men Kitty Pryde, Carmen Pryde, Terri Pryde, Donald Pierce, Harry Leland, and Emma Frost (who was a villain during her first appearances). And one of the greatest X-men-villains, Sebastian Shaw.

Phoenix and Cyclops are on the hunt for a new mutant when they are attacked by a group of Mandroids who are eerily familiar with their power sets. Plus, Kitty Pryde escapes!

Cyclops, Jean Grey and Nightcrawler were sent to a night club in New York City to investigated another mutant detected by Cerebro. In Chicago, Emma Frost had captured Xavier, Colossus, Wolverine and Storm and is talking to Sebastian Show, when Kitty Pryde sneaks in through a wall in the room and listens to the talk. When Emma leaves the room she talks to Storm, who gives her a phone number to call backup from the X-Men. Kitty is discovered by Hellfire Soldiers, but she escapes jumping through the ground.

Back in NY, Jean is having those dreams again about her ancestor, now she was getting married with Jason Wyngard and when she kissed him, in real life she is actually kissing a guy just like her dreams. Cyclops sees it and thinks Jean isn't acting like herself anymore. Suddenly the show starts and a beautiful girl starts to sing, dazzling with thousands of lights. At same time the Mini-Cerebro devide in Cyclops's watch starts to beep, showing that this girl is a mutant. Outside, inside the X-Men's Rolls Royce, the phone rings and Nightcrawler answers a frightened Kitty. At same time, a Hellfire Soldier attacks Nightcrawler knowing his mutant power very well and using a sonic blast just like Cyclops did in Danger Room the other day. Inside the club, two more Soldiers attack and defeat Cyclops and Jean, also knowing very well their powers. Then, the singer, Dazzler, uses her powers to make light and helps Jean and Cyclops, who with the help of Nightcrawler defeat the bad guys. The X-Men run away in their car and Cyclops sees the guy who had kissed Jean in the streets, and there is something wrong with his shadow at the wall.

The X-Men have rescued Kitty Pryde. Now it is time to take the fight to the White Queen and rescue their comrades. Prepare for a psychic battle between Emma Frost and Phoenix!

Kitty Pryde is hunted down by the White Queen’s Hellfire Club Guards, but is saved by the X-Men. Kitty leads the X-Men to the White Queen’s complex and Kitty phases to the chamber where Wolverine and Colossus are being held and frees Wolverine. The X-Men take out the Hellfire club Guards, while the White Queen attempts to destroy Storm’s mind but is prevented by Phoenix. The White Queen and Phoenix then engage in a psychic battle. Just as Phoenix is about to win, Emma detonates the lab. Phoenix saves herself and Storm, but the White Queen seemingly was killed in the explosion. Later, the X-Men say their goodbyes to Dazzler. Kitty’s parents are about to make a scene, until Phoenix, annoyed, modifies their memories, an act which leaves Cyclops and Storm worried about the changes in Jean.

Synopsis

Using Angel's Hellfire club membership, the X-Men infiltrate a club event, only to be met with extreme force. Can the X-Men survive this battle? Will Jean finally become the Black Queen?

Plot Summary

Cyclops takes the X-Men to Angel’s New Mexico home, because he thinks someone might be spying on the X-Mansion and Danger Room, since the Hellfire Soldiers know too much about their powers and strategy. He also wants to talk to Angel about Jean's new powers and personality. There, he learns that Warren too is a member of the Hellfire Club, a club for the rich and powerful. Angel gets them invitations for the Hellfire Club’s big anniversary party.

The X-Men attempt to sneak in, but they are quickly spotted. Jason Wyngarde separates Jean from Scott and gains complete control over her mind. Scott chases after them and realizes that Wyngarde is actually Mastermind. He's used his power of illusion to turn Jean into the Black Queen and he makes her attack Cyclops. The Hellfire Club's Inner Circle attacks the rest of the X-Men. Harry Leland, a mutant who has the powers of increasing mass, causes Wolverine to crash through the floor where he's swept away in the storm drain. Sebastian Shaw is also a mutant with the power to absorb kinetic energy, and he uses this skill to defeat Storm. Donald Pierce is a cyborg with incredible strength who uses it to subdue Colossus. After the X-Men have all been captured, the Inner Circle congratulate themselves and raise a toast to their Black Queen. In the raging storm drains below the mansion, Wolverine resurfaces and he's ready for a rematch.

Cyclops desperately tries to reach out to Jean and bring her out of her dark transformation. But Mastermind has other plans and attacks Cyclops on the astral plane! Can Scott survive death in this psychic realm?

The Inner Circle has shackled up the X-Men. Cyclops tries to snap Jean Grey out of her role as Black Queen by reaching her through their rapport between them. Mastermind becomes aware of this, and kills Cyclops on the astral plane.

Wolverine attacks and badly injures several Hellfire Club mercenaries. Trying to find a way to his teammates, he runs into several Hellfire Club servants who attack him.

On Muir Island, Moira fears for Jean, as the latest tests show that Phoenix is now tapping into limitless power levels. At Angel's place, Xavier feels he had failed with Cyclops and his new X-Men.

Cyclops has survived! The X-Men retaliate against the Hellfire Club - this time with the power of the Phoenix on their side. But not everything is as it seems with Jean. Enter: Dark Phoenix!

Cyclops has been killed by Mastermind on the astral plane and his body has became weak, but he is still alive. Wolverine breaks into the room with his captured teammates and Mastermind orders Jean to kill Wolverine. Unaware to Mastermind, Jean has broke free of his control and while she attacks Wolverine she frees Cyclops. Cyclops quickly frees the other X-Men guided mentally by Jean. The X-Men then attack the Inner Circle. Cyclops shoots the ground above Sebastian Shaw avoiding hitting him and sending him undergrounds. There Nightcrawler only distract Shaw, because if he hits him, he gets stronger and then Storm freezes him. Colossus tries to attack Donald Pierce in his human form and is kicked away, then with his body transformed, Colossus breaks Pierce's robot arm but gets blinded by him. Mastermind chooses to camouflages himself and wait. Wolverine jumps in Harry Leland with his claws and when the mutant uses his powers to increase Wolverine's body mass, is knocked out by him.

Meanwhile, in Avengers Mansion, Beast receives a call from the police about an attack at Hellfire Club by the X-Men. He decides to erase the call and investigate it by himself.

Shaw and Pierce decide to retreat and fight the X-Men another time, because this battle they had already lost. Elsewhere, Mastermind, trying to slip away unnoticed, is confronted by Jean with intent on revenge, mentally drives Mastermind mad by showing him how big could be universal power.

The X-Men flee in their plane, but the manipulations of Mastermind has turned Jean into the Dark Phoenix and she blows up the plane.

Jean Grey has become the Dark Phoenix, a corruption of the cosmic entity bonded to Jean. Now the Dark Phoenix seeks to destroy everything in its path! What can the X-Men do to defeat it? Must they kill Jean Grey?

The Dark Phoenix explodes the Blackbird, sending the X-Men to the ground. They all manage to fell safety only to be attacked and easily defeated by Dark Phoenix. She turns into Colossus back to his human form and turns gold a tree that he was holding and it fell over him and Wolverine. Then she easily makes Storm, Nightcrawler and Cyclops to pass out.

Meanwhile in the Hellfire Club Senator Robert Kelly and Sebastian Shaw are talking about how dangerous are the X-Men and that they had attacked the club (last issue) and injuried two members - Harry Leland and Jason Wyngarde). Sebastian Shaw also talks about new Sentinels to defeat the X-Men with Senator.

Then, the Phoenix Force explodes into the sky. This giant burst of energy awakes Mr. Fantastic's radar, Spider-Man's spider-sense, and Dr. Strange and Silver Surfer's feelings.

The Dark Phoenix then flies into space, passing through Avergers Quinjet and Beast, who had decided to help the X-Men by himself without the Avengers. Professor Xavier (at Angel's Aerie) and Moira MacTaggert (with Banshee at Muir Island) also felt the increase of Phoenix Powers, and that she is out of control.

Phoenix then flies through Star Core One and Peter Corbeau also detects it. She then goes beyond Jupiter and creates a portal out of Milk Way. In a far away galaxy, she destroys a star to recharge her energy. The explosion of the sun causes an entire inhabitated Planet to burn and 5 billions people get killed. A Shi’ar battleship watches the explosion and decides to attack the Dark Phoenix. She easily destroys them, but not before they send a transmission to Empress Lilandra.

On Earth, the X-Men are joined by Beast and plan what to due with the Dark Phoenix. Suddenly Cyclops senses her inside his mind - She is coming back to Earth and is hungry!!!

The Dark Phoenix has defeated the X-Men. Who remains with the power to oppose her? In a last ditch effort, Professor X enters the fray!

After consuming a star and killing 5 billion people in a far away galaxy, Dark Phoenix returns to Earth. Meanwhile, at Shi'ar Empire, Empress Lilandra calls a meeting with her council and they decide that for the Universe could survive Phoenix must be destroyed!

Back to Earth, Peter Corbeau had told US President Jimmy Carter that an huge amount of energy has been flying towards Earth and that something must be done. The President calls the Avengers, but it is Jarvis who answers the phone, because Beast had left the mansion after a call from Hellfire Club about the X-Men (The X-Men #134). Inside Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Beast is working in a device to weaken Phoenix when they meet again. One more time Cyclops is trying to control his emotions about the terrible situation they are about Jean. At Danger Room, Nightcrawler, Colossus and Wolverine are in a hard training session trying not to think about Jean.

Jean arrives at her parents house at Annandale-on-Hudson and sneaks into the house. Her father John wakes up and is happy about seeing his daughter, but inside his thoughts he is scared, just like her mother and sister. Jean couldn't avoid reading their thoughts with her huge powers and gets very mad. She changes a plant into crystal and shouts at her parents, and then her father says she isn't his daughter any more, making her even more mad. The X-Men arrive, with Storm creating a fog outside the house and when Phoenix leaves outside, Nightcrawler puts Beast's device at her head. The X-Men fight Phoenix one by one and are all defeated because they still see Phoenix as Jean. When Cyclops arrives, the Phoenix is weaken but had imprisoned the other X-Men. Cyclops manages to talk her back to Jean's mind and feelings, and at this time Xavier arrives and hits her with a mental blast. Phoenix awakes again and has a huge mental fight with Professor X.

At the end, Xavier wins the battle with the help of Jean, and put a block inside her mind.

Cyclops proposes to Jean when she awakes and she says yes, but when they all were happy, they suddenly disappear in front of the Greys.

Notes:

• The cover is a homage of the cover of Baffling Mysteries #7.

It's the Shi'Ar versus the X-Men in an epic duel on the blue area of the Moon! Winner decides the fate of the Dark Phoenix! Can Cyclops save his love? Or is she doomed to die at the hands of the Shi'Ar?

The Watcher starts this issue talking about Phoenix background - this only should be a warning that this issue is special for the Marvel Universe.

The X-Men were transported from Earth last issue, and now find themselves on a Shi’ar ship in the presence of Lilandra, Araki and Gladiator. The X-Men are ordered by Lilandra to hand over Jean, as she is a threat to the whole universe. Gladiator tells everyone what the Phoenix had done to an entire world after destroying a star. Xavier challenges Lilandra to a duel for the life of Jean Grey. After Lilandra talks to her allies at this subject - the Supreme Intelligence from the Krees and Empress R'Kll from the Skrulls, she acept the challenge.

The X-Men have one night to rest before the battle of their lifes. Jean is alone at her room and thinks about what she had become and had done as Phoenix. While training Nightcrawler is questioning if he should help Jean or not, because what she had done to that planet and its people. He suddenly fells from the walls but is helped by Angel, who also has doubts about Jean. Wolverine is at his room thinking about the battle and that no matter what happens, he would choose Jean. Beast is in enjoying a bubble bath thinking about what Lilandra did, imposing Jean's death without even a trial. Colossus wakes up in his room thinking about Jean's love and Phoenix's hate, and that they are two different person and do not deserve the same destiny. Storm also wakes up thinking about Africa, her life with the X-Men and about Jean, who is almost a sister to her and she will defend to the death. And finally Cyclops is starring at Earth from a window and also thinking about his fate as X-Men leader and Jean's lover. Cyclops thinks he understands Lilandra's decision but he couldn't just give Jean away without a fight. Then Jean enters his room wearing her old Marvel Girl costume. They kiss and tell how much they love each other.

Later the X-Men and the Imperial Guard are teleported to the Blue Area of the moon where they will battle. The Krees and Skrulls say that they should have judges at the battle, and then the Kree Bel-Dann and the Skrull Raksor are sent to the Moon also.

Angel tries to fly over the camp battle but in a place with low gravity his wings are stronger and he almost fly of the moon, being helped by Storm. Cyclops devides the team in two and each group fight against some members of the Imperial Guard. Starbolt shoots fire at Cyclops, Jean, Nightcrawler and Angel's group, while Oracle, Manta and Smasher attack them. In another place, Warstar attack Colossus and Beast while Gladiator throws Storm and Wolverine away. Wolverine fells inside the Watcher domaisn and is banned from there. Storm is then attacked by Earthquake and defeated by Hussar. Oracle disoriented Angel and Smasher throws him to a tunnel and Nightcrawler jump after him. At the ground he encounters Manta, and she quickly defeats him. Wolverine is then attacked by Raksor in the shape of Storm, but he senses that something is wrong and attacks the skrull. Bel-Dann helps him and that starts a battle between the Kree and the Skrull. Colossus defeats C'cil but B'nee defeats Beast and Gladiator shows up to punches Colossus. After a huge battle between the two, Gladiator is the winner.

Cyclops and Jean are the last X-Men to remain. Cyclops is then taken down and this causes the Dark Phoenix to reemerge. Professor Xavier then realizes that the things have gone too far and that he has to save the Universe. He tells the X-Men to fight her and they do. After she became weakened, Colossus stops a punch that would have killed her and then Jean takes control one more time. Jean asks Cyclops to kill her, because she couldn't stop the Phoenix Force and that she is frightened but one part of her like that feeling of power. At the end she kills herself in front of Cyclops, unwilling to take the risk of ever harming another life again. The Recorder tries to understand why she had done that, and the Watcher tells him that she did because she was still human, the only race capable of self sacrifice. The Watcher also says that even the X-Men never realize, this is the greatest victory of their lives.

Cover used as a homage on, among others, Exiles vol.1 issue 4.

Following the events of the Dark Phoenix Saga, the X-Men lay jean Grey to rest. After losing the woman he loves, Cyclops quits the X-Men.

The X-Men ( Beast, Angel, Cyclops, Professor Xavier, Colossus, Banshee, Storm, Nightcrawler and Wolverine), along with John and Elaine Grey, Lilandra and Moira are at Jean’s funeral and Cyclops takes a trip down memory lane:

He thought about the first X-Men team, the day when Jean arrived at Mansion X and their first mission against Magneto ( issue #1); about the fight against Vanisher, Blob, the Brotherhood and Namor (issues #2, #3, #4, #5, #6). He thought on how much he loved Jean since the beginning but couldn't talk to her because his power and responsibility leading the X-Men. Their encounter with Ka-Zar in the Savage Land ( Issue #10), with the alien named Stranger ( Issue #11) and with Juggernaut, who they had beaten with the help of Human Torch (issues #12 and 13). The arrive of Sentinels and Bolivar Trask final sacrifice (issues #14, 15 and 16). Then he remembered about many foes that the X-Men had fought against, like Mimic ( issue #19), Lucifer ( issue #20) Count Nefaria and Maggia (issues #22 and 23), Cobalt Man ( issue #31), Locust ( issue #24), Kukulcan (issues #25 and 26), Maha Yogi ( issue #30), Banshee as a member of Factor Three ( issue #28) and the Super Adaptoid ( issue #29).

Again Scott thinks about Jean and their first kiss, but then new and old foes and some friends had arrived at their lives: Dr. Strange, Spider-Man ( issue #35), Mekano ( issue #36), Juggernaut, Tyrannus and Mole Man ( issue #34) and the Mutant Master leader of Factor Three ( issue #37). The the X-Men had fought against a strong creature called Grotesk, that killed Professor Xavier at issue #42. Cyclops became then the real leader of X-Men, they found Lorna Dane (Polaris, issue #49), fought Mesmero ( issue #50) and again Magneto. Cyclops told everyone that he had a brother, Alex, who was also a mutant and then they had to fight the Living Monolith for Alex's life (issues #54, 55, 56). They fought against the Sentinels again, with Larry Trask leading them ( issues #57, 58 and 59) and then against Sauron (issues #60, 61 and 62) and again with Magneto at Savage Land ( issue #63). At issue #64 they fought against Sunfire, and next issue they discovered that Professor X was alive, and that it was Changeling who had died before, just in time to have one huge battle against an alien race, called Z'Nox.

The new X-Men had arrived (Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler and Thunderbird, together with Sunfire and Banshee) and fought against Krakoa - Giant-Size X-Men. The old members but Cyclops had left the team, and the new X-Men fought against Count Nefaria again, just to had one of the new guys killed in battle - Thunderbird at issue #95. The Sentinels had showed up again ( issue #98) and after a few issues and a long battle it ended up with Jean Grey sacrifice in order to save all the X-Men from solar radiation ( issue #100), and unfortunately that made Jean become the Phoenix ( issue #101). The X-Men then fought against Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy (issues #102 and 103) and again Magneto ( 104). Then Princess Lilandra had arrived at Earth asking the help of Professor X and the X-Men in her Shi'ar world (issue #104) and the X-Men was forced to go to Shi'ar Empire and fight against their Imperial Guard ( issue #107). Phoenix had used her huge power to stop an Armageddon and had saved the Universe ( issue #108). Back on Earth, Wolverine had fought an old Canadian friend Weapon Alpha ( issue #109), then they had fought Mesmero and Magneto again (issues #110, 111, 112 and 113) and at the end the team had split up.

Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Banshee had escaped towards Savage Land, and there they fought Sauron again ( issue #115) and with the help pf Ka-Zar battled Garokk ( issue #116). The they went to Japan and battled Moses Magnum (issues #118 and 119). Then they went to Canada to fight against the Alpha Flight (issues #120 and 121). They fought against Arcade at Murderworld (issues #123 and 124). The X-Men fought against Proteus, Moira's son and a mutant capable of controlling reality (issue #127 and 128).

In the meantime Mastermind had started a plot in the mind of Jean Grey, helped by the inner circle of Hellfire Club, and that finishes with Jean becoming the Dark Phoenix. (Issues # 129- 135). That event leads toward the suicide of Jean Grey at the Moon, after fighting against the Imperial Guard of Lilandra (last issue).

Afterwards, Cyclops decides to leave the X-Men.

In the meantime, Kitty Pryde becomes the newest student at Xavier’s School.

Welcome to the X-Men, Kitty Pryde... hope you survive the experience. Plus, Alpha Flight shows up looking for Wolverine.

After a Danger Room session where Angel realizes he is really out of form, and almost got Nightcrawler injured, but Storm, Wolverine and Colossus help Nightcrawler and the tell Angel they'll all help him. Professor X and Kitty Pryde was watching and she is a little scared, and at the end she receives her codename, Sprite.

Storm takes Kitty to a dance lesson with Stevie Hunter.

Wolverine takes Nightcrawler and return to Canada to make peace with Alpha Flight and Department H. After meeting with Heather Hudson, the two X-Men learn that half of Alpha Flight is up north, dealing with some creature. Wolverine realizes that the creature they are after is the Wendigo and decides to help Shaman, Snowbird and Vindicator (James Hudson with a new costume and nickname). Nightcrawler unloads their gear outside and is attacked by the Wendigo.

Wendigo continues to wreck havoc and it's up to Alpha Flight and the X-Men to bring the beast down. And introducing the New Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Nightcrawler is attacked by Wendigo. Guardian, Snowbird, Shaman, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler battle Wendigo enough to let Shaman use his spell to return Wendigo to his human form, Georges Baptiste. Wolverine thinks a lot about his past and his rampages of fury, just like Wendigo did. Snowbird and him talked a lot about that and then Nightcrawler also tells Wolverine that he should think more about this and the people he had killed.

In Salem Center, Storm meets Kitty after her first dance lesson with Stevie Hunter.

In New Mexico, the Blob escapes a prison and is ready to join the New Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Journey into the dystopian future -- where Sentinels stalk the Earth, and the X-Men are humanity's only hope... until they die!

Thirty-three years in the future, North America is controlled by Sentinels. The few surviving X-Men - Kitty Pryde, Storm, Colossus, Wolverine and Franklin Richards, son of Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman, along with Magneto, plan to change history by having Rachel Summers exchange the psyche of the adult Kate Pryde with that of her younger self.

In the present, Kitty Pryde succeeds at her first Danger Room test, only to faint a moment later. When she awakes again, she tells the X-Men she is the adult Kate. She explains that she’s from the future and that the X-Men must prevent the murder of Senator Robert Kelly at the mutant hearing in Washington today. The X-Men are unsure whether to believe Kate but Xavier is at the hearing as well and only he can tell the truth of Kate’s words.

In the meantime, the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, under the leadership of Mystique and with Blob, Pyro, Avalanche and Destiny as their members, prepares to assassinate Sen. Kelly. The X-Men join Xavier in Washington and, a moment later, the Brotherhood appears, intending to kill Kelly. The X-Men move to oppose them.

In the future, the X-Men have escaped the camp, and suffered two fatalities and plan to strike back at the Sentinels.