Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 101 (click to see context) from:
** And just before that, the Beast deliberately invokes the trope. Hank was an [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avenger]] at the time, and happened to be on monitor duty when the [[NewYorkCityCops [=NYPD=]]] alert about the X-Men fighting at the Hellfire Club came through. Instead of alerting his current teammates, he took a Quinjet out by himself to come to his former team's aid.
to:
** And just before that, the Beast deliberately invokes the trope. Hank was an [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avenger]] at the time, and happened to be on monitor duty when the [[NewYorkCityCops [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkCityCops [=NYPD=]]] alert about the X-Men fighting at the Hellfire Club came through. Instead of alerting his current teammates, he took a Quinjet out by himself to come to his former team's aid.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
*** Though in fairness, the Avengers had been called in specifically to aid the VillainWithGoodPublicity Hellfire Club against the [[HeroWithBadPublicity those dirty]] [[FantasticRacism mutie]] [[HeroWithBadPublicity outlaw]] X-Men. And Beast [[EnforcedTrope later attempted to fix it]] by taking Lilandra's offer to leave because he was not technically an X-Man, planning to come back [[TheCavalry with all of his fellow Avengers to help]], only for Angel to declare that [[NiceJobBreakingItHero there was no way he and Beast would abandon their friends in their time of need]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 46 (click to see context) from:
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: John Byrne based the original designs for all the Hellfire Club characters on famous actors, and Kitty Pryde on an adolescent Sigourney Weaver.
to:
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: John Byrne based the original designs for all the Hellfire Club characters on famous actors, actors (most of whom they're partly named after), and Kitty Pryde on an adolescent Sigourney Weaver.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Changed "Uncanny X-Men" to "X-Men", but added link; following the Marvel wiki's use of adjectiveless X-Men (not to be confused with Adjectiveless X Men) before the indicia switched in #142.
Changed line(s) 4,5 (click to see context) from:
A 1980 ''ComicBook/XMen'' story by Creator/ChrisClaremont and Creator/JohnByrne, taking place from ''Uncanny X-Men'' #129 to #137, and one of Creator/MarvelComics' most iconic storylines.
to:
A 1980 ''ComicBook/XMen'' story by Creator/ChrisClaremont and Creator/JohnByrne, taking place from ''Uncanny X-Men'' ''[[ComicBook/UncannyXMen X-Men]]'' #129 to #137, and one of Creator/MarvelComics' most iconic storylines.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Animation Bump is a trope for animated cartoon, not comic
Deleted line(s) 28 (click to see context) :
* AnimationBump: John Byrne was a huge Wolverine fan from the beginning. Wolverine's [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome rampage on the Hellfire Club]] gets noticeably more detailed than other panels.
Changed line(s) 31,32 (click to see context) from:
* AscendedExtra: You notice the black-haired serving girl? The one taking the robe off Shaw while he gloats over the Hellfire Club's victory? She'll be important later.
** To be specific, she turns out to be a spy for Professor Xavier (as well as something of a CanonSue.)
** To be specific, she turns out to be a spy for Professor Xavier (as well as something of a CanonSue.)
to:
* AscendedExtra: You notice the black-haired serving girl? The one taking the robe off Shaw while he gloats over the Hellfire Club's victory? She'll be important later.
** To be specific, sheShe turns out to be a spy for Professor Xavier (as well as something of a CanonSue.)
** To be specific, she
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* AnimationBump: John Byrne was a huge Wolverine fan from the beginning. Wolverine's [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome rampage on the Hellfire Club]] gets noticeably more detailed than other panels.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
Since its original publication, this story has been adapted in two films of the ''[[Film/XMenFilmSeries X-Men]]'' film series: 2006's ''[[Film/XMenTheLastStand The Last Stand]]'', and 2018's ''[[Film/XMenDarkPhoenix Dark Phoenix]]''. While the former only incorporated part of the Saga into its plot, the latter is meant to be a more faithful adaptation and use the Dark Phoenix as its focus.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* BittersweetEnding: Jean sacrifices herself and a saddened Cyclops leaves the team as a result, but Storm becomes the new leader of the X-Men and Kitty officially joins the team after Jean's funeral.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* AdultFear: The Prydes are understandably shaken when their daughter goes out for a malt with some strangers, then learn that the malt shop has been attacked and blown up.
* AuthorAppeal: Several tropes in this storyline (the brainwashing, the ladies in skimpy underthings, the "enjoys feeling evil" moments) are all personal favourites of Chris Claremont, and this is their big introduction to the world of X-Men.
* BadBoss: Emma Frost's introductory issue has her blowing up soon goons for failing to beat the X-Men. Hey, the Hellfire Club pays good money on their goons, they expect ''results''.
* BadBoss: Emma Frost's introductory issue has her blowing up soon goons for failing to beat the X-Men. Hey, the Hellfire Club pays good money on their goons, they expect ''results''.
* BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood: The Prydes are initially furious at the thought of Kitty going to the Xavier Institute after the Hellfire Club's attack. Then Phoenix gives them a "little nudge" and they become a ''lot'' more agreeable. It serves a sign of Jean's encroaching corruption (though in fairness, Kitty going to the X-Institute is far safer than going with Emma Frost).
* CallBack: For the final fight on the Moon, Jean dons her old Marvel Girl outfit.
Changed line(s) 52 (click to see context) from:
* [[DyingAsYourself Dying As Herself:]] Jean chooses to commit suicide rather than become Dark Phoenix again.
to:
* [[DyingAsYourself Dying As Herself:]] DyingAsYourself: Jean chooses to commit suicide rather than become Dark Phoenix again.
Added DiffLines:
* HowDoIShootWeb: Kitty Pryde's powers are just emerging when she first appears, and she's no idea how they work. Even after she does figure out how, the strain is still an awful lot for her.
Added DiffLines:
* {{Jerkass}}: Kitty's parents don't make a necessarily great showing of themselves in their first appearance, with Mrs. Pryde snapping at Kitty for lying on the floor, a few minutes after she's said she had a nasty headache.
* JerkassBall: The Professor grabs the ball and hard in the first issue of the storyline. He puts the X-Men through training, which is fair enough, but treats them like children, even though by this point the X-Men have more than proven themselves as a team. Scott tries pointing out to the Professor that what he's doing just won't work. The Professor then somehow comes to the conclusion that this is Scott's ''fault'', and he'll need to "correct" it. Scott doesn't manage to get through to him before Cerebro goes off.
* JerkassBall: The Professor grabs the ball and hard in the first issue of the storyline. He puts the X-Men through training, which is fair enough, but treats them like children, even though by this point the X-Men have more than proven themselves as a team. Scott tries pointing out to the Professor that what he's doing just won't work. The Professor then somehow comes to the conclusion that this is Scott's ''fault'', and he'll need to "correct" it. Scott doesn't manage to get through to him before Cerebro goes off.
Added DiffLines:
* TheReveal: Throughout the preceding Proteus storyline, Jean had been suffering flashes where she thought she was living in the 18th century, which was put down to Proteus's reality warping powers... except Proteus is killed, and the flashes keep coming. As it turns out, it's because of Jason Wynguarde messing with her mind.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* TheCameo: [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Mr. Fantastic, the Thing]], ComicBook/SpiderMan, ComicBook/DoctorStrange and ComicBook/SilverSurfer pop up in ''Uncanny'' #135 as the Dark Phoenix awakens
Added DiffLines:
* OhCrap: The Dark Phoenix's awakening triggers a ''lot'' of warnings within the other heroes of the Marvel Universe - Reed Richards' devices detect her appearance and notes it can rival ComicBook/{{Galactus}}, it sets off Spider-Man's SpiderSense, frightens Dr. Strange and forces the Silver Surfer to try to race to the Phoenix's aid, hoping that he can curb her power.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 4,9 (click to see context) from:
A 1980 ComicBook/XMen story by Creator/ChrisClaremont and Creator/JohnByrne, taking place from Uncanny X-Men #129 to #137, and one of Creator/MarvelComics' most iconic storylines.
Fresh off a battle with [[RealityWarper Proteus]], the X-Men are plunged into a battle with the mysterious Hellfire Club, while Phoenix, just back from a vacation in Greece and Scotland, finds herself psychically shifting in time to a Revolutionary War-era ancestor, who's engaged to a mysterious, [[EvilIsSexy roguishly handsome]] man named [[RealNameAsAnAlias Jason Wyngarde]].
In between Jean's "timeslips," she helps the X-Men rescue new mutants [[NaiveNewcomer Kitty Pryde]] and [[FadSuper Dazzler]] from the Hellfire Club: [[WomanInWhite White Queen]] [[ManipulativeBitch Emma Frost]], [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Black King]] [[EnergyAbsorption Sebastian Shaw]], White Bishop [[HollywoodCyborg Donald]] [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Pierce,]] Black Rook [[FatBastard Harry]] [[GravityMaster Leland]], and probationary member Wyngarde. However, when the time comes for the final showdown with them, she mysteriously [[FaceHeelTurn switches sides]], fighting alongside Wyngarde and Hellfire against the team. As a result, the X-Men are soundly trounced, and Phoenix is named Hellfire's Black Queen.
Fresh off a battle with [[RealityWarper Proteus]], the X-Men are plunged into a battle with the mysterious Hellfire Club, while Phoenix, just back from a vacation in Greece and Scotland, finds herself psychically shifting in time to a Revolutionary War-era ancestor, who's engaged to a mysterious, [[EvilIsSexy roguishly handsome]] man named [[RealNameAsAnAlias Jason Wyngarde]].
In between Jean's "timeslips," she helps the X-Men rescue new mutants [[NaiveNewcomer Kitty Pryde]] and [[FadSuper Dazzler]] from the Hellfire Club: [[WomanInWhite White Queen]] [[ManipulativeBitch Emma Frost]], [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Black King]] [[EnergyAbsorption Sebastian Shaw]], White Bishop [[HollywoodCyborg Donald]] [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Pierce,]] Black Rook [[FatBastard Harry]] [[GravityMaster Leland]], and probationary member Wyngarde. However, when the time comes for the final showdown with them, she mysteriously [[FaceHeelTurn switches sides]], fighting alongside Wyngarde and Hellfire against the team. As a result, the X-Men are soundly trounced, and Phoenix is named Hellfire's Black Queen.
to:
A 1980 ComicBook/XMen ''ComicBook/XMen'' story by Creator/ChrisClaremont and Creator/JohnByrne, taking place from Uncanny X-Men ''Uncanny X-Men'' #129 to #137, and one of Creator/MarvelComics' most iconic storylines.
Fresh off a battle with [[RealityWarper Proteus]], the X-Men are plunged into a battle with the mysterious Hellfire Club, whilePhoenix, [[ComicBook/JeanGrey Phoenix]], just back from a vacation in Greece and Scotland, finds herself psychically shifting in time to a Revolutionary War-era ancestor, who's engaged to a mysterious, [[EvilIsSexy roguishly handsome]] man named [[RealNameAsAnAlias Jason Wyngarde]].
In between Jean's "timeslips," she helps the X-Men rescue new mutants [[NaiveNewcomer Kitty Pryde]] and [[FadSuper Dazzler]] from the Hellfire Club: [[WomanInWhite White Queen]] [[ManipulativeBitch Emma Frost]], [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Black King]] [[EnergyAbsorption Sebastian Shaw]], White Bishop [[HollywoodCyborg Donald]] [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillainPierce,]] Pierce]], Black Rook [[FatBastard Harry]] [[GravityMaster Leland]], and probationary member Wyngarde. However, when the time comes for the final showdown with them, she mysteriously [[FaceHeelTurn switches sides]], fighting alongside Wyngarde and Hellfire against the team. As a result, the X-Men are soundly trounced, and Phoenix is named Hellfire's Black Queen.
Fresh off a battle with [[RealityWarper Proteus]], the X-Men are plunged into a battle with the mysterious Hellfire Club, while
In between Jean's "timeslips," she helps the X-Men rescue new mutants [[NaiveNewcomer Kitty Pryde]] and [[FadSuper Dazzler]] from the Hellfire Club: [[WomanInWhite White Queen]] [[ManipulativeBitch Emma Frost]], [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Black King]] [[EnergyAbsorption Sebastian Shaw]], White Bishop [[HollywoodCyborg Donald]] [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain
Changed line(s) 12,19 (click to see context) from:
Once Wyngarde's treachery is exposed, the X-Men get their [[HesBack second wind]], defeating Hellfire and escaping into the night. But the damage to Jean's mind is done... even though she's free of Wyngarde's mind control, there's something inside her that's been broken.
The corruption takes her over swiftly, and she transforms from Phoenix to Dark Phoenix a thousand feet over Central Park, destroying the X-Men's aircraft [[RunningGag for about the dozenth time.]][[note]]Technically, it wasn't even really ''their'' jet, but an Avengers Quinjet that then-Avenger Beast had "borrowed" in an attempt to come aid his old team, but Quinjets get blown up even more often than the Blackbird anyway.[[/note]] After a fight with those she loved, which can only be described as a CurbStompBattle, Dark Phoenix leaves Earth altogether, triggering the [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling Significance Sense]] of everyone from Comicbook/DoctorStrange to ComicBook/SpiderMan to the ComicBook/SilverSurfer. Zipping through the universe on a cosmic joyride, she finds herself getting hungry... and the nearest source of food is [[ApocalypseHow a star]] in the Shi'Ar Galaxy.
The Dark Phoenix Saga is one of the most controversial X-Men stories of all time, more due to the {{RetCon}}s and rewrites than the story itself, which was actually one of the most beloved tales in the franchise's history, and catapulted the already-well-liked Claremont/Byrne creative team to superstardom even as it sowed the seeds for what would eventually be their breakup.
(It should be noted however that killing off Jean Grey wasn't their idea; editor Creator/JimShooter forced them to do it, feeling that allowing her to live after killing billions of people would not be fair. Claremont later admitted that it made for a better ending, and most fans agreed.[[note]]On the other hand...: another telling of the story is this -- that the original intent of the Dark Phoenix Saga was for Jean to become a recurring villain on the order of Galactus or Doctor Doom, and it was the understanding of Shooter that she would escape to plague the X-Men and the universe later on. That, he was apparently perfectly fine with. When he learned how the ending was actually going to occur, with Jean being psychically lobotomized and released to the custody of the X-Men, Shooter deemed it a weak ending and morally unsatisfying and called Claremont out on it. (He later recalled it as being on the order of "taking the German Army away from Hitler after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and letting him go back to governing Germany.") Shooter first suggested that Jean!Phoenix be imprisoned permanently, but Claremont asserted that Cyclops would lead the X-Men on rescue mission after rescue mission to get her back. Shooter still demanded a just punishment for Phoenix. Out of frustration, Claremont suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that perhaps they should just kill her, believing that Shooter would not go along with it, as killing main characters permanently was just not done at that time. To his shock, Shooter endorsed the plan, leading to the Death of Dark Phoenix.[[/note]])
The corruption takes her over swiftly, and she transforms from Phoenix to Dark Phoenix a thousand feet over Central Park, destroying the X-Men's aircraft [[RunningGag for about the dozenth time.]][[note]]Technically, it wasn't even really ''their'' jet, but an Avengers Quinjet that then-Avenger Beast had "borrowed" in an attempt to come aid his old team, but Quinjets get blown up even more often than the Blackbird anyway.[[/note]] After a fight with those she loved, which can only be described as a CurbStompBattle, Dark Phoenix leaves Earth altogether, triggering the [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling Significance Sense]] of everyone from Comicbook/DoctorStrange to ComicBook/SpiderMan to the ComicBook/SilverSurfer. Zipping through the universe on a cosmic joyride, she finds herself getting hungry... and the nearest source of food is [[ApocalypseHow a star]] in the Shi'Ar Galaxy.
The Dark Phoenix Saga is one of the most controversial X-Men stories of all time, more due to the {{RetCon}}s and rewrites than the story itself, which was actually one of the most beloved tales in the franchise's history, and catapulted the already-well-liked Claremont/Byrne creative team to superstardom even as it sowed the seeds for what would eventually be their breakup.
(It should be noted however that killing off Jean Grey wasn't their idea; editor Creator/JimShooter forced them to do it, feeling that allowing her to live after killing billions of people would not be fair. Claremont later admitted that it made for a better ending, and most fans agreed.[[note]]On the other hand...: another telling of the story is this -- that the original intent of the Dark Phoenix Saga was for Jean to become a recurring villain on the order of Galactus or Doctor Doom, and it was the understanding of Shooter that she would escape to plague the X-Men and the universe later on. That, he was apparently perfectly fine with. When he learned how the ending was actually going to occur, with Jean being psychically lobotomized and released to the custody of the X-Men, Shooter deemed it a weak ending and morally unsatisfying and called Claremont out on it. (He later recalled it as being on the order of "taking the German Army away from Hitler after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and letting him go back to governing Germany.") Shooter first suggested that Jean!Phoenix be imprisoned permanently, but Claremont asserted that Cyclops would lead the X-Men on rescue mission after rescue mission to get her back. Shooter still demanded a just punishment for Phoenix. Out of frustration, Claremont suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that perhaps they should just kill her, believing that Shooter would not go along with it, as killing main characters permanently was just not done at that time. To his shock, Shooter endorsed the plan, leading to the Death of Dark Phoenix.[[/note]])
to:
Once Wyngarde's treachery is exposed, the X-Men get their [[HeroicSecondWind second]] [[HesBack second wind]], defeating Hellfire and escaping into the night. But the damage to Jean's mind is done... even though she's free of Wyngarde's mind control, there's something inside her that's been broken.
The corruption takes her over swiftly, and she transforms from Phoenix to Dark Phoenix a thousand feet over Central Park, destroying the X-Men's aircraft [[RunningGag for about the dozenthtime.]][[note]]Technically, time]]. [[note]]Technically, it wasn't even really ''their'' jet, but an Avengers Quinjet that then-Avenger Beast had "borrowed" in an attempt to come aid his old team, but Quinjets get blown up even more often than the Blackbird anyway.[[/note]] After a fight with those she loved, which can only be described as a CurbStompBattle, Dark Phoenix leaves Earth altogether, triggering the [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling Significance Sense]] of everyone from Comicbook/DoctorStrange to ComicBook/SpiderMan to the ComicBook/SilverSurfer. Zipping through the universe on a cosmic joyride, she finds herself getting hungry... and the nearest source of food is [[ApocalypseHow a star]] in the Shi'Ar Galaxy.
The Dark Phoenix Saga is one of the most controversialX-Men ''X-Men'' stories of all time, more due to the {{RetCon}}s {{Retcon}}s and rewrites than the story itself, which was actually one of the most beloved tales in the franchise's history, and catapulted the already-well-liked Claremont/Byrne creative team to superstardom even as it sowed the seeds for what would eventually be their breakup.
(It should be noted however that killing off Jean Grey wasn't their idea; editor Creator/JimShooter forced them to do it, feeling that allowing her to live after killing billions of people would not be fair. Claremont later admitted that it made for a better ending, and most fans agreed.[[note]]On the other hand...: another telling of the story is this -- that the original intent of the Dark Phoenix Saga was for Jean to become a recurring villain on the order ofGalactus ComicBook/{{Galactus}} or Doctor Doom, ComicBook/DoctorDoom, and it was the understanding of Shooter that she would escape to plague the X-Men and the universe later on. That, he was apparently perfectly fine with. When he learned how the ending was actually going to occur, with Jean being psychically lobotomized and released to the custody of the X-Men, Shooter deemed it a weak ending and morally unsatisfying and called Claremont out on it. (He later recalled it as being on the order of "taking the German Army away from Hitler after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and letting him go back to governing Germany.") Shooter first suggested that Jean!Phoenix be imprisoned permanently, but Claremont asserted that Cyclops would lead the X-Men on rescue mission after rescue mission to get her back. Shooter still demanded a just punishment for Phoenix. Out of frustration, Claremont suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that perhaps they should just kill her, believing that Shooter would not go along with it, as killing main characters permanently was just not done at that time. To his shock, Shooter endorsed the plan, leading to the Death death of Dark Phoenix.[[/note]])
The corruption takes her over swiftly, and she transforms from Phoenix to Dark Phoenix a thousand feet over Central Park, destroying the X-Men's aircraft [[RunningGag for about the dozenth
The Dark Phoenix Saga is one of the most controversial
(It should be noted however that killing off Jean Grey wasn't their idea; editor Creator/JimShooter forced them to do it, feeling that allowing her to live after killing billions of people would not be fair. Claremont later admitted that it made for a better ending, and most fans agreed.[[note]]On the other hand...: another telling of the story is this -- that the original intent of the Dark Phoenix Saga was for Jean to become a recurring villain on the order of
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Addition of information
Changed line(s) 80 (click to see context) from:
** According to writer Chris Claremont, Marvel's Hellfire Club and The Black Queen's outfit and hairstyle are an homage to Series/TheAvengers episode "A Touch of Brimstone" (which also dealt with the Hellfire Club's evil machinations).
to:
** According to writer Chris Claremont, Marvel's Hellfire Club and The Black Queen's outfit and hairstyle are an homage to Series/TheAvengers episode "A Touch of Brimstone" (which also dealt with the Hellfire Club's evil machinations).machinations and Mrs. Peel's transformation into their "Queen of Sin").
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Confirmation of previously rumored inspiration for a trope example
Changed line(s) 80 (click to see context) from:
** Likely an homage to Mrs. Peel's Queen of Sin outfit in The Avengers episode "A Touch of Brimstone" (which also dealt with the Hellfire Club's evil machinations. This version of the Hellfire Club appears to be the inspiration for Marvel's). The only real difference is that Mrs. Peel's lacing was in back, not in front. Even the bun hairstyle that Jean wore was the same.
to:
** Likely According to writer Chris Claremont, Marvel's Hellfire Club and The Black Queen's outfit and hairstyle are an homage to Mrs. Peel's Queen of Sin outfit in The Avengers Series/TheAvengers episode "A Touch of Brimstone" (which also dealt with the Hellfire Club's evil machinations. This version of the Hellfire Club appears to be the inspiration for Marvel's). The only real difference is that Mrs. Peel's lacing was in back, not in front. Even the bun hairstyle that Jean wore was the same.machinations).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 60 (click to see context) from:
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Senator Edward Kelly makes his first appearance in this arc as a Club guest who witnesses the X-Men's escape from the Hellfire Club, which cements his fear of mutants. Sebastian Shaw gets him to fund a new Sentinels program, setting up both the Days of Future Past storyline several issues later and [[spoiler: the creation of Nimrod]].
to:
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Senator Edward Robert Kelly makes his first appearance in this arc as a Club guest who witnesses the X-Men's escape from the Hellfire Club, which cements his fear of mutants. Sebastian Shaw gets him to fund a new Sentinels program, setting up both the Days of Future Past storyline several issues later and [[spoiler: the creation of Nimrod]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* AndYouWereThere: As Jean's "timeslips" progress, she gradually begins imagining all of her teammates as 18th-century versions of themselves--imagining Ororo as a rebellious slave called "Beauty", Piotr as a farmhand on her plantation, and Scott as a dashing Colonial Minuteman.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 79 (click to see context) from:
** Likely an homage to Mrs. Peel's Queen of Sin outfit in The Avengers episode "A Touch of Brimstone" (which also dealt with the Hellfire Club's evil machinations. This version of the Hellfire Club appears to be the inspiration for Marvel's). The only real difference is that Mrs. Peel's lacing was in back, not in front. Even the bun hairstyle was the same.
to:
** Likely an homage to Mrs. Peel's Queen of Sin outfit in The Avengers episode "A Touch of Brimstone" (which also dealt with the Hellfire Club's evil machinations. This version of the Hellfire Club appears to be the inspiration for Marvel's). The only real difference is that Mrs. Peel's lacing was in back, not in front. Even the bun hairstyle that Jean wore was the same.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Likely an homage to Mrs. Peel's Queen of Sin outfit in The Avengers episode "A Touch of Brimstone" (which also dealt with the Hellfire Club's evil machinations. This version of the Hellfire Club appears to be the inspiration for Marvel's). The only real difference is that Mrs. Peel's lacing was in back, not in front. Even the bun hairstyle was the same.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 90 (click to see context) from:
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: All the members of the Hellfire Club save the Black Queen, a band of evil mutants who "pass" as influential, wealthy humans.
to:
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: All the members of the Hellfire Club save the Black Queen, a band of evil mutants (and one cyborg) who "pass" as influential, wealthy humans.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 24 (click to see context) from:
* ApocalypseHow: Dark Phoenix eating the D'bari sun causes a Class X-2. It's suggested in issues of What If? that if she hadn't died, she would eventually have reached anything from a Class X-4 to a Class Z in time.
to:
* ApocalypseHow: Dark Phoenix eating the D'bari sun causes a Class X-2. ApocalypseHow/ClassX2. It's suggested in issues of What If? that if she hadn't died, she would eventually have reached anything from a Class X-4 ApocalypseHow/ClassX4 to a Class Z ApocalypseHow/ClassZ in time.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 59 (click to see context) from:
* Foreshadowing: Senator Edward Kelly makes his first appearance in this arc as a Club guest who witnesses the X-Men's escape from the Hellfire Club, which cements his fear of mutants. Sebastian Shaw gets him to fund a new Sentinels program, setting up both the Days of Future Past storyline several issues later and [[spoiler: the creation of Nimrod]].
to:
* Foreshadowing: {{Foreshadowing}}: Senator Edward Kelly makes his first appearance in this arc as a Club guest who witnesses the X-Men's escape from the Hellfire Club, which cements his fear of mutants. Sebastian Shaw gets him to fund a new Sentinels program, setting up both the Days of Future Past storyline several issues later and [[spoiler: the creation of Nimrod]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 62 (click to see context) from:
* HeroWithBadPublicity: Mastermind's powers ands the general respectability of the Hellfire Club make the X-Men look like menaces during their battle there.
to:
* HeroWithBadPublicity: Mastermind's powers ands and the general respectability of the Hellfire Club make the X-Men look like menaces during their battle there.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 49 (click to see context) from:
* DirtyMindReading: One of the early signs of Jean's corruption occurs when she reads the repulsive thoughts of the attendees at Dazzler's coincert…and finds that part of herself finds these thoughts attractive.
to:
* DirtyMindReading: One of the early signs of Jean's corruption occurs when she reads the repulsive thoughts of the attendees at Dazzler's coincert…and concert…and finds that part of herself finds these thoughts attractive.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Deleted line(s) 54 (click to see context) :
* ExecutiveMeddling: One of the better-received examples. Initially Jean was simply going to be cured, but the higher-ups at Marvel insisted she'd done far too much damage for such a slap on the wrist.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 65 (click to see context) from:
* {{Homage}}: Not many people know this, but the LogoJoke seen in the page image was based on the [[http://clzimages.com/comic/large/b6/b6_94511_0_UncannyXMen56WhatIsThePower.jpg cover to the first issue of the Roy Thomas / Neal Adams run]].
to:
* {{Homage}}: [[OlderThanTheyThink Not many people know this, this]], but the LogoJoke seen in the page image was based on the [[http://clzimages.com/comic/large/b6/b6_94511_0_UncannyXMen56WhatIsThePower.jpg cover to the first issue of the Roy Thomas / Neal Adams run]]. It might be something of a metafictional TheWorfEffect, given that the Living Monolith ''doesn't'' crack the logo or send the X-Men sprawling.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 51 (click to see context) from:
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: #132, after everyone's gotten their ass kicked by the Hellfire Club, and Wolverine's been launched straight into their basement.
to:
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: #132, after everyone's gotten their ass asses kicked by the Hellfire Club, and Wolverine's been launched straight into their basement.basement sewer.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* {{Homage}}: Not many people know this, but the LogoJoke seen in the page image was based on the [[http://clzimages.com/comic/large/b6/b6_94511_0_UncannyXMen56WhatIsThePower.jpg cover to the first issue of the Roy Thomas / Neal Adams run]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 2,3 (click to see context) from:
[[caption-width-right:324: [[LogoJoke This]] may or may not be a metaphor for [[ContinuitySnarl what she did to the franchise.]]]]
to:
[[caption-width-right:324: [[LogoJoke This]] may or may not be a metaphor for [[ContinuitySnarl what she did to the franchise.]]]]
]][[note]][[http://clzimages.com/comic/large/b6/b6_94511_0_UncannyXMen56WhatIsThePower.jpg She wasn't even the first to do this trick]].[[/note]]]]
Deleted line(s) 33,34 (click to see context) :
* CharacterEstablishingMoment: #132, after everyone's gotten their ass kicked by the Hellfire Club, and Wolverine's been launched straight into their basement.
-->'''Wolverine''': [[http://dailypop.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/uncanny-x-men-132-pic1-wolverine.jpg Okay, suckers -- you've taken yer best shot!]] NowItsMyTurn!
-->'''Wolverine''': [[http://dailypop.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/uncanny-x-men-132-pic1-wolverine.jpg Okay, suckers -- you've taken yer best shot!]] NowItsMyTurn!
Added DiffLines:
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: #132, after everyone's gotten their ass kicked by the Hellfire Club, and Wolverine's been launched straight into their basement.
-->'''Wolverine''': [[http://dailypop.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/uncanny-x-men-132-pic1-wolverine.jpg Okay, suckers -- you've taken yer best shot!]] ''NowItsMyTurn!''
-->'''Wolverine''': [[http://dailypop.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/uncanny-x-men-132-pic1-wolverine.jpg Okay, suckers -- you've taken yer best shot!]] ''NowItsMyTurn!''
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* CharacterEstablishingMoment: #132, after everyone's gotten their ass kicked by the Hellfire Club, and Wolverine's been launched straight into their basement.
-->'''Wolverine''': [[http://dailypop.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/uncanny-x-men-132-pic1-wolverine.jpg Okay, suckers -- you've taken yer best shot!]] NowItsMyTurn!
-->'''Wolverine''': [[http://dailypop.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/uncanny-x-men-132-pic1-wolverine.jpg Okay, suckers -- you've taken yer best shot!]] NowItsMyTurn!
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* DirtyMindReading: One of the early signs of Jean's corruption occurs when she reads the repulsive thoughts of the attendees at Dazzler's coincert…and finds that part of herself finds these thoughts attractive.
Added DiffLines:
* Foreshadowing: Senator Edward Kelly makes his first appearance in this arc as a Club guest who witnesses the X-Men's escape from the Hellfire Club, which cements his fear of mutants. Sebastian Shaw gets him to fund a new Sentinels program, setting up both the Days of Future Past storyline several issues later and [[spoiler: the creation of Nimrod]].
Added DiffLines:
* HeroWithBadPublicity: Mastermind's powers ands the general respectability of the Hellfire Club make the X-Men look like menaces during their battle there.
Added DiffLines:
* SexyDiscretionShot: Phoenix and Scott get hot and heavy atop a mesa just as the scene cuts away to the other X-Men.
Added DiffLines:
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: All the members of the Hellfire Club save the Black Queen, a band of evil mutants who "pass" as influential, wealthy humans.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
moving to correct namespace
Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:324:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Dark_Phoenix_2528.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:324: [[LogoJoke This]] may or may not be a metaphor for [[ContinuitySnarl what she did to the franchise.]]]]
A 1980 ComicBook/XMen story by Creator/ChrisClaremont and Creator/JohnByrne, taking place from Uncanny X-Men #129 to #137, and one of Creator/MarvelComics' most iconic storylines.
Fresh off a battle with [[RealityWarper Proteus]], the X-Men are plunged into a battle with the mysterious Hellfire Club, while Phoenix, just back from a vacation in Greece and Scotland, finds herself psychically shifting in time to a Revolutionary War-era ancestor, who's engaged to a mysterious, [[EvilIsSexy roguishly handsome]] man named [[RealNameAsAnAlias Jason Wyngarde]].
In between Jean's "timeslips," she helps the X-Men rescue new mutants [[NaiveNewcomer Kitty Pryde]] and [[FadSuper Dazzler]] from the Hellfire Club: [[WomanInWhite White Queen]] [[ManipulativeBitch Emma Frost]], [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Black King]] [[EnergyAbsorption Sebastian Shaw]], White Bishop [[HollywoodCyborg Donald]] [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Pierce,]] Black Rook [[FatBastard Harry]] [[GravityMaster Leland]], and probationary member Wyngarde. However, when the time comes for the final showdown with them, she mysteriously [[FaceHeelTurn switches sides]], fighting alongside Wyngarde and Hellfire against the team. As a result, the X-Men are soundly trounced, and Phoenix is named Hellfire's Black Queen.
Thanks to a [[MindlinkMates psychic rapport]] he forged with her before the attack, Cyclops manages to get through to Jean and reveal the truth to her: that Jason Wyngarde is really the X-Men's old enemy [[MasterOfIllusion Mastermind]] operating under his real name, and that he's just making her ''believe'' she's time-shifting, the better to [[MoreThanMindControl gain control of her]] through her DarkSide.
Once Wyngarde's treachery is exposed, the X-Men get their [[HesBack second wind]], defeating Hellfire and escaping into the night. But the damage to Jean's mind is done... even though she's free of Wyngarde's mind control, there's something inside her that's been broken.
The corruption takes her over swiftly, and she transforms from Phoenix to Dark Phoenix a thousand feet over Central Park, destroying the X-Men's aircraft [[RunningGag for about the dozenth time.]][[note]]Technically, it wasn't even really ''their'' jet, but an Avengers Quinjet that then-Avenger Beast had "borrowed" in an attempt to come aid his old team, but Quinjets get blown up even more often than the Blackbird anyway.[[/note]] After a fight with those she loved, which can only be described as a CurbStompBattle, Dark Phoenix leaves Earth altogether, triggering the [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling Significance Sense]] of everyone from Comicbook/DoctorStrange to ComicBook/SpiderMan to the ComicBook/SilverSurfer. Zipping through the universe on a cosmic joyride, she finds herself getting hungry... and the nearest source of food is [[ApocalypseHow a star]] in the Shi'Ar Galaxy.
The Dark Phoenix Saga is one of the most controversial X-Men stories of all time, more due to the {{RetCon}}s and rewrites than the story itself, which was actually one of the most beloved tales in the franchise's history, and catapulted the already-well-liked Claremont/Byrne creative team to superstardom even as it sowed the seeds for what would eventually be their breakup.
(It should be noted however that killing off Jean Grey wasn't their idea; editor Creator/JimShooter forced them to do it, feeling that allowing her to live after killing billions of people would not be fair. Claremont later admitted that it made for a better ending, and most fans agreed.[[note]]On the other hand...: another telling of the story is this -- that the original intent of the Dark Phoenix Saga was for Jean to become a recurring villain on the order of Galactus or Doctor Doom, and it was the understanding of Shooter that she would escape to plague the X-Men and the universe later on. That, he was apparently perfectly fine with. When he learned how the ending was actually going to occur, with Jean being psychically lobotomized and released to the custody of the X-Men, Shooter deemed it a weak ending and morally unsatisfying and called Claremont out on it. (He later recalled it as being on the order of "taking the German Army away from Hitler after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and letting him go back to governing Germany.") Shooter first suggested that Jean!Phoenix be imprisoned permanently, but Claremont asserted that Cyclops would lead the X-Men on rescue mission after rescue mission to get her back. Shooter still demanded a just punishment for Phoenix. Out of frustration, Claremont suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that perhaps they should just kill her, believing that Shooter would not go along with it, as killing main characters permanently was just not done at that time. To his shock, Shooter endorsed the plan, leading to the Death of Dark Phoenix.[[/note]])
----
!The Dark Phoenix Saga contain examples of:
* AGodAmI: "I am '''fire'''! And '''life incarnate!''' Now and forever! '''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis I! Am! PHOENIX!!]]'''"
* ApocalypseHow: Dark Phoenix eating the D'bari sun causes a Class X-2. It's suggested in issues of What If? that if she hadn't died, she would eventually have reached anything from a Class X-4 to a Class Z in time.
* ApocalypseMaiden: Phoenix / Dark Phoenix.
* AscendedExtra: You notice the black-haired serving girl? The one taking the robe off Shaw while he gloats over the Hellfire Club's victory? She'll be important later.
** To be specific, she turns out to be a spy for Professor Xavier (as well as something of a CanonSue.)
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Even before her final FreakOut, Jean shows Emma Frost why it's not a good idea to make a mutant with cosmic powers mad at you. Mastermind learns a similar lesson, though by then Jean isn't so 'nice' anymore. See also StartOfDarkness.
* BroughtDownToNormal: The [[WhatCouldHaveBeen original, planned ending]] for the story had this happen to Phoenix. However, [[Creator/JimShooter the higher-ups]] felt that committing genocide wasn't the kind of thing a character should be forgiven for.
** Years later, Claremont admitted that this made the story truly unique (for its time.)
* BullyingADragon: The Imperial Guard fight the X-Men in a trial by combat, leaving Jean the last X-Man standing. When Cyclops is knocked out before her eyes, she snaps and becomes Phoenix again, taking them all out in the space of seconds.
* TheBusCameBack: Beast and Angel, who had been serving on other teams, returned for the latter half of the story.
* ChessMotifs: Hellfire ranks its members like this, with White Queen Emma Frost replaced by Black Queen Jean Grey after the former's [[FakingTheDead apparent demise.]] Sebastian Shaw is the Black King, but the other members' ranks aren't revealed until later.
* CliffhangerCopout:
-->'''Nightcrawler''' (in the last panel of #133): Cyclops is dead!
-->'''Nightcrawler''' (in the first panel of #134): Cyclops is alive!
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: John Byrne based the original designs for all the Hellfire Club characters on famous actors, and Kitty Pryde on an adolescent Sigourney Weaver.
** Fittingly, a story four issues later featured Kitty alone in the X-mansion battling a demon that looked suspiciously like a [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorph]].
* CurbStompBattle: ''Loads'' of them:
** Phoenix's psychic duel against Emma Frost. Emma's able to hold out for a while, but it's quickly made clear that she has no chance of winning against Phoenix, who was only testing her to learn her strengths and weaknesses - it's over almost immediately once she ''really'' begins to attack.
** The Hellfire Club's ambush of the X-Men, and in turn, the X-Men's retaliatory strike against Hellfire.
*** Of particular note is the NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Wolverine delivers to the ''entire Hellfire Club'' after having been smashed through several stories and into the sewers.
-->'''Wolverine''': [[BadassBoast Okay, suckers--you've taken yer best shot!]] NowItsMyTurn!
** Dark Phoenix's first fight against the X-Men.
** And finally, the X-Men's beatdown at the hands of the Imperial Guard. In fairness, the X-Men were badly outnumbered, but watching Colossus go down ''hard'' in a one-on-one fight with Gladiator is when it becomes clear they have no hope of victory.
* DeadlyDecadentCourt: The Hellfire Club's Inner Circle, again.
** The club itself was based on a RealLife 18th century secret club for decadent rich people.
* DeathIsCheap: Originally meant to be explicitly averted by all involved -- Jean Grey was to stay dead. Madelyne Pryor was intended to be just what she presented herself as -- a normal human who just happened to have an uncanny resemblance to Jean. Unfortunately, it was decided about six years later that the original five X-Men should have their own book, and there had to be a way to bring Jean back. This led to the continuity trainwreck that was ''Inferno'', and opened the door for the "Jean Grey Memorial Revolving Pearly Gates" jokes.
* [[DyingAsYourself Dying As Herself:]] Jean chooses to commit suicide rather than become Dark Phoenix again.
* EvilCostumeSwitch: Jean Grey's Black Queen and Dark Phoenix outfits represent this.
* ExecutiveMeddling: One of the better-received examples. Initially Jean was simply going to be cured, but the higher-ups at Marvel insisted she'd done far too much damage for such a slap on the wrist.
* {{Expy}}: In the [[WesternAnimation/XMen 1990s cartoon]], Rogue is this for Colossus.
* FaceHeelTurn: One of the most famous in comics history.
* FadSuper: [[TropeCodifier Dazzler]] is introduced in this arc, in all her disco-riffic glory.
* FastballSpecial: Reversed from the norm -- in the lighter gravity of the Moon, ''Wolverine'' does this with ''Colossus''.
* FateWorseThanDeath / GoMadFromTheRevelation: Jason Wyngarde is left mindless and catatonic after Jean breaks free from his control. "Enjoy your trip, Jason... you '''won't''' be coming back."
* GoneHorriblyRight: Mastermind wanted Jean to turn to the dark side...and boy, did she.
* HeroicSacrifice: Alas, poor Jean.
* HopeSpot: Charles Xavier uses his powers to [[RestrainingBolt seal the Phoenix away inside Jean's mind]], and Scott proposes marriage to her. They share a relieved kiss...and then get beamed onto a Shi'Ar Imperial cruiser.
* InterruptedCooldownHug: Near the climax, Scott is talking Dark Phoenix down, trying to appeal to Jean's better nature with ThePowerOfLove, with her face getting noticeably less inhuman and softer...until Professor Xavier mind-blasts her from behind, and she returns to full-fledged psychosis.
* LightIsNotGood: The Phoenix Force is the embodiment of life, light, and fire, but also a rampaging, chaotic force with the potential to destroy entire planets if its power gets out of control.
* LostAesop: The X-Men's usual "protect a world that fears and hates them" schtick was pretty much forgotten about for this story, as their antagonists were either mutants, former teammates, or aliens. However, the {{Aesop}} of the story itself, that [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity power corrupts]], was firmly held onto.
* ManipulativeBastard: Emma Frost, Sebastian Shaw, and ''especially'' Mastermind.
* MindlinkMates: This is the story that establishes Cyclops and Jean Grey's psychic rapport.
* MoreThanMindControl: Mastermind again. On her way down the slippery slope, Jean even calls him on it.
-->"You made me trust you...perhaps even ''love'' you...and all the while, you were '''using me!'''"
* MindRape: The White Queen does this to Storm while she's holding her hostage.
** Jean herself gets in on the act while she's punishing Mastermind, by [[MySkullRunnethOver granting him omniscience]] [[GoMadFromTheRevelation to drive him insane.]] Of course, what he did to her first was really just another form of MindRape.
* MundaneUtility: Phoenix uses her [[RealityWarper Reality-Warping powers]] for simple things like changing her costume into civvies or creating a picnic spread. Briefly, Cyclops wonders why this bothers him. "Why '''shouldn't''' Jean use her powers to make her life easier?"
* MythArc: Part of what makes this story so remarkable. It was the climax of a massive MythArc that Claremont had been building up to since issue #97 in 1975, when Professor X got his first look at the Shi'ar. Over the course of 41 issues (almost ''five years''), Jean Grey died, was resurrected, took on an alien empire, saved the galaxy from imploding, turned to the dark side, took on an alien empire (again), and [[KilledOffForReal died]].
* NaiveNewcomer: This storyline introduces [[IntangibleMan Intangible Girl]] Kitty Pryde this way, and ''still'' lets her help save the day.
* OfCorsetsSexy: Every female member of Hellfire, natch.
** Justified, given the club's origins.
* RestrainingBolt: Xavier creates a series of mental "circuit breakers" to permanently suppress the power of Phoenix, returning Jean to her "Marvel Girl" stats. But when she sees Cyclops wounded in battle, the Bolt breaks.
* SayMyName: As Jean dies, she and Scott call each other's names.
* StartOfDarkness: To stop a carload of mutant-hunters from running down Kitty Pryde, Phoenix erects a psychic brick wall in front of it, killing the occupants. When Cyclops goes WhatTheHellHero, she basically slaps him down.
-->'''Phoenix:''' You didn't sense the girl's terror, nor the thoughts of the men chasing her. These... ''animals'' got no more than they deserved!\\
'''Cyclops:''' Wow. I thought I'd seen Jean in every conceivable mood, but this is ''new''.
* SupermanStaysOutOfGotham: Subtly lampshaded, as Marvel heroes from all over the universe pick up on Dark Phoenix's manifestation, but the whole story happens too quickly for anyone to respond to it.
** And just before that, the Beast deliberately invokes the trope. Hank was an [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avenger]] at the time, and happened to be on monitor duty when the [[NewYorkCityCops [=NYPD=]]] alert about the X-Men fighting at the Hellfire Club came through. Instead of alerting his current teammates, he took a Quinjet out by himself to come to his former team's aid.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: The original intent of this story was that Dark Phoenix was Jean Grey, corrupted by her power and Wyngarde's machinations. The Phoenix was [[RetCon retconned]] as a CosmicBeing of its own who had replaced Jean (and forgot about it) so the real Jean could turn up alive later.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: When the Dark Phoenix suddenly reemerges at the climax of the saga, Empress Lilandra desperately invokes Plan Omega: destroy the entire solar system and pray they can kill Dark Phoenix in the process. At that point, Xavier has no choice but to order his X-Men to kill Jean themselves to preempt this measure.
* TookALevelInBadAss: Sure, the Imperial Guard was pretty tough when they first appeared. In that fight the X-Men were gradually losing, least until Corsair and his team dived in. But the second battle....OW! Cyclops was off on his strategy and this was before Wolverine was a CanonSue. And more importantly Mastermind goes from being a guy who goes 'boo' with fake monsters to almost destroying the X-Men all by himself.
* WhatHaveIDone: When Jean is restored to herself for the final chapter, she's consumed with guilt at the atrocities Dark Phoenix has committed.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Dark Phoenix is the ''poster child'' for this trope.
----
[[caption-width-right:324: [[LogoJoke This]] may or may not be a metaphor for [[ContinuitySnarl what she did to the franchise.]]]]
A 1980 ComicBook/XMen story by Creator/ChrisClaremont and Creator/JohnByrne, taking place from Uncanny X-Men #129 to #137, and one of Creator/MarvelComics' most iconic storylines.
Fresh off a battle with [[RealityWarper Proteus]], the X-Men are plunged into a battle with the mysterious Hellfire Club, while Phoenix, just back from a vacation in Greece and Scotland, finds herself psychically shifting in time to a Revolutionary War-era ancestor, who's engaged to a mysterious, [[EvilIsSexy roguishly handsome]] man named [[RealNameAsAnAlias Jason Wyngarde]].
In between Jean's "timeslips," she helps the X-Men rescue new mutants [[NaiveNewcomer Kitty Pryde]] and [[FadSuper Dazzler]] from the Hellfire Club: [[WomanInWhite White Queen]] [[ManipulativeBitch Emma Frost]], [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Black King]] [[EnergyAbsorption Sebastian Shaw]], White Bishop [[HollywoodCyborg Donald]] [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Pierce,]] Black Rook [[FatBastard Harry]] [[GravityMaster Leland]], and probationary member Wyngarde. However, when the time comes for the final showdown with them, she mysteriously [[FaceHeelTurn switches sides]], fighting alongside Wyngarde and Hellfire against the team. As a result, the X-Men are soundly trounced, and Phoenix is named Hellfire's Black Queen.
Thanks to a [[MindlinkMates psychic rapport]] he forged with her before the attack, Cyclops manages to get through to Jean and reveal the truth to her: that Jason Wyngarde is really the X-Men's old enemy [[MasterOfIllusion Mastermind]] operating under his real name, and that he's just making her ''believe'' she's time-shifting, the better to [[MoreThanMindControl gain control of her]] through her DarkSide.
Once Wyngarde's treachery is exposed, the X-Men get their [[HesBack second wind]], defeating Hellfire and escaping into the night. But the damage to Jean's mind is done... even though she's free of Wyngarde's mind control, there's something inside her that's been broken.
The corruption takes her over swiftly, and she transforms from Phoenix to Dark Phoenix a thousand feet over Central Park, destroying the X-Men's aircraft [[RunningGag for about the dozenth time.]][[note]]Technically, it wasn't even really ''their'' jet, but an Avengers Quinjet that then-Avenger Beast had "borrowed" in an attempt to come aid his old team, but Quinjets get blown up even more often than the Blackbird anyway.[[/note]] After a fight with those she loved, which can only be described as a CurbStompBattle, Dark Phoenix leaves Earth altogether, triggering the [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling Significance Sense]] of everyone from Comicbook/DoctorStrange to ComicBook/SpiderMan to the ComicBook/SilverSurfer. Zipping through the universe on a cosmic joyride, she finds herself getting hungry... and the nearest source of food is [[ApocalypseHow a star]] in the Shi'Ar Galaxy.
The Dark Phoenix Saga is one of the most controversial X-Men stories of all time, more due to the {{RetCon}}s and rewrites than the story itself, which was actually one of the most beloved tales in the franchise's history, and catapulted the already-well-liked Claremont/Byrne creative team to superstardom even as it sowed the seeds for what would eventually be their breakup.
(It should be noted however that killing off Jean Grey wasn't their idea; editor Creator/JimShooter forced them to do it, feeling that allowing her to live after killing billions of people would not be fair. Claremont later admitted that it made for a better ending, and most fans agreed.[[note]]On the other hand...: another telling of the story is this -- that the original intent of the Dark Phoenix Saga was for Jean to become a recurring villain on the order of Galactus or Doctor Doom, and it was the understanding of Shooter that she would escape to plague the X-Men and the universe later on. That, he was apparently perfectly fine with. When he learned how the ending was actually going to occur, with Jean being psychically lobotomized and released to the custody of the X-Men, Shooter deemed it a weak ending and morally unsatisfying and called Claremont out on it. (He later recalled it as being on the order of "taking the German Army away from Hitler after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and letting him go back to governing Germany.") Shooter first suggested that Jean!Phoenix be imprisoned permanently, but Claremont asserted that Cyclops would lead the X-Men on rescue mission after rescue mission to get her back. Shooter still demanded a just punishment for Phoenix. Out of frustration, Claremont suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that perhaps they should just kill her, believing that Shooter would not go along with it, as killing main characters permanently was just not done at that time. To his shock, Shooter endorsed the plan, leading to the Death of Dark Phoenix.[[/note]])
----
!The Dark Phoenix Saga contain examples of:
* AGodAmI: "I am '''fire'''! And '''life incarnate!''' Now and forever! '''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis I! Am! PHOENIX!!]]'''"
* ApocalypseHow: Dark Phoenix eating the D'bari sun causes a Class X-2. It's suggested in issues of What If? that if she hadn't died, she would eventually have reached anything from a Class X-4 to a Class Z in time.
* ApocalypseMaiden: Phoenix / Dark Phoenix.
* AscendedExtra: You notice the black-haired serving girl? The one taking the robe off Shaw while he gloats over the Hellfire Club's victory? She'll be important later.
** To be specific, she turns out to be a spy for Professor Xavier (as well as something of a CanonSue.)
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Even before her final FreakOut, Jean shows Emma Frost why it's not a good idea to make a mutant with cosmic powers mad at you. Mastermind learns a similar lesson, though by then Jean isn't so 'nice' anymore. See also StartOfDarkness.
* BroughtDownToNormal: The [[WhatCouldHaveBeen original, planned ending]] for the story had this happen to Phoenix. However, [[Creator/JimShooter the higher-ups]] felt that committing genocide wasn't the kind of thing a character should be forgiven for.
** Years later, Claremont admitted that this made the story truly unique (for its time.)
* BullyingADragon: The Imperial Guard fight the X-Men in a trial by combat, leaving Jean the last X-Man standing. When Cyclops is knocked out before her eyes, she snaps and becomes Phoenix again, taking them all out in the space of seconds.
* TheBusCameBack: Beast and Angel, who had been serving on other teams, returned for the latter half of the story.
* ChessMotifs: Hellfire ranks its members like this, with White Queen Emma Frost replaced by Black Queen Jean Grey after the former's [[FakingTheDead apparent demise.]] Sebastian Shaw is the Black King, but the other members' ranks aren't revealed until later.
* CliffhangerCopout:
-->'''Nightcrawler''' (in the last panel of #133): Cyclops is dead!
-->'''Nightcrawler''' (in the first panel of #134): Cyclops is alive!
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: John Byrne based the original designs for all the Hellfire Club characters on famous actors, and Kitty Pryde on an adolescent Sigourney Weaver.
** Fittingly, a story four issues later featured Kitty alone in the X-mansion battling a demon that looked suspiciously like a [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorph]].
* CurbStompBattle: ''Loads'' of them:
** Phoenix's psychic duel against Emma Frost. Emma's able to hold out for a while, but it's quickly made clear that she has no chance of winning against Phoenix, who was only testing her to learn her strengths and weaknesses - it's over almost immediately once she ''really'' begins to attack.
** The Hellfire Club's ambush of the X-Men, and in turn, the X-Men's retaliatory strike against Hellfire.
*** Of particular note is the NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Wolverine delivers to the ''entire Hellfire Club'' after having been smashed through several stories and into the sewers.
-->'''Wolverine''': [[BadassBoast Okay, suckers--you've taken yer best shot!]] NowItsMyTurn!
** Dark Phoenix's first fight against the X-Men.
** And finally, the X-Men's beatdown at the hands of the Imperial Guard. In fairness, the X-Men were badly outnumbered, but watching Colossus go down ''hard'' in a one-on-one fight with Gladiator is when it becomes clear they have no hope of victory.
* DeadlyDecadentCourt: The Hellfire Club's Inner Circle, again.
** The club itself was based on a RealLife 18th century secret club for decadent rich people.
* DeathIsCheap: Originally meant to be explicitly averted by all involved -- Jean Grey was to stay dead. Madelyne Pryor was intended to be just what she presented herself as -- a normal human who just happened to have an uncanny resemblance to Jean. Unfortunately, it was decided about six years later that the original five X-Men should have their own book, and there had to be a way to bring Jean back. This led to the continuity trainwreck that was ''Inferno'', and opened the door for the "Jean Grey Memorial Revolving Pearly Gates" jokes.
* [[DyingAsYourself Dying As Herself:]] Jean chooses to commit suicide rather than become Dark Phoenix again.
* EvilCostumeSwitch: Jean Grey's Black Queen and Dark Phoenix outfits represent this.
* ExecutiveMeddling: One of the better-received examples. Initially Jean was simply going to be cured, but the higher-ups at Marvel insisted she'd done far too much damage for such a slap on the wrist.
* {{Expy}}: In the [[WesternAnimation/XMen 1990s cartoon]], Rogue is this for Colossus.
* FaceHeelTurn: One of the most famous in comics history.
* FadSuper: [[TropeCodifier Dazzler]] is introduced in this arc, in all her disco-riffic glory.
* FastballSpecial: Reversed from the norm -- in the lighter gravity of the Moon, ''Wolverine'' does this with ''Colossus''.
* FateWorseThanDeath / GoMadFromTheRevelation: Jason Wyngarde is left mindless and catatonic after Jean breaks free from his control. "Enjoy your trip, Jason... you '''won't''' be coming back."
* GoneHorriblyRight: Mastermind wanted Jean to turn to the dark side...and boy, did she.
* HeroicSacrifice: Alas, poor Jean.
* HopeSpot: Charles Xavier uses his powers to [[RestrainingBolt seal the Phoenix away inside Jean's mind]], and Scott proposes marriage to her. They share a relieved kiss...and then get beamed onto a Shi'Ar Imperial cruiser.
* InterruptedCooldownHug: Near the climax, Scott is talking Dark Phoenix down, trying to appeal to Jean's better nature with ThePowerOfLove, with her face getting noticeably less inhuman and softer...until Professor Xavier mind-blasts her from behind, and she returns to full-fledged psychosis.
* LightIsNotGood: The Phoenix Force is the embodiment of life, light, and fire, but also a rampaging, chaotic force with the potential to destroy entire planets if its power gets out of control.
* LostAesop: The X-Men's usual "protect a world that fears and hates them" schtick was pretty much forgotten about for this story, as their antagonists were either mutants, former teammates, or aliens. However, the {{Aesop}} of the story itself, that [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity power corrupts]], was firmly held onto.
* ManipulativeBastard: Emma Frost, Sebastian Shaw, and ''especially'' Mastermind.
* MindlinkMates: This is the story that establishes Cyclops and Jean Grey's psychic rapport.
* MoreThanMindControl: Mastermind again. On her way down the slippery slope, Jean even calls him on it.
-->"You made me trust you...perhaps even ''love'' you...and all the while, you were '''using me!'''"
* MindRape: The White Queen does this to Storm while she's holding her hostage.
** Jean herself gets in on the act while she's punishing Mastermind, by [[MySkullRunnethOver granting him omniscience]] [[GoMadFromTheRevelation to drive him insane.]] Of course, what he did to her first was really just another form of MindRape.
* MundaneUtility: Phoenix uses her [[RealityWarper Reality-Warping powers]] for simple things like changing her costume into civvies or creating a picnic spread. Briefly, Cyclops wonders why this bothers him. "Why '''shouldn't''' Jean use her powers to make her life easier?"
* MythArc: Part of what makes this story so remarkable. It was the climax of a massive MythArc that Claremont had been building up to since issue #97 in 1975, when Professor X got his first look at the Shi'ar. Over the course of 41 issues (almost ''five years''), Jean Grey died, was resurrected, took on an alien empire, saved the galaxy from imploding, turned to the dark side, took on an alien empire (again), and [[KilledOffForReal died]].
* NaiveNewcomer: This storyline introduces [[IntangibleMan Intangible Girl]] Kitty Pryde this way, and ''still'' lets her help save the day.
* OfCorsetsSexy: Every female member of Hellfire, natch.
** Justified, given the club's origins.
* RestrainingBolt: Xavier creates a series of mental "circuit breakers" to permanently suppress the power of Phoenix, returning Jean to her "Marvel Girl" stats. But when she sees Cyclops wounded in battle, the Bolt breaks.
* SayMyName: As Jean dies, she and Scott call each other's names.
* StartOfDarkness: To stop a carload of mutant-hunters from running down Kitty Pryde, Phoenix erects a psychic brick wall in front of it, killing the occupants. When Cyclops goes WhatTheHellHero, she basically slaps him down.
-->'''Phoenix:''' You didn't sense the girl's terror, nor the thoughts of the men chasing her. These... ''animals'' got no more than they deserved!\\
'''Cyclops:''' Wow. I thought I'd seen Jean in every conceivable mood, but this is ''new''.
* SupermanStaysOutOfGotham: Subtly lampshaded, as Marvel heroes from all over the universe pick up on Dark Phoenix's manifestation, but the whole story happens too quickly for anyone to respond to it.
** And just before that, the Beast deliberately invokes the trope. Hank was an [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avenger]] at the time, and happened to be on monitor duty when the [[NewYorkCityCops [=NYPD=]]] alert about the X-Men fighting at the Hellfire Club came through. Instead of alerting his current teammates, he took a Quinjet out by himself to come to his former team's aid.
* SuperPoweredEvilSide: The original intent of this story was that Dark Phoenix was Jean Grey, corrupted by her power and Wyngarde's machinations. The Phoenix was [[RetCon retconned]] as a CosmicBeing of its own who had replaced Jean (and forgot about it) so the real Jean could turn up alive later.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: When the Dark Phoenix suddenly reemerges at the climax of the saga, Empress Lilandra desperately invokes Plan Omega: destroy the entire solar system and pray they can kill Dark Phoenix in the process. At that point, Xavier has no choice but to order his X-Men to kill Jean themselves to preempt this measure.
* TookALevelInBadAss: Sure, the Imperial Guard was pretty tough when they first appeared. In that fight the X-Men were gradually losing, least until Corsair and his team dived in. But the second battle....OW! Cyclops was off on his strategy and this was before Wolverine was a CanonSue. And more importantly Mastermind goes from being a guy who goes 'boo' with fake monsters to almost destroying the X-Men all by himself.
* WhatHaveIDone: When Jean is restored to herself for the final chapter, she's consumed with guilt at the atrocities Dark Phoenix has committed.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Dark Phoenix is the ''poster child'' for this trope.
----
