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Phoenix Omnibus Vol. 1
The cosmic cycle of life, death and rebirth begins as the Phoenix Force debuts! When Marvel Girl sacrifices herself to save the X-Men, she rises again…as Phoenix! Jean Grey has somehow attained power beyond conception, but Cyclops and the X-Men can only watch as Phoenix is corrupted, absolutely. As the team faces the Shi'ar Empire, Hellfire Club and more, can Jean Grey be redeemed? Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and John Byrne weave a galaxy-spanning tale of triumph and tragedy that changed everything for the X-Men, the Marvel Universe…and all of comics! The full, original Dark Phoenix Saga is presented alongside bonus tales illuminating Jean Grey's defining story! Collecting X-MEN (1963) #97-105, #107-108 and #125-138 and PHOENIX: THE UNTOLD STORY - and material from CLASSIC X-MEN #6, #8, #13, #18, #24 and #43; BIZARRE ADVENTURES #27 and WHAT IF? (1977) #27.
688 pages, Hardcover
First published June 8, 2022
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50 people want to read
About the author
Chris Claremont
3,278 books888 followersChris Claremont is a writer of American comic books, best known for his 16-year (1975-1991) stint on Uncanny X-Men, during which the series became one of the comic book industry's most successful properties.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
Claremont has written many stories for other publishers including the Star Trek Debt of Honor graphic novel, his creator-owned Sovereign Seven for DC Comics and Aliens vs Predator for Dark Horse Comics. He also wrote a few issues of the series WildC.A.T.s (volume 1, issues #10-13) at Image Comics, which introduced his creator-owned character, Huntsman.
Outside of comics, Claremont co-wrote the Chronicles of the Shadow War trilogy, Shadow Moon (1995), Shadow Dawn (1996), and Shadow Star (1999), with George Lucas. This trilogy continues the story of Elora Danan from the movie Willow. In the 1980s, he also wrote a science fiction trilogy about female starship pilot Nicole Shea, consisting of First Flight (1987), Grounded! (1991), and Sundowner (1994). Claremont was also a contributor to the Wild Cards anthology series.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 29, 2023
Name one story arc better than this.
Oh, you can’t.
Oh, you can’t.
April 24, 2025
I picked up the Phoenix Omnibus Volume 1 because most of my X-Men shelf is stacked with the big crossover events from the '80s -- Mutant Massacre, Fall of the Mutants, Inferno. I wanted something that captured the emotional core of the X-Men, and this book gave me exactly that, anchored by the Dark Phoenix Saga and the road that leads there.
The collection charts Jean Grey’s full arc from Marvel Girl to Phoenix to Dark Phoenix. It’s Claremont at his most ambitious -- combining cosmic scale with grounded, emotional stakes. The storytelling takes the team from outer space to city streets, all while steadily raising the personal and moral tension.
But the saga doesn’t just come from the obvious high points. Issues like X-Men #98, where Scott and Jean are finally shown as a real couple, or X-Men #102, where Jean -- or rather, the Phoenix copy of her -- quietly hints to Misty Knight that she died back in #100-101, plant the seeds of what’s to come. They might not be billed as part of the saga, but they give it heart and weight. You start to realize just how far this story stretches, and how much it's been building all along.
Claremont’s writes the X-Men like a real, messy, dysfunctional family -- and that makes you care when things go wrong. His scripts are dense by today’s standards, but for readers who want depth and detail, it’s a rewarding experience. Dave Cockrum illustrates the initial stories with flair, but it’s John Byrne and Terry Austin who lock in the look that defined this era. Their pages are dynamic, sharp, and full of motion. And don’t sleep on Glynis Wein’s colors -- they pop in ways you wouldn’t expect, giving scenes an extra emotional jolt.
At 688 pages, it’s not the biggest omnibus on the shelf, but it feels complete. I read it issue by issue over a couple weekends, and never felt the pace drag. Whether you're an X-Men lifer or just digging into the classics, this one earns its place. It's not just the rise and fall of the Phoenix -- it’s the emotional blueprint for everything that made the X-Men matter in the decades that followed.
The collection charts Jean Grey’s full arc from Marvel Girl to Phoenix to Dark Phoenix. It’s Claremont at his most ambitious -- combining cosmic scale with grounded, emotional stakes. The storytelling takes the team from outer space to city streets, all while steadily raising the personal and moral tension.
But the saga doesn’t just come from the obvious high points. Issues like X-Men #98, where Scott and Jean are finally shown as a real couple, or X-Men #102, where Jean -- or rather, the Phoenix copy of her -- quietly hints to Misty Knight that she died back in #100-101, plant the seeds of what’s to come. They might not be billed as part of the saga, but they give it heart and weight. You start to realize just how far this story stretches, and how much it's been building all along.
Claremont’s writes the X-Men like a real, messy, dysfunctional family -- and that makes you care when things go wrong. His scripts are dense by today’s standards, but for readers who want depth and detail, it’s a rewarding experience. Dave Cockrum illustrates the initial stories with flair, but it’s John Byrne and Terry Austin who lock in the look that defined this era. Their pages are dynamic, sharp, and full of motion. And don’t sleep on Glynis Wein’s colors -- they pop in ways you wouldn’t expect, giving scenes an extra emotional jolt.
At 688 pages, it’s not the biggest omnibus on the shelf, but it feels complete. I read it issue by issue over a couple weekends, and never felt the pace drag. Whether you're an X-Men lifer or just digging into the classics, this one earns its place. It's not just the rise and fall of the Phoenix -- it’s the emotional blueprint for everything that made the X-Men matter in the decades that followed.
March 29, 2024
The perfect intro to the best long form comic run of all time. The Proteus arc provides dramatic context and echoes the themes of the Dark Phoenix Saga that follows it, giving this omni the edge over the trades. This is Claremont, Cockrum and Byrne at their most fearless: in space, with leprechauns, in a dream world, in a suburb talking to Dad, you never know what's going to happen next. It's the best self contained bit of a mammoth landmark run and you owe it to yourself to read it.
This time around I appreciated the colors by Glynis Wein a lot more. Coloring the Phoenix firebird in pink and purple, not orange, communicates that this is Jean Grey. The Shi'ar have sallow yellow skin, but not Fu Manchu skin. Etc.
This time around I appreciated the colors by Glynis Wein a lot more. Coloring the Phoenix firebird in pink and purple, not orange, communicates that this is Jean Grey. The Shi'ar have sallow yellow skin, but not Fu Manchu skin. Etc.
September 14, 2024
The X-Men journey continues! This is classic X-Men stuff here. The art by John Byrne and Terry austin can't be beat. While I have read The Dark Phoenix Saga in the past, I had never read the entirety of the story from inception to completion. They don't do comic stories like this anymore. Highly recommended for fans of classic comic book stories and for X-Men fans.!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews