Uncanny X-men 136

#4 Comic to Own for Phoenix Fans - “Child of Light & Darkness”

Even though this is the middle issue, it is my favorite. The emotional battle between X-men and Dark Phoenix is emotional gold. When Professor X finally puts the psychic dampers on Phoenix you breathe a sigh of relief, but then…

The Shi’ar are holding a council of war. Meanwhile, the X-Men hold a Danger Room session to blow off some steam while Hank McCoy cobbles together an inhibitor to make the fight with Phoenix winnable. Dark Phoenix returns to Earth, specifically Jean Grey’s parent’s home. She encounters her family, and things turn nasty, so Phoenix leaves. The X-Men ambush her, and Nightcrawler gets the inhibitor on her. They fight, Phoenix overloads the inhibitor, and then defeats the X-men. Scott confronts Dark Phoenix and gets through to her, but then Prof X takes the opportunity to mindblast Jean. Dark Phoenix turns hostile again and she and Professor X wage a mindwar which Professor X wins! Jean collapses, the X-Men think the fight is over, and then before the startled eyes of the Greys they all disappear.