1977

The X-Men:

Cyclops/Scott Summers

Banshee/Sean Cassidy

Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner

Storm/Ororo Monroe

Colossus/Peter Rasputin

Wolverine/Logan

Professor X/Charles Xavier
Phoenix/Jean Grey [Phoenix Force grants her the ability to psionically manipulate matter and any form of energy, create powerful “cosmic” fire, resurrect from death and manipulate life energy in others, manipulate timelines and travel unaided through space]

Allies:

Moira MacTaggert

Multiple Man [self duplication]

Lilandra

“Starjammers” (space pirates)*

Foes:

Black Tom Cassidy

Juggernaut

Erik The Red

Magneto

Havok

Polaris

Firelord [energy projection via eyes and staff, superhuman strength, reflexes and durability, flight, mastery of the electromagnetic spectrum, total immunity to the rigors of space, light speed travelling and mastery of cosmic flame]

Gladiator [superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes and durability, flight, heat vision and freeze breath]**

Synopsis:

Moira asks the X-Men to go to her island, a mutant research center. She’s worried since she left someone named James Madrox (multiple man) in charge and hasn’t heard from him lately. Erik The Red took over the island to lure the X-Men’s attention and try to eliminate them again. He’s being helped not only by Polaris and Havok, but also Magneto, who was kept in the facilities after being transformed into a baby*** and Erik The Red made him adult again so it wasn’t hard for Magneto join forces with him. A normal Jean Grey is taken back to her parents while Xavier’s mansion is attacked by Erik The Red and his henchmen, along with Firelord, an alien from the planet Xandar in the Andromeda Galaxy, who is being tricked by Erik The Red. Back in Jean’s house, a female Shi’ar appears before Xavier and somehow he knows her, she’s Lilandra, princess of the Shi’ar who has come to meet him in person for an important matter and this is what Erik The Red was told to prevent. When Firelord aggressively breaks into Jean’s house, she transforms into Phoenix and defeats him easily. Jean is aware of her new powers and apparently in control, so she tries to help Xavier protecting Lilandra from Erik The Red and joins the X-Men chasing him through a portal, landing in the middle of the Shi’ar Empire, in front of an enraged mass of aliens and Gladiator, a powerful Strontian who serves the Shi’ar imperial guard. In the middle of the battle, a group of space pirates named Starjammers shows up to help the X-Men. Lilandra wanted to prevent his brother D’Kan from obtaining power from the M’craan Crystal, so she asked Xavier’s help since she has been observing him and his X-Men all this time, and how many times they saved mankind. Using and empathic link she had with the Crystal, Phoenix discovered an energy field in the form of a latticework which acted as a living shield for the Neutron Galaxy. The latticework was deteriorating. If it failed, the intense gravity from the Neutron Galaxy would cause all of creation to be sucked into it and the resulting Big Bang effect would give rise to a new virgin universe. Phoenix uses her powers combined with the powers of her fellow X-Men to repair the Crystal and thus save the universe from ultimate destruction. All return home along with Lilandra, who has been exiled from the Shi’ar empire.

* Their leader; Corsair, is Christopher Summers, Scott and Alex's father. Which is unknown to them until he decides to reveal this to them and why he left, in issues to come.

** Same powers as Superman, almost the same look, uses the same colors including a red cape… and he’s an alien… come on Marvel, don’t make it that obvious.

*** The Defenders is a heroic group formed by Dr. Strange, the Hulk, Valkyrie and Nighthawk. In Defenders # 16 they fight The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants {Magneto, Blob, Mastermind, Lorelei and Unus}, helped by Professor X. The Brotherhood use a powerful mutant who is capable of warping reality, but he turns against them after realizing he was doing wrong and reverts them to the age of children.