Major Issues: First Appearance of Phoenix

Hundreds of comic book characters are being portrayed in film and television, and with each new day more are being announced.

Major Issues -- a ComicBook.com original video series -- will speak to true comic book hobbyists as well as new fans in a short, fast-paced digital series featuring the first appearances of characters we all love. Each episode will feature the actual comic book, info on the creators, and the backstory on the creation and legacy of the character.

The next in our series is our look at the introduction of one of the oldest and most powerful cosmic forces in the Marvel universe.

This is the origin of is tied to Jean Grey, but Phoenix is not. He is the write up from ComicBookDB: The Phoenix offered to save Jean, but told her that she would need time to heal because her body was already far more damaged than her mind would allow her to realize. She accepted the entity's help and the Phoenix siphoned a small piece of her essence and created a copy of Jean's body for itself. Also, it took Jean's withered, damaged body and placed it inside a healing cocoon, which (unbeknownst to anyone but the Phoenix itself) was to be buried in the very spot that the shuttle crashed: Jamaica Bay, near JFK Airport in New York City. As the shuttle skidded across the water and came to a halt, the solar probe shot out of the damaged space craft. One by one all of the remaining X-Men and space station/shuttle personnel swam up from the bottom. However, as the precious seconds flew by, Jean was nowhere to be found among the debris. Just as Cyclops attempted to dive down, desperate for a sign of his love's survival, the water began to glow and "Jean," (in reality the Phoenix, but no one would discover this for some time to come) burst from the water and flew in the air wearing a brand new costume, loudly stating "I am Phoenix." Thus the Phoenix/Jean entity was born.

Originally published as Uncanny Xmen #101 in 1976 the issue is available online or at your local comic book store.

Be sure to check out our other Major Issues.

Luke Cage | Black Mariah | Misty Knight | Cornell Cottonmouth | Wally West | Negan | King Ezekiel | Kaecilius | Bane | Savitar | Deadshot | Darth Vader | Spawn