EXCLUSIVE: The 1983 comic gets, ahem, new life…
Marvel in March will be reprinting as a Facsimile Edition Phoenix: The Untold Story #1, the 1983 one-shot in which Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin provided readers with the original ending of the Dark Phoenix Saga, where Jean Grey survived.
The Facsimile will essentially be a jumping-on point for Byrne’s upcoming three-volume graphic novel X-Men: Elsewhen, published through Abrams ComicArts under license from Marvel. That hardcover series picks up with Jean alive. The first volume is due in June 2026.
“Diverging from the epic finale of the original storyline from 1984, X-Men: Elsewhen presents a universe where Jean Grey’s powers and intellect have been greatly reduced, and from there, everything you thought you know about the X-Men is forever changed,” the Abrams description reads. (The Untold Story actually was released at the end of 1983.)
Phoenix is one of two Facsimiles coming from Marvel in January. The other — which you can read about here — kicks off a new multi-issue run.)
Check out the EXCLUSIVE solicitation info, which will be released officially by Marvel later this month:
PHOENIX: THE UNTOLD STORY #1 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT & JOHN BYRNE
Penciled by JOHN BYRNE
Cover by JOHN BYRNE
Variant Cover by DIKE RUAN
FOIL VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
The story everyone knows – with an ending you may never have seen! The climactic chapter of the classic saga of the Dark Phoenix sent shock waves through comic book fandom with the heartbreaking death of Jean Grey. But originally, Chris Claremont and John Byrne planned a different outcome – which, years later, was revealed in PHOENIX: THE UNTOLD STORY! With Jean’s life in the balance, the X-Men fight a duel of honor on the Blue Area of the Moon against the mighty Gladiator and his allies in the Imperial Guard of the Shi’ar Empire! Cyclops will be at the side of the woman he loves until the battle’s very end – but how will the story play out this time? It’s one of the all-time great Marvel comic books, boldly re-presented in its original form, ads and all! Reprinting PHOENIX: THE UNTOLD STORY (1984) #1.
$6.99
On Sale: 3/18
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Several thoughts:
— Smart play, Marvel.
— The issue reprints 1980’s The X-Men #137, but the final five pages replace the originally published ending. There’s also a pinup that would have been the opening splash to Issue #138.
— The interviews are as much the selling point as the story itself. Byrne, Claremont, Austin, Jim Shooter, Jim Salicrup and Louise Simonson discuss the decision-making behind Phoenix’s death.
— As I noted before, this is one of two Facsimiles coming in March from Marvel. Link below!
— Obligatory Price Comparison: You can find the original for pretty easy money, but it’s still fun to pick this up fresh for $7 as an Elsewhen prologue, or just as an X-curiosity.
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MORE
— 1968’s SILVER SURFER: Marvel to Publish First SEVEN Issues as FACSIMILE EDITIONS. Click here.
— MARVEL Ditches Yearlong FACSIMILE EDITION Runs in Favor of Month-To-Month — At Least for Now. Click here.
December 11, 2025
>> boldly re-presented in its original form
>>
Sweet. Never seen this in the day so it will be “new” Byrne to me!
Now the “X-Men: Elsewhen”, is this new or fairly new stuff? I thought I read it was done in the last 5 years or so.
December 11, 2025
Elsewhen was just penciled pages he has posted on his website. never been published and was inked by him either so I’m curious who inked these and who colored them for that matter. basically it’s a new comic.
December 11, 2025
I have a couple copies of the original, but I’m in for at least one copy of the foil 😀 . If the graphic novels are going to be hard cover, it would be a shame to not also print this facsimile as a hard cover.
December 11, 2025
Completely agree! This should be printed to match the others as the prologue that it is!
December 12, 2025
The whole X-Men run, 94-143 needs done as facsimiles. We have some, we need the rest.
December 12, 2025
Yeah, I’m surprised that #94 has never had a proper reprint (I don’t think). I know it’s not a good story, but it’s still a key issue.
December 12, 2025
Still wondering why we didn’t get the dark phoenix saga issues in foil variants. Marvel does it for all of its other facsimiles.
December 12, 2025
Yep, being an X-Men collector back in the day, I would have bought them all on foil. As it is, I did pick up 130 and 141 on foil.
Just curious, but how many of you buy both regular and foil? I would for X-Men, but I probably wouldn’t for much else (FF I only bought regular). If they included the regular cover with the foil, I would buy foil every time.