The X-Men #138

Published in October 1980, The X-Men #138 serves as a pivotal bridge in Marvel history, functioning as a retrospective issue that concludes the legendary Phoenix Saga. Following the climactic events of the Dark Phoenix storyline, the creative team of writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne used this issue to recount the history of the X-Men while transitioning the team into a new era. It is widely regarded as a masterful example of narrative house-cleaning, allowing the writers to process the immense emotional fallout of the preceding arc through the perspective of Cyclops.

The issue features iconic cover art by John Byrne and Terry Austin, capturing the somber tone of a team in mourning. The interior pages lean heavily into the character-driven development that defined the Claremont and Byrne collaboration, grounding the extraordinary nature of mutant conflict in personal trauma. By focusing on Scott Summers' decision to depart from the team, the issue solidified the X-Men's reputation for complex, serialized storytelling, setting the stage for the character dynamics that would dominate the series throughout the 1980s.