Phoenix Saga (X-Men: Animated Series)
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| “Phoenix Saga” | |
|---|---|
| 'X-Men: The Animated Series' episode | |
 Jean Gray turns into Phoenix |
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| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 29-33 |
| Written by | Parts 1 & 3: Michael Edens Parts 2, 4, & 5: Mark Edward Edens |
| Production no. | Part 1: 303 Part 2: 304 Part 3: 305 Part 4: 306 Part 5: 307 |
| Original airdate | Part 1: September 5, 1994 Part 2: September 6, 1994 Part 3: September 7, 1994 Part 4: September 8, 1994 Part 5: September 9, 1994 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Out of the Past" | "Savage Land, Strange Heart" |
| List of X-Men 1992 TV Series Episodes | |
Phoenix Saga is a series of 5 episodes (Season 3 episodes 3 to 7) in X-Men: The Animated Series, based on the Dark Phoenix Saga in the comics.
Contents |
[edit] Characters
X-Men: Professor X, Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Beast, Jean Grey (Phoenix), Jubilee
Supporting: Lilandra, Sean Cassidy (Banshee), Dr. Moira MacTaggert, Starjammers (Corsair, Ch'od, Cr+eee, Raza Longknife)
Cameo Appearance: Captain Britain, Doctor Strange, Sunfire, Spider-Man, War Machine, Shaman, Snowbird
Villains D'Ken, Gladiator, Erik the Red, Juggernaut, Black Tom Cassidy
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Phoenix Saga Part 1: Sacrifice
This episode begins with Professor X dreaming or rather having a nightmare about a battle between two fleets of ships somewhere in the galaxy. Someone asks him "Help me Xavier! Help Me!" in his dream. He sees an alien creature that is asking for his help in his dream, and Xavier wakes up and says "They're Coming!"
He calls all X-men to the War Room, and tells them Space-shuttle Starcore is scheduled to launch the next day. When suddenly he again has that same dream or vision of the space battle. He tells the X-men that they must find a way to board that shuttle and go to the Eagle-1 space station; all he tells them is that an important event is about to happen in space, so they must go aboard the shuttle. He tells storm to help the others board the Shuttle, but tells her to remain on Earth and.
The X-men land their plane near the launch site, and Storm creates mist to give them some cover, and Beast gets them over the fence. Jubilee has to stay behind to get caught or they could cancel the launch. Then two personnel come and take her away, while the X-Men board the shuttle and tie up the astronauts. Jean makes Dr. Carbone think they are his team members. and they launch the shuttle. Storm helps Jubilee escape.
When they get aboard the space-station, Jean senses a dark presence and looses her control over Dr. Carbo and he sees that they're not his teammates. Suddenly, sleeping gas is released into the room and everyone fall unconscious. Erik the Red comes inside and tells his boss that the shuttle crew has been neutralized. He takes Dr. Carbo to the Control Room and tells the hypnotized astronauts to open the air-lock. Jean wakes up and stops them from opening the air-lock and knocks them out.
Eric the Red is on the space-station to intercept a rebel. He plans on destroying the rebel spaceship, but the X-men stop him. During the battle the space station is damaged and starts braking up. So board the shuttle and escape from the space-station, but they're on course to intercept an energy wave and they can't change their coarse. Jean stays behind to pilot the shuttle because the auto-pilot is dead, while the others sit on a solar probe to protect themselves from the radiation.
[edit] Phoenix Saga Part 2: Dark Shroud
Part two begins right where first part ended. Jean's powers protect her from the radiation, but she can't hold on much longer because there is enormous amount of energy and she falls down and something goes in her body and she wakes up again and pilots the shuttle. The shuttle lands in the river near New York City. Everyone surfaces, except Jean. Then Jean rises up through the water and says "I am Phoenix". Then she faints and ends up in the hospital, without any memory of how she survived.
Later something poses the Professor and his spirit comes out of his body goes to attack Wolverine, Jubilee, Cyclops, and Gambit. Jean later tells Cyclops that it's just a Psychic Projection and thinks something is wrong with Professor's mind. Later they find Xavier and he tells them that something overpowered his subconscious.
Then Xavier goes to Muir Island to Dr. Moira MacTaggert to get help, he is planning on staying at Muir Island until he's back to normal. Dr. MacTaggert introduces Xavier to her boyfriend Sean Cassidy(Banshee). There Lilandra (the alien that comes in his dream)comes to Xavier to explain why she's on earth. She says that she is the sister of the Shi'ar emperor named D'Ken, but she went against him because he sought to control the M'Kraan Crystal, which could destroy both of their galaxies. So she had stolen it and come to earth for Xavier's help and to stop D'Ken. Then Juggernaut comes breaking through the wall and is probably hired to capture Lilandra.
[edit] Phoenix Saga Part 3: Cry of the Banshee
Part three begins right after Juggernaut broke through the wall, and attacking Lilandra and Xavier. His accomplice, Black Tom Cassidy, knocks out Xavier and takes away Lilandra. Juggernaut throws Xavier down a cliff, but Banshee saves him. Dr. MacTaggert doesn't believe Xavier, when he says that Lilandra was kidnapped by Juggernaut. She thinks he is imagining it. Xavier tells the X-men that Juggernaut took an alien named Lilandra and asks them to come to Muir Island. Erik the Red pays Juggernaut ten million for kidnapping Lilandra. Over at Muir Island Wolverine confirms that Juggernaut and someone else, and an alien was there.
Lilandra shows the image of a crest with a stag and a dragon to Xavier to tell his where she is. Banshee says where she is because that's the Cassidy family crest. Banshee takes the X-men to the Castle. Gambit breaks open the door and Black Tom and Erik the Red start shooting. Rogue takes care of Juggernaut. Gambit fights with Erik the Red and Banshee fights with his brother Black Tom. Juggernaut throws Rogue into Gambit and they go towards Erik's ship, while going out Erik throws a bomb which freezes the X-men in ice for a while. Wolverine and Rogue break up the ice and the X-men go after Erik the Red, Black Tom, and Juggernaut, and surround them.
Suddenly the Gladiator comes down. He is angry at Erik the Red for not finding Lilandra and the M'Kraan Crystal. He throws Juggernaut off the roof of the castle. Xavier tells all the X-Men to save Lilandra and Jean wakes up and goes to save her. She transforms into the Phoenix and goes to Cassidy Keep to save Lilandra. Gladiator uses all his powers but can't stop the Phoenix. Meanwhile, Erik the Red escapes on his ship. Phoenix imprisons Gladiator in a ball on fire and sends him back to his home world. At the end, D'Ken's ship comes out of a wormhole and into Earth's orbit. (Portions of this episode were used for the infamous "The Juggernaut Bitch!!" internet meme.)
[edit] Phoenix Saga Part 4: The Starjammers
Part four starts right where part three ended. Black Tom escapes from the castle. Professor X, Lilandra, Rogue, wolverine, Jubilee, Jean, and Gambit are still on the roof of the castle. Lilandra asks Xavier to help her to safeguard the M'Kraan Crystal. She says that she must go back to her ship, but her transporter isn't strong enough to also bring Xavier with her. So Jean tells that she can help. Cyclops, Storm, and Beast come on the X-Jet.
Jean sees D'Ken's ship in orbit with her Telepathic powers. She asks Cyclops to help her prepare the others for a battle to save the galaxy. She tells the X-men that "In our hands lie the fate of a billion star systems" and then she transforms into the Phoenix and go out into space taking the X-men with her.
Here we see Captain Britain in a cameo in London, looking at the Phoenix flying off after hearing an explosion produced by the Phoenix. We also see Doctor Strange in a Cameo.
Phoenix teleports inside the Lilandra's ship. The crystal was still there. Then a ship comes and start shooting. Then everyone gets shocked with a stun ray and fall down. The other ship docks onto the ship. Three member of Starjammers (Corsair, Ch'od, Cr+eee) come aboard and start shooting at the X-men. Jean looks at there minds and tells that they are intergalactic pirates called the Starjammers. Corsair (the leader of Starjammers) orders Longknife to shoot one more stun ray. Cyclops tries to blast Corsair, but Jean stops him. The Starjammer's ship shoots another stun ray set for humans and the X-men fall unconscious. The Starjammers take the crystal and also Cyclops and escape. Jean stopped Cyclops because Corsair is Cyclops' father, but doesn't tell anyone about it.
Corsair sends a message to D'Ken to exchange the M'Kraan Crystal for half the imperial treasure. D'Ken accepts the offer, but then tells the Imperial Guards to destroy the Starjammers once they have the crystal. Among the Imperial Guards are Gladiator, Oracle, Warstar, Earthquake(Quake), Smasher, Manta, Hussar, Hobgoblin(Shapeshifter), Starbolt, and Titan.
Corsair tells Cyclops that he is selling the M'Kraan Crystal to D'Ken. Cyclops replies that he could destroy the galaxy with it. Corsair says, "that will never happen because you are going to end his existence." He says offering him the crystal is the only way he can get close enough to D'Ken. Corsair wants to kill D'Ken because in his quest for power, D'Ken has destroyed millions, including Corsair's wife. He tells Cyclops that he will have one clear shot to kill D'Ken because no one will expect a prisoner to attack him.
Lilandra's ship follows the Starjammers, but it isn't fast enough to overtake them. Back at the Starjammers ship Cyclops agrees to kill D'Ken because he knows if D'Ken gets the crystal he could destroy the galaxy. Starjammers ship docks onto D'Ken's ship. Corsair tells Cyclops that he is from Earth. He doesn't know that Cyclops is him son and Cyclops also doesn't know that Corsair is him father.
Jean links to Cyclops's mind telepathically to find where he is as Cyclops and Corsair go in front of D'Ken. Jean then teleports all the X-men to D'Ken's ship. Corsair attacks D'Ken, but it turns out to be a shape-shifter. The X-men battle the Imperial Guards. Gladiator tries to take the crystal, but Rogue stops him and gives it to Lilandra. D'Ken tells Gladiator to cut off their exit. The X-men make their way towards the Starjammer. As they make on the Starjammer they find Lilandra held captive by Gladiator and D'Ken. D'Ken starts to unlock the crystal's power, Phoenix tries to stop him, but fails. Jean says that D'Ken has released the energy of negative galaxy from the crystal, which could destroy their galaxy. D'Ken grows bigger and at this point part four ends.
[edit] Phoenix Saga Part 5: Child of Light
Part five starts out right where part four ended. D'Ken shoots beams out of his eyes at the X-men. Jean(Phoenix) tries to shield everyone, but the beam's power is too great, so Jean uses up her Phoenix power and faints. Rogue flies at D'Ken, but gets zapped with his beam. Then D'Ken gets sucked into the M'Kraan Crystal. Jean says that D'Ken and M'Kraan Crystal have become one and D'Ken has created his own universe inside the crystal, where they all will soon be. Corsair tells the Starjammers to escape at full speed.
Jean says that she will try to see if the power of Phoenix can control the Crystal. Jean transforms into Phoenix and teleports everyone to the Starjammer. Phoenix then goes back to D'Ken's ship to stop the crystal from destroying the galaxy. A few minutes later she gets sucked into the M'Kraan Crystal, then everything else starts to be sucked by the crystal. Starjammers try to shoot the crystal, but it has no effect. The crystal starts sucking in the Sun's energy.
Back on Earth, this causes environmental disasters all around the Earth. Xavier says that the M'Kraan Crystal is acting like a black hole and soon the Sun will completely be sucked into the Crystal and then everything else. The Starjammer gets sucked into the crystal and the ship crashes on a planet inside the crystal. They land on a planet that appears to be a living being. Soon they find that entire universe is alive. Then D'Ken appears and Gambit, Wolverine, and Rogue attack, but they can't even make it near him, D'Ken uses lighting of the Living Universe to stop them. D'Ken can control everything in this universe, he's like a part of the entire living universe. None of the X-men's powers have any effect on D'ken, who soon destroys Starjammers' spaceship. Then D'Ken traps Lilandra in an energy ball. Back on Earth the Natural disasters are worsening.
Here we see Sunfire in a Cameo appearance stopping rubble from a volcano from falling on a train near Mt. Fuji.In Africa we see Mjnari getting civilians into a shelter. In New York City we see Spider-Man and War Machine in a cameo appearance saving people from falling debris. In Athens, Greece Shaman and Snowbird also appear in a cameo, saving people from falling debris. Storm stops a wave from destroying a bridge in New York City.
Back in the crystal D'Ken tries to kill Lilandra, so the Imperial Guards, X-men, and Starjammers try to stop him, but nothing happens to D'Ken. As D'Ken tries to kill Lilandra, Phoenix comes back. She takes everyone to safety, out of the Crystal aboard Lilandra's ship. Jean says that she will try to join with the crystal to fix what D'Ken has broken. She says goodbye to everyone and transforms into Phoenix to stop the crystal. The Phoenix contains the power of the crystal. After the power is contained, all the disasters stop from occurring. Phoenix says that to truly contain the power of the crystal and to make sure it is never released again, she must take it beyond the reach of any living being. She says that she and the crystal will be safe at the heart of the Sun because it can not be destroyed. Then the Phoenix goes inside the Sun to bury the crystal forever and the Phoenix is consumed in the sun.
After this Lilandra becomes empress of Shi'ar and goes back to her home world to rebuild everything that her brother destroyed. The Phoenix Saga ends at the part where Cyclops stands at the Cassidy Castle mourning Jean's death.
[edit] Note
The Season 5 episode NO MUTANT IS AN ISLAND was supposed to air after this episode to show that Jean Grey didn't really die at the end of this episode. However, heavy animation problems resulted in the episode being delayed until the fifth season, so Jean's return was never properly explained.
