Forty years ago, the legendary creative team of Chris Claremont and John Byrne set a new standard for comic book stories with the Dark Phoenix Saga (Uncanny X-Men #128-137).   The saga went on to become an instant classic and cemented the X-Men as one of Marvel Comics' most successful franchises.

Now, as Dawn of X launches and the X-Men venture into an exciting new era, the "X" franchise will be honoring the past with the Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant covers.   From Jean Grey’s psychic battle with Emma Frost to the X-Men’s fateful clash with the Shi’ar Imperial Guard on the moon, each cover will see a pivotal moment in the event brought to new life by today’s top artists.

Check with your favorite local comic shop for the following variant covers which are scheduled to ship in January:

[Click on the Gallery below to see full-sized images of the variant covers.]

  • X-Men #5 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant by Kris Anka
  • Excalibur #5 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant by Philip Tan
  • New Mutants #5 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant by Juan José Ryp
  • X-Force #5 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant by Russell Dauterman
  • Fallen Angels #5 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant by Scott Williams

And keep an eye out for additional Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variants that will be revealed at a later date:

  • Marauders #5 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant
  • X-Men #6 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant
  • Excalibur #6 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant
  • Maruaders #6 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant
  • Fallen Angels #6 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant
  • New Mutants #6 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant
  • X-Force #6 Dark Phoenix Saga 40th Anniversary Variant