In which we wade into the first arc of the Dark Phoenix Saga, Rachel does not like Sage, the Hellfire Club are the mean girls of the Marvel Universe, Cyclops and Phoenix have a Moment, Mastermind ruins everything, Emma Frost is a force to be reckoned with, Wolverine gets awesome, and we meet the Dark Phoenix.

X-Plained:

• Sage


• The Hellfire Club


• The Inner Circle


• Jason Wyngarde (again)


• Sebastian Shaw


• Harry Leland


• Emma Frost


• Donald Pierce


• Hegemony and social politics of the Hellfire Club


• 18^th Century bondage cosplay


• Kitty Pryde


• The worst disco ever


• Alison Blaire


• Tiny shorts


• How to make Wolverine work


• Sexual politics of the Dark Phoenix


• Why Magneto’s powers are broken post-AvX


• The P.E.N.I.S. five

You can find a visual companion to the episode – and links to recommended reading – on our blog.

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Next week: Showdown on the Moon