10 X-Men Graphic Novels You Must Read Before You Die

Written by Chris Claremont (again!) and illustrated by his erstwhile partner in crime John Byrne, the Dark Phoenix Saga easily deserves its place at the top of the list. It's also a story that everyone who's into comic books should know by now.

It's the tale of how a dying Jean Grey, who's full to the brim with radiation exposure, cries out for someone to help her as she tries to pilot her friends back to Earth and safety. Her call is answered by the Phoenix Force, the sum of all life in the universe, who protects Jean's mind in a replica body.

But after they crash-land back on the planet the force awakens and is convinced that it truly is Jean Grey, which wouldn't be a problem until it gets its first taste of evil and goes mad with power.

This compels the X-Men to take her down permanently, even if that could result in Jean's death.