The X-Men #107
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThe X-Men #107 is the single most consequential issue of the original Phoenix Saga's cosmic turn: it simultaneously introduced the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, the Starjammers in their first full team appearance, the M'Kraan Crystal as a universe-ending artifact, and implicitly revealed that Corsair is the father of Cyclops and Havok — seeds that would pay off across decades of Marvel storytelling. The Imperial Guard alone went on to become one of Marvel's most durable cosmic franchises, crossing paths with the Kree, the Skrulls, the Inhumans, Nova, and the Guardians of the Galaxy in limited series and crossover events through the 2010s. The issue also marks the point where Claremont's X-Men definitively shed their Earth-bound superhero skin and claimed a full science-fiction genre identity, a tonal shift that underpinned the entire Claremont era. It is, by any measure, a turning-point issue for both the X-Men as a franchise and for Marvel's cosmic mythology.
In "Where No X-Man Has Gone Before!", the X-Men race against time to rescue Lilandra from her treacherous cousin, who seeks to harness the M'Kraan Crystal’s power—only to face resistance from the Imperial Guard. With the Starjammers arriving just in time, the team finds themselves drawn into a cosmic conflict beyond their usual battles. Written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Dave Cockrum, with inks by Dan Green and colors by Andy Yanchus, this 1977 issue features a cover by Cockrum that captures the high-stakes drama of the moment.
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Written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Dave Cockrum — with inks by Dan Green, colors by Andy Yanchus, letters by Joe Rosen, and editing by Archie Goodwin — the issue was part two of a three-part arc ('Where No X-Man Has Gone Before!') continuing from the cliffhanger in #105, with the interlude of #106 pushing readers through a roughly four-month wait for resolution. Cockrum had previously spent two years as the artist on DC's Legion of Super-Heroes backup feature in the Superboy comic, and he brought that experience directly to bear: when he and Claremont needed a super-powered alien army for the Shi'ar Empire, Cockrum proposed modeling each Imperial Guard member's powers and costume on a specific Legionnaire — an approach he even ran by DC's Legion writer Paul Levitz, who reportedly raised no objections. The Starjammers had a separate origin story: Cockrum had originally conceived them as a standalone space-pirate series and pitched it to Roy Thomas for Marvel Premiere or Marvel Preview, but was turned down; frustrated, he brought the concept to Claremont, and the decision to integrate the Starjammers into X-Men is what led to the plot twist that Corsair is Cyclops' father. This issue also stands as Cockrum's final issue of his initial Claremont collaboration; John Byrne took over as penciller with #108.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First full team appearance of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, including Gladiator (Kallark), Fang, Oracle, Smasher, Starbolt, Mentor, Hobgoblin, Electron, Impulse, Nightside, Quasar, Tempest, Titan, Magic, Vril-Rokk, and Astra — all created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum.
- First full team appearance of the Starjammers (Corsair, Ch'od, Hepzibah, Raza, and Cr'reee); Corsair and Ch'od had only a brief cameo in issue #104.
- First appearance of the M'Kraan Crystal, the universe-imperiling cosmic artifact that becomes central to both this arc and later Marvel cosmology.
- First appearance of the Soul-Drinker creature, deployed by Emperor D'Ken against Lilandra.
- Phoenix mind-probes Corsair and discovers he is the father of Cyclops and Havok — a revelation not confirmed openly in-story until issue #154; this issue also marks the first time Nightcrawler teleports while carrying another person (Lilandra).
- Each original Imperial Guard member was deliberately designed as a pastiche of a specific Legion of Super-Heroes member (e.g., Gladiator = Superboy, Oracle = Saturn Girl, Mentor = Brainiac 5, Fang = Timber Wolf, Hobgoblin = Chameleon Boy); Cockrum had spent two years as the Legion's artist at DC before joining Marvel.
- The issue's story title, 'Where No X-Man Has Gone Before!', is an explicit homage to Star Trek's opening narration; this is also the first time in the series that the X-Men physically visit another planet.
- This is Dave Cockrum's final issue of his initial run as artist on the title; John Byrne replaced him as penciller beginning with issue #108. The issue was later collected in the trade paperback X-Men: Starjammers by Dave Cockrum (collecting #107–108 and subsequent Cockrum issues).
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The X-Men try to save Lilandra from her evil cousin, who is trying to use the M'Kraan Crystal to achieve ultimate power, but the Imperial Guard get in the way. The Starjammers show up to the rescue.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
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