The year is 1983. Major Christopher Summers, Corsair of the spacefaring Starjammers, returns to Earth to celebrate the wedding of his son Scott to Madelyne Pryor.
“Congratulations, Scott, I’m so proud of you. That Madelyne’s a dynamite gal. And what about you, Alex? Still superheroing? No, you’ve retired? What are you now, 25? Well you must be close to finishing your dissertation by now, right? No? Well, you keep at it.”
The year is 1991. Corsair comes home to visit once again to find the old order changeth.
“Scott, my boy, I’m so sorry about what happened to baby Nathan. Did Jean get the flowers I sent? Good. Good. If you need anything, I’m here for you. By the way, it’s great to see you leading the X-Men again, son. I’m so proud of you. And Alex, I hear you got a government job. X-Factor, huh? Stole the name from Scotty’s old team, did you? And who else is on it? Lorna?! Back with her again? What happened to the redhead, Scott’s ex? Became a demon queen, eh? I always did like her. Who else? What the hell’s a Strong Guy? That’s his name? What do you mean none of them can open a mayonnaise jar? Well, you keep at it.”
The year is 2003. Corsair returns for the wedding of Alex to his on-again, off-again girlfriend Lorna Dane.
“How’s it going, Scotty? I hear things have gotten a little rough between you and Jean. Look, whatever you’re going through, I know you two crazy kids’ll work it out. Now what’s going on here? Still can’t believe these two are getting married. They never seemed right for each other, like they keep bringing out the worst in each other. I overheard a couple of the others say she banged a Gambit stripper at the bachelorette party. And didn’t Alex just wake up from a coma? Wait, who’s this nurse who keeps looking at Alex wistfully? She doesn’t seem like his type, which is to say she doesn’t have hair the color of Christmas. Well, at least he’s keepin’ at it.”
The year is 2016. Corsair comes home to attend Scott’s funeral.
“Emma, I know you and I aren’t close, but I want you to know if you need anything, anything at all, I’ll be through the first wormhole to Earth. You meant the world to Scott and saw him through some dark times, and that means you’ve got family for life. Now, where’s that other son of mine? Oh, he’s evil? Again? Like for real this time or another one of his undercover bits? Wanda who? Axis what? And how’d his face get all messed up? Kang? Wait, he lost a kid, too? I have another grandchild? And he still hasn’t finished his goddamn dissertation? Well, tell him to keep at it I guess, next time you see him.”
The year is 2024. Corsair returns to Earth once more as he continues his trend of popping in with the frequency of a sitcom guest star.
“Scott, love what you’ve done with the new place! And I love that you’re so close to your grandparents. Give them my best, won’t you, if they’re still alive? And Alex, you’re working for the government again? Didn’t learn your lesson the first time, huh? Wait, you were a zombie? How’d you get out of that one? Madelyne, huh? I always did like her. Hold on, you’re with Lorna again? Well, I guess third time’s the charm. Is this the third? No? Sixth or seventh? You’ve lost count? Me too, son. Me too. Well, you keep at it.”
Check out our exclusive preview of Phoenix #2, out next week, and keep scrolling for the basic deets.
(W) Stephanie Phillips (A) Alessandro Miracolo (CA) Yasmine Putri
JEAN GREY is dedicated to protecting innocents in deep space! Yes, space is vaster than imagination, greater and darker than the mind can comprehend – and yet, not big enough to stop family from dropping by without warning… But that’s how it goes when your father-in-law is CORSAIR of the STARJAMMERS! Leaving the pirate life behind, he’s got the inside line on huge news, and PHOENIX is the only one who can act to save untold lives – that is, if she can believe he’s telling the truth…
Rated T+
In Shops: Aug 21, 2024
$3.99
Dan Grote is the editor-in-chief of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Winston Wisdom.
