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

18th 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