Marvel Comics has given CBR an exclusive first look at Mark Brooks' variant cover for X-Men #6, which is written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Matteo Buffagni. The cover celebrates the 40th anniversary of Chris Claremont and John Byrne's beloved "Dark Phoenix Saga" storyline and depicts Jean Grey/Phoenix as the Black Queen.

Spanning from The X-Men #129 until #139 in 1980, "The Dark Phoenix Saga" is often considered one of the greatest stories ever told about the comic's title team. The epic storyline saw Jean Grey/Phoenix being manipulated into joining the Hellfire Club as the Black Queen. Eventually, Phoenix destroyed an entire planet, leading to a battle between the Shi'ar and the X-Men on the Blue Area of the Moon and her own death.

You can see Brooks' variant honoring the beloved story below along with the solicitation information for the book.

RELATED: Jessica Jones Just Proved She's Stronger Than An Infinity Stone

X-MEN #6

  • JONATHAN HICKMAN (W) • MATTEO BUFFAGNI (A)
  • COVER BY Leinil Francis Yu
  • ISSUE #6 – MARVELS X VARIANT COVER BY TBA
  • ISSUE #6 – DARK PHOENIX SAGA 40TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT COVER BY MARK BROOKS
  • Mystique goes to extraordinary lengths to get what she wants…
  • 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Brooks is known for his work on such comics as Cable & Deadpool and Han Solo. His work on the latter earned him two Eisner Award nominations in 2017. In addition to those accolades, Brooks won an Inkpot Award in 2014.

KEEP READING: Deadpool Will Finally Pay the X-Men's New Krakoa Paradise a Visit