Following the events of the Dark Phoenix Saga, the X-Men lay jean Grey to rest. After losing the woman he loves, Cyclops quits the X-Men.

The X-Men ( Beast, Angel, Cyclops, Professor Xavier, Colossus, Banshee, Storm, Nightcrawler and Wolverine), along with John and Elaine Grey, Lilandra and Moira are at Jean’s funeral and Cyclops takes a trip down memory lane:

He thought about the first X-Men team, the day when Jean arrived at Mansion X and their first mission against Magneto ( issue #1); about the fight against Vanisher, Blob, the Brotherhood and Namor (issues #2, #3, #4, #5, #6). He thought on how much he loved Jean since the beginning but couldn't talk to her because his power and responsibility leading the X-Men. Their encounter with Ka-Zar in the Savage Land ( Issue #10), with the alien named Stranger ( Issue #11) and with Juggernaut, who they had beaten with the help of Human Torch (issues #12 and 13). The arrive of Sentinels and Bolivar Trask final sacrifice (issues #14, 15 and 16). Then he remembered about many foes that the X-Men had fought against, like Mimic ( issue #19), Lucifer ( issue #20) Count Nefaria and Maggia (issues #22 and 23), Cobalt Man ( issue #31), Locust ( issue #24), Kukulcan (issues #25 and 26), Maha Yogi ( issue #30), Banshee as a member of Factor Three ( issue #28) and the Super Adaptoid ( issue #29).

Again Scott thinks about Jean and their first kiss, but then new and old foes and some friends had arrived at their lives: Dr. Strange, Spider-Man ( issue #35), Mekano ( issue #36), Juggernaut, Tyrannus and Mole Man ( issue #34) and the Mutant Master leader of Factor Three ( issue #37). The the X-Men had fought against a strong creature called Grotesk, that killed Professor Xavier at issue #42. Cyclops became then the real leader of X-Men, they found Lorna Dane (Polaris, issue #49), fought Mesmero ( issue #50) and again Magneto. Cyclops told everyone that he had a brother, Alex, who was also a mutant and then they had to fight the Living Monolith for Alex's life (issues #54, 55, 56). They fought against the Sentinels again, with Larry Trask leading them ( issues #57, 58 and 59) and then against Sauron (issues #60, 61 and 62) and again with Magneto at Savage Land ( issue #63). At issue #64 they fought against Sunfire, and next issue they discovered that Professor X was alive, and that it was Changeling who had died before, just in time to have one huge battle against an alien race, called Z'Nox.

The new X-Men had arrived (Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler and Thunderbird, together with Sunfire and Banshee) and fought against Krakoa - Giant-Size X-Men. The old members but Cyclops had left the team, and the new X-Men fought against Count Nefaria again, just to had one of the new guys killed in battle - Thunderbird at issue #95. The Sentinels had showed up again ( issue #98) and after a few issues and a long battle it ended up with Jean Grey sacrifice in order to save all the X-Men from solar radiation ( issue #100), and unfortunately that made Jean become the Phoenix ( issue #101). The X-Men then fought against Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy (issues #102 and 103) and again Magneto ( 104). Then Princess Lilandra had arrived at Earth asking the help of Professor X and the X-Men in her Shi'ar world (issue #104) and the X-Men was forced to go to Shi'ar Empire and fight against their Imperial Guard ( issue #107). Phoenix had used her huge power to stop an Armageddon and had saved the Universe ( issue #108). Back on Earth, Wolverine had fought an old Canadian friend Weapon Alpha ( issue #109), then they had fought Mesmero and Magneto again (issues #110, 111, 112 and 113) and at the end the team had split up.

Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Banshee had escaped towards Savage Land, and there they fought Sauron again ( issue #115) and with the help pf Ka-Zar battled Garokk ( issue #116). The they went to Japan and battled Moses Magnum (issues #118 and 119). Then they went to Canada to fight against the Alpha Flight (issues #120 and 121). They fought against Arcade at Murderworld (issues #123 and 124). The X-Men fought against Proteus, Moira's son and a mutant capable of controlling reality (issue #127 and 128).

In the meantime Mastermind had started a plot in the mind of Jean Grey, helped by the inner circle of Hellfire Club, and that finishes with Jean becoming the Dark Phoenix. (Issues # 129- 135). That event leads toward the suicide of Jean Grey at the Moon, after fighting against the Imperial Guard of Lilandra (last issue).

Afterwards, Cyclops decides to leave the X-Men.

In the meantime, Kitty Pryde becomes the newest student at Xavier’s School.