Then in #52, we pick up with the storyline of Rachel Summers struggling against the Phoenix force. Professor X comes by to help. As a result of his psychic work with Rachel, we get a long history of the Force and what it has been doing through history. If you want that kind of backstory, this isn’t a bad issue to get it in.
![](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/a/a6/Excalibur_Vol_1_52.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/300?cb=20200227181432)
The cover to issue #52 acknowledges that this book isn’t very good. The X-Men don’t appear in the book, except as part of the flashbacks/history of Phoenix Force.