This volume contains last three issues from Chris Claremont - John Byrne - Terry Austin team. Those contain Days of Future Past which is one of the highlights of the team and which opened Pandora’s box of characters from alternative futures. But that happened later. Last issue from the team was Alien inspired filler issues. Days of Future Past was odd story during Post Dark Phoenix Saga issues. It comes out of the blue and is not followed anyway when rest of the stories were more like fillers when they had to change their plans after death of Jean Grey was decided last minute. Was the story planned for later time and used at this point because they had to drop original plans and Byrne was leaving the team?
Few issues after Byrne left feel like turning back the clock to time before Byrne. It is not just the art. Characters return closer to what they were before Byrne. Stories return to places we have seen and we get returning villains. There is “dark Storm” to remind Dark Phoenix. Last Byrne issue destroyed danger room. Fixing it takes few issues. During last issues stories start to get momentum and go to new directions.
Volume’s last issue is issue 150 which changes Magneto from villain to more gray area character we know him today. Something like it was hinted in future part of Days of Future Past but turn begun in issue 150. Was Magneto’s turn because Claremont had to drop original plan of having Magneto to offering to give Jean Grey her powers back. That would mean last moment decision to kill Jean Grey not only resulted one of most impactful superhero stories but also made Magneto to one of best comic book villains. Magneto turn was hinted in Days of Future Past but that was after Dark Phoenix too.
This volume has end of Byrne era, valley after it and before Claremont got momentum again and time when Claremont gains momentum again. This shows in Wolverine’s arc. Wolverine was Byrne’s favorite. He rose to new heights during Byrne’s era. After Byrne left Angel wants Wolverine out of the team. Maybe this reflected what happened in background. Then Angel leaves and Wolverine’s place isn’t questioned anymore. Same time comic book gains momentum.