Comic Books

X-Men Monday #314 – Stephanie Phillips Talks ‘Binary’

Plus, an eXclusive look at ‘Binary’ #1, #2, and #3!

September 29, 2025

Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!

What happened to Jean Grey? It’s the question fans of the first X-Woman are asking as we head into the Age of Revelation. While we don’t answer that question in this article (you need to pick up Binary #1 on October 8, 2025 for that kind of spoiler), we do check in with Binary writer Stephanie Phillips, who also recently wrapped her Phoenix run. Read on for Stephanie’s thoughts on where she left Jean, why Phoenix fans should read all three issues of Binary, and more.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Stephanie! Before we delve into Binary, we need to discuss your recently completed Phoenix run. Historically, anything Jean Grey + the Phoenix doesn’t always end on a positive note, but I’d say the last page of Phoenix #15 is as close as we can get to a happy ending in serial storytelling. As a writer, why was it important to end your run with Jean telling readers she’s happy?

Stephanie Phillips: I’m not always the biggest fan of happy endings, but this felt right. Maybe for the reason you said… Jean doesn’t get a lot of happy endings or big wins. Within the story, Jean is ready to give up anything to keep Sara safe, a sacrifice we’ve seen Jean and other heroes make. So it felt appropriate to have someone else step in and say, “This isn’t always the answer.”

And, of course, having that person be her sister felt really important. I think it also felt expected that we would get rid of Sara, so I like the (hopefully) surprise ending that Sara’s sticking around. She’s a player in Jean’s world, and I’d love to see future stories explore that even further. That’s a really big and important relationship for Jean.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: Looking back on your Phoenix run, you helped redefine Jean as a solo, cosmic hero, gave her a new costume, pitted her against multiple new threats — including Thanos — and resurrected her sister Sara. When you reflect on these and other contributions to Jean and Phoenix lore, what are you most proud of?

Stephanie: I think the relationships to other characters are something I’m really glad we got to play with in the series. These relationships keep Jean human and not just a cosmic entity. The cosmic entity is most interesting to me in relation to Jean’s humanity, and that’s the balance I wanted to keep. She’s still a woman — a wife, a sister, a friend. I’m really glad we got to have all those facets of Jean’s personality on display.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: OK, on to Binary! X-Fan Redwing wants to know what inspired you to choose the Binary concept and focus on Carol Danvers for Age of Revelation instead of continuing with the Jean-focused Phoenix story you were writing.

Stephanie: Binary is a book the X-Office had on the schedule, and they asked me if I’d like to write it and continue with the Phoenix in this storyline for the Age of Revelation event. A big reason I said yes was because I love the relationship between Carol and Jean, and I think this series lets us explore it more. We set it up a bit in the Phoenix ongoing, so it did feel like a natural continuation of that.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: X-Fan Anaya Villas — who loved Phoenix and Imperial War: Planet She-Hulk, by the way — asks: For fans of Phoenix and Jean Grey, what can you tell us about Binary that would entice these fans to read it? Basically, what’s the Binary elevator pitch?

Stephanie: Carol has readopted the mantle of Binary to contend with her newfound powers of the Phoenix. As the X-Virus spreads, killing millions, Carol uses these powers to protect her hometown of Beverly, Massachusetts, trapping herself and all of the residents inside of a psychic dome that separates them from everyone else. After years trapped together in this small town with Carol keeping everyone safe from the virus on a daily basis, things have reached a boiling point. And… a new threat may have learned how to breach Carol’s defenses around the city.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: You mentioned a new threat. X-Fan Skye wonders if you can give us any hints about why the universe is crumbling. Also, what adversaries will Carol face as Binary/Phoenix?

Stephanie: I can’t tell you the main villain of the series… you will need to read and discover that one alongside Carol. But it will be a familiar face. And Carol will also be facing the threat of a town unsure if she’s really a hero. She’s been keeping them separated from the rest of the world for years, claiming it’s the only way to save them from the X-Virus. But what if there is no virus? What if there’s a cure? What if Carol is lying? These are all questions that the people of Beverly are now asking themselves as Carol still does everything in her power to keep them alive.

AIPT: This isn’t your first time writing Carol Danvers, but X-Fan Elizabeth asks what it is about Carol that drew you to her character. Are there any parts of her life story that resonate with you personally?

Stephanie: I love Carol’s attitude. She’s a perfectionist and has a really difficult time accepting when she isn’t perfect. She takes any failure, however small, as a personal affront to her understanding of self. And I find that pretty relatable. She’s also just a tough, badass woman with really cool powers. What’s not to love about that?

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: I know you can’t spoil, but X-Fan Astonishing Alex asks the question on a lot of readers’ minds: Will we also see what has happened to Jean Grey X years into this future?

Stephanie: Yes. But it won’t be what you think… or what Carol thinks…

AIPT: X-Fan Carly points out that Carol is a very social and friendship-oriented individual who leans heavily on people like her Jessicas (Jones and Drew), Tony, and Jen, but she seems to be alone in space for your series. Is loneliness and isolation something you plan on exploring in Binary?

Stephanie: This series actually doesn’t take place in space. It takes place in Carol’s hometown of Beverly, Massachusetts. Carol will be trapped in her hometown alongside its residents, and their opinions on Carol vary dramatically. They’ve been locked in this space together for years, so the dynamics between Carol and all the residents are what we explore in the story, and I love the closed-space environment. It’s a pressure cooker, really.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: You’ve now had the chance to write Jean and Carol wielding the power of the Phoenix Force. How would you say the two differ as Phoenix hosts?

Stephanie: Carol is a brute force. She would rather punch her way through a problem than rely on powers, so the powers are a bonus when needed, but also a burden in some ways. It’s a responsibility that Carol wasn’t looking to take on, and now these powers are keeping thousands of people alive. Jean has had a lot more practice making peace with the Phoenix. A lot of our ongoing series was about that dynamic and her learning to accept herself with this cosmic power. They are very different women, but that’s the fun of it.

Courtesy of Marvel Comics

AIPT: Finally, you’re collaborating with artist Giada Belviso on Binary. What can readers expect from her visuals?

Stephanie: Giada creates absolutely gorgeous visuals, and I think she does an amazing job of bringing these big cosmic powers to a grounded environment. She also makes the Phoenix look so pretty and powerful in a way that I hope readers really love and appreciate. And the colors by Rachelle Atkinson are amazing too!

AIPT: You’ll get to see what Stephanie’s talking about in a second, X-Fans. But first — Stephanie, thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday!

Now, back to those visuals. Thanks to our friends at Marvel, X-Men Monday can eXclusively reveal the lettered preview to Binary #1, on sale October 8, 2025, featuring words from Stephanie Phillips, art from Giada Belviso, colors from Rachelle Rosenberg-Atkinson, and letters from VC’s Travis Lanham.