🚀 go-pugleaf

> From:	Shasta!interran
 
> Some of you may have noticed that there's a remarkable resemblance
> between Sharra (of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series) and
> Dark Phoenix. It isn't just Phoenix and Sharra, too. Darkover esps
> (those with laran) almost always had red hair, and Jean Grey/Marvel
> Girl originally was an esp with red hair, too.
>
> Anyone think this is just coincidence? Sharra originally appearred
> in Sword of Aldones, which certainly predates Phoenix since it was 
> published in 1962. Maybe Sword of Aldones even predates the entire
> X-men (Marvel Girl) series. 

Well, it *is* coincidence and it *isn't*. First of all, while SWORD OF
ALDONES does pre-date THE X-MEN by a year, I really doubt that Stan Lee
had Sharra in mind when he created Jean Grey.

On the other hand, Claremont is familiar with the Darkover series and has
sneaked in references to it a couple of times. The Shi'ar have an exclama-
tion "Sharra and Kythri!" for one. Also, in an issue of BLACK GOLIATH (#5)
that Claremont scripted, the good guys found themselves transported to a
barely-hospitable region of another planet. The narrative described that
region as being called Sharra's Forge. It's possible that Claremont had
Sharra in mind when he created Phoenix, but I don't know for sure.

--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA)

UUCP:	{decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}
	!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian
ARPA:	boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.DEC.COM