 Byrne said he broke into Marvel comics after writer Chris Claremont

Byrne joined Claremont beginning with "The X-Men" #108 (Dec. 1977).<ref></ref> Their work together, along with inker Terry Austin, on such classic story arcs as "Proteus", "Dark Phoenix Saga", and "Days of Future Past" would make them both fan favorites.<ref></ref> Byrne insisted that the title keep its Canadian character, Wolverine, and contributed a series of story elements to justify Wolverine's presence which eventually made the character among the most popular in Marvel's publishing history.With issue #114, Byrne began co-plotting the series as well as penciling.Claremont recounted that "at that point in time John and I were, in a very real sense, true collaborators on the book.