10. X-men Forever # 3

Jean relives important key moments in her life while at the same time re-bonding with the Phoenix force. The cover depicts Jean in her Revolution era costume, which was extremely short lived and forgotten by most fans. Prior to this costume, Jean had been wearing her traditional green Phoenix costume and calling herself Phoenix.

9. Uncanny X-men #281

The Jim Lee era at its finest. The X-men were divided into two teams: Blue and Gold team. On this cover, the Gold team is showcased at its most iconic pose. Also in this issue: Jean is seemingly killed by Sentinels but survives by transferring her mind into the body of Emma Frost. Looks like tension had been brewing for quite sometime pre-Morrison era.

8. Fantastic Four # 286

Jean seemingly returns from the dead after being replaced by the Phoenix force. Discovered by the Avengers, she soon re-joins the original X-men in the government sponsored team, X-Factor. However, her reunion with Scott is short lived after she discovered he married Madelyne Pryor and had a son with her.

7. Uncanny X-men #135

Although not the most iconic Dark Phoenix cover, the issue began Jean’s descent into total darkness after being manipulated by Mastermind. Jean would go on as being the biggest threat the X-men had ever faced and their greatest loss.

6.  New X-men #128

A gorgeous rendition of Jean harnessing the power of the Phoenix during New X-men. Throughout the series, the force had been growing with in Jean to a point where she had become limitless. Although Dark Phoenix was no longer a threat, it was clear the Phoenix had come to disinfect the enemy Sublime and save the future.

5. Uncanny X-men #136

What could only be truly described as the final stand. The X-men fight for Jean’s life but eventually lose. In a desperate attempt to save the universe and preserve her humanity, the Phoenix commits suicide on the moon. Originally, writer Chris Claremont had intended for Jean to stay dead as a result of her actions against the D’Bari system. However, when the original X-men were brought back in X-Factor, the editors wanted Jean to be with her former team mates but found it impossible to bring her back after all the sins Phoenix had committed. Hence, the explanation of Jean being replaced by the Phoenix force was given to wipe her slate clean.

4. X-men #30

Jean and Scott finally marry. One guest had not attended the wedding: Wolverine. Wonder what would have happen if she had married Wolverine instead of Scott?

3. Uncanny X-men #101

The singular most important event to ever happen to Jean. In order to save the X-men, Jean pilots a space shuttle through a radiation storm in outer space and bonds with the Phoenix. The end result is the foundation on which Jean’s character was built upon. This issue is possibly the most important Jean story ever told.

2. Phoenix Endsong #1

After the events of Planet X, Jean is resurrected by the Phoenix force. Although the X-men had expected her eventual return, they fear that it is Dark Phoenix and not Jean who returned. In the end, it was Jean and she regained full control of the force and returned to the White Hot Room, presumably to return to our plane of existence once all her pieces are found.

1. Uncanny X-men #136

This is the cover everyone thinks about when you say the Dark Phoenix saga. On the cover, there is a distraught Cyclops holding a seemingly dead Jean as he cries out in pain. This one was for the history books, and remains firmly pressed up against our hearts. No other Jean covered has inspired such intensity and pain.

While I certainly agree Jean Grey should be on this list I am disappointed in a #3 ranking. Hop on over to Hot Females in Spandex to read the entire list.

Jean Grey: Quantum Physics in Leather. Movies: X-Men series. Actress: Famke Janssen

Jean Grey is limitless power and as much as I telekinesis the saint aspect of her personality is not that compelling. However when the Phoenix came into the game and suddenly Jean Grey was all red and pyrokinetic, I was ecstatic, because Jean killed around five billion people in the comic book, while in the movie she turned schizophrenic and joined Magneto. I fancy heroes turning villains and thanks to the CGI team Famke aced the transformation and did unspeakable things. For this third place is secured for her. The red leather outfit couldn’t replace the missing flames in the movies, but gave the much needed villain aura.

Top 10 + 1 Quotes by Jean Grey

Jean is good at getting the last word in so it is easy to find quality quotes from her. But, it was hard limiting this to only the Top 10 quotes, which meant using most quotes from the Dark Phoenix Saga, since there were so many great ones. I just couldn’t limit it to only 10 so I added one for good measure. Would you add any additional quotes? Feel free to add a comment with new quote.

1. “I am fire and life incarnate! Now and forever — I am Phoenix!”
   Phoenix, Uncanny X-men #101
2. “If even one more person died at my hands…It’s better this way. Quick. Clean. Final. I love you, Scott. A part of me will always be with you.”
   Dark Phoenix, Uncanny X-men #137 Her final words other than “Scott!”.
3. “I am what was, what is, what will be — the black angel, Chaos-Bringer!I AM POWER!”
   Dark Phoenix, Uncanny X-men #136
4. “Finish me with your claws. I beg you. I don’t want to HURT YOU!!”
   Dark Phoenix, Uncanny X-men #136
5. “I…hunger, Scott — for a joy, a rapture. Beyond all comprehension. That need is a part of me, too.”
   Dark Phoenix, Uncanny X-men #136
6. “But the fire of the Phoenix burns through lies, you understand? The gaze of the Phoenix is like an x-ray tearing through every self-deception. So burn, Emma!”
   Jean Grey, New X-men #139
7. “Scott, am i worth it? I destroyed a world–in my mind, I can still hear the screams of the dying–and it felt good! I don’t want that feeling ever again. And yet–I do!
   Marvel Girl/Jean Grey, Uncanny X-men #137
8. “And you’re Emma Frost–The Hellfire Club’s White Queen. I understand you call yourself something of a telepath. Well, “Your Majesty.” Let’s see how good you really are.”
   Phoenix, Uncanny X-men #131
9. “You and I are quits now, X-men. Our paths will cross no more. My destiny lies in the stars.
   Dark Phoenix, Uncanny X-men #135
10. “Jean to Phoenix to Dark Phoenix–a progression as inevitable as death.”
    Dark Phoenix, Uncanny X-men #137″
11. Open your eyes, Scott. Nothing will happen. I’m telekinetically keep your optic blasts in check. I…wanted to see your face, That’s all. You have a good face.”
    Jean Grey, Uncanny X-men #131

Thanks to Marvel for providing the basis for this list. For a full reading, please visit their page on this subject: X-men villains. Marvel classified Dark Phoenix as #4, but I moved her up to #2. I couldn’t delude myself into thinking she was their ultimate villain, I think everyone would agree that has been and always will be Magneto. But for pure power, emotion and the effect she had on the X-men I think Dark Phoenix deserves #2 status, no offense Marvel. I found a similar list of the top ten comic book villains at TopTenz.net

10. ONSLAUGHT
First Appearance: X-MEN v2 #53 (1996)
The very concept of this character hinges on the enduring, enthralling and never boring relationship between Charles Xavier and Magneto. Onslaught is big, ambitious and the kind of threat worthy of an event.

9. STRYFE
First Appearance: NEW MUTANTS v1 #87 (1990)
What makes Stryfe such a great foe for the X-Men isn’t his cool powers or rad costume, it’s his very personal connection to several of their key members and the fact that so much of his hatred towards them feels quite justified.

8. THE SHADOW KING
First Appearance: X-MEN v1 #117 (1979)
The very first mutant menace Charles Xavier ever encountered—the Shadow King—was, as Professor X has said more than once, in many ways the reason the X-Men were formed.

7. CASSANDRA NOVA
First Appearance: NEW X-MEN v1 #114 (2001)
For her opening act, Professor X’s evil twin sister used Sentinels to decimate Genosha and exterminate 16 million living beings, human and mutant alike.

6. MR. SINISTER
First Appearance: UNCANNY X-MEN #213 (1987)
Unleashed upon the world by Apocalypse, Sinister’s parade of death, destruction and genetic manipulation stems back to the 19th Century when he began tinkering with his own DNA.

5. WILLIAM STRYKER
First Appearance: X-MEN: GOD LOVES, MAN KILLS (1982)
It’s been said that there’s nothing more terrifying than the evil within man, and Stryker would certainly be evidence of that notion. William Stryker takes the very real prejudice we all feel from the world around us and distills it into a villain who needs only his hate-filled rhetoric to demonstrate his evil.

4. APOCALYPSE
First Appearance: X-FACTOR v1 #5 (1986)
Lemme break it down for ya why ‘Pocy rocks so much: One, he has one of the coolest villain names in all of comics. Heck, his real name—En Sabah Nur—sounds totally badass. Two, a blue and gray monster with a giant ‘A’ belt buckle sounds silly but looks awesome.

3. THE SENTINELS
First Appearance: X-MEN v1 #14 (1965)
The Sentinels can’t be reasoned with. They can’t be convinced, bought off or persuaded. They are cold, unfeeling robots with a single, unshakable objective: to exterminate an entire race of people. The Sentinels don’t hunt mutants because they feel prejudice or fight the X-Men because they have ambition, they simply follow their programming and will continue to do so no matter what.

2. DARK PHOENIX
First Appearance: X-MEN v1 #1 (1963)
While many enemies have hit the X-Men hard and caused them great loss, none have hurt them like Dark Phoenix did. Sure DP’s ridiculously powerful combination of telekinesis, telepathy and pyrokinesis left the good guys with their fair share of bruises, but having to find a way to stop their beloved Jean Grey by any means necessary really scarred the X-Men forever. For readers, it was the first time a hero had turned on them and gone so tragically wrong. She may not have surfaced in years, but Dark Phoenix is always a nightmare hanging over the heads of X-Men and X-Fans alike.” – Annihilator882
Spotlight Comic: X-MEN v1 #135—After suppressing the evil within for months, Jean Grey loses control of Dark Phoenix, scattering the Hellfire Club and drawing the X-Men into a personal conflict they can’t afford to lose.
1. MAGNETO
First Appearance: X-MEN v1 #1 (1963)
The Secret Cabal has never agreed on a number one choice until now, and if there’s anyone deserving of such agreement, it’s the man who many would call Marvel’s greatest villain—even though it’s tough at times to call him a ‘villain.’