Marvel Girl #1
Jean Grey’s absence from the Marvel Universe is keenly felt by virtually all X-Men fans, so this one shot (out of continuity though it may be) offers some measure of respite for those of us who want to see more stories featuring the character, as she receives headline billing for the first time in years.
Set in the “First Class”-verse, the story chiefly deals with Jean’s attempt to properly come to terms with the death of her friend, the event that prematurely awakened her powers so many years before. It’s just a shame the issue itself doesn’t fully explain that aspect of the story, reducing the explanation to an early caption box where it should really have been made into a wider point during Xavier’s initial dressing down.
Still, if you can get past that, it’s an enjoyable little story, though with an oddly bleak tangent about the way Jean sees the people she left behind when she moved to Xavier’s. It’s particularly refreshing to see a Jean Grey story that doesn’t heavily involve her romantic relationships with Cyclops and/or Wolverine, and which isn’t explicitly about the Phoenix. Aside from the fact that the First Class universe shows Jean’s powers (and, for that matter, her personality) as far more developed than they were in the original X-Men run, there’s nothing here that couldn’t be considered canon if you want it to be. It’s recognizably the modern Jean Grey as she would have been as a teenager, rather than the teenage Jean Grey, if that distinction makes any sense.
While writer Joshua Hale Fialkov does a decent enough job with the writing (although the story does struggle to fit inside a single issue, resulting in some odd plot leaps on occasion) it’s Nuno Plati’s art that really sells it. Plati’s artwork is graceful and feminine without being overtly sexualised. The storytelling switches effortlessly from the dramatic to the subtle, every facial expression packed with emotion. Plati’s choice of palette, in particular, is fantastic: bright and airy, making fantastic use of computer effects. It has an almost animated look to it, which is certainly no bad thing.
Although this kind of story is never going to win an Eisner, it’s the sort of book that’ll scratch any itches you’ve got about seeing Jean Grey in action. It’s a competently executed and enjoyable read, and while it works as a stand-alone story, it also manages to inform the character in her other appearances. It’s likely that if you were ever interested in buying this, you already own it. If you’re still on the fence, give it a chance to entertain you.
source: http://www.comicbookresources.com
Get the book from Marvel.
Cyclops, Wolverine & Dark Phoenix are Pretty in Pink
Cyclops Point of View – Phoenix Art
Wow, what a great piece of artwork showing a first person view from the perspective of Cyclops and Phoenix removes his ruby quartz glasses. Great idea and terrific execution. I would love to buy this print if anyone can find it.
source fyxmen.tumblr.com
Jean Grey and Wolverine – Lost Loves
The romance between Jean Grey and Wolverine has been by far the most mishandled, misconstrued, and at times destructive pairing in the history of X-men. I know that’s saying a lot, but given how long this plot has been used I think we can objectively say it ranks right up there. I’ve never come across a comic book couple that has such ardent detractors and die-hard supporters. As a fan in general, I think it’s one of those “good on paper” type ideas that just was so poorly fleshed out that it’s become an open scab throughout the story of the X-men. Part of the problem was how it started. Chris Claremont originally had Logan attracted to Jean Grey because he just soured on Cyclops and Jean Grey. He has gone on record as saying he completely despised the Scott/Jean romance after what happened with Madelyn Pryor and had he stayed on board, he would have broken them up and put Jean with Logan. He’s already shown this in his X-men Forever series. It was one of the many reasons he split with the editors at the time. I think this sort of sets the tone because it wasn’t so much done because these characters complimented each other. It was done more so as a foil to the Scott/Jean romance. That just really doesn’t work. That would be akin to being a soccer fan just because you hate American football.
Cyclops and Phoenix: The Power of Love
A look at the relationship between Scott Summers and Jean Grey:
From the moment they were both placed on the X-men, Scott Summers and Jean Grey immediately fell in love with each other. Their romance was slow to start due to Scott believing he could never have a relationship with Jean due to his powers and Jean believing that Scott was too busy with leading the X-men to be with her. However the two were soon drawn to each other and after they shared their first kiss they would become one of Marvels premier couples.
As Cyclops and Marvel Girl the two did leave the X-men for a brief time after they believed Xavier to be dead. Scott pursued a career in radio presenting while Jean decided to become a swimsuit model. The two did eventually return to the fold and continued their relationship, much to the delight of the readers at the time.
When the second genesis of the X-men were formed Jean and the other old team members decided to leave to pursue normal lives for a while. Jean was saddened when Scott decided to stay and lead the X-men and for a while it looked like their relationship might have ended. Jean gradually became more involved with the X-men once more and after her transformation into the Phoenix she decided to become a full time member. On one mission when the team faced Magneto Jean and Scott believed each other to be dead but despite their strong love for each other Scott revealed to Storm that he didn’t feel any emotion concerning the supposed death of his lover.
Scott and Jean were reunited and their relationship started to develop more with Jean establishing a psychic link between them. When Jean became the Black Queen, Scott was determined to free her from Mastermind’s control even going as far to try and defeat him on the Astral Plane. Jean soon snapped out of Masterminds control but his tampering soon led her to turn into the Dark Phoenix.
Jean Grey’s personality slipped into dormancy and the Phoenix took full control of her. The Dark Phoenix battled the X-men and defeated them. She then travelled into space and devoured an entire planet before returning to earth again where Professor Xavier discovered the psychic barriers placed in her mind had been destroyed by Masterminds doing. He replaced them and Jean appeared to be back to normal and without the power of the Phoenix. Scott held her in his arms and proposed to her. She accepted but before the couple had the time to celebrate they were teleported to Shi’ar space where Jean was to be executed for her gruesome deeds as the Dark Phoenix.
Jean took on the mantle of Marvel Girl once more and the X-men were teleported to the moon where they faced off against the galactic warriors, The Imperial Guard. The Guard quickly took out all the members of the X-men except for Scott and Jean who were confessing their love for each other and saying goodbye if the worst came to the worst and Jean was to be executed. The two star struck lovers gave it all against the Guard but when all appeared to be lost Jean transformed into the Phoenix again! Realising that she had to be stopped the X-men tried to defeat her. Jean herself too realised that she had to be stopped and before exchanging a sorrowful goodbye to Scott she committed suicide on the moon.
However death was not enough to defeat Jean Grey and years later she awoke from a cocoon placed at the bottom of Jamaica Bay. Scott and Jean were reunited but this time it appeared that Jean and the Phoenix had always been two separate entities with the Phoenix stealing Jeans identity and life within the X-men for many months. Scott at the time was married to Jean Grey’s clone Madelyne Pryor and decided to keep this secret from Jean as she had lost her telepathic powers after her return. Jean eventually put the pieces together and discovered the secret for herself.
Hurt, Jean believed Scott had taken advantage of the situation and it looked like there was no chance of the couple getting back together. After X-factor defeated Apocalypse and used his base as their own Scott and Jean made love to each other for the first time since Jeans rise from the depths. The two decided to reunite and overcame many challenges to their relationship like Madelyne Pryor who had since made a deal with the demon N’astirh becoming the malicious Goblin Queen. Madelyne Pryor at the time was also revealed to be Jean Grey’s biological clone and this created some problems for herself and Scott. Madelyne’s agenda was to sacrifice her son and other babies so she could open a gateway from Limbo into Earth and she and her demonic forces could rule the world. Madelyne and her servants were defeated and Scotts child was saved in the process. Jean and Scott looked after baby Nathan until he had to be sent to the future in order to be saved from the terminal condition known as the techno organic virus.
Eventually Scott and Jean returned to the X-men where Scott appeared to be greatly attracted to the Asian telepath Psylocke. Psylocke seduced Cyclops and after Jean found out about this she confronted Psylocke. The two women eventually sorted out their differences and Jean forgave Scott. Jean also proposed to Scott and the pair got married with Professor Xavier and the X-men attending the service.
On their honeymoon Scott and Jean were sent into the future to look after and protect Nathan from various threats. After this ordeal the two soon made an early retirement away from the X-men but were drawn back into the team after they required their help. In another battle against Apocalypse Scott apparently perished and Jean was left to cope with his death on her own. It was revealed that Scott had in fact not perished and had merged with Apocalypse. Jean thought she still felt Scotts presence within Apocalypse but Professor Xavier said he didn’t feel anything remotely close to Scotts being in the monster. Jean outraged at the X-men and Xavier for dragging them back into the team instead of letting them enjoy a normal life left the X-men.
She eventually returned and she and Cable (her stepson from the future) discovered that Cyclops was alive but was trapped under Apocalypses influence. Jean using her telepathic powers separated the two beings and Cable defeated Apocalypse. Cyclops was finally freed from the ancient beings control.
Scott and Jean did in fact stay with the X-men but grew apart due to Scott’s encounter with Apocalypse and Jean’s re-emerging Phoenix powers. Scott even refused to sleep with Jean and decided to receive some marriage counselling with the sultry Emma Frost. The two soon began a psychic affair with Jean soon finding out about it. Jean tore through Emma’s mind and both embarrassed and tormented her for seducing her husband. Scott took a temporary leave of absence from the X-men as he needed time to think about his life and process his love for Jean and Emma. Scott returned to the X-men when Magneto who was in fact a clone called Xorn attacked the X-men from within their ranks. Jean was killed in combat by Xorn and she died in the arms of Scott again. She told Scott to live and to not mourn her death for long. The two lovers embraced each other for the first time since his psychic tryst with Emma Frost and Jean soon died again.
Scott surprisingly moved onto his relationship with Emma very quickly after Jeans death, much to the disagreement of the other X-men members. Nevertheless Jean is always in his heart and he still thinks about her from time to time much to the dismay of Emma.
Scott and Jean were one of Marvels main couples for a long time and it remains to be seen if they will reunite once more when Jean returns.
Jean Grey vs. Emma Frost
It’s the fight you have all been waiting to see and thanks to CBR, I’ve found a battle between the two telepathic goddesses. In an X-men 2 film special edition of the magazine called Wizard, Grant Morrison (New X-men writer at the time) shared his thoughts on who would win in a fight between the Phoenix and the White Queen.
Review of Jean Grey in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is based around the story of the Civil War comics event that took place in 2006-2007. The game itself is similar to its predecessor with the added feature of a new attack known as a fusion, which sees two heroes combining their powers to defeat an opposing enemy or threat to them.
In July 2009 Jean Grey fans were happy to hear that she was indeed playable in this installation of the series. The game developers said in an interview that they had always planned to include Jean in the game and that she was one of the characters who was favoured by a lot of the game developers.
In the game Jean possesses both her telepathic and telekinetic powers and even has access to some Phoenix powers such as resurrection. Her default outfit in the game is her Phoenix outfit and her alternate outfit is her X-men First Class costume. She is unlocked by collecting five pieces of the M’Krann Crystal throughout the course of the game. She has special conversations with her son, Cable and the Young Avenger, Patriot. In the game Jean is listed as being a crowd control character.
Overall Jean Grey really lives up to her name in this game and she is a valuable asset to any team in the game. Her telepathic and telekinetic powers are very powerful and her Phoenix powers are kept at a certain level, so fans can experience her as a superhero rather than a goddess. She has excellent fusions with other characters such as Cyclops (only playable on the PS2 and Wii platforms) and Storm. Jean Grey is really all the fans expected and more in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.
Conor McKenna
Cyclops and Jean Grey Family
photo credit: popculturegeek.com
Can there be a more perfect family? Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Wolverine (the black sheep obviously) phoenix and dark phoenix.
You have to love the commitment from a family willing to go all out like this.
Jean Grey Through Time and Reality
photo credit: leandro_rab
Jean Grey through time and reality. Here are the many versions of our favorite x-woman.
- Phoenix: Green, Red, White
- Here Comes Tomorrow Phoenix
- X-Factor Jean: Red, Blue, both Green.
- Gold and Blue Jean (Normal and Ponnytail).
- Age of Apocalypse: First costume, Weapon X and Phoenix.
- Marvel Girl: Original Costume, original variation, Green Skirt..
- Muir Island Costume.
- 3 X-men Movie
- X-men Evolution
- Wolverine and the X-men.
- Alex Ross Milennium.
- 1602
- Amalgam: Green Phoenix, Mary Marvel Girl, Black Jean, Firebird.
- Revolution
- New X-men: Green Shirt, Yellow Jackey, Coat.
- X-men the End.
- X-terminators
- Jean first Look.
- Jean in the cocoon.
- Ultimate X-men
- Earth X Phoenix and dead Phoenix.
- X-men Mangaverse (2 Variation)
- The Future adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix.
Would Jean Grey be Happier with Scott or Logan?
When I think of Scott and Jean I think of soul mates. Of course we must disregard the farce of the storyline being fed to us know with Scott and Emma (see my thought on Scott and Emma). When I think of Jean and Logan I think of an illicit and sordid affair. So obviously my loyalties lie with Scott, despite his uncharacteristic coupling with Emma.
But Jean has also been paired with Wolverine on more than a few occasions as writers try to force a square peg in a round hole, in my humble opinion. But I realize there are many fans of Logan that may disagree with me. So let me hear you – both sides.
What do other Jean Grey fans think? Who would you rather see Jean with ultimately?
Please leave your responses in the comments.