Cyclops, Wolverine & Dark Phoenix are Pretty in Pink
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.
Adam Hughes Phoenix
Wow. Nice hair. Adam Hughes should definitely think about drawing the Jean Grey more often.
Phoenix Artwork by Todd Nauck
Phoenix Artwork by Todd Nauck.
Todd Nauck is a well-known veteran of the comic book industry and works regularly for Marvel and DC Comics, with 15 years of credits including Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man Family, Teen Titans Go, Young Justice as well as countless others. Earlier this year, Nauck created exclusive Super Bowl heroes on behalf of Marvel Comics featured in the ESPN Super Bowl Sunday Countdown show. He also writes and draws his creator-owned title, WildGuard, through Image Comics.
Phoenix Artwork by Gazbot
Stumbled across this artwork of Jean as Phoenix by Gazbot on deveiantart.com. Not often you seen Jean with a little meat on her bones. I like it, so here it is. What do you think?
Phoenix Rising
It was a crisp cold night in the cemetery and the stars were dancing in the sky. The moon was shining down on one of the headstones as if it was waiting for something to happen. Had they forgotten about her? Her lifeless corpse buried in the earth where it would reside until it was time for her to rise again. She saved the world one or twice…it was beautiful. Now, what would become of Jean Grey? She was killed in the X-men’s last encounter with Magneto and was held in her lovers arms until it was time for them to take over. She gave so much to the world but it didn’t give her anything back in return. Now was the time for Jean Grey to leave them and she didn’t understand why at the start but it all made sense didn’t it? Her decaying body glowed and lit the lonely coffin. Her rotted flesh was renewed and she was breathing again! Disorientated the Phoenix clawed her way out of the coffin, her knuckles were bleeding but she couldn’t feel anything… then the smell of death surrounded her again. She was dying ! The dirt restricting her breathing and was bringing her back where she belonged. Suddenly she was surrounded by a huge firebird and it guarded her from the insect infiltrated earth. She was being pulled from her dark dungeon and soon she was back… back in the world. The firebird dissipated into the air and Jean was left alone again. Her lungs were filled with sweet air and she could finally think again. “Scott,” she muttered.
She looked back at her grave, an echo of her former self. She was home… but why didn’t it feel like home? Wait… the mansion, it was gone, but that would mean that they were dead! No, she refused to believe it. It wasn’t their time yet. She ran towards the ruins of the mansion surprised by her own energy. She couldn’t see any bodies and she couldn’t pick up any thoughts… her eyes were filled with tears. She knew they were alive but where… Then she remembered, Cerebra! If her calculations were correct then the subasement should still be under all the debris. She cleared her thoughts and used her telekinesis to clear a path to the subasement. She saw a faint light underneath her and climbed her way down. Oh God… it was awful. So many memories were flooding through her head. Sinister, the Marauders and a baby… what was this? How could he? She travelled down the underground tunnels, every step revealed more memories. The place was filled with psychic residue everywhere. Moments later, she discovered Cerebra… it was still intact!
Professor X Remembers Jean Grey
Jean Grey? Ah, she was one of my most prized students. She had so much potential but tragically we lost her to Magneto a few years ago…I loved her so much.
I met Jean when her telepathic powers first emerged. She had just lost her childhood friend and felt her slipping away in her own mind. Jean was so utterly depressed that she refused to go outside, instead finding shelter in her own room. I helped her to suppress her telepathic powers and we both decided to work on her telekinetic abilities.
Jean eventually went on to join my X-men and even got used to using her once more available telepathic powers. She spent a while with the X-men and soon became known as the Phoenix. Whilst on a mission to space she bonded with an entity known as the Phoenix Force but this power would soon consume her and turn her into Dark Phoenix, one of the X-men’s most fiercest foes. Jean eventually chose to commit suicide on the moon, choosing her humanity over godhood.
Years later she would return to the world and form X-factor with the rest of the original X-men members. However she soon returned to the X-men along with her lover Scott Summers. I remember clearly the day she got married to him. She was so happy…we were all happy.
Jean remained pure of the Phoenix Force for several years until it slowly manifested within her, effectively restoring her lost telekinetic powers which she had exchanged with the psychic mutant Psylocke many months previous to this. When Magneto resurfaced Jean was killed in combat and even the Phoenix Force couldn’t bring her back from death this time.
Jean did return once more but she now resides in the White Hot Room, as she described it, collecting the missing pieces of the Phoenix Force.
Jean was like a daughter to me and I miss her very dearly. Sometimes I look at pictures of her and think what could have happened if we – um… sorry, anyway I hope that she will one day return to us and grace our lives with happiness once more.
Charles Francis Xavier
Jean Grey Returns to Marvel…in a Calendar
Is Jean’s return scheduled for this year? Many readers think so and Marvel has added her to the cover of their Women of Marvel 2010 Wall Calendar.
You can buy it from Amazon by clicking this link: Women of Marvel 2010 Wall Calendar
Here is the back of the calendar.
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
X-Men Origins: Jean Grey
This is a great cover featuring Jean Grey as Marvel Girl. Just gorgeous…the cover, I mean. 
X-Men Origins: Jean Grey #1
This review from Comixology, click here for the full review.
…expanding on her established background from a black-and-white story in Bizarre Adventures #27 that most current readers probably don’t even know exists. McKeever sticks to telling the story of Jean’s traumatic telepathic awakening, adding just a little extra to what we knew to provide a sense of resolution.
But the real reason to get this issue is the artwork. Mayhew’s cover is nice, but his interior artwork is also painted and is superior throughout. Not only does everything look wonderful, but his storytelling skills are more than up to the challenge of showing us all the things here that happen in Jean’s head without major action scenes to drive them.