Would Scott have been better off avoiding a relationship with Jean?

[Ulfhammer]

I noticed on a number of threads over the last few weeks there have been suggestions that Jean would be much better of without any connection to Scott. This got me wondering if the reverse was true--what would Scott's life have been like if he never would have been romantically connected with Jean? One caveat here worth mentioning is that I'm very much a Jott shipper and a fan of Jean as well as Scott. This is just a mental exercise, not a comment on whether I appreciated their relationship, which I did.

Let's connect the dots. If Scott and Jean had never had a romantic interest:

1. Scott probably would not have quit the team following the DPS
2. Scott would not have married Maddie for all the wrong reasons, creating a marriage built to fail
3. Scott would not have fathered Nathan Christopher, which essentially began a chain of event that ensured he could never be the father he wanted to Nathan
4. Scott would not have left Maddie and Nathan Christopher following Jean's re-appearance in XF #1
5. Scott would not have been one of the twelve since he was selected because of his relationship to Jean\Nathan and therefore would not have been possessed by Apocalypse
6. Scott would not have had to deal with the fallout of the possession and therefore have likely had a much more positive portrayal in NXM
7. Jean likely would not have died at the end of Planet X as Marvel would not have had a reason to replace her with Emma
8. AvX would likely not have occurred as Jean would still have been alive and in possession of the PF meaning Scott would not have killed Charles
9. Scott would have avoided some confrontations with Sinister (including being partly raised in Sinister's boarding house of horrors) as there would be no reason for him to focus on Scott, assuming Marvel would have paired Jean with someone else, and that someone else would have been the superior genome to combine with Jean's DNA
10. Scott's relationship with Logan probably would have been better over their publication history, and possibly prevented Schism although that's speculation
11. If you chalk up Scott's mutant revolution as requiring possession by Apocalypse to provide him with the correct attitude, then edgy Scott would likely never have existed as well, with a long set of consequences, including his ship with Emma likely having never occurred

So by this logic the worst moral problems for Scott, namely:

1. Leaving Maddie
2. Cheating on Jean
3. Killing Xavier

would not have happened if he had avoided a relationship with Jean. I think a case can be made that Scott would have been better off, or at the very least have enjoyed a much more positive portrayal over his publication history. He also would likely have been a lot less interesting of a character as well. What are your thought?

I considered making this a poll but ultimately I would rather hear some actual opinions than just present a yes\no.

[Wiccan]

Jean and Scott would simply not be the same if it wasn't for their relationship with each other. Had Jott not happened, they would be much different characters today and they would have probably went on completely different directions than they did. Just imagine, them starting to go on a different direction since the '60s. Who knows if Dark Phoenix Saga would have even happened.

Actually, I'm not even sure Jean would have become Phoenix. Cyclops only stayed on the team because he was the leader, and I believe one of the reasons she did too was because she was his girlfriend. That was the in-story reason she was still showing up on the book before becoming Phoenix. And Cable, if it wasn't for Jean dying and Maddie, would be just another random '90s macho man with guns, and would have probably been forgotten like most of those.

So, basically they wouldn't have become the characters we love now. One plot point like that can influence how basically everything since the beginning has happened. The X-Men in general could have gone on a totally different direction. Maybe Jean and Scott still be as loved, but not for the same reasons imo. Even for the current O5, this relationship still defines their story and dynamics a lot.

[Purplevit]

No, he won`t.

He would just leave clone of other X character, cheat on other X character, kill Xavier.

[Dethi]

Nah. Marvel and the fans loves drama. I'm pretty sure if they hadn't be together they would have a pretty difficult live with other people.

[Outside_85]

Considering romance on a team is nearly unavoidable, I would say that... yeah, while the romance with Jean might have been better for Scott in hindsight, the problem would arise what would have happened instead, especially when so much of Scott has been defined and influenced by his love of Jean. Like would he wait and maybe take his chances with Ororo? Would he remain an insecure and reluctant leader of the X-Men for longer?
And what about Jean? Would she be paired up with Bobby, Warren or Hank instead since a female character on a team cannot be on her own for long? Would she even be attracted to Logan without Scott to contrast him? Would she end up dead so often?

[perdid06]

I keep hearing that Scott and Jean is boring..no other marvel couple have spawn that amount of discussion on the board, you like it or you don't, saying they are boring as a statement of true is completely missing the point.

[spirit2011]

I keep hearing that Scott and Jean is boring..no other marvel couple have spawn that amount of discussion on the board, you like it or you don't, saying they are boring as a statement of true is completely missing the point.

yeah, for a boring couple they originate a lot of discussion.

The characters would have completely different developments, hard to say where they would be now

No, he won`t.

He would just leave clone of other X character, cheat on other X character, kill Xavier.

I don't doubt this, since Cyclops is all about the whining and sobbing

[Outside_85]

I keep hearing that Scott and Jean is boring..no other marvel couple have spawn that amount of discussion on the board, you like it or you don't, saying they are boring as a statement of true is completely missing the point.

No other have spawned so many other A/U kids as those two.

Kinda wonder, has there ever been an A/U kid between Jean and Logan?

[Hizashi]

No, he won`t.

He would just leave clone of other X character, cheat on other X character, kill Xavier.

I don't doubt this, since Cyclops is all about the whining and sobbing

Except that y'all are ignoring that the chief causes for those things are nonexistent in this hypothetical scenario.

[oldscottsummers]

I keep hearing that Scott and Jean is boring..no other marvel couple have spawn that amount of discussion on the board, you like it or you don't, saying they are boring as a statement of true is completely missing the point.

What alse to do? obsessive nostalgia-driven shit I swear.

[Hizashi]

The scenario only specifies/asks what what would happen to Scott if he and Jean never got together, but that wouldn't result in someone else being the perfect genome for Jean. Also, do either still have feelings for one another in this scenario?

[perdid06]

To which you take part

[spirit2011]

No other have spawned so many other A/U kids as those two.

Kinda wonder, has there ever been an A/U kid between Jean and Logan?

yes, on renew your votes timeline

[Outside_85]

yes, on renew your votes timeline

Votes? Are you sure?

[KoriandrJean]

Probably meant "Renew Your *Vows*", though.