Cyclops Appreciation

[Ulfhammer]

Strictly speaking, all of this is already OBE. Scott and Jean reconciled and reaffirmed their feelings for each other in Phoenix Resurrection #5. If/when Scott comes back, that's the point from which he and Jean are going to pick up, not from the end of Morrison's run or Endsong. That doesn't necessarily mean they're going to get back together immediately or even soon thereafter--my bet is Marvel won't bring Scott back until Jean's paired off with someone else so as to maximize the drama.

I'm pretty sure I've said the same here myself. It's unfortunate if they were to get together in that scenario. The haters will point out that's just one more nice thing Jean can't have because of Scott.

There seems to be a fair amount of pining for a gradual, X-Factor-style rebuild of Jott, and, given Marvel's proclivities over the past decade, I see precisely zero appetite for that on Marvel's part. If/when Marvel puts Scott and Jean back together--either immediately upon his return or sometime later on--they'll want to move forward, not rehash what is in their view ancient history.

Of course there is. That's the only effective way to deal with any of the broken relationships in Scott's life, including Jean. You are correct that Marvel seems disinclined. What I can't figure out is why. White seems to think that relationship drama sells books, and of course he's right. That's exactly what X-Factor was. Between Jean's return, Scott's marriage and the O5 dealing with Jean's lack of knowledge of it, not to mention Inferno and Jean dealing with her PF memories, the whole damn book was relationship drama.

More and more, I'm warming up to the idea of leaving Scott dead. The interaction I'd really like to see is Jean and Emma, sharing their mourning. As a Jott shipper, I'd find it personally gratifying to see Jean give Emma the curbstomp she deserves. But, to be honest, that would be out of character for Jean. She's a bigger person than that and a nicer person than I.

More and more I'm accepting it but I'm not warming up to it. There's no good reason for him to be gone an extended period of time (or at all really). The only positive I take from this is that it means Marvel acknowledges how great his influence on the books is and doesn't want to bring him back smaller than he was since they already have Tyke for that.

As for Jean and Emma, Jean's already curbstomped Emma twice now. A third time would just seem gratuitous. It's ancient history now. For Jean to take out her feelings on Emma would seem petty. Frankly Jean doesn't seem too broken up that Scott's dead based on what's happening in Red. If she's grieving, it's entirely done off panel. I think Taylor is basically pretending that Scott never existed. I find it telling of how Marvel percieves the whole situation, that Emma was so much more fundamentally effected by Scott's death than Jean appears to be.

Instead, I think it'd make for a nice twist if they became close friends over the love they both have for Scott. It could even serve as a mechanism to bring Emma back to the side of the angels. Imagine Jean talking Emma down from a villainous action, pointing out that Scott wouldn't want that for her. Eventually, Emma collapses in grief, and Jean comforts her by sharing her grief. Tie off the immediate plot with the two of them standing side by side at Scott's grave. Emma apologizes to Jean for seducing Scott into the affair...and then promptly tells Jean to never tell anyone she apologized. The two of them then hug, recognizing they share something unique to the two of them in having loved Scott.

It wasn't the issues with Scott that kept Jean and Emma from being close. It's that they have fundamentally different worldviews. Them both loving Scott doesn't close that gap in my mind. There's was a partnership based on mutual interest during Morrison's run. What Emma's getting up to with Mothervine is the perfect example of why her and Jean would never be friendship material. Even if she ends up double-crossing Ms Sinister and Bastion, it's a far too dangerous game for Jean's taste with collateral damage already.