Jean Grey: Marvel Girl, Phoenix Appreciation 2019

[Havok83]

Nothing too impressive here but she was at least better than Hickman's Jean

[spirit2011]

Nothing too impressive here but she was at least better than Hickman's Jean

A lot better and there was a bit of build up to where Percy wants her to be. I guess I know where he is going with her.
She was used a lot like a empath.

I know what Taylor was going for, but that, IMO, actually lessened Cassie Nova's character for me. I wish he had written a better way to outsmart her.

CGAR, yes, proactive yet kind and empathetic Jean in X-Force gave me life.

That I agree, he could had found a better way to finish the story. But I also guess he was cut short

[Wiccan]

Nothing too impressive here but she was at least better than Hickman's Jean

Yeah, nothing too interesting yet, but I liked Jean's voice. She comes off very serious and focused.

[johnnysv75]

It is a bit sad that X-Force’s Jean is a lot more like the Jean we know and love. I was hoping that it would be revealed that Jean was held back in some way (hence the 1960s dress), but now it seems as if Hickman just doesn’t know how to write her.

[Tank]

It is a bit sad that X-Force’s Jean is a lot more like the Jean we know and love. I was hoping that it would be revealed that Jean was held back in some way (hence the 1960s dress), but now it seems as if Hickman just doesn’t know how to write her.

True. This just means Hickman doesn’t know how to write her. Jean didnt need to be the star or doing all the heavy lifting but she dtill felt like Jean in xForce. Hickman Jean has never felt like Jean.

[Havok83]

It is a bit sad that X-Force’s Jean is a lot more like the Jean we know and love. I was hoping that it would be revealed that Jean was held back in some way (hence the 1960s dress), but now it seems as if Hickman just doesn’t know how to write her.

Exactly. I gave Hickman the benefit of the doubt but the Jean here was such a contrast. Hickman is an awful writer for the character

[Wiccan]

True. This just means Hickman doesn’t know how to write her. Jean didnt need to be the star or doing all the heavy lifting but she dtill felt like Jean in xForce. Hickman Jean has never felt like Jean.

Yeah, I mean, look at how she reacted to the attack here vs how she reacted on the Orchis mission. Technically Jean didn't do anything on this issue yet, I mean, she didn't defeat the bad guys, she didn't stop Xavier from being shot or something. But just from how she reacts she comes across competent.

[spirit2011]

Exactly. I gave Hickman the benefit of the doubt but the Jean here was such a contrast. Hickman is an awful writer for the character

I knew this would happen, Percy wouldn't have Jean to be a awful character on his book. His Wolverine also seems different from the domesticated version on x-men #1.
Now I wonder how they will mesh this two versions

[Celestialbodies]

As a Jean Grey Phoenix fan, I loved Morrison's run because he - imho - succeed in making both original Phoenix saga and the retcon work together, with minor changes.
- The cocoon (of the retcon) could be seen as a Phoenix egg
- Phoenix was both a part of Jean's powers and a cosmic entity
- When Xavier says to Jean that he wants to talk to the Phoenix, the Phoenix answers. Jean speaks "with the voice" (as Cable noticed during Chris Claremont's Revolution run). Yet, when the Phoenix speaks, Xavier still calls it Jean. Is it a mistake from Xavier ? Or does he consider that The Phoenix identity is Jean ?
- The Phoenix answers to Xavier and says "Jean is only the house where I live". It can be seen as "Jean is just a host". Or we can see it as The Phoenix can live outside and inside Jean. Her body is seen like a "house", like the body can be seen as a "temple" for the soul... And what soul do we have inside us ? Ourselves, and not other's. It's my interpretation, but there is more than this in Morrison's run :
- When Jean hatches from her egg in the future (Here Comes Tomorrow), she changes/saves the universe by making past Jean say "Live Scott"... Past Jean speaks with... The voice. With the Phoenix voice. In that story, the Phoenix talking through Jean is... future Jean. And so we have it all : Jean=Phoenix and Phoenix=Jean.
- Jean explains the Phoenix to Loga, and says that when she comes "too close, it replaces" her.

Maybe the Phoenix force that took Jean's place (Clasisc X-Men by Claremont) is a "transcendanted" version of Future Jean : a being of pure energy that wanted to live and feel like a human being (again)

Anyway, that's one of the reason I love Morrison's Jean. He really did his "homework" with the character's long and complexe history, and his take on the Jean/Phoenix was not "under the nose". It's quite subtle.

A note about "Phoenix Resurrection" : Rosenberg got some things right (and some things wrong). I liked that Rosenberg implied that the Phoenix was dormant/hidden in X-Factor's Jean. That leads me to... the "break-up". To me, the "break-up" scene was so wrong. Jean knew the purpose of the Phoenix, and she embraced it a long time ago. But when she said "good-bye" to it, the Phoenix didn't fly away. It became smaller and smaller, in her hand. Can such an entity just... disappear ? Or is it dormant/hidden, like it was during her X-Factor's days ?

ALL of this!!

Adult Jean was kicking ass before she became preachy Jean in Red.

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I remember first reading this issue with her taking out the U-Men and loving her.

It amazes me still, that he wasn't a fan of her yet understood who she was so well, the level of balanced Morrison displayed with her I fear another writer may never emulate. But I take solace in knowing we still have that version of Jean because for me she stepped into herself the Jean she should have been throughout the 90's.

I know what Taylor was going for, but that, IMO, actually lessened Cassie Nova's character for me. I wish he had written a better way to outsmart her.

CGAR, yes, proactive yet kind and empathetic Jean in X-Force gave me life.

Call me an action junkie, but the Nova/Grey showdown should have ended in an all out knockdown, drag out battle for the ages that shown why Jean was as powerful as she was at the start of the series.

True. This just means Hickman doesn’t know how to write her. Jean didnt need to be the star or doing all the heavy lifting but she dtill felt like Jean in xForce. Hickman Jean has never felt like Jean.

Oh, so you mean Jean fans weren't over exaggerating, Hickman's Jean simply was lackluster imagine that?! Thankful we all realized this regardless of the feedback from some readers. I don't know who his Jean was by my God if she doesn't come off as the visual expression of everyone's complaints about the character.

[Soulsword323]

I enjoyed Jean in X-Force. She didn't do anything particularly exciting, but it was nice seeing her jump to action when needed.

[Tank]

ALL of this!!



It amazes me still, that he wasn't a fan of her yet understood who she was so well, the level of balanced Morrison displayed with her I fear another writer may never emulate. But I take solace in knowing we still have that version of Jean because for me she stepped into herself the Jean she should have been throughout the 90's.



Call me an action junkie, but the Nova/Grey showdown should have ended in an all out knockdown, drag out battle for the ages that shown why Jean was as powerful as she was at the start of the series.


Oh, so you mean Jean fans weren't over exaggerating, Hickman's Jean simply was lackluster imagine that?! Thankful we all realized this regardless of the feedback from some readers. I don't know who his Jean was by my God if she doesn't come off as the visual expression of everyone's complaints about the character.

Agree with you on all of the above. Morrison wrote one of the best jean Grey this side of Claremont.

Red was just one huge disappointment after the other. Oh a knock down, drag out fight between Jean and Storm? Nope. Oh Jean and Cassandra finally duking out? Nope. It was just so lackluster and boring. The real Jean would have confronted Nova and left her a bodiless mess like in New XMen not given her the carebear stare of love. The more I think about it the more I hate Red. That and it gave us possibly the ugliest costume of all time. Maybe the intent was she was so full of love and rainbows that she carried baking pans on her shoulders so she can bake you a cake. Hahaha

[Wiccan]

Honestly I was happy that there was no real Jean/Storm fight cause this forum would literally be unbearable, regardless of the result...

[ThePhoenix]

[Portsian]

Agree with you on all of the above. Morrison wrote one of the best jean Grey this side of Claremont.

Red was just one huge disappointment after the other. Oh a knock down, drag out fight between Jean and Storm? Nope. Oh Jean and Cassandra finally duking out? Nope. It was just so lackluster and boring. The real Jean would have confronted Nova and left her a bodiless mess like in New XMen not given her the carebear stare of love. The more I think about it the more I hate Red. That and it gave us possibly the ugliest costume of all time. Maybe the intent was she was so full of love and rainbows that she carried baking pans on her shoulders so she can bake you a cake. Hahaha

As a massive Jean fan I loved Red, Jean was a strong leader and she heeded to behave like a leader. Jean can make hard choices, but she is not a soldier, like Scott is. I agree i would have liked to see a proper psychic battle between Hean and Nova, even if Jean was simply doing it as a distraction. To me Red was the best portrayal of Jean since she came back. I dont see her as a pacifist just because she chose the route she did. Jean needed to be a role model to the other team members, and with Laura and Honey Badger she did not need to be overtly aggressive, she still got them to be aggressive when needed, I LOVED the Jean / Honey Badger interactions.

I liked Jean today in X Force, we didnt see too much of her, but what we did see I liked a lot. Itll be interesting to see how thungs pan out.

I guess we know why Jean is wearing Cerebra in issue 3 now, and who she may be bringing back!

[Punch Dimension.]

X-Force going down as the biggest dud of DOX. Hopefully future issues are better as it was by far the weakest #1

I don't think we will get a memorable Jean until Giant Sized.