Jean Grey / Phoenix Appreciation 2021

[WallStreeter]

Oh god, that line. Seriously, I can't, lol.

You do put the focus where it needs to be, though, which is on "keeping her dead for so long." That wasn't Morrison's choice. In fact, he may very well have intended for Jean to continue being featured in some way as White Phoenix. That the powers that be chose not to utilize her in this capacity is another matter. Personally, I would have loved for her to have a long run as a cosmic being fighting galactic beings and battles. It would have been fun and was definitely a missed opportunity.

White Phoenix is a godly character that just snaps universes away. Meaning she cannot regularly act as a hero. I wouldn’t have wanted Jean to remain White Phoenix of the Crown. Terrible.

[Mercury]

Jean could have been brought back for any of the number of cosmic stories that were occurring around the time she passed. However, Marvel was adamant that Jean Grey stay dead and we've never gotten an explanation on why a character called Phoenix needed to be gone for 15 years when everyone and their mom was killed and brought back in the time she was gone!

I am sure there are many reasons behind why they chose not to bring her back, and those reasons probably include a mix of sexism and feeling intimidated by such a strong (female) character, which is usually indicative of creative inadequacy, i.e., not knowing what to do with a cosmic being, especially, in this case, in relation to the rest of the X-Men.

In either case, Claremont didn't create or intend Phoenix to be a separate force, i.e., the Phoenix Force. She was always meant to just be the evolutionary next step for Jean Grey. Out of the original five and even most of the X-Men, Jean has always been the first and one of the very few with unlimited potential. I mean, she has what Xavier has and then some, plus the power to manipulate matter in myriad ways. Claremont saw and chose to exploit this. And even back then, he encountered resistance to making her so powerful, which is really how the Dark Phoenix Saga was born. Had it been up to Claremont, Jean would have continued as a cosmic being akin to Thor.

Nonetheless, what's past is past and what's done is done. I no longer wish for her to be reunited with the Phoenix Force the way I once did, though, if done right, I certainly wouldn't be against it. I credit Bendis' development of Jean with this. He added such depth and so many layers to her, and his fearless exploration of her powers was so enthralling, he reminded me just how unique, interesting, and potent she is all on her own. I mean, at one point, he has her resurrecting herself and later, taking control of the White Hot Room to resurrect herself again. (NOTE: His developments led to her being written to do these things by other writers.) He deserves a lot of credit for adding so much to her mythos, which, thankfully, is recognized as canon. From her psychic energy absorption (or siphoning) to her ability to boost her telekinesis with her Omega Level telepathy, there is so much she can do with very few limits, which is part of the problem.

I understand the reasoning behind not wanting to fully unleash Jean in all of her potency and glory, though I obviously don't agree with it. She would easily overshadow everyone around her. As happened during the first appearances of Phoenix back in the day, she would become the most popular character. If this is a problem, I say turn it into a blessing by featuring her in her own solo book as a cosmic being. But we're well past that point now. However, what the powers that be can do is use Bendis' take on her as a jumping-off point and germinate and continue to nurture the many seeds he planted regarding her views on things and power set.

Nevertheless, I, for one, am content with how she's being portrayed in the new book and only see it as a sign of more good things to come. I am even okay with her relationship with Scott, which is another aspect of her life Bendis and co. did an excellent job of reconciling. Duggan has been gradually laying the groundwork for her to reemerge as one of the X-Men's best leaders. When I read his Jean, I hear faint echoes of Jean from her pre-resurrection era (e.g., All-New X-Men, X-Men: Blue, Jean Grey, and X-Men: Red) but with something distinctly new: She seems calmer, more secure, and more reserved. As I've said before, there is an ease to her in the new book that I find both surprising and refreshing.

[Exodus]

They should have revealed that Hope Summers is the reincarnated Jean Grey in the last issue of Avengers vs. X-Men. all would have made perfect sense. Her return would be part of large mega event and not a pointless mini series like Phoenix Resurrection. Why has the Phoenix Force waited so long to resurrect Jean in the first place?

It is even sillier that they've introduced a teenage Jean Grey right after Hope finished her story and became pushed into limbo...

[mike7171]

Jean could have been brought back for any of the number of cosmic stories that were occurring around the time she passed. However, Marvel was adamant that Jean Grey stay dead and we've never gotten an explanation on why a character called Phoenix needed to be gone for 15 years when everyone and their mom was killed and brought back in the time she was gone!

Quesada! I hated that man.

[Phoenixx9]

Quesada! I hated that man.

Yeah, he reportedly hated Jean so much (some say because he was disastrous with the ladies) and would not allow anyone to bring her back.

Fans lost 15 years without Jean.

[PyroFN]

White Phoenix is a godly character that just snaps universes away. Meaning she cannot regularly act as a hero. I wouldn’t have wanted Jean to remain White Phoenix of the Crown. Terrible.

Neither would I, but some actual lore about it, beyond the vague context of Morrison to hand-wave Scott’s grief, would have been nice. To this day, we barely have a semblance of understanding what the hell the White Phoenix of the Crown’s function is.

[Force de Phenix]

[Celestialbodies]

But she didn't take all of it, she survived being in it.Magneto put the power to overpower the magnetic filed of earth straight into her, it was concentrated.Also got to say for the fixing thing, offense isn't defense.Just because Ororo can destroy a tank doesn't mean a bullet to the head won't do her in, Phoenix's offense can just be much more impressive than her defense.

Also the scan I posted shows him effecting and bottling phoenix at the very least, again context needed though.

This doesn't make any sense, she literally manipulated the energy of our Sun on an subatomic level to rebuild her body and Wolverine, as well as recreating an entire spaceship powered by the Sun's energy! A planetary level EMP should have done nothing to her!

[Omega_DCD]

They should have revealed that Hope Summers is the reincarnated Jean Grey in the last issue of Avengers vs. X-Men. all would have made perfect sense. Her return would be part of large mega event and not a pointless mini series like Phoenix Resurrection. Why has the Phoenix Force waited so long to resurrect Jean in the first place?

It is even sillier that they've introduced a teenage Jean Grey right after Hope finished her story and became pushed into limbo...

Totally agree...it stings more given how Jean wasn't brought back in any major or poignant way, and I really felt underwhelmed by the 5 issue Phoenix Resurrection mini...just felt vague and mysterious for nothing. Why were certain moments referenced, such as UXM #300, when Jean as declaring to Mellancamp how powerful and dangerous she could be fully unleashed...or a seemingly random new Phoenix color scheme (which have always meant SOMETHING)...without any real payoff.

Going back to Hope...back then I thought it would have been really moving if Hope turned out to be a tabula rasa Jean Grey, being Raises by Cable, as a kind of circular homage to Jean(and Scott) raising young Cable, which is fitting for the kind of crazy timeline-spanning Saga that is the Summers/Grey clan. Then at some point she could have been aged up and have her previous memories restored by the Phoenix Force and hopefully AvX would have played out much differently or not at all.

[Devaishwarya]

I believe Hope was initially meant to be Jean reincarnated but...for whatever editorial reasons at the time, she wasn't, and her story changed.
I vaguely recall some of us discussing/speculating it on-line back then during the Messiah events...and we were majorly disappointed when that didn't pan out...as it seemed so obvious a direction with the hints they gave when Scott found baby Hope for the very first time. (She held a locket that had a picture of Jean Grey in it and there was a flash of the Phoenix Fire in her eyes...if I'm remembering correctly)

[Harpsikord]

This doesn't make any sense, she literally manipulated the energy of our Sun on an subatomic level to rebuild her body and Wolverine, as well as recreating an entire spaceship powered by the Sun's energy! A planetary level EMP should have done nothing to her!

The only reason that it did anything to her was because the Phoenix wanted her in the White Hot Room. She literally says that she doesn't know how much the Phoenix is going to let her stick around during Planet X, and before that she tells Charles that she'll be going away soon but plays it off like it's just about her going into space. It's something she COULD'VE survived but the Phoenix tells her no, basically.

[loke13]

I believe Hope was initially meant to be Jean reincarnated but...for whatever editorial reasons at the time, she wasn't, and her story changed.
I vaguely recall some of us discussing/speculating it on-line back then during the Messiah events...and we were majorly disappointed when that didn't pan out...as it seemed so obvious a direction with the hints they gave when Scott found baby Hope for the very first time. (She held a locket that had a picture of Jean Grey in it and there was a flash of the Phoenix Fire in her eyes...if I'm remembering correctly)

Yep. I've always agreed with this assessment. I even remember interactions between Emma and Hope being strangely hostile despite the two barely interacting. Such a shame too I I would have preferred Jean returning to restart the X-gene as a culmination of the Messiah arc rather than the mediocre AvX.

Also explains why Hope was largely ignored post-AvX the original plan was proper to have her be Jean reincarnated restart the X gene. They decided to drop the Jean part and just had Hope restart the xgene (with the help of Scarlet Witch ugh) The character pretty much served its purpose so they tossed her to the side.

And then brought in Teen Jean shortly after...

[Phoenixx9]

I believe Hope was initially meant to be Jean reincarnated but...for whatever editorial reasons at the time, she wasn't, and her story changed.
I vaguely recall some of us discussing/speculating it on-line back then during the Messiah events...and we were majorly disappointed when that didn't pan out...as it seemed so obvious a direction with the hints they gave when Scott found baby Hope for the very first time. (She held a locket that had a picture of Jean Grey in it and there was a flash of the Phoenix Fire in her eyes...if I'm remembering correctly)

I remember, maybe around Summer 2010, that some Marvel folks mentioned "watch out for a little red haired girl" that will play a part of Jean Grey's return. But it is a story long in telling that will take many years."

I never would have imagined an additional 8.5 years more!

[Phoenixx9]

Where is this from? I cannot place it. Thanks.

[PyroFN]

Where is this from? I cannot place it. Thanks.

History of the Marvel Universe #4