A.X.E.: X-Men #1 Spoilers/Reviews

[Mercury]

The issue opens with Logan asking, "What do you see, Jean?" as she presumably psi-scans the Progenitor and sees the judgment it unleashes throughout the rest of Earth. Sersi asks Jean if she can pick up any messages from Steve, Eros, or Kurt, and Jean reveals that she cannot. "I can't get anything. Just images," she admits. "The weight of the Celestial's consciousness warps everything. It's a black hole. Nothing's getting out. It thinks like nothing else. Maybe if I pushed..." Ajak interrupts, noting, "To consider sailing on the waves of a God's mind is both blasphemous and suicidal." Jean quips, "Well, Ajak, the day's young."

The group continues to make its way through the Progenitor. Iron Man reminds everyone that they are being tested and suggests that they could possibly "rewind the clock" and undo the Progenitor's destruction, noting, "Bringing back the dead. Hmph. That's what started all of this. That's how it should end." Sinister agrees and alludes to taking control of the Progenitor—"a cosmic god"—before Makkari grabs him by the throat, and he clarifies to her, "I'm not going to make that mistake again. I'm all about making brand-new, exciting mistakes."

The group forges ahead, and Jean asks, "Is this the same soul capacitor as last time?" Sersi notes, "It's warped," before they are attacked by a hoard of creatures we later learn are the Progenitor's "antibodies." As they fight off the creatures, Tony instructs the team that they must "get to the top" of the Progenitor, or, as Sinister and Ajak refer to it, "the energy monitoring system" and "the god-heart's pacemaker," respectively. Finally, they reach the energy monitoring facility, which Ajak notes is "out of control." She continues, "There's no way around. We need a miracle."

Jean steps up to the fiery sphere. "Okay," she says and proceeds to telekinetically split the sphere, clearing a pathway on the crossway bridge for the group to walk through. "I can do 'miracle,’" Jean says, slyly. As the others begin making their way across the crossway bridge, fighting the antibodies along the way, Jean is psychically attacked. Logan asks if she is okay, and she notes, "Absolutely not. I'm holding a miniature sun apart.” She continues, "Get a move on, I—" before being slammed by another psychic wave. Sinister chimes in, "More importantly, are we okay? She loses concentration and—" But Jean interrupts him, "Don't worry...I can handle it. I've got it under con—"

Suddenly, Jean is transported to the day she arrived at Xavier's. The original X-Men are in the middle of a training session, and Xavier, standing in for the Progenitor, states, "You're just in time for a danger room session. Run the D'Bari program, Cyclops! Sit this one out, Jean, and take notes." Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, and Beast are shown looking up at the sky, presumably at Dark Phoenix, just before she burns them alive. Xavier is on fire as he says to Jean, "I taught you so much, Jean. You were always the best, the top of the class. I have blamed myself for your failure, but...isn't it really your fault?" Jean screams, "No!"

Suddenly, we are brought back to the present, and the others fight off creatures as Jean insists, "Don't you get it? I've been a hero ever since. I'm a hero!" Iron Man says to Jean that she must pass the test, and Logan tells him to "knock it off." Sersi asks, "Can we aid her," before noting, "Our telepathy is nothing compared to hers, but—" Jean abruptly emanates a flash of psychic power, throwing the others off balance. "No, I've got this," she attempts to say before she is psychically transported to a Quiet Council meeting.

Emma is in the middle of holding a vote on whether they should "target the Celestial's self-detruct [mechanism]," which "will almost certainly kill untold oodles of distinctly unfashionably dressed humans." She continues, "Perhaps it's still a worthwhile use of our time. Of course, we won't tell the foot soldiers. No need for the little people to know. Anyone object?" Dressed in her Marvel Girl garb, Jean attempts to vote, but her hands are nailed to the table. "The motion passes. To war," declares Emma. "Let the humans burn." Jean screams, "No! I left the council because I wanted to do the right thing." Behind her, Xavier insists, "Yes, and if you'd stayed, you could have helped save the world. What's more important to you? Being a 'hero'....or actually making a difference?" Suddenly, Logan rips through Xavier. "Wolverine, what are you doing here?" Jean asks, confused. Sinister enters, guns blazing, and admits, "I inserted us both." They attack the illusory council members before they reemerge from the psychic illusion.

On the crossway bridge, Jean insists," I don't need help from anyone, let alone you, Sinister. Get away from me, the pair of you." Sinister quips, "Yes, you're Jean Grey, highly Omega," before Jean insists to Logan, "You can't help me either, Logan. I'm going into the mind of a God, and this isn't your kind of fight. The risk is too high..." Logan responds, "As long as you're involved, risk doesn't matter, Jean. You know that." Jean turns away from both of them and addresses the Progenitor. "Okay, big guy...you want to judge me? Let's get this over with," she says, her face and eyes glowing pink as she enters the Progenitor's mind.

"[I've] come to you. What do you want?" Jean asks. The Progenitor responds, "Understanding. Perspective. You are difficult. I summon character witnesses." It summons Sinister and Wolverine and insists that they "be honest." Sinister admits to the Progenitor, "I...cloned Jean Grey. And I couldn't clone Jean Grey. I made something else several times. Some better than others, but non—annoyingly—better than her. She is unique That has a certain value." Logan insists, "Someone like you? Doesn't get to judge someone like her," before the Progenitor expels them both.

The Progenitor turns to Jean and reveals, "I met your husband. He implied that I should be scared of you. A man who loves you thinks that something like me should be afraid of you. He is married to something that petrifies him on a fundamental level. Such bravery. Of course, I passed him. He sleeps in the lair of a Red Dragon...and I think he's right. I think you are like me. And for all the love you share and provoke. That is the part I cannot get past. Yes, I am destroying a world...but you destroyed a world for no reason at all." Jean interrupts, "Dark Phoenix wasn't me. It...was... Oh, it's complicated. I've never stopped trying to make up for it." The Progenitor responds, "Yes, sometimes you are a saint, Jean Grey. And at other times, you are a violent bully. And, above all, once, you destroyed a world." Jean responds, "And I'm going to destroy you," before telekinetically cracking the Progenitor's face armor in half. "And again, violence," the Progenitor notes before disappearing. "Listen," Jean screams, "Last month alone, I went to a casino where countless worlds' fates were being wagered. I saved untold numbers of worlds. If we're keeping score, I'm in the black." The Progenitor responds, "Your friends would have saved those worlds without you. And they have not burned any." Jean writhes in pain. "When do I make up for it?" she asks. "You can never make up for it, the Progenitor responds, "because you are the Phoenix, now and forever." Suddenly, Jean is surrounded by several D'Bari, all in flames, holding their thumbs down at her.

"She's coming back," someone notes, and Jean is shown crying. "I failed," she admits. "Damn it," screams Iron Man, and Logan warns him, "Don't you dare, Stark. You have no idea what she's been through. Ajak agrees, "This is correct. She was protecting us from the engine plasma while debating with my god. Pass or fail, she is a significant being and deserves respect." Jean asks, "Do I? Whatever I do...It's never enough." Logan assures her, "It's wrong about you, and you're wrong about you if you listen to a damn word it says." Tearfully, Jean hugs him. "Logan, you're good to me." He smiles. "Now I know your head is all messed up. You know I'm not good for anything, Red," he says, still holding her.

Suddenly, a hoard of Celestial antibodies makes its way toward the team. "Our route seems to have been anticipated," notes Ajak. But before the hoard has a chance to attack, Jean atomizes them. "Saying 'destroying a world is unforgivable' while it's doing this? How dare it?! I'm going to annihilate the hypocrite." Sersi says to Logan, "She seems a little bit out of sorts. Is there anything we can do?" He responds, "Stay back and let her work it out. She was always Chuck's star pupil...she's not used to failing tests."

We hold on Jean's angry, glowing eyes.

[Mercury]

I loved this issue on so many levels. I'll write more later.

[Phoenixx9]

I loved this issue on so many levels. I'll write more later.

Jean-gasm!!!

Thanks so much for posting this Phoenix-ominal Recap, Mercury!

[PotniaTheron]

A great issue！The only fly in the ointment is that the White Phoenix of the crown is not mentioned.

[Mercury]

A great issue！The only fly in the ointment is that the White Phoenix of the crown is not mentioned.

It can be argued that the White Phoenix of the Crown is beyond even the Progenitor's grasp and perception...

[Mercury]

Also, check out the various symbolic meanings for the red dragon: the "God of Fire" and "the emperor, the creator, the orderly, and the celestial power."

https://dragon-planet.com/chinese-red-dragon/

[Havok83]

I said in the Jean thread that this was one of the best single Jean issue ever. Top 5 material. I love how strong, powerful, confident and competent she was potrayed. I love her firey passion and the nods to her distant and recent history. Also love seeing Scott reaffirmed as her husband again. If I had one issue is that i felt the art was weak at times but it was in no way bad

[Glio]

I loved it. Great drawing and Jean is not going to accept anyone judging her, especially not that hypocritical Celestial.

[Top Hat]

Just as an aside why is it Stark is always portrayed as being that guy who says the wrong thing at the wrong time, I get the feeling he’s not that liked by some writers

[CoCoBandz]

Just as an aside why is it Stark is always portrayed as being that guy who says the wrong thing at the wrong time, I get the feeling he’s not that liked by some writers

Stark sucks that's why.

[Phoenixx9]

Stark sucks that's why.

LOL!

Yeah, he really is that guy that always says the wrong thing and at the wrong time.

[JB]

This was awesome. I love all of the respect Jean received, how she wouldn't stop fighting despite the pain Zombie Celestial worked to inflict on her. The will is strong with this one and she shined.

I also loved Logan's support and advocating for her. I feel like it's been a while since we've seen that. Very sweet.

[Uncanny X-Man]

I really enjoyed the issue and have been enjoying Judgment Day in general... but I'll admit I was hoping for a bit more meat around the Phoenix discourse. What does it mean exactly that Jean is the Phoenix, now and forever? So much has been written on it and readers have been filling the gaps with so much headcanon, I really need things to be spelled out on the page in a much less vague manner.

Again, really enjoyed the issue and Gillen writes an excellent Jean, I just wished for a bit more story.

[Phoenixx9]

I really enjoyed the issue and have been enjoying Judgment Day in general... but I'll admit I was hoping for a bit more meat around the Phoenix discourse. What does it mean exactly that Jean is the Phoenix, now and forever? So much has been written on it and readers have been filling the gaps with so much headcanon, I really need things to be spelled out on the page in a much less vague manner.

Again, really enjoyed the issue and Gillen writes an excellent Jean, I just wished for a bit more story.

Yeah, me too...but maybe more will be coming on this?

The way I took this story, was that the Celestial was saying that Dark Phoenix was Jean (the now and forever part), so that is why Jean failed the test. She destroyed the D'Bari world when she did not have to do it and the Celestial is not forgiving Jean of that no matter how much good she has done or will continue to do.

But as Wolverine said, Jean is not used to failing....! So we will have to wait to see what she does next!

[Mercury]

I really enjoyed the issue and have been enjoying Judgment Day in general... but I'll admit I was hoping for a bit more meat around the Phoenix discourse. What does it mean exactly that Jean is the Phoenix, now and forever? So much has been written on it and readers have been filling the gaps with so much headcanon, I really need things to be spelled out on the page in a much less vague manner.

Again, really enjoyed the issue and Gillen writes an excellent Jean, I just wished for a bit more story.

Ambiguity is good. However, I’ll answer with my response to another poster in Jean’s thread.

Do you think Jean being "the Phoenix now and forever" is going to be explored further? Because the Phoenix has literally been all over the place lately and I am very curious on how it is going to be moving forward or even explained with the other random hosts.

This issue was so good - her display of powers and the recognition that she has been given have exemplified why Jean Grey fans are so gung-ho about her. The Celestial basically equating her to it was like DAMN, our Omega Queen is considered on a god level.

Welcome, Apechei! First, let me say that Gillen did a fantastic job of alluding to and explicitly pointing out Jean's cosmic nature, which is very much in line with Claremont's vision for her. It isn't just that the Progenitor compared Jean to itself and declared her "the Phoenix, now and forever" but also that it referred to her as "something," rather than someone, and likened her to a "red dragon," which has connotations in Chinese lore similar to Phoenix's mythos. As I noted above, the red dragon is associated with the "God of Fire" and "the emperor, the creator, the orderly, and the celestial power" (see link posted above). All of this is very telling and, in my opinion, was meant to underscore that 1) Jean isn't an ordinary mortal mutant and 2) her very nature is rooted in the Phoenix Force—she is "the Phoenix, now and forever"!—but is also still very much a mystery. This was good!

Gillen also spotlighted Jean's immense power and uniqueness quite nicely. He had Sersi admit that the Eternals' telepathy is "nothing compared to hers," Sinister reveal that he has never been able to truly clone her because "she is unique" (Madelyne is not her equal, after all), and Ajak refer to her as a "significant being" based on what Jean was able to accomplish this issue, which doesn't make Ajak's word choice any less interesting or, shall we say, significant. Not to mention the fact that Jean was able to accomplish what none of them could—not even Sersi, who is a cosmic-level telekinetic, or "matter manipulator"—i.e., "holding a miniature sun apart." In fact, the running theme of the entire issue was Jean's incredible power and the mystery surrounding it.

Regarding your question, I am not sure if it will be explored further anytime soon, and I'm okay with that. Her foundation has been firmly established/REestablished, and that feels great. To be fair, though, both Dark Web, which drops in December, and Sins of Sinister, which drops in January, may touch upon this facet of her character. After all, Leinil Yu had this to say regarding who is on the cover of Wolverine #29, which drops in January:





We'll see.