Jean's History of Defending and Trying to Save Madelyne

[Mercury]

For context. Let's discuss.



After being deceived by Scott, Hank, Bobby, and Warren for months following her return from stasis, and finding out Scott had a wife and child who he’d abandoned for her, Jean admonished him and urged him to go back to them.

[Mercury]

Later, she sacrificed her soul to Mephisto to save Madelyne and Nate, to relieve Scott of his guilt and so that he could be with his family. Mephisto referred to Jean’s soul as “rare and wondrous” and released her.

[Mercury]

Even after going through a period when she criticized Madelyne harshly for letting Scott think she and Nathan were dead—Jean didn’t know the whole story—she tried convincing Madelyne to let her and the X-Men help her and was deeply distraught by her death.

[Mercury]

Years later, after Nate Grey accidentally gave form to Madelyne’s psionic ghost, and she tried killing him and Jean, Jean stopped Nate from destroying Madelyne and tried reaching out to her.

[Drexelhand]

With everything that Madelyne tried doing to Nate, she doesn't deserve Jean's forgiveness or help. Yeah, I get it. Jean might see Madelyne as a 'what-if' of herself but at the least, Jean's always seen Nate as somebody who needs guidance and at the most, as a son. Madelyne should go into the Pit.

[Agatha's Ghost]

Oh give me a break.

[Mercury]

With everything that Madelyne tried doing to Nate, she doesn't deserve Jean's forgiveness or help. Yeah, I get it. Jean might see Madelyne as a 'what-if' of herself but at the least, Jean's always seen Nate as somebody who needs guidance and at the most, as a son. Madelyne should go into the Pit.

I disagree. Madelyne was still grappling with pain, anger, and trauma. And Jean stood up for and saved Madelyne before she knew she was a clone of her, so I don't think that's why she tried saving her later or pushed for her resurrection. I think her own experiences as Phoenix and Dark Phoenix, coupled with her love for Nathan, prompted her to empathize with Madelyne on a profound level. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Jean blamed herself for what happened to Madelyne, even though she was not at fault. She simply felt she should be given a second chance. And the pages and panels I've posted in this thread substantiate that.

[Rift]

I disagree. Madelyne was still grappling with pain, anger, and trauma. And Jean stood up for and saved Madelyne before she knew she was a clone of her, so I don't think that's why she tried saving her later or pushed for her resurrection. I think, based on her own experiences as Phoenix and Dark Phoenix, coupled with her love for Nathan, she empathized with her and felt she should be given a second chance.

Agreed. Also, unlike Jean, Maddy lived a life without having met Hellion. She was a tortured soul. Even disregarding Jean identifying with her struggles, Jean is a very empathetic and big-hearted person.

[Drexelhand]

I disagree. Madelyne was still grappling with pain, anger, and trauma. And Jean stood up for and saved Madelyne before she knew she was a clone of her, so I don't think that's why she tried saving her later or pushed for her resurrection. I think, based on her own experiences as Phoenix and Dark Phoenix, coupled for her love for Nathan, she empathized with her and felt she should be given a second chance.

Yes, Jean sees Madelyne as a path she herself could have gone down and maybe partially did as Dark Phoenix. However, that does not change that on a fundamental level, if you take away Jean's memories, you're still going to end up with a good person in the end. With Madelyne, her memories were stripped and what did she do? She ended up grooming a teenager who was her biological son, literally telepathically manipulating him so that she could sustain herself off of him. All I can say is that this second chance is going to go like every other one Madelyne has received: not good.

Blame that on the writers, blame it on the fans or blame it on me. Madelyne as a character was fundamentally broken when Jeph Loeb made her a rapist - although maybe Ellis' retcon to Queen Jean somewhat fixed that, you can't forget what she did to Empath or the fact that she raped Cyclops as well. It's just like Sabretooth was broken to a point where he has to be a villain when Larry Hama revealed he raped Silver Fox. Yes, it's a bit odd that in media, destroyers of planets like Vegeta can achieve redemption while rapists like Nappa cannot.

[Uncanny X-Man]

Loving the thread and loving the stroll down memory lane and the scans, keep it up Mercury!

[Drexelhand]

Yeah, I've got to ask, what issue are those images with Mephisto from? I don't think I've read that one.

[Mercury]

Loving the thread and loving the stroll down memory lane and the scans, keep it up Mercury!

Thank you! :hug: 🥹

Yeah, I've got to ask, what issue are those images with Mephisto from? I don't think I've read that one.

Mephisto Vs. #2 (that's how it's listed on Marvel Unlimited), but the cover reads: Mephisto Vs. X-Factor #2 (1987).

[Vegeta]

Never saw that Mephisto Vs. book, how did Jean get her soul back after bargaining it to Mephisto?

[Mercury]

Never saw that Mephisto Vs. book, how did Jean get her soul back after bargaining it to Mephisto?

Mephisto decided she was worth releasing. In Mephisto Vs. [X-Men] #3, he says something to the effect of, "I'm going to give you a resurrection worthy of the one call [or thought to be] the Phoenix." Anyway, Mephisto Vs. X-Factor #2 is one of my favorite hidden gems.

[Vegeta]

Mephisto decided she was worth releasing. In Mephisto Vs. [X-Men] #3, he says something to the effect of, "I'm going to give you a resurrection worthy of the one call [or thought to be] the Phoenix." Anyway, Mephisto Vs. X-Factor #2 is one of my favorite hidden gems.

Thanks, I'll have to try and track down the series, it looks fun. (Sidenote: I also always really liked Jean's X-Factor costume.)