Jean Grey #2 Spoilers and Reviews Thread

[Mercury]

The issue opens with Jean recapping her decision to make herself and the remaining original X-Men forget their time in the future. "I chose wisely," she says before turning her mind to that fateful day she and the X-Men flew toward Earth on an unfortified space shuttle bombarded by radiation. When it came down to deciding who would pilot the shuttle, she remembers arguing with and incapacitating Scott and pulling rank on Logan, "the irritating new guy," before taking control and eventually emerging from Jamaica Bay as Phoenix.

In the mysterious liminal space Jean currently finds herself, she wonders, "Why had it been so hard to admit I didn't have all the answers? What if I trusted the others and, instead of grabbing control, chose to listen...?" Just then, we see events play out differently as Jean chooses to entertain Logan's slight--"You buckin' for martyr o' the year or somethin'?"--rather than pull rank. "You have a better idea?" she asks. And he does: He suggests using his healing factor to protect him from the radiation as he pilots the shuttle to safety.

Jean agrees to assist him and enters his mind. Scott grabs her and tells her he loves her, which surprises her. "It isn't like Scott to reveal his feelings openly before everyone," she thinks. Just then, Logan interrupts their intimate moment to let her know "the numbers are falling. We're losin' oxygen." Jean guides him in piloting the shuttle, and their psychic rapport deepens. She learns more and more about Logan's past just as the radiation begins to consume him. She decides to increase his healing factor by breaking through his mental barriers, which causes her to learn and experience the full extent of his history and trauma. She is moved to tears and realizes, "By a kind of miracle, he trusted me enough to let me into his mind. He's willing to die. For all of us, but especially for me."



Much like Jean did, Logan pilots the shuttle into Jamaica Bay and emerges from the turbulent waters as Phoenix. Before anyone can question his transformation, Logan declares, "They thought I couldn't hear 'em, that I'd become just an animal, but I understood...every word. I am Phoenix, risen from the ashes of my past...and I will make them pay!" He flies off, and Scott asks Jean, "What just happened?" She responds, "I'm...not sure. I'm locked out of his mind now. All I know is--some power has healed him, changed him. And somehow, he's moved beyond himself. He's going after the people who tried to turn him into a mindless monster. And he's going to destroy them."

Later, Xavier, not once mentioning Logan's heroic act or transformation, suggests "going to Ireland, to Cassidy Keep, where Banshee grew up." Jean attempts to interject, but Xavier doesn't let her. "After what we've all been through, Jean...don't you think we deserve a vacation?" Later, Jean confides in Scott that she doesn't understand Xavier's lack of reaction to Logan sprouting spikes and flying. She tells him she's going to Canada to find Logan, and he offers to go with her. During Jean's aside, she notes, "I've loved Scott since we were kids, wondered at the fire I sensed behind his rigorous self-control. It took all my own restraint not to look into his mind, to reach out and touch the flames."

In Canada, Jean shares with Scott that, although she is "locked out" of Logan's mind, she can "feel him, like a hum, a vibration in my consciousness," alluding to her connection to Phoenix. Scott questions her feelings for Logan, noting, "Even seeing this carnage, you love him. I don't stand a chance." Jean responds, "I...don't. Not exactly. Not the way you mean. But I do know him." Eventually, they find the Weapon X laboratory and Logan attacking and being attacked by several mercenaries. They decide to help him, and he doesn't notice. Scott suggests to Jean that she try entering Logan's mind, but she notes that it's still "shielded" from her. In a berserker rage, Logan lashes out at everyone with spiked projectiles, which Jean shields herself and Scott from. All of the mercenaries are killed.

When Logan realizes Jean and Scott have been with him all along, he states, "They're dead now, all the others. I...could have killed you too." Jean interrupts, "You didn't see us. You didn't know." Logan insists, "Even if I had--you don't understand. I wanted 'em dead. And this fire in me--it made that happen. It became my will. I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop...Kill it! Kill me...please...while you still can. If you can." Jean tries to reason with him, "Logan! No! Listen! We'll--" But Scott interrupts, stating, "He's right, Jean," before unleashing his optic blasts at full power.

Jean notes, "Its mission fulfilled, its fire rejected, the Phoenix leaves...in search of a different host. Someone passionate. Hungry. Desperate for what it offers." Scott's visor is blasted apart, and Jean calls out to him. "Scott, look at me!" she demands. He responds, "Without my special lenses? Jean, I...can't. You'd die." Jean counters, "I don't think so. You have such discipline. You don't know how strong you really are! Just...try. If anyone can restrain it, control it--" He looks at her and then notes, "I can't...not for long. But it's given me this, to look at you as you are... It's not a being of logic, Jean. It thrives on feeling. On mine...for you. It needs... It loves... It wants... Don't let it use me. Kill me. Do it now!" Jean refuses and kisses him.



Just then, Logan stabs Scott through the head with his claws. "My claws respond to my will," Logan says to Jean. "Like always. An' I'm all claws now. Nothin' but sharp edges. Sharp enough to rip myself apart. Old guy like me...lots 'a baggage...never did stand a chance with you anyway." He shreds himself until he burns to ash.

Once again, in that unidentified liminal space, we see Jean screaming, "No!" Then, she notes, "Wolverine seemed the logical choice. He could survive the radiation. Survive even the impact. But he couldn't survive the Phoenix. Not him. Not even Scott...my distant, passionate Scott. In my reality, I steered the shuttle...I called for help. I let the Phoenix have me. That's not what went wrong. But if not there, then where...?"

"Perhaps..." Jean says as Madelyne Pryor, transformed into Goblin Queen, looms above and beyond her shadow.

[SugarMan]

I give this one a “meh”. I don’t believe I can ever read a comic and say, “you know what this story needs? More Wolverine!”

I understand Logan would be a logical choice to pilot the shuttle (can Storm not handle the flares? For another time.) But Jean needs to have a Jean story that doesn’t have to have Wolverine as a plot point. He gets plenty. Let some other characters shine.

As for the main storyline, this is moving too slowly. We had to wait a month to basically get nowhere, with no answers. We are exactly where we were at the end of the last issue. There’s not enough beef there for this to be a monthly. Weekly, or even bi-monthly I’ll give you. But it’s too long to wait for so little.

[Jackraow21]

I’m the opposite. Mainly read it for Logan. Didn’t love it, though. Not gonna lie.

[Phoenixx9]

The issue opens with Jean recapping her decision to make herself and the remaining original X-Men forget their time in the future. "I chose wisely," she says before turning her mind to that fateful day she and the X-Men flew toward Earth on an unfortified space shuttle bombarded by radiation. When it came down to deciding who would pilot the shuttle, she remembers arguing with and incapacitating Scott and pulling rank on Logan, "the irritating new guy," before taking control and eventually emerging from Jamaica Bay as Phoenix.

In the mysterious liminal space Jean currently finds herself, she wonders, "Why had it been so hard to admit I didn't have all the answers? What if I trusted the others and, instead of grabbing control, chose to listen...?" Just then, we see events play out differently as Jean chooses to entertain Logan's slight--"You buckin' for martyr o' the year or somethin'?"--rather than pull rank. "You have a better idea?" she asks. And he does: He suggests using his healing factor to protect him from the radiation as he pilots the shuttle to safety.

Jean agrees to assist him and enters his mind. Scott grabs her and tells her he loves her, which surprises her. "It isn't like Scott to reveal his feelings openly before everyone," she thinks. Just then, Logan interrupts their intimate moment to let her know "the numbers are falling. We're losin' oxygen." Jean guides him in piloting the shuttle, and their psychic rapport deepens. She learns more and more about Logan's past just as the radiation begins to consume him. She decides to increase his healing factor by breaking through his mental barriers, which causes her to learn and experience the full extent of his history and trauma. She is moved to tears and realizes, "By a kind of miracle, he trusted me enough to let me into his mind. He's willing to die. For all of us, but especially for me."



Much like Jean did, Logan pilots the shuttle into Jamaica Bay and emerges from the turbulent waters as Phoenix. Before anyone can question his transformation, Logan declares, "They thought I couldn't hear 'em, that I'd become just an animal, but I understood...every word. I am Phoenix, risen from the ashes of my past...and I will make them pay!" He flies off, and Scott asks Jean, "What just happened?" She responds, "I'm...not sure. I'm locked out of his mind now. All I know is--some power has healed him, changed him. And somehow, he's moved beyond himself. He's going after the people who tried to turn him into a mindless monster. And he's going to destroy them."

Later, Xavier, not once mentioning Logan's heroic act or transformation, suggests "going to Ireland, to Cassidy Keep, where Banshee grew up." Jean attempts to interject, but Xavier doesn't let her. "After what we've all been through, Jean...don't you think we deserve a vacation?" Later, Jean confides in Scott that she doesn't understand Xavier's lack of reaction to Logan sprouting spikes and flying. She tells him she's going to Canada to find Logan, and he offers to go with her. During Jean's aside, she notes, "I've loved Scott since we were kids, wondered at the fire I sensed behind his rigorous self-control. It took all my own restraint not to look into his mind, to reach out and touch the flames."

In Canada, Jean shares with Scott that, although she is "locked out" of Logan's mind, she can "feel him, like a hum, a vibration in my consciousness," alluding to her connection to Phoenix. Scott questions her feelings for Logan, noting, "Even seeing this carnage, you love him. I don't stand a chance." Jean responds, "I...don't. Not exactly. Not the way you mean. But I do know him." Eventually, they find the Weapon X laboratory and Logan attacking and being attacked by several mercenaries. They decide to help him, and he doesn't notice. Scott suggests to Jean that she try entering Logan's mind, but she notes that it's still "shielded" from her. In a berserker rage, Logan lashes out at everyone with spiked projectiles, which Jean shields herself and Scott from. All of the mercenaries are killed.

When Logan realizes Jean and Scott have been with him all along, he states, "They're dead now, all the others. I...could have killed you too." Jean interrupts, "You didn't see us. You didn't know." Logan insists, "Even if I had--you don't understand. I wanted 'em dead. And this fire in me--it made that happen. It became my will. I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop...Kill it! Kill me...please...while you still can. If you can." Jean tries to reason with him, "Logan! No! Listen! We'll--" But Scott interrupts, stating, "He's right, Jean," before unleashing his optic blasts at full power.

Jean notes, "Its mission fulfilled, its fire rejected, the Phoenix leaves...in search of a different host. Someone passionate. Hungry. Desperate for what it offers." Scott's visor is blasted apart, and Jean calls out to him. "Scott, look at me!" she demands. He responds, "Without my special lenses? Jean, I...can't. You'd die." Jean counters, "I don't think so. You have such discipline. You don't know how strong you really are! Just...try. If anyone can restrain it, control it--" He looks at her and then notes, "I can't...not for long. But it's given me this, to look at you as you are... It's not a being of logic, Jean. It thrives on feeling. On mine...for you. It needs... It loves... It wants... Don't let it use me. Kill me. Do it now!" Jean refuses and kisses him.



Just then, Logan stabs Scott through the head with his claws. "My claws respond to my will," Logan says to Jean. "Like always. An' I'm all claws now. Nothin' but sharp edges. Sharp enough to rip myself apart. Old guy like me...lots 'a baggage...never did stand a chance with you anyway." He shreds himself until he burns to ash.

Once again, in that unidentified liminal space, we see Jean screaming, "No!" Then, she notes, "Wolverine seemed the logical choice. He could survive the radiation. Survive even the impact. But he couldn't survive the Phoenix. Not him. Not even Scott...my distant, passionate Scott. In my reality, I steered the shuttle...I called for help. I let the Phoenix have me. That's not what went wrong. But if not there, then where...?"

"Perhaps..." Jean says as Madelyne Pryor, transformed into Goblin Queen, looms above and beyond her shadow.

Thanks for the summation of issue #2, Mercury.

When I heard that this issue was going to be about Jean musing that Wolverine should have become Phoenix, I knew that this is NOT the moment when all went wrong.

However, I guess, many Wolvie fans think/thought that he was the logical choice, even back then, and the writers decided to give it a look-see.

But something no one seems to remember, is that Logan's Healing Factor was nowhere near where it is today and he would not have lasted 10 minutes in the radiation.

Jean was and is the only choice for them to arrive safely home. I am glad Jean saw for herself that neither Scott nor Logan could have did what she did--gave what she gave--sacrificed what she did---to get all of her friends and loved ones home safely.

[Mercury]

As I wrote on Twitter, while Jean Grey #1 (2023) focuses on Jean's temper, arrogance, and impulsivity, along with her mysterious identity and unparalleled power as Phoenix, #2 centers on the two men who have loved her most and delineates how 𝙝𝙚𝙧 love for them differs. It's a tragic ode. Weezie’s writing is really damn good. Concise, precise, and emotive.

Also, this struck me: When Jean tells Scott, "I can feel him like a hum, a vibration in my consciousness," even though Logan's mind is "shielded" from her, and when Scott says to Jean, "[Phoenix] thrives on feeling. On mine for you. It needs... It loves... It wants..." You? Was he going to refer to Jean?

The two moments above seem to be hinting at Jean and Phoenix’s intrinsic connection to one another and also brought to mind Louise Simonson’s response to my question some weeks back. Was she simply hypothesizing or actually dropping hints…? 🤔

[SugarMan]

We’ve also had plenty of Jean/Scott/Logan. Scott I can tolerate a little more, she is married to the man. But Jean rarely gets a solo. Time would be better spent giving us more Jean - her name is on the cover of the book. At the very least, give us some clues. Everything they’ve shown us, we know already. “Only time will tell” says Louise. Then get to it! Some of us don’t have forever.

[Kitty&Piotr<3]

Couple of things that made me laugh were Sexavier (that facial expression), Cyclops worried about possibly not getting with Jean while dead body parts are strewn around, Wolverine going "I didn't stand a chance with you anyway" and setting himself on fire, Cyclops getting the Phoenix just for him to get immediately stabbed yessssssssss loved that, and of course, Wolverine being "knives and claws incarnate".


They should retcon it so that the Phoenix only augments a person's base abilities to the nth degree in a hilarious way. Cyke just had it, so it is now Emma's turn rightfully, yes? Let's see her get it and transform into a literal traditionally-shaped diamond but with her consciousness and powers. She could be like that mask that Genesis Sabah Nur has.

We’ve also had plenty of Jean/Scott/Logan. Scott I can tolerate a little more, she is married to the man. But Jean rarely gets a solo. Time would be better spent giving us more Jean - her name is on the cover of the book. At the very least, give us some clues. Everything they’ve shown us, we know already. “Only time will tell” says Louise. Then get to it! Some of us don’t have forever.

I don't believe there will be any major changes/revelations out of this. It really was just another flashback series like the Storm one and the others that came out, just with Fall of X as a framing device.

I think it's likely that Jean wakes up out of a Goldball in Immortal X-Men 17.

[jwatson]

hmmmm not in a rush to read this. This now sounds like super what if and it would have made more sense for Storm to do since it has been noted she is immune to radiation or at the very least can attune her body to it like in genosha. Other than that it also further confuses the whole jean is suppose to be phoenix bond because based on the recap anyone who went through that moment would have emerged as phoenix. Also this completely minimizes logan's connections with kurt and storm that we saw developed specifically before and during the phoenix saga that i just read. i mean they had thoughts but it was usually on his actions but the 4 of the giant size were/are extremely close i would argue closer than the 05 and that is Kurt/Logan/Storm/Colossus though i would def throw scott/jean in there. i couldn't help but notice all the panels with storm/jean in particular always by each other side in the phoenix omnibus. so many great panels.

[Icefanatic]

hmmmm not in a rush to read this. This now sounds like super what if and it would have made more sense for Storm to do since it has been noted she is immune to radiation or at the very least can attune her body to it like in genosha. Other than that it also further confuses the whole jean is suppose to be phoenix bond because based on the recap anyone who went through that moment would have emerged as phoenix. Also this completely minimizes logan's connections with kurt and storm that we saw developed specifically before and during the phoenix saga that i just read. i mean they had thoughts but it was usually on his actions but the 4 of the giant size were/are extremely close i would argue closer than the 05 and that is Kurt/Logan/Storm/Colossus though i would def throw scott/jean in there. i couldn't help but notice all the panels with storm/jean in particular always by each other side in the phoenix omnibus. so many great panels.

Not really.

"If there's a God, help him..."

It's still Jean that calls out for aid, and the Phoenix comes. She managed to avoid becoming Phoenix, but she still called it from the Cosmos and still directed it to do her will. Of course that still didn't create the outcome she wanted.

[Dizzystarr]

Man this issue was super boring This whole thing better have one hell of a payoff

[Jman27]

man Xavier and the rest of the X-men are horrible teammates they don't go after Logan instead they take a vacation? unless this happen to Jean when she turn into the Phoenix originally in the comics? Also this phoenix's logan wasnt that impressive all he had was just more claws

[The Thunderbird]

I loved the art. Bernard's rendition of Jean is gorgeous and Wolverine looked every bit as fearsome as getting possessed by the Phoenix would imply. I know some may find Wolverine getting the Phoenix to be annoying but the whole point of this issue is Jean trying to explore the possibility of her avoiding becoming Phoenix.

As I wrote on Twitter, while Jean Grey #1 (2023) focuses on Jean's temper, arrogance, and impulsivity, along with her mysterious identity and unparalleled power as Phoenix, #2 centers on the two men who have loved her most and delineates how 𝙝𝙚𝙧 love for them differs. It's a tragic ode. Weezie’s writing is really damn good. Concise, precise, and emotive.

Also, this struck me: When Jean tells Scott, "I can feel him like a hum, a vibration in my consciousness," even though Logan's mind is "shielded" from her, and when Scott says to Jean, "[Phoenix] thrives on feeling. On mine for you. It needs... It loves... It wants..." You? Was he going to refer to Jean?

The two moments above seem to be hinting at Jean and Phoenix’s intrinsic connection to one another and also brought to mind Louise Simonson’s response to my question some weeks back. Was she simply hypothesizing or actually dropping hints…? 🤔

This reminds me of something. Remember Onslaught? How the being was formed from Xavier's psyche as a result of the trauma of erasing Magneto's mind way back in 1993's Fatal Attractions? Well Jean is a stronger telepath than Xavier so it's pretty much plausible that something similar could happen with Jean. So what if it turns out that the Phoenix Force (and possibly the Dark Phoenix persona) is to Jean Grey as Onslaught is to Charles Xavier? The solicit to issue four hints to Jean Grey having an inner enemy and not knowing the full extent of her mind. In addition since the premise of the series involves Jean's mind traveling through time and influencing what appears to be alternate timelines could imply that once born from Jean the Phoenix Force could travel back to the beginning of time and do everything it did before Jean's birth. Also, while Phoenix has merged with many beings separate from Jean throughout comics history so has Onslaught. Just look what happened to Red Skull just prior to 2014's AXIS event.

[superjosh]

Honestly, this series is a huge waste of time. It's not presenting anything new or interesting and the Phoenix corruption stuff it sooooooooo sooooooo tired. I kind of appreciate that they're trying to do something different than say the Storm or Gambit "untold stories" type minis and incorporate the series into current events, but it's so boring.

[Uncanny X-Man]

I enjoyed this second issue although, as one would have guessed from reading #1, it does become a bit formulaic in its execution. But I'm still enjoying the insights on Jean's mind and the voice Simonson gives her.

I'm curious to find out what moment will be picked to show "where it all went wrong" at the end of the mini - I think it's safe to assume it will be related to the Phoenix so I wonder if Jean's latest rejection of it during Phoenix Resurrection will be the one. I'm also curious if any of the theories on how Jean created the Phoenix or something similar will come into play, as the interview with Louise posted above seems to be hinting at.

[R+R]

As for the main storyline, this is moving too slowly. We had to wait a month to basically get nowhere, with no answers. We are exactly where we were at the end of the last issue. There’s not enough beef there for this to be a monthly. Weekly, or even bi-monthly I’ll give you. But it’s too long to wait for so little.

I felt the same. Instead, the writers could be undoing the "cocoon at sea" retcon.