Phoenix Resurrection
Welcome to the column where this week we talk about anything that strikes the X-World.
This week, I wanted to share my views on Phoenix Resurrection. This deals with the return of the long dead Jean Grey to the main X-Men roster and welcomes her back to the main Marvel Universe.
A little back story, Jean Grey was part of the original X-Men. She is most memorable for her various deaths. Most of us also know she has forever been linked with Cyclops, but also has been involved with Wolverine. She is an omega level telekinetic who caught the attention of the cosmic entity known as the Phoenix. This Phoenix used her as a ragdoll and a puppet to commit horrifying acts. She gave her life dying to stop the Phoenix, but the Phoenix did not want her or let her die. As a result, she came back again and again, until one presumed “final time” where the Phoenix finally appeared to move on and adult Jean remained dead for 15 years. I am not considering the time-displaced teen Jean Grey running about Marvel, with the X-Men Blue, as she is a completely different character. When Marvel announced that the original adult Jean Grey he was coming back, the excitement was palpable.
An omega level psychic and telekinetic and an omega mutant growing in a very compressed life, the X-Men was Jean’s place to let herself out. Phoenix Resurrection missed the mark in various ways while hitting some of the right notes. Here, Jean is back and the Phoenix has created her a place where she can live among the X-Men who have no idea who they are because they are all dead in the main universe. Jean does not even remember her and is happy leading a very normal life with her boyfriend Scott and her parents. They spent the first four issues of a five issue miniseries exploring her psyche and the mutants find out where she is after the first four issues again. This might be great if it was a large story arc or some big crossover but unfortunately this is a five issue miniseries and this was, to me, not the way to go. The X-MEN FINDING OUT SHE WAS ALIVE WAS BORING AND THE JEAN GREY STUFF WHICH ACTUALLY DID NOT OCCUPY MUCH OF THE PAGES WAS VERY LESS. The final issue was the best and showcases what this series could have been as a whole.
Old Man Logan, an alternate Earth’s older Wolverine now stranded on the main Marvel Earth, snaps Jean from her fairytale world and brings her back to the world and makes her remember. The Phoenix is not happy about it and wants her to come back and tempts her with various otherworldly pleasures. It gives her everything anybody could ask for. Stay in an age of her own, live the life we want with whoever we want except taking the one thing we all have, an actual life where we can decide for ourselves, and Jean decides she wants it and that is what she chooses. This issue brings her to her base roots and brought back the mutant we have all loved. Her confrontation with the Phoenix was the highlight of the series and I really want to see the aftermath of this return.
Jean will soon be leading her own X-men team, called the X-Men Red, and has to also check in with her teen self living in the world. She has to readjust a life to where the X-Men are completely different where adult Scott Summers is dead and the younger Logan is believed to be dead, but unknown to many has actually returned to life too. There was a scene where she meets up with the dead adult Cyclops and gives us the goodbye both the characters always wanted. But I have high hopes for the future of her life and really excited to see her back in the Marvel Universe.
After all, the one Jean Grey is back.
WELCOME BACK, JEAN.
Next week, Jean Grey’s new team book: X-Men Red!
