The Many looks of Jean Grey Part Eleven.... Jean is Back and gets a New Uniform for her Day Job !

In the past when a comic hero died, they died and that was the end of things. These days when a hero or villain dies in comics,  give them a couple of weeks rest, and bingo they return to the land of the living. Bringing Jean Grey back was a risk, but with good writing it turned out to be a great move.

 When Jean finally arrived back in the Marvel Universe many things had changed.

Firstly she had to deal with that an Alien force had replaced her as one of the X-Men . Who not only looked like her, acted like her, was accepted as her.... But believed itself to be her. Then she had to deal with it falling in love with her boyfriend Scott Summers, AKA Cyclops. Jean then learnt that this other Jean had  gotten manipulated by Mastermind and end up turning into a Monster that destroyed planets and millions of lives. She nearly managed to kill all of her friends and family at the same time.  However it had sacrificed  itself to save the people it , or the part of her that was Jean, loved.  It had died a Hero. Its body was then buried and mourned by the people who cared for her. People who loved the real Jean Grey.

To say that was hard  enough for Jean to take all of these facts on was bad enough but there was more.....  Jean learnt that after " Her" death,  Scott had found love with other Women, ending up marrying a Woman that looked exactly like her, and having a child with her.  If Scott had really loved her, why did he move on so fast ?   Why did he forget all about her ? How could he ?

Jean was made aware that there was a small matter of a Young Girl calling herself Rachel Summers who clammed to be her and Scott's daughter from an alternative future, who had some how adopted some of the Phoenix Force.... Also there was  a old guy with a metal arm and glowing eye who loved big Guns called Cable, who may be or may not have been a future version of Scott and Maddie's son Nathan.  Yes Jean had a lot of catching up to do. She realised she need her family around her.  Her real family ... her old school friends, the Original  X-Men

During the time she had been "away", the World's hatred of Mutants had grown out of control. Mutants were being hunted down and killed by Human's worried that Mutants were going to take over the world. The Cherry on the the top of the cake was that her mentor and hero Charles Xavier, aka Professor  X  and the Current  X-Men were now working hand in hand with Magneto. Jean could not comprehend why they would work along side such an evil presents as Magneto.  The X-Men who had fort for years to try to united Mutants and Humans in peace, were now seen as part of the Evil Mutant Menace themselves.

Jean was confused, but knew that she needed to take a part of trying to sort out all of this mess. 

This is how it all started back in  1986 and X Factor 1 #

The story was simple. The 5 Original X-Men. Cyclops, Angel, Iceman, Beast and Marvel Girl would pose as Humans who worked as Mutant Hunters. The idea that they would rid the streets of any  rogue Mutant menace for a fee. Most of these Mutants they targeted were young, many of which could not control their powers very well. Thus bringing them into the public gaze and much fear.  When they had captured each Mutant, the group calling themselves X-Factor  would contain them at their Head Quarters - Compound where they could be dealt with. In fact what they were doing is help find Mutants in need of help, take them back to their compound where they would try to teach them how to handle their powers without causing them to be feared by the general public.  Doing something like what  Professor X had done with her and the Original X-Men. The main difference in this plan would be,  where the Professor had trained his X-Men as his personal army to fight against the threat of any Evil Mutants. X-Factor would be different and  help its charges to control and understand their powers so to be able to live side by side others mutant and non mutant in peace.

This series was a success, and introduced many new characters into the Marvel Universe like.

Artie a young deformed boy who could not speak but could communicate using mental projections.

 Rustie, a young teen lad who could produce and control fire. Not very well at first. 

Skids a Young teen girl who's body was surrounded by an invisible force field. Making her unable to truly touch anyone.

Rictor a Teen boy who had  little control of the powers over the earth, and causing earthquakes. 

Leech, another deformed boy who had the ability of taking away the Mutant powers of anyone standing close to him. Useful at times, but could cause issues at other times.

and Tabitha aka Boom Boom who could produce explosive Bombs. She liked blowing things up !

All of these characters still are around today in one form or another. This can not be said for many "New" characters that were introduced in the late 1980's and 1990's by Marvel. 

Now back to Jean

This is how she looked in her "Human" X-Factor Uniform. 

With Glasses

Very 1980's shades. Many of the Marvel Characters adopted this look at the time.

Jean without this fashion accessory... 

All the team wore them. They acted like a bit of a mask. The glasses where really a nod to Cyclops, as it helped him not look out of place as he needed to wear some type of visor to control his optic blasts at all times..  Warren aka Angel wore a back back to hide his wings. He was the person on the team who had the the highest public image. He had outed himself as a Mutant and had continued to build the company he had inherited from his Father over the years. So the glasses help disguise his face. The Beast aka Hank was not a public face on the team, as he was still all big, blue and furry at the time....... but when he got devolved from his Blue Furry Beast form, and now Human looking again was able to go public with the rest of the gang.

Next time we get to see what Jean dressed like when she was playing as a Hero Again

Until then ENJOY

The Many looks of Jean Grey Part Ten ..... From the Ashes a new Jean arises ?

 The story that had told  about The Phoenix would later be changed, and whilst the Real Jean Grey lay asleep and recuperating in the depts of Jamaica Bay, another red head appeared in Scott Summers' and the  X - Men's lives. Her back story would be later adapted, but Scott and the other X-Men were about to meet a future Queen.

After Jean's death and her funeral, Cyclops aka Scott Summers took a break from leading the Xmen. He travelled trying find his place in the world. A place without his Jean.

He would return on occasions to help his fellow X-Men, but it always reminded him of his loss.....  On a visit to visit his Grandparents in Alaska Scott bumped into a woman called Madeline Pryor. This woman was the spitting image of Jean. Maddie worked as a pilot who was employed by the North Star Airlines, the company owned by Scott's Grandparents. ( X-Men 168 1983 )

Scott at first believed that this was Jean, and that as the Phoenix she had risen from the ashes, as she had done when the Space Shuttle crashed and sank in Jamacia Bay.  Scott was somewhat taken back when Maddie even explained that she had been the sole survivor of a plane crash, which Scott realised had happen on the same day that Jean had died on the Moon. He was confused. Was this Jean or not.? They looked the same, sounded the same, had the same kind nature...... but to Scott it was clear that they had very different personalities. The Jean Scott had know when his Jean  had transformed into Phoenix she could have  two distinct personalities at times. So he was still not totally convinced.

He tested Maddie at times trying to get her to admit she was really Jean.... but Maddie insisted she was not Jean.... All that she knew was she was in love with Scott.

Later he would be content and believed that Maddie was not Jean. He had loved Jean, but Jean was now gone, However, he was now  convinced he was in love with Maddie.

The two started a relationship and the couple later would marry. They would later become parents to Nathan Summers.

However, Maddie and Scott's relationship would be tested many times. He hated that he missed his time as an X-Man and would be forever going off to aid them leaving her and Nathan at home .Maddie hated that she and the Baby would always come second to Scott life as a X-Man. 

Then one day Scott got a phone call..... Telling him Jean was alive !!!! This would change Maddie's life forever.

He packed a bag and rushed off to see Jean. Maddie was not happy, but she would have the last laugh.... and  everyone would learn WHO, WHY and WHAT Maddie really was !

Next time we meet the "Real" Jean again with another new look..

Until the enjoy

 

The Many looks of Jean Grey Part Nine.... Will the real Jean Grey please stand up.

 This is where the story of Jean Grey gets a little bit complicated, and most of what had happened before would turn out to be a lie of sorts.. 

The last time anyone really saw the Real Jean was in X- Men 100 # when she died piloting a damaged space shuttle back to earth to save her fellow X-Men.

Then in X-Men 101#  Jean appeared to have been re born as The Phoenix. This we would all learn later lean that Jean was dying of radiation sickness as she flew the damaged Space Shuttle back to Earth.  Her mind cried out to her loved ones, which attracted what we now know as The Phoenix Force. The Phoenix Force manifested itself to Jean using Jean's own image. 

The Phoenix was some what intrigued with Jean's humanity, and made Jean an offer. That if she allowed Phoenix to merge minds with her she would heal her body. Jean agreed after being told by Phoenix there could be risks attached. All Jean wanted was to be with the person she loved.... Scott. So she agreed.

They merged minds and Phoenix manifested a new costume, and cocooned Jean's dying body so it could heal. The Space Shuttle would crash and end up in Jamacia Bay.  And the Phoenix would first appear to the X-Men.

But this Phoenix looked different as it wore colours more related to colours that Jean wore as Marvel Girl. This was later explained that the something had gone wrong during the Merger, in stead of the Phoenix having the dominate personality, it had taken on Jean's more gentle nature. 

  Not only did The Phoenix look like Jean, it believed it truly was Jean.  And as time moved on the real Phoenix's personally started to take over on occasions, so the real Phoenix was responsible for all the mass destruction in space not Jean.

When  later the Real Phoenix appeared to die on the Moon, the Phoenix force returned to the real body of Jean Grey that had been cocooned in an energy field deep underwater in Jamacia Bay.  It tried to merge with Jean again, but when Jean realised what evil the Phoenix had done she rejected it. The Phoenix returned the part of Jean's psyche it had borrowed, and went off to find another host.  Jean remained still healing in the energy cocoon.

Jean was presumed dead in 1980, but years later in 1986 the Mighty Avengers found a strange object in Jamacia Bay. They took it to Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four so that he could study it.

With a little help from his wife Sue, Reed managed to find out what was in side..... A Red Headed Woman in a Ripped  Black Evening dress. It was Jean Grey. The Real Jean Grey.

Jean was back, and now wanted it get back into action again.

Next time Jean learns what has been happening whilst she had been away.

Until then ENJOY !

The Many looks of Jean Grey Part Eight..... Who's afraid of the Dark Phoenix ?

 Jason Wyngarde turned out to be Original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants member Mastermind. His power was casting illusions, but with the help of a device given to him by the White Queen of the Hellfire Club, Emma Frost he was able to project his illusions directly into Jean's mind.  These illusions seemed to take root in the darkest thoughts and fantasies that Jean's mind. This in turn corrupted her.

Mastermind made big error, not just content that he now had complete control over Jean and with that her amazing power set she had as Phoenix , he decided  to challenge Scott to a duel, where he would kill Scott in Jean's mind.  The horror of Jean seeing Scott die snapped her out of Jason's control, and she helped free the X-Men and defeat the other members of the Hellfire Inner Circle.

Jean confronted Mastermind, and realised his plan was to use her and her Phoenix powers for his own gain.  So Jean who was still a little bit unhinged gave Mastermind what he wanted, access to her Power which connected his mind to the universe.  This was the pay back, and unable to cope with the gift he had been given  Mastermind was trapped forever in a coma.

Although Jean was free of Masterminds control she knew as she escaped the Hellfire Club that she did not feel herself. Something had been released in her, something that repelled her but at the same time excited her. 

Once onboard the X-Men's flying craft and as they were trying to escape she transformed yet again into her Phoenix costume, but instead of Green and Gold..... This was Red and Gold.  She was no longer their friend, she was their enemy' and wanted revenge as she believed they had not protected her.

The Phoenix was now completely unhinged. 

She then attacked The X- Men and short of killing them then flew off into Space. This new version of Phoenix wanted to test her power and in doing so destroyed a Sun and with that a planet containing Billions of Alien Life Forms. Then after attacking some Shi'ar Space Craft she returned to Earth with a view to consume that Planet.

Returning to Earth she visited her parents, who realised that what looked like Jean was not their daughter anymore. Her Father ordered her to go, she did as she knew if she stayed she would kill her family. She once again took on the X-Men who had been joined by her The Beast who had been on monitor duty at the Avengers mansion. 

In a showdown with Professor X  that nearly killed him,  he managed to shut down the part of Jean or her brain that was Phoenix, but the Professor realised that part of Jean fractured mind had allowed him to do this. If he had got it right, Jean could no longer access the power of The Phoenix. 

This turned out not to be the case. 

But were they out of the woods. Was Phoenix really gone ?   Find out next time.....

Next time it is good bye to Jean Grey.

Until the ENJOY !