Before we get back To Our Story....... first a recap on what had gone before......
Jean Grey aka Marvel had died in X-Men issue # 99, only to be reborn with much more power as Phoenix in issue #100.
For the next few issues we would see Jean start to discover and enjoy her new powers as Phoenix. Powers that seemed to be without limits. She would aid the X-Men in their battles, but after saving the universe Jean found herself some what depowered. She was still the most powerful member of the X-Men, and in fact still one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, but Jean had started to change. Small changes at first, but Jean was becoming something else.
Jean had taken a leave of absence from the X Team and had decided to do some travelling. She had started to have doubts about where her future was going. On her many travels she had met so many interesting people. All of whom she found friendly, and would offer her advice. These people turned out to be not what or whome she believed them to be. Jean would return back to the ranks of the X-Men. All seemed to be good with her...... But
Jean was back with her family of X-Men, her understanding and control of her Phoenix powers was never better so she thought. Others on the X-Men had noticed that Jean would at times would use her powers with little regard to the safety of others. She started to show off her abilities. She would do things a little bit out of character for her. She thought nothing about controlling others if she believed this was for the best.
At same time, Jean was starting to experience episodes where she was living in the past. When this happened she was living as the Lady Jean Grey in 18th Century England..... Later episodes she found herself on a Ship sailing to America to marry her beloved, a noble man named Sir Jason Wyngarde. A marriage that resulted in her being named and becoming The Black Queen of the Hellfire Club. Jean believed that these were either fantasy dreams or possibly events of a previous life that had been revived by the power of the Phoenix.
At the same time, Professor Xavier had returned to the X-Mansion after months away in Space. He was annoyed with Scott and his leadership. He felt that whilst he had been away, Scott had let standards slip. Scott had explained that the "New" X-Men could not treated like a bunch of Teen-agers as the Original X-men had been. The Old Team needed Professor X's tutorage and help.... They needed his strict guidance and accepted his no nonsense approach to training. Where the New Team, all of which were already adults, needed to be treated in a different way. Scott tried to argue his case, but the Professor dismissed him as if he was the young Scott "Slim" Summers, the boy that had first encountered and needed the help of Charles Xavier.
Before Scott could try to convince the Professor or discuss some of the recent issues he had noticed in Jean, Cerebro ( The X-Men's super computer that helped scan the world for any new potential Mutant allies or possible threats ) detected two new Mutants. One in New York and the other in Chicago.
Without discussing the matter with Scott, the Professor ordered the team to split into two teams. One consisting Scott and Jean along with Nightcrawler would go to the New York location, whilst he would lead the 2nd team of Storm, Colossus and Wolverine to Chicago.
The New York Team would discover Alison Blare, a performing singer who used her Mutant gift of light manipulation to enhance her stage show. Leaving Kurt outside the Night Club as back up, Scott and Jean attempted to make first contact with this new mutant who would go by the name Dazzler. Before they could they were attacked by men wearing suits of armour what seemed to be more than equipped to deal with their powers. The three X-Men some took on the Armoured attackers believing they were there to abduct Dazzler. With Dazzler's help they won the day and defeated the attackers. Jean read the mind of one of the attackers and discovered that the other team that had gone to Chicago were also on danger.
Meanwhile, the other team had arrived in Chicago and had made contact with a young 13 year-old girl called Katherine Pride. Katherine or "Kitty" to her friends and family, at the time was oblivious to the fact she was a mutant, or even what amazing powers that she had started to develop. As the Professor and the X-Men arrived at the Pride residence they briefly meet a Blond imposing Woman they would later learn was called Emma Frost. Ms Frost had been visiting to try to enrol Kitty in her Private School in Massachusetts.
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| Ms Emma Frost Principle of the Massachusetts Academy |
There was more to Ms Frost than met the eye. She too was a Mutant. A very powerful Telepath, and was the Owner and Principle of the Massachusetts Academy. A private School that catered for students of rich families that could be manipulated if needed by Ms Frost. Also the school had a bigger secret. Ms Frost had amassed a number of Mutant Children herself, and was training them as her own private army. She called her students The Hellions. Most of this information the X-Men would not learn until much later.
As well as running the school, Emma Frost was a successful business woman, who had come from a rich and powerful back ground. Using her own powers of telepathy she had built a large powerful empire of companies called Frost International, a company originally built up by her Father Winston using wealth amassed from way back in the infancy of the Americas.
Ms Frost had everything. She was rich, powerful and a Mutant. But the cherry on the cake was she was part of the Inner Circle of Infamous Hellfire Club. Emma Frost was their White Queen. On the surface this was a Private Members Club of Multi Millionaires and People of Note from all around the World. In truth this was a group of People who used their influence to control world affairs for their own selfish needs. .... but that's enough about The Hellfire Club for the moment.
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| Ms Emma Frost aka The White Queen |
This new chapter now opening for our heroes would end up bringing Jean and the X-Men to become involved with the Hellfire Club. This resulting with Jean's evolution into the Dark Phoenix and her nearly destroying the X-Men and Planet Earth.
This would lead to Jean's Death in issue # 137, Scott leaving the X-Men and ultimately finding love with Maddie Pryor, a Jean Grey look a like who was introduced in issue # 168
Now the story continues.
Now Maddie was Happily married to Scott, and the couple had now welcomed baby Nathan into their lives......... Things looked perfect. But things were not going to stay that way.
Next Time Scott makes a choice, and it would not go down too well with Maddie.
Until then ENJOY !
