By Steve Morris

And so begins year 8 of the never-ending Marvel teases aimed at whipping the broken and bruised backs of those poor ol’ Jean Grey fans. After dying in New X-Men #150, these poor people have desperately been leaping to conclusions regarding their favourite surrogate comic-book mother for almost a decade now. And the latest revival of this cruelty comes now from Joe Quesada, as part of whatever new branding Marvel take on at the end of their Avengers Vs X-Men storyline. Quesada today revealed part of a large poster which will show off the new era of Marvel, and the characters taking centre-stage. And who is on this part of the post?

But of course.

According to the Entertainment Weekly article which revealed this piece, this is not a false Jean like the ones in Phoenix Warsong, Endsong, Uncanny X-Men 515, Exiles, Fantastic Force, Ultimate Marvel, Generation Hope, Second Coming, X-Men First Class, Deadly Genesis, etc etc etc. And it won’t be a hologram or an image created by everybody’s favourite character Pixie. This is the real Jean, and Jean fans certainly aren’t setting themselves up for another disappointment if they start to celebrate this news. Honest it’s the real Jean, and certainly not a flashback series or Hope Summers in costume. And it’s absolutely not Rachel Grey, or a copout, or a dream-sequence Jean. If you think this is Siryn or Medusa with a haircut, you are wrong! There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that this is the real Jean Grey, back in comics to once more pine for Cyclops, get pulled around by the hair, and faint at every opportunity. No doubt at all.

Having said that, maybe it’s Madelyne Prior.

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1 COMMENT

  1. The x-men books have told some great stories over the last few years, I dug Second Coming, Schism, and a lot of the X-Force stuff but they clearly are in need of some reorganization. The concept has floated dramatically far from what it is at its core (fight for a world that hates and fears you,etc) maybe that’s the point of this big epic storyline that’s been going on since House of M but I think it’s time for some major restructuring and an end to the Utopia stuff. Maybe the return of Jean is what they need to get things reorginized.

  2. The x-men books have told some great stories over the last few years, I dug Second Coming, Schism, and a lot of the X-Force stuff but they clearly are in need of some reorganization. The concept has floated dramatically far from what it is at its core (fight for a world that hates and fears you,etc) maybe that’s the point of this big epic storyline that’s been going on since House of M but I think it’s time for some major restructuring and an end to the Utopia stuff. Maybe the return of Jean is what they need to get things reorginized.

  3. Marvel has resurrected every important character who’s died in the last 10 years, almost immediately and with barely any fanfare or explanation, except for Jean Grey. It’s really insulting to those of us who love her.

    But I totally agree, I’ve loved some of the X-Men stories since Messiah Complex, but it’s time for the militant, isolationist Utopia chapter to end and get back to something with more heart. Cyclops took such a dark road after Jean died, even though he had just dumped her.

    I would love (LOVE) for Jean to come back and get with Wolverine, letting Cyclops grow more and more jealous and angry as all of his allies on Utopia slowly move over to the Jean Grey School.

  4. Marvel has resurrected every important character who’s died in the last 10 years, almost immediately and with barely any fanfare or explanation, except for Jean Grey. It’s really insulting to those of us who love her.

    But I totally agree, I’ve loved some of the X-Men stories since Messiah Complex, but it’s time for the militant, isolationist Utopia chapter to end and get back to something with more heart. Cyclops took such a dark road after Jean died, even though he had just dumped her.

    I would love (LOVE) for Jean to come back and get with Wolverine, letting Cyclops grow more and more jealous and angry as all of his allies on Utopia slowly move over to the Jean Grey School.

  5. @Mike: “Marvel has resurrected every important character who’s died in the last 10 years, almost immediately and with barely any fanfare or explanation, except for Jean Grey. It’s really insulting to those of us who love her.”

    Maybe so, but at least you got 15 years before that where she came back from the dead like every 6 months.

  6. I dunno… I’d welcome Jean Gray back from the “dead.” Argue about if she should have ever been resurrected the first time but killing her off in New X-Men #150 was lame. Time to correct a mistake.

  7. Biggest mistake was bringing her back the first time in 1986 for the purposes of reuniting the original team in X-FACTOR and undid what is arguably one of the most classic superhero stories. Even though Kurt Busiek concocted a serviceable workaround, it was better to believe that was truly Jean Grey who was corrupted that allowed for her to become an out-of-control force of destruction but the true Jean Grey emerged at the end and consciously made the ultimate sacrifice.

  8. 19 years.

    That’s how long I had to wait for Illyana to get resurrected after Inferno (still 15 years if you want to count from when her child version died). So Jean fans, count yourself lucky.

    I couldn’t agree more that–despite the exciting stories it’s given us–it is time for the Endangered Species angle to be over. I long for the deeply optimistic message of Xavier’s dream and the accessible appeal of “anyone can manifest cool powers, you can even imagine you do!”

  10. When Morrison killed her, everyone was waiting for the moment. And then it didn’t come. And it makes his New X-Men run even stronger. I’m hoping they don’t, and leave it at that.

    But, we all know that Marvel can’t and won’t do this. So it’ll be cool to see Wolverine make his move and have a love ‘square?’ with Emma. I’ll wait for the reviews though. And then wait some more.

  12. Jean Grey’s died and come back only once if I’m counting correctly.

    Her coming back is a big deal for her fans.

  13. I’ve never understood why people think that she’s constantly being resurrected. Bringing her back to put her in X-Factor is the only time that I consider her coming back. Phoenix was a great character and Marvel has kind of made her into a joke.

  15. I haven’t read the X-Men in a few years. I originally dropped the book when Colossus turned and joined Magneto (prior to that I had been buying since the Claremont/Smith run)then returned with Morrison’s run dropping during Fraction’s run because I had no idea who I was reading about anymore. As an old school fan, I’d LOVE for Jean’s resurrection to be something that brings me back to the fold but I seriously doubt that will happen.