How should JEAN GREY return?

[Porcelain]

Given that X3 is up in May and there are big creative & team changes mid-summer, it seems highly likely that Phoenix will be back in the near future - properly.

Brubaker is taking over Uncanny, we know Nightcrawler & Rachel will be there but he's also hinted with regards to his future roster:

And one of the most important characters from X-Men ever, too, but I can't say who yet.

Carey taking over X-men (Cable, Mystique, Sabertooth, Rogue, Iceman, Cannonball) has referred to Bachalo rendering a mysterious not-yet-named character in such a way that it was impossible not to use her.

Then you've got Whedon on Astonishing who has the cast most likely to be affected the most by her return and has stated that his next arc(s?) will be quite centralised and internal. Phoenix would certainly give them a reason to be, plus he's already shown his affinity with the galactic, given SWORD & Breakworld which may well be feeding into Phoenix's return.

This isn't about what you'd like to see happen (personally would prefer her to stay dead, but that's irrelevant), but what you think will happen or would work best given the current & upcoming state of the X-verse.

Why should she come back? What creator? What story would make it worthwhile? Should it be a fully powered Phoenix Jean that comes back, a regular powered Jean Grey or somewhere in between? It's obvious she needs to go somewhere new, but how could her character develop?

(I did search and couldn't find a thread on this exact subject that seemed relevant, shoot me if there is and point me in the right direction please)

[mattbib]

I'd say don't bring her back. Even with X3 coming out.

The past two movies didn't really affect sales, so why bother?

[Blackcat]

dead=dead, let her stay dead with sometimes an appearance of her ghost or spirit to visit Rachel and Scott

[The Fury]

In 6 years.

No reason I just think that will be a good time. No idea for writer or anything. But I want it to NOT be in an X-book. Avengers maybe, she she can join them after as she has no where else to go (she doesn't want the x-men knowing for some reason).

[Henry T.]

They would be ignoring continuity if they kept Jean dead.

It is now established that Jean dies to return, Always coming back. We even saw Jean revive and still be Phoenix even when the "phoenix" fragment was outside of her body in Endsong. Endsong also said that it simply wasn't her time yet.

Which means there will be a time for her to return.

Besides Jean may not even be dead now. Didn't she return to the White Hot Room alive this time?

They would also have to ignore continuity if they separated her from her Phoenix power. Here Comes Tomorrow and Grey's End establishes that Jean is connected to her Phoenix power by her mutation and genome. Jean Grey is also the White Phoenix of the Crown. As previously noted Endsong showed that Jean is always the Phoenix.

Jean must come back to react and cope with her family being slaughtered. She also needs to reunite with Rachel. We also need to know more about her White Phoenix identity and her role in the White Hot Room. We also need to know more about her childhood powers and experiences with Xavier. We also need to know more about the secrets she has with Xavier. Jean could also have interesting interactions with Cable, Scott, and Emma. I would also like to see some flashbacks with her and her family.

I would love to see Jean Grey aka Phoenix return and be written by Brubaker, Whedon, or Claremont.

I would love to see what Whedon could do with her. Especially since he has Scott and Emma. Also Whedon has experience with writing powerful characters like Willow and he did great with Buffy's return from the dead experience. Kitty and Jean could have cool interactions as it was Jean who recruited her in the first place.

I bet Brubaker could also write a great Jean. Shes definitely one of the most important X-Men ever. Besides he also has Rachel and we have to see Jean and Rachel meet up again especially because of End of Greys.

Claremont is the one that recreated Jean as Phoenix and wrote her really well in his original run, classic backstories, and Revolution. He respects her continuity and identity and probably should have been allowed to write a reunion with Rachel.

I would even be interested with what Carey could do with Jean. Cable and Jean interacted really well in Revolution so maybe they could be together for this new team too. However, it seems like there is only one telepath on this team.

Jean Grey needs to come back from a Phoenix Egg to keep the continuity streamlined. She should also be as powerful as her Green Phoenix phase with the occassional White Phoenix appearances.

Or maybe she could be a bit depressed and gothic like due to her family being butchered.

I would love it if Jean Grey was shared and got a solo series and returned to one of the team books.

[Porcelain]

They would be ignoring continuity if they kept Jean dead.

It is now established that Jean dies to return, Always coming back. We even saw Jean revive and still be Phoenix even when the "phoenix" fragment was outside of her body in Endsong. Endsong also said that it simply wasn't her time yet.

Which means there will be a time for her to return.

It's not unlike Marvel to ignore continuity or change direction to suit their purposes, but it does seem to me (in retrospect) that Endsong was seeding her full return. Filling out and confirming the parts of what makes her Phoenix in line for the future.

Never was one for her return, been done and not much else ever progressed with her beyond that. To be honest, as a character I've been swayed between apathy and being down right irritated by her. However the purpose of dieing to return, puts a whole new spin on it and I am willing to give new writers a shot with her especially given the status quo has changed (for the moment at least).

I do think the end of Whedon's first arc is a strong contender. He has a penchant for Firefly's, rising from the ashes, strong powerfull female roles and the prophetic almost mysticism that surrounds Phoenix. Breakworld being destroyed by her is the most logical (likely to be more complicated). Possibly Collosus helped as an early ressurection to throw us.

If Whedon wants to bring her back, I couldn't see him doing it at the end of his run, it would be the end of the one before which gives him another arc to deal with the fall out - which is what I suspect he'd be the most interested in, especially given his cast.

Marketing wise, if you're going to bring her back it makes sense to do it around the same time big things for her/something similar is going to happen in the movies. It's free publicitiy, gives an extra bite to the story for people to pick up.

[Citizen V]

i hope that Jean Grey/Phoenix does come back.Perhaps that might be the event where the X-Men finally get things together,and Jean could put Emma in her place.

[The Mirrorball Man]

I'd say don't bring her back. Even with X3 coming out.

The past two movies didn't really affect sales, so why bother?

... and even if it did, Jean Grey is alive and well in "Ultimate X-Men".

[Brian M.]

I think it would need to be a cosmic story. Claremont is doing one in Uncanny right now and maybe having Jean come in and save the X-Men when they go visit the Shi'ar. Who knows. I don't think Brubaker is bringing Jean back for Uncanny. I think if anyone is gonna do it it'll be Whedon. I think it'll happen around the end of his 2nd arc. Emma will probably leave afterwards...I can hope. Atleast there is a chance that with the current line ups she'll either have interaction w/ Scott or atleast one of her 'children'.

[Titan76]

Well since Jean isn't really dead, the dead means dead doesn't apply to her. About her coming back, I don't see it happening at least for 2 years. This year is going to be about the big event in Civil War and then you would have its aftermath which could last for awhile. I don't see Marvel bring her back during Civil War and really don't see it right after it too. I think it will be a few years until she comes back and think it will be some kind of big story invloving the X-men.

As for her power level, that's kind of hard to say. Their are not too many writers that can not write her at full power Phoenix levels and would still have a hard time writing her at the levels Morrison had her at because she wouldn't need the X-men at all in a fight. More then likely Marvel will put her at her levels she had in the 90's which is dump if you ask me because in one issue she is kicking ass and in the next she is weak and can't win unless the X-men help her.

[Henry T.]

Also remember that the Handbooks tend to hint at future happenings.

Remember the Book of the Dead was published when Psylocke and Colossus were still dead but they were not included as they were brought back soon afterword. Some of us had guessed that they would return because they were not in it.

In the last Handbook, Jean was no longer listed as deceased as other currently deceased characters were. She was simply listed as not being active on a team.

Jean is on another plane of reality but she is not dead.

So how can she stay dead if she isn't truly dead to begin with?

[streator]

I'd say don't bring her back. Even with X3 coming out.

The past two movies didn't really affect sales, so why bother?

i agree with matt, although i think it's inevitable that she will return at some point.

[Faded]

Live, baby girl, live!!!

And ressurect Maggot this time!!! No lie.

[Brian M.]

Live, baby girl, live!!!

And ressurect Maggot this time!!! No lie.

LOL. Personally I think if Jean comes back it'll be around the time Emma decides to screw the X-Men...not literally but you know back stabbing...I mean I could see her screwing the X-Men and all at the same time but yea. Have Jean come back right as the new Hellfire is about to kill the Astonishing team. Last page before the last issue could end with the Phoenix rapture in Emma's diamond Frosted eyes...man that'd be an awesome page.

[Michael Sean]

I think it is possible that Jean Grey will return. There were already talks about a Phoenix Endsong sequel with Greg Pak writing. Though it is unclear if that is still a go.

Even though the movie may not draw in many new fans, when we the die hard fans see the film we are likely going to want to see our favorite fiery redhead back in the main books!

Ed Brubaker's hint could be Jean. When I think of main important characters of the X-men I think of Cyclops, Xavier, Jean Grey, Magneto, and Storm. Cyke is already taken. Xavier is depowered, but maybe he'll return via Deadly Genesis (who knows) and Magneto is depowered and in the Son of M mini.

I'm not sure where Storm will be. She might still be used by the Black Panther writer.

Personally, I would love to see Jean Grey return. I was sad when we learned she wasn't coming back in Astonishing. I wanted Joss Whedon to writer her, but I'd be equally happy with Brubaker or Carey writing her. They are good writers. :)

I think she could come back in a number of ways. There is always the phoenix egg/coccoon. Or she could come back directly from the White Hot room, or maybe she could come back in the last arcs of Claremont's book. Brubaker did say he couldn't say who it is yet. There could be a reason for that.

I think Jean Grey should come back with her Phoenix powers. She would have to have restraints put on her. I think she would work good with the levels of power she had in Grant Morrison's run (I would say before she came back from the sun).

I think most of us would like to see Jean Grey react to all the changes in the world. Everytime she goes away and comes back there are big changes (when she came back in Xfactor and when she woke in the future).

Jean lost everything. She lost her husband, her role at the school, her status as an xman, she lost her entire family. Now mutants are in a huge bind as a result of Wanda's Woogy.

There are so much story potential right there!

I'd like to see some of Jean's duties while in the White Hot Room. I think there has already been so much wasted potential. Why not tell us a big cosmic story of what she does in there? What she has been doing since she's been gone. And then she can come back and be more grounded as a human. Or she can already be back and we can still get backstories of her adventures in the White Hot Room or when she was collecting all her missing pieces.

Thanks,

MechaJeanix