Phoenix (Jean Grey)

Jean Grey is a fictional superheroine who lives in the Marvel Comics Universe. Using the codenames Marvel Girl and later Phoenix, Jean Grey is best known as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, she first appears in X-Men #1 (September 1963).

Jean Grey is a mutant born with vast telepathic and telekinetic powers. She is a caring, nurturing figure, but she also must deal with being an Omega-level mutant and the physical manifestation of the cosmic Phoenix Force. She faces death several times in the history of the series, first in the classic “Dark Phoenix Saga,” but due to her connection with the Phoenix Force, she, as her namesake implies, rises from death.

Jean is an important figure in the lives of Professor X, Wolverine, and husband Cyclops. She is present for much of the X-Men’s history, and she is featured in both X-Men animated series and several video games. Famke Janssen portrays Jean Grey in the X-Men films.

Originally Posted by AereonBlaze of the En World forums.

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Personality

Jean has gone through many trials over the years, but has proven a mainstay of the team. She has forged close relationships with many members of the team, including Cyclops and Wolverine. She is often described as possessing a great degree of warmth and compassion.

History

Jean Grey’s powers were activated at an early age, when she witnessed her friend’s death from a car crash and telepathically experienced it with her. Professor Xavier noticed this, and contacted her family, training Jean in learning to control her powers. Soon, Professor X contacted other young mutants, forming the School for Gifted Youngsters and thus the X-men. Jean stayed with the X-men for quite some time, adventuring as Marvel Girl, and developed her long-term relationship with teammate Cyclops.

Jean left with the original X-men to pursue normal lives, but was soon captured by mutant-hater Lang and his Sentinel program aboard an orbiting space station. Jean was rescued by the X-men, but their space shuttle was damaged and the pilot would not survive the re-entry. Jean telepathically convinced everyone that she should pilot the shuttle, and very nearly died when her experience was noted by the Phoenix force.

The Phoenix force incubated Jean’s body and placed it in a cocoon (leaving it in New York’s harbor) while creating a body resembling Jean’s own and taking her place. The Phoenix’s body rested in the hospital before reviving, and the X-men (and perhaps, itself,) was convinced it really was Jean. Sometime after the Phoenix force’s “death” on the moon, Jean’s cocoon was found by the Avengers and given to the Fantastic Four. Soon after, reunited with the original X-men, Jean helped form X-factor.

Jean reluctantly reforged a relationship with Cyclops, who was nonetheless married at the time to Jean’s clone, Madeline Pryor. During the demonic invasion called “Inferno,” Jean and Madeline fought an intense battle on the psychic plane, which brought Madeline’s origins to light and restored Jean’s telepathy and fractured psyche but left Madeline dead.

Jean eventually rejoined the X-Men, and has continued to fight with the team to this day.