Jean Grey trying to change her past didn’t end well for the X-Men and her next attempt won’t either.
X-Men: Hellfire Gala was one of the most brutal events in recent mutant history. Orchis’ plan to take out mutants succeeded. While it appeared that Charles Xavier sent mutants to their deaths, Immortal X-Men No. 14 shows otherwise.
Here, readers discover that most of the mutants survived. Unfortunately, Jean Grey wasn’t one of the survivors. Jean’s death was confirmed in Dark X-Men No. 1 by Madelyne Pryor’s Cerebro (she calls it the Mercy Crown). Madelyne said Jean’s was the only death she felt. Despite being killed, there’s good news. Marvel fans know dying is nothing new to Jean Grey. Jean even mentions this on the first page of her self-titled series.
As Jean Grey No. 1 begins, Jean looks at moments from her life. She believes that fixing critical moments from her past can change the future. Jean’s first attempt comes after they go back to the past (check out Bendis’ X-Men for that story). Jean and her teammates retained information and abilities they received from the future. This ends with her becoming like Magneto. She abused her telepathy and made people think what she believed was right.
Jean Grey No. 1 ends with her killing her friends with the power of the Phoenix. She says this isn’t what she wanted, but leads to her next moment to “fix.” Readers see her next venture will be to prevent herself from getting the Phoenix Force.
Just like her previous venture, her next one won’t end well. Just like in alternate realities like in What If…? and The Exiles, changing the past never works. Even if things end well, it can lead to catastrophic events for others. This will happen to Jean in issue No. 2.
As bad as things were for Jean Grey while the Phoenix Force was loose, it could be worse. Whoever gets the Phoenix Force could be evil. If that happens, they could destroy the universe or make everyone in it slaves. Someone atrocious possessing the Phoenix Force is only one option.
What do you think about Jean Grey’s trip into her past? Let us know in the comments below.