Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!
In a comic book landscape populated with Amazing Spider-Men, Mighty Avengers, and Immortal X-Men, it’s easy to toss around superlatives. But in the case of the legendary Louise Simonson, not only does it roll off the tongue, but it’s true — Louise hasn’t lost her touch. Just ask anybody who read Jean Grey #1, a thought-provoking character study of the first X-Woman. And Weezie’s just getting warmed up as there are three more issues to come in her Fall of X mini-series.
I’ve been fortunate enough to interview Louise (and her husband, Walter Simonson) before, so I was extra excited to get to chat with her again about the equally legendary Jean Grey. As you’ll learn, Louise doesn’t disappoint.
Courtesy of Marvel Entertainment
AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Louise! First, how did the chance to write a Jean Grey-focused mini-series as part of the larger Fall of X epic come about?
Louise: A while back, the editor, Sarah Brunstad, asked me if I’d write a mini-series, highlighting, in some way, the stories I’d told a million years ago. I dithered. Said, “Yes.” Then dithered and started trying to catch up on Jean’s more recent doings. I’d get what I thought was a great idea… then find out someone else had already done it. Honestly, what did I expect? It had been 40 years since I’d written her on a regular basis.
Toyed with the Shi’ar. Wondered if anyone had gone back in time and saved the D’bari. Toyed with uncontrolled telepathy. Toyed with the Phoenix. Toyed with Jean’s possible belief that there was a darkness in her that would destroy everyone she loved. But I couldn’t seem to make any of those into a story I wanted to tell…
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Until I found out about the Hellfire Gala, and that Jean was dead again… along with a batch of other mutants. Sarah wondered if my “Dark Jean” idea might tie into the Fall of X storyline and, finally, the story began to coalesce: What if Jean, dead (more or less) in her afterlife, thought it was her fault that everybody died? How far back would she have to go to save everyone?
Luckily, Kieron Gillen, Immortal X-Men mastermind, was generous enough to let me add my own addendum to the epic Fall of X story.
AIPT: You mentioned your editor Sarah. I’m curious — as you famously worked as Chris Claremont’s X-Men editor, what’s it like all these years later to work as an X-Men writer with Sarah in the editor role?
Louise: Sarah is a wonderful editor!
As an editor, your first job is to put the right people on the right projects. Luckily for me, Sarah asked me to write this one. Then she asked Bernard Chang to draw it — totally brilliant move. Then picked the fabulous Marcelo Maiolo to color it.
Once you have your team in place, you just help in any way you can. Because we’re tying into a larger project, Sarah had to keep track of what the other guys were doing as well as what I’m doing and make sure the tie-in makes sense, both as a tie-in and as a compelling story, on its own.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Sarah and her Assistant Editor, Lindsey Cohick, provided her team with slews of reference. Then, of course, they have to prod us to meet the deadlines, especially important because we’re tying into a larger continuity.
Sarah’s story suggestions were always helpful and right on target. She’s smart, creative, and is a pleasure to work with — the sort of editor who makes me hope that, back in the olden days, I was half that good.
AIPT: Our first X-Fan question comes from Dusklight, who said your work with Jean Grey is seminal and you’ve been very open about her being your favorite character in the past. What do you think it is that leads her fans — yourself included — to love her so intensely?
Louise: Jean is very complex, in some ways, a study in contrasts. She’s kind and loving, intent on doing the right thing… but, as the heart of the Phoenix, she destroyed a world. She’s arrogant, in a way — well aware of her own power. And yet she questions her choices. She has a strong moral code… and has had to make some difficult choices. She’s very intelligent. But she’s, basically, a creature of emotion. She’s impulsive. She acts as her heart tells her. And, in a character as strong as she is, even positive emotions can become negatives, if pushed too far.
Toss in the Phoenix, who feeds on emotion, and you have a combustible situation.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: Well, speaking of that cosmic firebird, X-Fan @Jean_RED_Grey was wondering if you consider the Phoenix an extension of Jean’s abilities and a symbol of her self-empowerment in the same way Chris Claremont does.
Louise: Hmmmm. I think, if Jean is powerful enough to have created the Phoenix, we’ve only begun to tap into her immense abilities. If so, the question is, has she created a separate entity, apart from herself, with its own agenda? Or, when the Phoenix enters and empowers other characters, is she manifesting her own will, telepathically, across the Marvel Universe? I dunno. Only time will tell.
AIPT: In Jean Grey #1, we saw how comfortable Jean was with making tweaks to minds for the greater good. X-Fan Kyle was wondering, how much do you believe Jean’s meddling is because telepaths inherently lean that way, and how much of it is Jean as a person? If it’s the latter, what about Jean in her conception as well as her story throughout the years that led to her being so decisive and absolute?
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Louise: I think it would be tempting for anyone, if they had the power, to literally “change someone’s mind,” especially if they had traveled to the future and seen where some bad ideas would eventually lead. I think Jean’s impulsiveness might play a part there, too. Act first, regret later. Yeah, sometimes. Also, with all she knows about human nature (and, as a telepath, she knows way more than most), she could easily get frustrated, get tired of explaining, and just want people to do the right thing — as she sees it. That’s probably a human trait — in her case, writ large.
AIPT: X-Fan OmegaOne wanted to know what one of the biggest challenges of writing Jean Grey is.
Louise: The biggest challenge is conveying how very complex Jean is as a character — the conflicting light and darkness. Jean always has her own agenda — or character arc — but when she’s acting as part of a team, all your focus isn’t on her — she’s just one of several characters you’re following. In this story, you’re inside her head, and all your focus is on her. Balancing her vulnerability, her confusion, with the need to tell a relatively coherent story, was, I guess, the biggest challenge in this mini-series. I hope Jean Grey #4 pulls it all together.
AIPT: Oh, I’m confident in that. But as you mentioned the mini-series’ final issue, let’s look ahead a bit. Jean Grey #2, for instance, looks to focus on Wolverine becoming the Phoenix instead of Jean. Every creator — and fan — seems to have their own take on Jean’s love life. As the writer who put in major work cleaning up Jean and Scott’s relationship in your X-Factor run, do you have any strong feelings on Jean’s ideal romantic partner?
Louise: Scott. Definitely Scott. So far, at least. Partly because he balances her. She’s all about feeling. He’s all about control. Scott is particularly fun, however, when he’s pushed far enough that his control shatters.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: And in Jean Grey #3, you appear to have a chance to revisit Madelyne Pryor. Maddie is back among the living, having a real renaissance, and is even leading the Dark X-Men. You’ve had pretty strong opinions about Maddie in the past — has writing Jean Grey #3 allowed you to reevaluate your views on the Goblin Queen?
Louise: I never believed in Maddie as Scott’s sweet, betrayed wife. She was just too bland. A blank. A cypher. A stand-in. I totally believe her as the Goblin Queen. I love the story Chris crafted that revealed Mr. Sinister’s part in her creation, her shock, her fury, her refusal to accept her Sinister-ordained fate. I love that she took power where she found it, and became a force to be reckoned with.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
She’s not all bad… or all good. She, like Jean, is… complex. And powerful. And fun to write, especially when she’s in a rage. She’s so single-minded. Anyhow, we deal with some of this in the mini-series.
AIPT: As we wrap up, a question that goes back to your X-Factor run. But first, X-Fan Infojeangrey wanted to say, “Louise, do you know that you are considered the mother of Jean’s fans? I think I wasted a question but I needed to say that you are like our mother!”
Louise: I’m very flattered that the Jean I wrote is regarded so highly. That’s a lot of responsibility. I know a lot of other people have added to her very complex and powerful story and I just hope I don’t muck it up.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
AIPT: And then, infojeangrey said, you established a lot of interesting concepts for Jean Grey in the ‘80s — including Destiny in X-Factor #8 referring to Jean as “a nexus of probabilities.” How much of that do you still carry with Jean to the present day?
Louise: Jean is, absolutely, a “nexus of probabilities.” She’s hugely important, and a lot of the future hangs on her decisions. I guess, in a way, that’s what this mini-series is all about.
AIPT: Finally, it’s pretty amazing that you can walk into a comic shop and pick up all-new Louise Simonson, Ann Nocenti, Chris Claremont, and Walt Simonson Marvel comics. What’s that like for all of you as friends? Are you all comparing notes, discussing the changes made to your characters, and so on?
Louise: I talked to Annie a bit about what she was going to do, but at that point, I was still floundering around myself, with hardly a clue about what I wanted to say. I let Walter read my plots, and I read his, but we don’t discuss character changes, beyond the occasional eye-roll. Even if we don’t like something someone has done, we know we’ve done terrible things to other people’s characters, too. (Ripping off Angel’s wings comes to mind.) We know it’s a shared sandbox, and once a character is out of your hands, they’re someone else’s toy.
Courtesy of ‘Chris Claremont’s X-Men’
Chris is, as always, full of ideas, about every character he’s ever worked on. I haven’t talked to him about this series or about what he’s doing, specifically. I know whatever it is, it will be great! ‘Cause he’s Chris!
AIPT: There’s just something about people named Chris — very talented! But on that note, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by X-Men Monday, Louise! I can’t wait to read what comes next for Jean.
Speaking of, AIPT recently shared eXclusive unlettered preview pages from Jean Grey #2 (on sale September 27, 2023). Well, now we’ve got some of those pages — with letters!
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
As a reminder, here are additional details about the issue.
Jean Grey #2
Writer: Louise Simonson
Artist: Bernard Chang
Color Artist: Marcelo Maiolo
Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: Amy Reeder
THE DARKEST PERIOD IN JEAN GREY’S HISTORY! The Dark Phoenix has haunted Jean Grey since it emerged from Jamaica Bay. But what if the Phoenix had chosen…someone else? The love story of Cyclops and Jean Grey is one of the most beloved in Marvel Comics’ history. Now witness a legendary creator break their hearts – and their minds. But this is no “what if.” Jean Grey is not where she is meant to be…and neither is the rest of mutantkind. Stunning secrets will be revealed as Jean Grey lays the groundwork for her next shocking appearance in “Fall of X”!
But wait — there’s one more eXclusive reveal: This gorgeous Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo page from Jean Grey #3, on sale October 25, 2023.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Before we wrap up this week, just a reminder that The Uncanny Experience, a two-day immersive fandom convention dedicated to the X-Men, is fast approaching. Head to Minnesota’s Minneapolis Club from September 16-17 for a chance to meet X-legends like Chris Claremont, Lenore Zann, and Larry Houston, see Dazzler perform live, step inside The Hellfire Club, and so much more. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here. For more about the event, listen to one of the convention’s founders and producers Chandler Poling’s recent interview on the AIPT Comics Podcast.
Until next time, X-Fans, stay exceptional!
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