After the shocking revelations at the end of Immortal X-Men #16, Jean Grey #3 checks back in with our lead character before turning the whole series on its head. Once again Louise Simonson, Bernard Chang, Marcelo Maiolo, VC’s Ariana Maher, and Sarah Brunstad are the creative team at the issue’s helm. Jean’s journey thus far has seen her reflect on her troubled teen years and her rebirth as Phoenix, but now her attention has landed on her history with Madelyne Pryor.
In her somewhat scattered, post-death mind, Jean appears to not fully be aware of recent events in her and Madelyne’s lives like their arcs in Dark Web. As a result, returning to her memories of the original Inferno conjures up the iteration of the Goblin Queen’s psyche that Jean absorbed in the final moments of that saga. Finally having an interlocutor alongside whom Jean can watch her personal “What iIf…?” plays is surprising enough, but these twisted sisters are not alone.
Just weeks ago in the pages of Immortal X-Men, Hope Summers and Exodus discover Jean on the verge of catatonia reciting a few of her final pieces of dialogue from Jean Grey #2. Today’s issue reflects another point in this sequence from Jean’s perspective, seeing brief flashes of her adoptive granddaughter and Bennet du Paris as Hope tries to scan Jean’s mind. The outcome reaffirms the ending of Immortal X-Men #16 and the theories of many excited fans: after dying, Jean has returned to the White Hot Room, the omniversal roost of the Phoenix Force. But somehow, hundreds of thousands of mutants in exile have arrived there as well.
The latter half of this revelation is not the purview of Jean Grey #3, though. In fact, the plot shifts rather quickly as Jean and the side of Jean composed of Madelyne’s memories return to Inferno. Each issue has Jean play out a scenario from her past if she had made one key difference, and this time the two redheads watch what may have occurred if Jean had prevented the demonic abduction of Scott and Madelyne’s infant son at the outset of Limbo’s assault on Earth.
Credit Marvel Comics
Par for the course, the result of these alternative events is a catastrophe. Madelyne obliterates Mister Sinister, N’astirh, and S’ym, and she merges her spark of the Phoenix with her newfound demon magic and the techno-organic virus. Jean and her team are overwhelmed, and it seems that the Goblin Queen would’ve ruled the world if this timeline had actually occurred. But before Jean can garner any lesson from this exercise, the final sting of the issue finds her confronted by a mob of Jean Greys from various eras. Quite the intriguing tease for the series finale.
Time and time again, Chang and Maiolo have proven themselves a winning pair for the art of Jean Grey. The test for the art team on a story co-starring Jean and Maddie is always if they can render these women identically but with distinct characterizations. Chang and Maiolo exceed this challenge and then some. The coloring and design on the monstrous Phoenix-infernal-techno-organic Madelyne Pryor is a special treat.
Of special note is Simonson’s work on this issue. Like Jean herself, Simonson is reflecting on the choices she made in Inferno as the writer for X-Factor at the time. Jean’s treatment of Madelyne is indicative of a softer view toward Maddie than what Simonson took at the time: Jean treats the Goblin Queen much more like a wayward sibling than a failed doppelgänger. One sticking point does flare up, though. More than once, Madelyne in the midst of this Inferno remix repeatedly claims that she is not a mutant and any shared abilities with Jean are from the Phoenix force rather than an X-gene. This may be accurate for her arc at that time, but this is not what current continuity reflects about her powers or status as a mutant. Then again, neither Madelyne in the issue is the actual Madelyne Pryor out leading the Dark X-Men, so the point may be moot.
Jean Grey #3 continues to add exciting new layers to Jean’s afterlife. Just short of the finale and rooted more clearly in the broader Fall of X context, the intrigue underlying this miniseries has only grown. Sadly, the greater volume of meta-hijinks left the reflections on Jean’s character a bit muddled. The next issue remains full of promise, and this installment is well worth the read.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.