Are Jean Grey and The Phoenix One And the Same? Marvel Has an Answer
At last, Marvel has settled the debate: are Jean Grey and the Phoenix one and the same? The Phoenix Force is one of the most powerful in the Marvel Universe, and is most associated with Jean Grey, of the X-Men. This has led to some fans wondering if the two were essentially one and the same, and now Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort has set the record straight.
Tom Brevoort, in his Substack newsletter Man With a Hat, fielded questions from fans on a variety of topics. Fan “Chuck Was Right” asked Brevoort about the Phoenix, and its relationship with Jean Grey. Chuck asked for clarification on some of Brevoort’s previous statements about the character. Brevoort would then go on to reply:
This is one of those places where I feel like the Marvel Handbook has done a bit of harm over the years, Chuck. So let me put it to you this way: I don’t really think that anything is especially well served by concretely defining the ineffable at every turn, so I don’t feel a need to set up a bunch of arbitrary tabletop RPG rules for the characters and their powers. That’s fine for gaming, but in storytelling, it creates as many issues as it solves. I understand your frustration; you’re looking for a definitive answer. But as any religion teaches, sometimes that global understanding is beyond the ken of regular mortal people.
Jean is the Phoenix, and the Phoenix is Jean. Other people can host that entity and use its power, and have from time to time. But you cannot separate the two for any great length of time. They are two halves of the same thing, united, inseparable. Beyond that, any further answers and quantification should come in the stories.
Brevoort, who also edits the X-Men family of titles, is correct: other heroes can, and have, used the Phoenix Force, mostly recently Echo in Jason Aaron’s Avengers run. However, the Force quickly returns to Jean Grey, where it remains as of now.
The Phoenix Force Gave Jean Grey an Enormous Boost
Jean Grey Controls the Phoenix Force Better Than Anyone
Jean Grey was already an institution in the mutant corner of the Marvel Universe when she received the Phoenix Force, and doing so ensured her status as one of the premiere members of the X-Men. Shortly after receiving the Phoenix Force, Jean was corrupted by the Hellfire Club, creating the Dark Phoenix, who in turn slaughters countless numbers in the universe. Phoenix/Jean Grey’s sacrifice at the climax of The Dark Phoenix Saga ranks as one of the X-Men franchise’s most pivotal moments. The two have been associated with each other ever since.
It was as if Jean, without the Phoenix Force, was lost and experiencing an identity crisis.
Despite this, Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force have spent considerable time apart. After the real Jean Grey returned to life in the mid-1980s, the Phoenix Force was notably absent from her life, and this continued through the 1990s. During this period, Jean simply used her real name in lieu of a codename. She had outgrown “Marvel Girl” and, since she was no longer associated with the Phoenix Force, she dropped that name too. It was as if Jean, without the Phoenix Force, was lost and experiencing an identity crisis.
Although it may be hard to believe, Jean Grey obtaining the Phoenix Force was the best thing that could have happened to her. While she was already a powerful, Omega-level mutant, the Phoenix Force increased her abilities a hundred-fold. While the sheer power was nice, Jean’s struggles to contain the wild Phoenix Force made for some of the X-Men’s best stories, such as the aforementioned Dark Phoenix Saga. The Phoenix Force turned Jean Grey into one of Marvel’s most compelling characters, which explains Brevoort’s assessment of the relationship between the two.
Will Jean Grey Remain the Host of the Phoenix Force? Most Likely
Jean Grey is the Phoenix, and the Phoenix is Jean Grey
Jean Grey is currently the host of the Phoenix Force again, and given Brevoort’s comments, it might be permanent this time. Echo was a decent host for the Phoenix Force, but was simply not cut out for it. Jean Grey, on the other hand, possesses fantastic powers that help her control and focus the Phoenix Force. The Phoenix Force can seriously mess with a person’s personality. Although Jean went mad during her first time with the Force, she has subsequently demonstrated mastery of the powers that come with being a host, showing they are one and the same.
Source: Tom Brevoort
