The X-men of X-Corporation have dealt with hatred and fear from those who do not understand. But needing to combat such hatred with tolerance is only part of the challenge, especially when there are mutants who wish for supremecy. Just recently, they've gotten a taste of this when they witnessed the Inner Circle corrupt one of their own, Jean Grey, as they tried accessing the powers of a cosmic force known as the Phoenix Force.
With Jean now drunk off power, the X-men must do what they can to save their teammate, with the aid of the Inner Circle's White Queen Emma Frost and Jean's identical twin sister Madelyne Pryor. Only when Madelyne used Cerebro to find her sister, she discovered that Jean intends on returning to her childhood home.
Now, the X-men must prepare to battle the person they love above all else, and save her from such divine corruption.
Issue 80: The Phoenix Saga Part 7
Skies above New Jersey – The Blackbird
The flight in the Blackbird towards Clifton, New Jersey proved to be tense for everyone, but no more so for Madelyne Pryor, Scott Summers, Logan Howlett and Charles Xavier. They knew that it was only a matter of time until Jean arrived back home. They knew that whatever recollections Jean had, there was going to be plenty of both good and bad. All they could hope for was that Jean would remember the good, because the tumultuous recollections would no doubt cause the Phoenix further confusion. For Madelyne, she had mixed emotions about coming back home.
"So, Jean's coming home," mused Bobby. "And if I am guessing correctly, she's not in for a pleasant homecoming."
"You've got no idea, Bobby," Madelyne said from where she sat beside Emma and Warren. "Jean returning to our hometown could end with her finding peace and comfort. Or it could end in fiasco."
"Well, I've already called your brothers and sisters to warn them about staying away from the general area, Madelyne," Hank said.
"Thanks for the generosity, Beast," Madelyne said softly, the sadness evident in her voice.
"Ah take it that the car accident ya'll got caught in was bad?" Anna-Marie conjectured wearily.
"Trust me, Rogue. Jean returning home will more than likely bring up some bad memories," Scott said. "That's why we have to get there quickly. Just hope and pray that anything Jean remembers won't cause the Phoenix to go into a homicidal rage."
Everyone on the jet fell silent at that. They all knew that Jean came from unfortunate circumstances. But Jean didn't share much of her past with anyone. The only ones she'd confided in were Warren, Bobby, Scott, Hank, Cecilia, the professor and Logan. The most the others knew was Jean and her entire family got caught in a car accident. Even Ororo, whom Jean considered to be one of her best friends, didn't know much at all.
"Vell, vhat ve're dealing vith here is beyond any of our understanding. It's cosmic-level power, powers of a God. I'd say zhat ve are dealing vith omega-class power on a scale unlike anyzhing ve've seen before. And from mein observation, vhen vone has zhe powers of a God, zhey feel zhat zhey have zhe power to rule zhe vorld," Kurt said.
"If how she acted at Hellfire Manor had any indication, Remy feels we're in for a rude awakening when we all find her," Remy quipped. "I'm surprised she don't talk about her past, though."
"I'm her best friend, Remy. Even I do not know much," Ororo said sadly. "All I know is, it was terrible. The events that followed were even worse for her."
"Well, you're going to find out if she's going to be happy, or if she's going to be pissed off royally," Madelyne said bluntly. "I'm only hoping that this won't confuse the Phoenix further. Because when I was in Cerebro, I picked up on quite a bit about the Phoenix. And it's nothing to be taken lightly."
"Yeah, we pretty much saw the destruction she caused to Hellfire Manor," Kitty quipped.
"No, Kitty, it's worse than that," said Madelyne with a shake of her head. "When I was in Jean's head, reading her mind, all I saw was desire . . . rage . . . pain . . . confusion. From what I have gathered, yes, the Phoenix is an entity that has lasted probably since Earth was created. It's a force unlike anything I've ever seen. It's far more powerful than my powers ever will be. It's a symbol of life and incarnation. It's caused mass destruction every thousand years, but it was never connected solely to Jean alone. This entity . . . it's caused devastation and cataclysm to whole galaxies."
"So, what are we dealing with? Aliens?" presumed Bobby.
"You could say that," Madelyne said. "And what I've picked up on when learning about the Phoenix in Cerebro, it wasn't very pleasant. Jean is the first thing that's closest to human the Phoenix has chosen for a host. It's never experienced mere mortal feelings and sensations. From what I've felt in Cerebro, it has a hunger that has never been satisfied. That's putting in generously. This cosmic being is addicted to feeling various sensations; it takes satisfaction in that.
"But Jean's emotions, they're off the charts. The Phoenix has never felt emotions of sadness, and pain. From what I could sense, the Phoenix Force had sensed Jean when she and I killed our parents. It had felt that Jean was about to die from the severe mental trauma, so it ended up protecting her and that's what placed her in her coma. Then the Ultron affair happened, and Jean had somehow called out to it, and it loaned her some of its power. The space mission was what caused the Phoenix to fully submerge with her and make them into one. If we're lucky, we might be able to stop the Phoenix from destroying this planet."
"But . . . Jean would never do that!" Kitty insisted, horrified.
"Yeah, we know her better than that!" declared Rogue. "She's still our friend. She's still Jean."
"You shouldn't say never," Emma said. "You push someone hard enough, especially when you know what makes them tick, they'll do things you might not even realize them to be capable of. The mind is a fragile thing. It takes only the slightest tap to tip it in the wrong direction. I've experienced it during my days as White Queen of the Inner Circle. Ultimately, the only thing that we can do is hope that our plan works."
"Well, what is the plan?" Cecilia asked in a serious tone.
"Forge, Beast, Carly and I have managed to design a power-inhibitor that should be able to contain Jean's powers at least for a little while until the professor and Emma block her powers again," Tony explained. "Forge is just finishing up on working out the kinks."
"Tony, who is to say that a device like that could work?" asked Ororo. "We're talking about working with technology that we have not even tested yet."
"We've got no other choices, Ororo. We must make the hard choices, no matter how painful it may be for us," Charles whispered from where he sat up in the cockpit near Logan and Scott, who were piloting the jet.
"I still can't believe we're doin' this," Logan said.
"Well, we have to, Logan," Scott said. "If it means risking a few things and compromising, it has to be done. I hate this, too, as much as you do, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
"The things you do for love," Warren muttered, reminiscing on his relationship with Candy. He'd failed at saving his girlfriend who had been murdered. The last thing he wanted to do was fail at saving Jean, his little sister in every way but blood. "Let's just hope we do not fail here. Because after what happened with Candy –"
"Don't compare the two, Warren," Bobby said. "Hearing you compare Jean's situation to your girlfriend, who was murdered, that thought makes me sick to my stomach."
"That's why we have got to succeed tonight. I'm not going to allow that to happen to Jean," Scott said with a shake of his head.
"Scottie, how are you not nervous right now?" Remy asked.
"Do you think it's easy for me to stay calm right now, Gambit?" Scott exclaimed. "I've been even more on edge ever since we'd passed over Hoboken!"
"Vell, let's just pray and hope zhat ve can get through to Jean," Kurt said.
"It'll take a lot more than a few Hail Mary's to get us through this one, Kurt," Carly said softly from where she and Forge sat in the back of the jet.
The silence became apparent on the jet again. Nobody could mentally prepare for what they were about to face. Out of all the things they'd faced as a team, this was by far the most emotional and the most intense.
Claremont Memorial Park
"I . . . I do not understand. What is the point of being here?"
"I-I need clarity. I need to visit my parents," Jean whispered as she walked through Claremont Memorial Park, a cemetery in her hometown not too far from the church she'd grown up going to with her family.
Walking through the cemetery, Jean found herself looking around. For whatever reason, she felt the urge to come to this place. And she knew why. She needed to see her parents' graves, something she hadn't ever been able to do. More than anything, she needed closure.
Finally, after searching for twenty-five minutes, Jean found the tombstone that read, "Johnathan Grey and Elaine Grey . . . loving mother and father, may they rest in peace . . ."
Jean knelt at the dirt near the grave of her mother and father who were buried next to each other. Touching the tombstone gently, the young woman felt tears welling in her eyes and pouring down her cheeks.
Sobs began to build up in her throat as she thought of her mom and dad. This triggered something deep within the Phoenix, something the cosmic entity had never experienced before. It was a feeling of grief . . . sadness.
"This isn't right. These sensations . . . they're not right . . ."
"No, no they are," Jean whispered, her voice shaking as she cried openly. Never had she once been able to truly grieve her mother and father. She'd never been able to get any closure. For some reason, visiting the place they were buried gave her an odd sense of comfort. Rising to her feet, Jean proceeded to go towards the church she'd grown up going up until the age of five.
Walking towards St. Francis Roman Catholic Church, the sighting of it looked all too familiar to Jean. It had been years since she'd been to mass, but she remembered this church all too well. Blessing herself with holy water as she walked in, she did the sign of the cross and sat there.
The silence of the church brought Jean an odd sense of comfort yet again. Tears continued down her face as she closed her eyes.
"Why, Jean? Why are we here? I must find my missing pieces. I must be whole."
"I – all this is part of me," Jean breathed. "I never had the chance to accept my parents' deaths."
"But with the power I harness, you can make it so that never happened. You can have your family back."
"Of course, that's what I want," Jean said tearfully. "But it's not right!" Jean gasped.
"Are you sure about that?" asked a soft, chilling voice behind her. Jean turned to see that it was Regan Wyngarde, and she wasn't alone. At Regan's side were Selene Gallio and Jason Wyngarde.
"Hello, Jean," Jason whispered.
"What do you pathetic mortals want?" the Phoenix asked in a voice that sounded like a mixture of the Phoenix and Jean Grey. Jean's eyes were flickering between onyx and green. Her aura seemed to be intensifying as Regan, Jason and Selene moved to sit near her.
"To help you," breathed Selene.
"How can you help me?" Jean asked, shaking her head as her eyes continued flickering. "Who are you?"
"You want answers," Jason whispered. "We can give them to you, dear. But the better question you should be asking yourself is, who are you? Are you that scared seventeen-year-old girl who answers to a man in a chair? Or, are you the most powerful creature on the planet?"
"I-I don't know what I am," Jean whimpered out.
"Yes, you do. You're the girl that society had all but given up on, because you had a power inside you that everyone was afraid of. You think that you belong here. You don't," Selene whispered.
"No . . . No, stop!"
"I'm scared," Jean whimpered, her tears continuing to roll down her cheeks as she sat there in confusion. "When I lose control, bad things happen to the people that I love. But what's scary . . . is that it feels good."
"That's because your friends, your sister, they cannot even begin to comprehend what you are. You were taught this past year that this side of you is evil; that it makes you bad. You were edified that, because the X-men fear you. And what they fear, they seek to destroy. You're special, Jean," Regan said gently, reaching over to brush the tears off Jean's cheek. Jean flinched away from the girl's touch.
"That power, it once destroyed everything that it ever came into contact with . . . until you. Nevertheless, there's a resolution to not make you so frightened of the power within you. Just accept the power of what is known as the Phoenix. Accept that you have the power of a God," Selene said.
"No! No, no, stop!" Jean choked, shaking her head as she clutched the sides of her head, tears pouring down her face.
That was when her voice shifted back to that of the Phoenix. "What do you three pestilences know? You thought you could take my power. You thought that you could use me to benefit yourself. Well you are not worthy, so stay out of my head!" the Phoenix snarled. Her eyes went from green to black, a glare permeated on her features.
The glow around Jean Grey's body intensified as the fiery embers began to form on her fingertips. She proceeded to fly out of the church, leaving the three Inner Circle members sitting there.
Jean flew along until she finally reached the street that she'd grown up living on. Passing each house on each corner, she finally came to a stop at one that was there. It matched her memory of what her address had been. She could see the house still hadn't sold.
"I-I'm home," Jean whispered, walking up to the house. Using her telekinesis, she made the front door disintegrate into ash, and she went inside.
For the most part, the house was filled with nothing but boxes. Jean could still hardly dare to believe that a lot of it was still there. A family friend must've been taking care of the house, because it was in pristine condition and very clean. She remembered the living room; it all looked the same.
Going over to one of the boxes that was in the living room, she could see it was filled with stuffed animals and pictures. She could see it was labeled, "Jean'sThings." Opening the box, she could see photographs. One had a photograph of her at age four, cuddling a cute, calico cat with black and orange patches on its fur.
"Prometheus," she breathed, a smile forming on her lips as she took in the picture.
Digging through the box some more, she was surprised to see her childhood favorite stuffed animal was there: the stuffed Cyclops teddy bear that she'd refuse to sleep without. Someone must have retrieved it after the car crash, because it was there along with her other toys.
She then came across another picture, but this time, it was a photo that triggered sadness.
It was of her mother and father on the day of her and Maddie's baptism. They were both dressed in their christening gowns in the loving arms of their parents. Clutching the stuffed Cyclops doll, Jean felt the tears coming to her eyes.
"Mom . . . Dad," she whispered as the sobs filled her chest. Tears streamed down her face as the glow around her body started to grow more concentrated.
Once again, she began feeling a huge amount of confusion as her recollections which had been locked away replayed in her mind. She could see that she and Madelyne had no doubt been the ones to cause their parents' car to crash into the drunk driver. She could see before her eyes the car flipping over . . . how she and Maddie had telekinetically caused it to flip . . . and her and Madelyne being thrown out the window of the car.
"I . . . I did that," she sobbed. "I killed Mom and Dad!" She fell against the floor and sat curled up in a fetal position, rocking back and forth as she just cried. The entire room around her began shaking as the wooden floor beneath her began turning to ash. She just clung onto the Cyclops stuffed animal tighter, wanting the pain to stop.
"Mom . . . Daddy," she sobbed out, shuddering. "I killed them! I-It's all my fault! It's all my fault!"
"No, Jean, it's not your fault," she heard a soft, controlled voice speaking to her.
"Who's there?"
"Scott? Is it really you?" Jean asked, her head coming up from her knees as she looked at Scott Summers coming towards her. Madelyne was close behind him, wearing her clothes.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm here. I'm real. I see you got our call," Scott said gently, going over to her. She was still glowing intensely, and her eyes were tear-soaked, flickering back and forth from black to green.
"Your call?"
"Yeah, I used Cerebro to reach you, sis," Madelyne said softly, going over to her identical twin sister. "It was on behalf of everyone. We know what the Phoenix is trying to do to you. Just come home with us. We can help you."
"No . . . no one can help her. Jean Grey no longer exists!"
"That's not true," said Professor Charles Xavier as he came into the room, Logan at his side. "Your spirit is still very much so strong, Jean. The Phoenix is trying to take control over you completely. It's trying to use you. The members of the Inner Circle are trying to get you to give in. But we all know you're much stronger than you believe you are."
"Just listen to us, kiddo," Logan told her softly. "I know who ya are. I know this ain't you, darlin'. I know you can fight this; I didn't train ya to tap out that easily. Yer tougher than ya give yerself credit for."
More tears formed in Jean's eyes as she felt all the more confused. Looking over at Madelyne, she couldn't help but take notice that her sister was injured. Had she done that?
"Did I do that?" she whispered.
Madelyne breathed out a sigh. "It was an accident," she said.
"No Maddie . . . I don't know what's happening to me!" Jean said, her voice continuing to shake. "All I know is when I lose control . . . people get hurt. I killed our parents . . . we killed our parents! And I don't know why!"
"Then help me understand," Madelyne said. "Okay? This is new to me, too. I didn't know we killed our parents either I just found all this out tonight!"
"No, you don't know what it's like! Stay away from me!" Despite the combustions that were growing around her body, Scott gently took her into his arms, hugging her. Jean closed her eyes, the sobs still wracking her body as she clung to her boyfriend desperately.
'I'm scared, Scott!' she projected to him, whimpering. 'I-I don't want to hurt anybody, oh God!'
"I know . . . I know," Scott soothed her, rocking her gently. "It's okay. What happened with your parents isn't your fault. You were a scared, five-year-old girl manifesting powers you didn't understand. What you and Madelyne did was an accident, Jean. That's all it was . . . an accident. You aren't to blame for any of that. We'll help you, sweetie. I promise."
Jean was desperately trying to fight the darkness within her as she felt Scott kissing her on her forehead and her hair. But it felt as though the world was collapsing on top of her. The walls were closing in as she felt the essence of the Phoenix intensifying.
"I do not want your help, you foolish mortals," the Phoenix growled out, shoving Scott off her with her telekinesis.
"Scottie!" Logan shouted, running to him as he noticed Scott clutching his side.
Scott hissed in pain as Logan offered him a hand up. Scott could feel that he had a broken rib. Jean was telekinetically shoving them away. Her eyes were now black, but flickering with shades of a variety of colors, making them look like opal gems. The veins in her face and neck were accentuated in a bright orange color that seemed to be emphasized with a strange shade of purple, showing it was cosmic fire surging through her. Her hair was flowing wildly, flames licking off it.
Her intense telekinesis was beginning to make the entire house shake. The windows were beginning to break as the glass flew towards her friends and her sister. She was making the house collapse in on itself. The stuffed Cyclops bear fell from her hands, but Madelyne quickly retrieved that with her telekinesis.
'If we end up saving her, she's gonna want to have that. It was her favorite,' Maddie thought as she stood up.
"Jean, c'mon!" Madelyne shouted. "Fight back, God dammit! You're strong, sis! C'MON, FIGHT!"
That was when Jean telekinetically threw Madelyne against the wall, not hard enough to leave her unconscious, but enough to leave bruises.
"Shit!" Madelyne groaned painfully. "Professor, now would be a really good time for that plan of yours before she burns this place to the ground!"
"Indeed, I know Madelyne," the professor said sadly as he made the telepathic call to the other X-men members.
'Jean, just know that what I am about to do, this breaks my heart,' he thought sadly as he signaled for the X-men and Tony to use the M'Krann Crystal shards to lure Jean to them. They were in the backyard of Jean and Madelyne's childhood home, though they all felt the guilt for what they were about to do.
"The Crystal . . . it's-it's calling me. I must find my missing pieces. I must be complete!" The Phoenix cried out. And with a loud, bird-like screech, Jean flew out of the house, her back seemingly being covered with cosmic flames that resembled wings of a bird.
Before getting out of the house, Madelyne quickly gathered up some of the more valuable items that were there. In addition to Jean's favorite stuffed animal, she wanted to make sure she grabbed some of the more important photographs that were there. Those were all she and Jean had left as far as pictures of their family went.
"Why are you taking those?" Logan asked.
"It's the last of what we've got left here," Madelyne insisted as she shoved the stuffed animals and photographs into the backpack she'd brought with her.
Meanwhile, in the backyard of what used to be the Grey family home, the other X-men, Tony and Emma were waiting for her. They knew that what they were about to do was going to be excruciatingly painful for Jean to go through. But they also knew that they had no other choice.
"I seriously cannot believe we are about to do this," Kitty said with a shake of her head.
"This is painful for me, too, Kitty. The last thing I want is to make Jean suffer. But sometimes, it has got to get worse before it gets better," Cecilia said.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Emma whispered as Jean came closer to them.
"Sorry, chere, dis is the only way," Remy whispered. He proceeded to put the power-inhibiting headpiece onto Jean so that they could keep her powers contained. Once the device was on, Jean let out a loud, pained scream as she fell to her knees, clenching her head.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed. It was hard to tell if it were the Phoenix, or Jean screaming, but it did not mean it was at all easy to hear.
Jean's entire body twitched as she clenched her head into her hands, tears making their way down from her eyes which were flickering between the colors of black and green. Sobs were pouring from her lips as she writhed on the grass.
"Forge, turn up the damn power!" shouted Tony.
"It'll only make it more painful for her," Forge whispered sadly as he reached for the machine to further block away the Phoenix persona. "Jean, know I'm not taking any satisfaction in this," he apologized.
"Apologize to her later, Forge!" Emma said, glowering at the mutant inventor.
Suddenly, that was when the glow around Jean's writhing, twitching body seemed to subdue as her eyes went back to the color of green. However, she was in a lot of pain, both physically and mentally. Her head was hurting severely. She could feel her nose bleeding as she curled into a fetal position, her arms wrapping around her knees as she gasped in pain.
"I can't believe this is actually working," Tony breathed out.
"I don't know how long it will last, though," Forge said with a heavy sigh. "Hopefully, it'll last long enough for Emma and Charles to do their thing, and we'll be out of here so we can all go home."
Jean continued to gasp in pain as Scott, Madelyne, the professor and Logan quickly made their way over towards her. Jean was panting hard, sweat beading on her face as her eyes flickered from onyx to green. Scott quickly went to her side.
"Jean, Jean, just hang on," he whispered to her.
"Scott . . . I can't do it!" Jean groaned. "It . . . It hurts! It hurts so bad!"
"Come on, Jean, don't tap out just yet," Bobby pled with her.
That was when Jean seemed to be losing her fight, and her eyes went full-on onyx again. The glow around her body intensified. Jean let out a loud shriek. With a burst of fiery energy, the machine Forge, Tony and Hank had built malfunctioned immediately.
"Me and my big mouth," Bobby groaned.
"Hit the deck!" shouted Ororo.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Kitty shouted. She grabbed hold of Warren and Carly in case she had to phase them out of the way.
Everyone began to fall back, trying to dodge everything that was incoming. Behind Jean's back, the wings of the Phoenix formed in the form of scorching, orange, red, yellow and purple cosmic flames. The Phoenix ripped trees out of the ground, throwing them towards the X-men, who were all struggling to fight back. Behind Jean, her childhood home was being lifted in the air as she tore it apart, sending pieces of brick, wood paneling from the floor, and broken glass towards the people who were her family.
"WE ARE LITERALLY IN A SHIT STORM!" Logan shouted as he dodged a piece of scrap metal.
"I FOR ONE WOULD AGREE, JAMES," the Phoenix called out tauntingly as she lifted Logan up, throwing him into a nearby tree. Suddenly, that was when Logan felt a flash over him. The name "James" sounded so familiar. He just did not know why.
Suddenly, that was when Jean as the Phoenix lifted Ororo and Cecilia into a telekinetic grip, surrounding them in a turbulent nimbus.
"Jean!" Cecilia groaned as she felt her muscles constricting under Jean's telekinetic grip. "Don't do this!"
"JEAN GREY NO LONGER EXISTS! YOU DO NOT KNOW ME!" Phoenix shouted.
"I think that I . . . do," groaned Cecilia painfully as she felt an invisible grip around her neck, suffocating her. "I helped raise you since I came into your life, Jean. I know I am not your mother. I would never try to replace your mom. But I do give a damn about you. I . . . I love you. So please, Jean. Please, stop!"
"I CAN SENSE WHAT YOU TWO ARE. YOU ARE CLOSER TO JEAN THAN HER OWN SISTERS, STORM. CECILIA, YOU WERE THE MOTHER SHE HADN'T HAD IN YEARS. HER COMPASSION FOR YOU BOTH IS STRONG. BUT I WILL NOT HESITATE TO TURN YOU BOTH INTO NOTHING BUT ASH!" Phoenix growled.
"JEANNIE, NO DON'T DO IT!" Logan shouted. He proceeded to run towards her, claws popped out. He was more than willing to do what it took to protect Storm and Cecilia. And if that meant stabbing Jean to death, he had to do it. However, he was hit with an optic blast beam that made him go tumbling down.
"CYKE ARE YOU CRAZY? USE YER HEAD, KID!" Logan shouted.
"I won't let you kill her, Logan!" Scott yelled back, preparing to throw a punch at the Wolverine for even thinking about killing Jean. However, his fist was caught by Hank's hand.
"Enough you two!" he said sternly.
"NO, HANK! ALL FUCKING HOPE IS GONE! THAT AIN'T JEANNIE ANYMORE! SHE'S GONE!" Logan roared. "DO YOU SEE WHAT SHE'S DOING TO RO AND CECILIA?"
"LOGAN, NO! THAT'S STILL JEAN!" Scott shouted angrily, glaring at his mentor and friend, one of the many father figures in his life. "We cannot afford to give up hope . . . not now. I'm not giving up on her, ever."
Logan and Scott dodged a fiery burst Jean sent their way. She had a cold, calculated smile on her face, as though she were enjoying every minute of what she was doing.
"Still think it's worth having hope, kid?" Logan asked from where he lay on the grass beside Scott, which was covered in black ashes.
That was when Jean – despite having Storm and Dr. Reyes in her telekinetic grasp – turned her attention to Charles Xavier. Her eyes continuing to grow blacker, she wore a wicked smile as she tore apart Xavier's wheelchair with her telekinesis.
"Jean!" the professor cried out to her. "Jean, listen to me. Let me help you get back in control!"
"All you've ever tried to do was attempt at controlling her," the Phoenix said coldly. Her glare darkened as her rage grew worse. "If you say you can control a situation, walk to me."
"No, I cannot," Charles told her.
"Yes, you can." With that, Jean forcefully got Xavier upright, forcing him to stand up despite him being paralyzed from the waist down. With her intense telekinesis, she forced Xavier to literally walk towards her, raising him up in the air toward her.
It was very slow, and very painful for the professor. The X-men could only stand there and watch with their jaws dropping to the floor in shock. Shadowcat and Emma had their hands cupped over their mouths as they watched Jean force Xavier even closer to her. It was almost as though she were controlling a string puppet. Once Xavier was close enough to her, Jean began to telekinetically strangle him.
"You tried to make her believe that her out of control power makes her evil . . . crazy . . . every word that every pathetic mortal doctor ever tried telling her. Well, buckle up, Charles Xavier. Because you are about to experience what it REALLY means to have the power of a god. Enjoy your "trip," Charles, because you will not be coming back," Jean laughed darkly.
"Jean . . . I-I only tried to help you! I – I was protecting you," Charles gasped out.
"From the truth? There's another word for that," the Phoenix said coldly.
However, that was when they could all sense a dark and disturbing presence nearby, and they turned to see Selene and Regan and Jason Wyngarde coming forth. It was that moment the Phoenix released Cecilia, Charles and Ororo from her grip.
"I am just coming back to reclaim what is rightfully mine!" Selene said sadistically.
"YOU FOOLISH MORTAL! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY!" shouted the Phoenix, the glow around her intensifying even more so. The fires surrounding Jean Grey grew much stronger.
"This is my destiny to take what is rightfully mine! You will not deny me my birthright to such power!" Selene growled.
"THEN YOU CLEARLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS YOU ARE DEALING WITH, SELENE! YOU MAY BE ONE OF THE FIRST MUTANTS ON EARTH, BUT YOU TRULY ARE AN IDIOT. YOU ARE ATTEMPTING AT PLAYING WITH FORCES OF WHICH YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND. AND NOW, YOU SHALL FACE MY FURY, MY WRATH, FOR TRYING TO TAKE MY POWER!"
That was when the Phoenix seemed to grow even angrier. She proceeded to lift Jason Wyngarde in a telekinetic bubble made of fire and embers, and her eyes grew richer in black color as she used her powers to start strangling him to death.
"Father!" Regan cried out. "Let him go, you stupid bitch!"
"YOU WERE THE STUPID ONES WHEN YOU DECIDED TO TAKE WHAT WASN'T YOURS!" With a powerful, telepathic burst, the Phoenix proceeded to force the most torturous, horrific images into the mind of Regan. Regan began screaming loudly, clutching the sides of her head as an overwhelming, painful sensation filled her mind. Selene, on the other hand, seemed unaffected. It was clear the Phoenix had other plans for her.
The Phoenix's embers grew stronger as she turned Jason Wyngarde into a disintegrated form of dust. He was gone . . . dead. Jean had killed somebody. Logan could hardly dare to believe that his little Jeannie had actually killed someone in cold blood. And with a powerful burst of telepathic power, the Phoenix proceeded to knock out Regan.
"Jean that's enough! Stop this at once!" shouted Tony, who tried to fire at her with a repulsion from one of the gadgets in his suit.
"STOP CALLING ME THAT! AND WHY DO YOU CARE FOR HER, TONY STARK? YOU TRIED TO USE HER! YOU SENT HER OUT INTO DANGER NOT CARING ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES! YOU NEVER TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ANYTHING!"
The scathing words the Phoenix was saying to Tony were like a red-hot poker to the heart. Tony could feel tears of guilt in his eyes.
"I know. I know what I did was wrong. I know that I put you in danger, Jean. I did it because I was too stubborn to consider what would happen to you. And I'm sorry," Tony said.
Everyone was in shock and awe that Tony had sincerely apologized for making a mistake. But for the Phoenix, this was not satisfactory enough for her. She was still in a hunger that needed to be quenched after years of being unsatisfied. Scott prepared to aim an optic blast beam, but that was when he felt the Phoenix grabbing him telekinetically.
For Scott, he could sense that she was strangling him telekinetically as he started choking. The veins in his face were turning a prominent shade of blue as his complexion grew pale. His skin seemed to be turning into dust.
"Jean . . . Jean . . . please, stop! Let go!" Scott gasped out to her. "Come back . . . to me! Remember? You'd said you'd always . . . come back . . . to me! Look into my mind. There is still hope."
Scott's words seemed to trigger something deep within Jean, because her eyes flickered from black back to their normal shade of green, tears beginning to sting in her eyes as her lower lip trembled. She remembered the words, "Jean, let go," when she'd taken down Ultron months prior. Now, Scott was begging for her to let him go. As her eyes flickered, she was bombarded with a series of memories of her and Scott. But the memory that stuck out in her mind was one of Professor Xavier when he'd picked her up from the mental hospital. They'd been on their way to get Scott, when he told her something that never failed to make her emotional.
"What we have at X-Corporation, it can be your home. We can be your new family," Xavier had said.
"I – I don't deserve it," Jean had told him. "It's too nice. I break everything. Let me guess? Y-You think you can fix me too?"
"No, Jean. No, because you are not broken," Hank had said to her in a firm, reassuring voice.
Her grip on Scott completely released as her body started shaking at the thought of what she'd almost done. She nearly killed Professor Xavier, she nearly killed Ororo and Doctor Reyes, and she nearly killed Scott. As a result, the Phoenix Force was driven by further confusion as it sensed Jean's devastation and guilt.
And the Phoenix Force wasn't the only one noticing. Selene was noticing, as well, because she began telekinetically walking towards Jean, a smile on her face.
'Jean . . . I can sense that this is only furthering your suffering, child. If you want me to, I can take this all away. I can make it so that you no longer need to be out of control. I can make it so that you never break anything ever again,' Selene told her telepathically. Selene's mantra further caused Jean to shake and cry harder as the aura surrounding her body grew stronger.
"Please . . . please, stop it!" she begged out to Selene, willing to do anything to make it all stop. "I don't want to hurt anybody anymore! I never wanted this. I – I never asked for this." The tears poured down her face as she began to quietly sob, her body trembling as she felt Selene beginning to take her into her arms and hold her.
However, as Selene held her, the X-men could all see that there was something wrong. The longer Selene held on, it seemed as though the spirit of the Phoenix was draining from Jean's body and going into Selene. But in addition to the essence of the Phoenix being drained, Warren, Emma, Madelyne, Scott and the professor could all see Selene seemed to be draining Jean's life force. They could tell, because while the glow around her was lessening, her face seemed to be growing paler as dark, spider-web-like veins formed on her face. Choking noises were escaping Jean as her body grew weaker.
Madelyne could feel the air knocking out of her chest as her throat constricted. "Jean . . . Jean! You have to let go. Jean, Jean let go! Guys, she's gonna kill her!"
As soon as Scott heard those words, he put his visor on the highest setting and aimed for Selene. He fired a single, high-powered optic blast beam at the Black Priestess of the Inner Circle, knocking her out just as Jean's form was beginning to fall toward the grass. They could all see that Jean's body was considerably feeble as they ran toward her. Scott and Madelyne bent near her, trying to keep her conscious as the aura of the Phoenix Force within her subsided. They could see her breathing was labored.
"Jean," Madelyne whispered anxiously. She grabbed hold of her sister's hand as Scott took Jean into his arms.
"What's happening to her?" Bobby asked, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
"Selene drained her life force when taking the Phoenix Force from her. She's dying," Emma informed them. Warren could feel his eyes stinging as Emma said those words, and grabbed Ororo into an embrace when he heard her let out a sob.
Jean, despite feeling weakened, managed to turn her attention toward Xavier, who had been brought over to her by Warren and Hank.
"P-Professor," she managed to get out through wheezing breaths.
"Jean," the professor whispered "I was trying to protect you. I was trying to keep the pain away. I – I am so sorry for what I did to you. All I ever wanted was to protect you, and give you what you deserve, what every child deserves."
"There's nothing to . . . to apologize for," Jean rasped out. "It's . . . it's okay. Because I know that what you did . . . you did out of love. I forgive you." Tears stung in her eyes as she said those words, and with that, she proceeded to telepathically project her thoughts toward Charles, expressing her full gratitude. The word "father" embraced his mind.
All members of the X-men had tears in their eyes as they sensed the love that Jean had for them. Seeing her this way deeply upset all of them. She had been willing to do whatever necessary to protect them and stop her suffering, even if it killed her. Madelyne was quietly sobbing, holding her sister's hand.
Despite the quiet moment between Jean and her "family", Selene rose up from the ground about ten feet away from them. They all turned their heads to see that Selene was fully wielding the Phoenix Force. Scott kept Jean in his arms protectively as he noticed Selene glowing with the hot orange cosmic flames, determined to come back for more.
"Shit," Emma cursed out angrily, especially as she watched Selene beginning to use the Phoenix Force to dematerialize trees around her, and the grass underneath her was beginning to turn into a color of black. She was determined to burn the Earth to the ground and claim the power that she felt was her birthright. But what startled the X-men more was the fact that she was beginning to focus a blazing, pyrokinetic blast towards them.
However, before the blast could hit them, that was when the most miraculous thing seemed to happen. A telekinetic shield formed around them, and it seemed to be coming from Jean. They could see that her eyes were glowing orange and the color was returning to her face.
"Jean," whispered Carly. Everyone was in shock as they watched Jean's body rise from the ground and she dared to walk closer to Selene, keeping the telekinetic shield up around them.
"Jean, what are you doing?" asked Warren.
"Protecting my family," was Jean's reply as she made her way towards Selene. Her voice sounded like hers mixed with that of the Phoenix as her eyes took on a shade of orange. With that said, Jean braved her way closer until she was inches from Selene's face, grabbing the Black Priestess by the throat.
"You want this power so badly? You're going to get it," Jean said. She sounded so . . . calm. She did not even seem afraid.
As Jean held onto Selene, she could feel the aura of the Phoenix Force beginning to absorb back into her body, stronger than ever. Her eyes glowed more intensely as a look of fierce determination painted her face.
However, she heard a strangled cry of, "Jean!" Turning her head, she could see Cecilia, Scott, Madelyne, Warren, the professor, and Bobby were all slowly beginning to disintegrate, as if they were turning into ashes.
She knew she needed to save them.
"You do this here, you will kill them all," Selene snarled. "That's the problem with you. Your emotions make you weak!"
As Selene said those words, Jean turned her attention from her family to the Black Priestess. Jean's eyes glowed even brighter, richer in color as she telekinetically rose in the air, the fiery aura surrounding her and Selene as they rose further into the night. Though she heard Scott and Madelyne screaming, "JEEEEEEAAAAAN!"
As they soared through the atmosphere, Jean stared Selene dead in the face.
"You're wrong," Jean replied. "My emotions make me strong."
As Jean continued to absorb the Phoenix's power, she could hear the Phoenix Force speaking to her in her mind.
"Thank you, Jean Grey. I'd just learned something very valuable from you. You taught me what it truly means to be human. You made me realize that the answer to what I crave is peace. So therefore, to express my gratitude, I wish to make us one, for the betterment of humankind. Let's work together to save those which you love, Jean. That's the first step," the Phoenix Force told her in a soft, controlled voice.
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Phoenix," Jean said, fully absorbing the power back into her from Selene before slowing lowering back into the Earth's atmosphere. The X-men watched in amazement as the scorching wings of the holy bird formed behind Jean's back as a smile came over her features. She looked almost . . . at peace, especially as she concentrated her telepathic powers toward Selene, who fell from the sky and down into the grass below.
"No! I will not give up the power that is rightfully mine!" Selene growled.
"No, Selene. It rightfully belongs to me. I am Jean Grey. I am Phoenix, for we are one." And with those final words, a powerful, psychic attack hit Selene hard, knocking her out cold on the ground below as Jean's form lowered. Scott and Madelyne were the first to make their way over to her, surprised by what they had just seen.
"Jean," Scott whispered as he watched his girlfriend's body slowly grow exhausted. She had concentrated so much of her psychic energy on taking back the powers of the Phoenix and defeating Selene that it was all hitting her. Before Jean could stumble and hit the ground, Scott caught her in his arms, pushing her hair out of her face.
"Scott," she whispered with a soft smile, giggling quietly as Scott leaned in and kissed her. Yet, before they broke apart from the loving embrace their lips were sharing, the X-men could all hear the Phoenix speaking to them as the essence of the cosmic bird seemed to take a scorching, physical form behind Scott and Jean.
"I am reborn!" the Phoenix screeched out, euphoric and delighted, before continuing with speaking. "Thank you, X-men. At last, I am complete. There is no more need for anger anymore from me, for Jean Grey has taught me what it truly means to be human. I've learned just how much she loves each and every one of you. But before we continue with our journey, Jean, I must gift you with something, just to further express my appreciativeness."
With those words being said, the X-men all watched in amazement as the crimson dress the members of the Inner Circle had dressed Jean in began fading to a color of a brilliant green, and the black Phoenix emblem and belt changed to a beautiful shade of gold. It was almost as though this were a moment of reconciliation for the Phoenix as she cleansed not only herself, but Jean as well, of all the sins and darkness that had plagued them both. The Phoenix let out another cry of jubilation as Scott and Jean embraced tightly, holding onto one another.
Up next: At Ease