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CHILDHOOD

Jean Grey began her life in the sleepy college town of Annadale-On-Hudson, New York. She was the youngest of two girls. She lived with her father, Professor John Grey, her mother, Elaine Grey, and her older sister, Sara.

At the age of 11, Jean saw her best friend, Annie, die before her eyes, struck by an automobile. Jean's young and fragile mind linked with Annie's as she died. This was the first time Jean used her telepathic powers. She was so young that her mind could not take it. She went into a deep depression.

Fearing that she would never recover, her parents took her to meet Professor Charles F. Xavier, Ph.D. Secretly using his telepathic powers, he brought Jean out of her cold dark depression and installed psychic barriers to prevent her from using her telepathic powers until she was able to control them. She returned to her life as a normal adolescent girl.

X-MEN

Shortly after Jean Grey turned sixteen, she was contacted by Professor Xavier. She was asked to join his school and secretly become a member of the mutant crime fighting team, the X-Men. Jean agreed and became Marvel Girl, the fifth member of the X-Men.

As Marvel Girl, Jean Grey fought numerous battles and met extraordinary people. This is where she also met and fell in love with Scott "Slim" Summers, the X-Man known as Cyclops.

After a near fatal run in with the Mutant Island, Krakoa, Xavier assembled a new team of mutants to rescue the originals. After this battle, Jean decided to leave the X-Men. After a few weeks, Jean returned to the School to celebrate Christmas with Cyclops. That Chrismas served as a turning point in all of their lives.

PHOENIX

Jean Grey, along with the other X-Men, was kidnapped and taken to a Space Orbital by the evil Stephen Lang. He sought to kill the X-Men and eventually eraticate all mutantkind. By creating sentinels that appeared to be the original X-Men, he pitted the new X-Men against the old. Eventually, Lang's ruse was uncovered and the X-Men defeated him. The shuttle in which they were to return in had been damaged, so Jean decided that she was the only choice for piloting the ship home, protected by her telekinetic powers.

After crashlanding into Jamaica Bay, Jean rose from the water, now claiming the name of Phoenix. She also possesed incredible power, power she had never before used. The X-Men believed Jean Grey died and resurrected herself, all for the love of Scott Summers.

Shortly after her transformation to Phoenix, Jean and the other X-Men were taken to Shi'ar Space by way of the alien Princess Lilandra. While in space, Jean Grey joined with the heart of the M'Kraan Crystal, the nexus of reality. Focusing the power of Phoenix on the emotions of her friends, she repaired the delicate lattice work of the Crystal's matrix and saved reality. The X-Men returned home.

DARK PHOENIX

After returning to Earth, Jean Grey started to feel the hunger for power like she had felt in the heart of the M'Kraan. Her hunger made her an easy target for the illusionist, Mastermind. By creating the illusion that he and she were 17th century lovers, he seduced her into joining the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club. After his illusion was defeated, Jean was left in a psychotic state, transforming her into the Dark Phoenix.

Her transformation into Dark Phoenix completely set her free of her humanity, making her uncaring and unloving. Now that she was free, she could satiate her hunger. She attempted to kill the X-Men and then fled into space.

She then created a space portal to another galaxy. She there found a star on which to feed. She killed 4 Billion innocents in the process, as well as a Shi'ar observatory vessel.

After satisfying her appetite, she returned to Earth. A part of Jean Grey's soul had not yet turned black, a part of her wanted to go home. Her parents were joyous to see her, however, she could only see their pain and fear, causing her defenses to rise and her powers to show.  Now, however, the X-Men were there to stop her. After her beloved Cyclops had reached her, she was attacked by Xavier. She and he engaged in psychic battle.

Xavier was no match for the now godlike Jean Grey. However, deep within the core of Jean Grey's soul, she wanted him to win. She used the back of her mind to help him. Jean Grey was restored to normal. The Phoenix power was now controllable. Just as they were taking in the moment, the X-Men vanished.

THE FATE OF THE PHOENIX

The X-Men reappeared on Lilandra's Imperial Star Cruiser. She had taken the X-Men in order to kill Phoenix. She was charged with genocide and destruction of a Shi'ar vessel. Her punishment was death. Charles Xavier would not allow his student to die. He envoked the Shi'ar challenge of Arin'n Haelar, a duel of honor that cannot be refused. It was set that the Imperial guard and X-Men would battle on the moons surface, the winning team deciding the fate of the Phoenix.

While on the moon, the Guard decimated the X-Men, leaving only Cyclops and Phoenix. Together they challenged the guard, but when a stray bolt hit Cyclops, Phoenix completely re-emerged and knocked the Guard unconscious. The X-Men, now revived, began to battle Phoenix in order to save her from herself.  The process continued until Jean took off running, terrified of herself. Cyclops followed her only to be frozen in his tracks by her telekinesis. He told her that their love would prevail, that he loved her. She replied the same sentiment, but insisted there was no other way. Activating a hidden weapon on the moon, she scattered herself into atoms. Cyclops then realized she had planned her death from the moment they landed on the moon.

LIKE A PHOENIX

Years passed and life went on. Jean Grey was gone and life went on. Cyclops had fallen in love and married Madelyne Pryor. He was a father as well. Life went on. The world forgot the Phoenix and life went on . . .

Life stopped.

In the bottom of Jamaica Bay, the Avengers found a bizarre structure with an incredible energy field surrounding it. They took this "cocoon" to Dr. Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four to examine. He was able to determine the structure was Alien in origin. Sue Richards, using her powers of invisibility, was able to allow the FF to see that the creature within it was a woman, an Earth woman.

After hours of study, the cocoon started pulsing, sending out waves of energy, making the building lose its gravity. The cocoon exploded revealing the woman inside. That woman was none other than JEAN GREY. Mysteriously dressed in the clothes she wore the day she transformed into Phoenix and remembering nothing after the battle on the Space Station, Jean Grey demanded answers. They told her the world believed she was dead and that she was missing for many years.

Searching for the answers to her past, she traveled to her parents home. There, she found a holempathic matrix crystal, a construct imbued with her thoughts and emotions; a gift after her death. She took the crystal in her hands and learned the truth.

On the passage from space to earth, her psionic shield had faded. Suffering from radiation, she called for help. Time froze and she received an answer. With her abilities at their peak, Jean manifested the Phoenix, who offered her the chance to live if she would pay a small price. She agreed and became one with the entity. Fearing that something may go wrong, a part of her remained in her body, the part that slept within the cocoon.  Now awakened with the Phoenix dead, Jean Grey tried to return to the life she had lived before, but that life was worse than she remembered.

THE X-FACTOR

Jean Grey was soon reunited with the original X-Men, creating the government sanctioned X-Factor. Under the guise of taking mutants into custody, X-Factor secretly carried on Xavier's legacy. Jean also learned of Scott and Madelyne's marriage.

The original X-Men fought many battles together as X-Factor, including numerous battles over Cyclop's son, Nathan. The battle of Inferno was the pivotal battle in the life of Jean Grey and Madelyne Pryor-Summers.

Madelyne was seduced into darkness by the evil demons S'ym and N'astirh of Limbo. She was revealed to be a clone of Jean Grey and more powerful than the original. The demons transformed her into the Goblin Queen.

Madelyne sought to use her son as final revenge on Cyclops and Jean Grey. Sacrificing him on the Empire State Building would leave the gates to Limbo open, thusly destroying all human life. The child was saved, but as Madelyne Pryor died, she reached out with her mind and embraced Jean Grey. She sought to drag her into death with her just as Annie Richardson had almost done many years ago.   The Phoenix, however, would not allow that.

When Phoenix died on the moon years before, its mind, the mind of Jean Grey, was sent to return to the original Jean in the coccon.   When faced with what she had done as Phoenix, her body rejected it.  It searched the globe until it found a genetic copy, Madelyne Pryor. Being without a soul, she could not resist. That part of Jean Grey, along with all her memories, became one with Madelyne.

Sensing her impending death, the re-emerged Phoenix offered Jean Grey the chance to live again, as long as she would put to rest the memories it carried. She resistently agreed, and her mind and memories returned. Madelyne unfortunately died.

As a side effect to Jean's acquiring of these memories and personalities they began to surface at various times.  After many numerous internal conflicts, Jean was able to silence the personalities while still retaining the memories.  A happy ending was not in store for this couple, however, as Apocalypse succeeded in inflicting Cyclops' son Nathan with a techno-organic virus.   After a battle with Apocalypse, X-Factor was able to rescue Nathan but the disease was so advanced that there was little to no hope for survival.  In this pivotal moment, Jen Askani of the Clan Askani appeared to the gathered forces on the moon.   Hailing from the future, she offered them the chance that Nathan may live, but only if they would surrender him to the future where he could be treated and healed.   Unfortunately, she offered no guarantee and all but confirmed that once he was gone, he would never return.  The chance of his survival was enough to sway Scott into giving his son over to the Askani, although he would regret that decision for time to come.

THE RETURN HOME

Jean Grey and the other members of X-Factor soon rejoined the X-Men. Jean Grey dropped the code-name Marvel Girl and simply began going by Jean. She felt the names she had used in the past no longer fit her.

Jean Grey's life would soon take a dramatic turn as Xavier used his mind to erase Magneto's memories after Magneto ripped Wolverines adamantium out. After recovery and thinking, Jean Grey popped the question. She asked Scott Summers to be her husband. He agreed and they were thereafter married.

On their honeymoon, Scott and Jean were transported 2000 years into the future to raise Cyclops time displaced son, Nathan. It was there that they learned that their own future daughter, Rachel Summers, was the Mother Askani. They raised Nathan and also defeated Apocalypse. Jean Grey also took back the name of Phoenix, in honor of her daughter.

They also experienced hardships at the hands of Xaviers insane son, Legion, in an alternate timeline known as the Age of Apocalypse, but their biggest threat was yet to come.

THE RAVAGE OF THE ONSLAUGHT

The time traveling mutant known as Bishop had stated since his arrival in the timestream that someone in the X-Men would betray the X-Men. Little did they realize it was the man that started it all. Jean Grey was the first to discover this secret.

When Xavier attacked it was soon discovered why. As a result of the Fatal Attractions, Magneto's evil joined with Xaviers hidden evil to form Onslaught. The earth's mightiest heroes sacrificed themselves to stop the Onslaught. Xavier was taken into custody.

OPERATION: ZERO TOLERANCE

Shortly after, the X-Men were captured by an insane agent of Operation: Zero Tolerance(OZT) named Bastion. OZT was set up to stop the mutant menace once and for all. Bastion took the X-Men and implanted Cyclops with a nanotech bomb that would come together and explode after activation. The X-Men made their final escape just as the government pulled the plug on OZT. However, the bomb was activated.

Returning home to the mansion, the bomb was removed by extremely primitive means. After this encounter, Cyclops and Phoenix saw it fit that they retire from the X-Men for a little while. They decided to move to Scott's home in Ptarmigan Creek, Alaska.

THE RETURN OF THE PHOENIX

Upon arriving in Alaska, Jean Grey decided to take back her role in life, as the Phoenix. She decided that she would start dressing as Phoenix in order to take back the power that is rightfully hers.

What Jean was not prepared for was the future that would follow. Shortly after arriving in Alaska, a battle ensued which lead to the life altering event known as the Battle of The Twelve. There were twelve mutants destined to give Apocalypse limitless power. As Apocalypse seemed on the verge of victory, Cyclops jumped between fate and destiny to stop him, and as a result seemingly died.

Jean returned to New York with the remaining X-Men. Once home, the High Evolutionary reverted the X-Men to humans, forcing them to redevelop their powers.  Jean's telekinesis was all but removed from her and so was the part of her that was Phoenix. 

Jean, still not trusting that Cyclops had completely died, set on a mission to find him, along with her "son" Cable.   Thankfully, they were able to locate Cyclops.  Apparently, the spirit of En Sabah Nur, that evil creature known as Apocalypse, had combined with Scott's own self. Together, the merged entities traveled to Egypt, where Apocalypse would find the power to control them completely. Jean was able to stop this event from transpiring and ripped what was Apocalypse from her beloved Scott. After this traumatic event, however, Scott was not quite the same. Upon his return to the X-Men, the team rebuilt itself and started to acheive their goals in a new fashion. They are not the X-Men of the past. They are the New X-Men.

As the X-Men's powers began to return to normal, Jean Grey also began to take back the Phoenix powers.  As her telekinetic sensitivity grew, Jean Grey began to manifest the Phoenix raptor.   This event struck fear and anxiety into the hearts of the X-Men.  When faced with the image of a threat that almost destroyed all of reality, they panicked.  Jean assured them that she was in control this time.  It was her manifesting the Phoenix, not just a part of her.  She remembers the events of the first Phoenix' reign and knows how to prevent them from happening again.

Upon a trip to Paris to "clean up" after the X-Corps located there, Jean and Xavier discussed the Phoenix power and Jean's use of it.  Xavier asked his student to perform a test using her telekinesis.  As Xavier touched an object Jean was levitating, it was revealed that her telekinetic sensitivity was so intense that she could feel Xavier touching the object so deeply that she was able to feel his pulse through the steel.  Xavier told her that this was known as the Manifestation of the Phoenix.   He asked to speak to the Phoenix within her and the Phoenix spoke to him.

"Jean is only the house where I live, Charles...I am born and consumed in blood and flame and sacrifice.  And return.   Always coming back.  It's how it feels to be the last hope and to know you will win against all odds.  It's the wing of the Phoenix touching your heart with flame..."

Throughout all of these trials, her marriage to Cyclops had all but ended, his attentions turned to Emma Frost, one of the world's most powerful telepaths, and Jean's biggest rival. More of the nature of the Phoenix was revealed when its power was used to burn through the lies Emma surrounded herself in, breaking down to the basic truth of who she was. More than ever before, the Phoenix was a force of purification.

An ancient bacteria known simply as Sublime soon came into light, posing one of the most dire threats the X-Men had ever seen. One of the newest members of the X-Men, Xorn, was discovered to be none other than the X-Men's oldest foe, Magneto. In an attempt to ensure his total victory, he decimated the X-Men, sending Wolverine and Phoenix straight into the heart of the sun. Knowing that only through death would the Phoenix take charge, Wolverine used his claws to impale Jean. Reawakening as the Phoenix, she gathered the broken team for the final showdown with Magneto. Unbeknownst to the X-Men or Magneto, he had fallen victim to Sublime by the way of the inhalant Kick. Knowing that the only thing that could stop Sublime was the Phoenix herself, he used Magneto to pump a lethal amount of electromagnetic energy into her body, successfully killing her. Wolverine returned the favor in kind by decapitating Magneto.

HERE COMES TOMORROW

Upon Jean's death, Cyclops lost all interest in the life of super heroics and abandoned the school. Henry McCoy, alias Beast, was all that was left to help lead the mutant population of the future. One night, out of desperation, he inhaled Kick, allowing Sublime to take over his form. Through Beast, Sublime began genetic warfare to rid the Earth of lesser species. One hundred and fifty years after Jean died at the hands of Magneto, the Phoenix egg was discovered on the moon, where Dark Phoenix had slain herself, just as the cocoon had been found where Jean originally died. Contained within the egg was Jean, now fully evolved, capable of using all the power of the Phoenix. The Beast sought to use Phoenix to rid the world of all imperfections and use her power to recreate the world. What he had not realized is that Phoenix returned to destroy him. Using her powers, Phoenix eradicated Sublime, but not before the surviving X-Men in the future had perished. Her task complete, Jean crossed over into the higher state of being where she could set right the dying pathway of the universe. Burning back through time, Jean willed that Scott not leave the school, lest this horrible future come to pass. Cyclops accepted the proposal of Emma Frost to reopen the school and all was set right. Jean then joined the great pantheon of cosmic avatars in the hereafter, the Crown of the White Hot Room of M'Kraan City, her body in the present, finally, at peace. But, as they say, "Surely you know that a Phoenix dies only to be reborn!"

P H O E N I X - E N D S O N G

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