Hi Perdid and Constance

Like boht of you I have always had a mad love affair for 616 Jean Grey.  As a (very!) young man I was fascinated by psychic stuff, especially telepathy and telekinesis, and then I got introduced to Marvel and found Jean Grey  Like most 60's and early 70's female characters, there was not much character (or character) develpment but Jean just felt different to Sue Storm, Janet Pym etc.  I really fell for her in a big way, and even more so when she became Phoenix.  I loved the art / the iconography, the way she was drawn (her hair glowing when  all Phoenixy etc) and how her voice was different.  Costume was also very very classic!

I was 14 when the killed her off first time.  I found out about it as Marvel UK had produced a Marvel special of 'What if Phoenix had not died' before they had printed the Dark Phoenix story in the UK comics (I was into MArvel via the,m and not the imported American ones at the time).  They also merged 2 British comis at the same time when they did the UNcanny Xmen 137 story - so that they ran it in 2 halves over 2 months.  I felt cheated then and I feel cheated now.

I am enjoying the AvsX stuff as a story in itself.  I am liking how theyare expanding on some of the Phoenix history (ish - first and froemost for me< Jean will always be Phoenix, the 'Phoenix Force' I can accept, but it is Jean's conflict as Phoenix where I really fell for her, and hurt like hell when they killed her off, but I also thought ti was done in a wonderful way.  (And at this point I think I need to "thank" Jim Shooter - the originally panned ending did not have the emotional impact and power of the one that was published.  How she ahs been dealt with since then is another issue.......

I like seeing Jean in the other Universes, but they are merely pale reflections, and not MY Jean.  I liked what Morrison did with her, and thought there was so much more potential for stories for her.  It was a cheap shot killing her off again, and in such a crass way - like she would not have been prepared for Magneto / Xorn (Whatever!!).  But she did come back.

In terms of TB etc and comments - I think even if she were coming back in this story they would not say so.  No one gives 'spoilers' really, and sometimes whe I read spoliers it takes out the fun for me,   I used to get my comis and get excited about reading them cos then was the first time I had heard about whatever was happening. No spoliers are all over the media / and internet (and I cant stop resisting looking, so also my fault!)

TB says Jean is not coming back - he would say that anyway.  Jean has shown so many appearances in last few years - Sisterhood, Endsong etc.  When all the Phoenix pieces left Rachael, Korvus and the Cuckoos etc, I kind of hoped they were building towards something, and hope that this current story will resolve it.  However, if they brought her back I am not sure if they have any writers who could deal with her respectfully, and in that case I don't want her to come back;  I'd finally like her to rest in peace.  One thing I ahve liked though has been the fairly consistent appearances made by her, even if only in flashbacks.  Showing her legacy is more respectful than many other things they have done to her (and let's face it, most of the Xmen characters too!).  Many of whom are just not recognisable now.

I am pleased and take pleasure in the fact that it is WE who keep Jean alive, even if others don't.  If they do bring her back, we will probably never agree on whether we are happy with the 'new' Jean, but we all love the old one!  I am crap at art, but have downloaded some of the Jean pics people have made - one is always my Wallpaper on my computer, cos I love them so much.

So let's enjoy (or not) A xs X, stop asking TB and the other writers questions we know they will not answer anyway - at least not openly.  It just setting us' up to fail, to be upset.

Maybe Jean doesn't come back this time.  Constance I really love your idea of a smaller more intimate story for her to come back in, rather than a huge thing.  I dont even have an issue with Jean / Emma / Scott.  Emma does represent a 'cynical' modern attitude, that many people like.  But I see no point in comparing her to Jean or her relationship to Scott with Jean's.  Jean is so much more than 'Scott's wife' - she always has been and always will be.

Our Jean will always be in our heart and heads, no matter what Marvel do / dont do with her!