Jean Grey is the character that won't stay dead. Except she has been dead since X-Men #150 in 2004 (or 2005, if you want to include Phoenix: Endsong). Jean was one of the original X-Men. She and Cyclops were one of the few superhero couples to get married. With characters constantly dying and returning, it's surprising that Jean, the poster child for resurrections, still hasn't returned to comic book pages.

There are those that despise when characters die only to return shortly after. Batman and Captain America were both recently dead for around two years before their return. Have people forgotten about Jean? I tend to agree that comic book deaths are made cheap when the character returns. The characters start to become invincible and there's no need to worry if they get in perilous situations because we know writers will have an easy way out.

Jean is a character with a lot of potential and is too good to waste being relegated to comic book limbo. The fact that Scott is with Emma and we have some big changes coming up makes it the perfect time for Jean to return. If she happens to bring any remnants of the Phoenix Force, all the better.

To be fair, Jean's first death shouldn't even count. When she was originally dying from high levels of radiation in a damage space shuttle, she was placed a healing cocoon while the Phoenix Force took her place. Therefore her death/sacrifice in [Uncanny] X-Men #137 wasn't Jean's death.

It was her recent death that was pretty savage. Xorn, posing as Magneto, gave her the equivalent of a planetary-scale stroke. She died in Scott's arms.

Jean's death allowed for Scott and Emma to finally accept their feelings for each other. This led to both characters growing. Scott was no longer tied to Jean's side. Even when he thought he had moved on and married Madelyne Pryor, it turned out to be a clone of Jean.

Emma went from being a cold and unfeeling villainess to someone that we can believe truly cares for Scott. It was Jean in the future (I'm not getting into the Phoenix egg business in Grant Morrison's final X-Men issues) that sent her blessings to the two and saying they should be together and live.

Of course she sort of returned from her death. In Phoenix: Endsong, the Phoenix Force does attempt to resurrect Jean. Jean tells the Phoenix Force it's too early. We see a struggle between the two. The Phoenix Force basically has the hots for Scott and wants to return to him. There is a struggle throughout the miniseries between Jean and the Phoenix Force. Jean even asks Wolverine to kill her over and over in trying to weaken the Phoenix Force.

After some other X-Men shenanigans, Jean helps save the day and returns to the White Hot Room. Everyone is happy and things continue the way they were. Scott and Emma continue their relationship.

But it is time for Jean to return. Imagine what it would be like for Jean to catch up on everything that has happened. What would she think of Hope and the deaths of Cable and Nightcrawler. With Scott clearly having moved on (although there's bound to be a spark of feelings deep down), there are so many possibilities for Jean.

She has always been attached to Scott's side. Let's see what she can do on her own. If she wanted to, she could hook up with Wolverine, someone else or just be on her own. What would she think of the Uncanny X-Force team and their methods (would they really be able to keep it a secret from her?).

How could Jean come back? When it comes to the Phoenix Force, we know anything is possible. In Wolverine # 7 and 8 we saw that Wolverine had a piece of his subconscious dedicated to Jean. The Phoenix Force could try to latch onto that in order to return. That might be too much of a stretch. While we've seen Jean come back many times, the powers that be have firmly stated that Jean is dead.

But she's not really dead...at least not everywhere. Dark Phoenix did pop up in The Iron Age: Alpha but does that count since it involved Doctor Doom's Time Platform. If we're being desperate and if writers really want a way to bring Jean back, they just need to look at the pages of Uncanny X-Force #11. Why not have the Age of Apocalypse version journey over? We've seen plenty of other AoA residence in the 616-Universe and there's no reason Jean can't take the trip.

It is simply Jean's time to return. The original is preferable. Heck, I'd even settle for her return as Marvel Girl. She's been gone long enough. With the announcement of the X-Men being divided this fall and Wolverine leading his own team (most likely a team separate from Cyclops), we were teased that we'd be surprised at who followed who. If Jean came back and sided with Wolverine, it would make for some pretty juicy storytelling.

There's always been tension between Scott and Logan. We know from the Schism teasers that they will be fighting each other. I don't see the fight being over Wolverine continuing to lead an X-Force team that 's willing to kill. In Wolverine #8, Scott asked Logan why he mentioned Jean's name before regaining control of his body. Wolverine told him that wasn't the time to talk about Jean.

Which Jean should we have return? The original Jean, a Phoenix-enhanced version or her Age of Apocalypse counterpart? We may have limited numbers of mutants around thanks to Scarlet Witch and her "No more mutants" magic but most of them don't even come close to comparing to Jean. Who's with me? Let's all cry out for Jean to come back.

 She's always bound to come back eventually. Wolverine is one character you can't seem to kill. Jean is one who can't stay dead.

I prefer the original minus phoenix(possibly with a phoenix echo), but I could settle for the AoA jean she'd be interesting but yea the original would be preferred. 
If she does come back it needs to be for the long haul and not to just die in a couple of years

I want to see Dark Phoenix.

I really think that Jean should come back ASAP! And honestly I think that she should get together with Wolverine, I've always thought they could be better together than when Jean was with Cyclops, I mean, Wolverine "can't die" and Jean keeps resurrecting, so I mean it would be better for both, as they could live their possibly immortal lives together without fear of either one dying, sort-of. And I like Scott being with Emma, their relationship has greatly allowed both characters to mature and develop interestingly. So yeah, Jean Grey NEEDS to be brought back NOW, especially the ORIGINAL!

Two words: 
 
Stay. Dead.

no not the AoA versian i want the original that would be cool and they should bring her back in schism(still weird) and be with wolvie and i think maddie should be good again and join the x men

the original one should come back but i agree with G-man give a new storyline, besides wolverine is in a relationship with melita now.

It really IS time for Jean to come back ! I missed her soo much :( The thing I like most about the X-men books is that the whole death and resurection thing is more realistic . But that doesn`t mean Jean should stay dead forever !

Sadly, Jean Grey was defined as just being 'the woman who hosts Phoenix' and the character went for a decade (1990s) without any advance in characterization. Should she come back? Probably not considering that Hope is currently host to the phoenix force....i don't see how she'd fit in

I'd like the dangling Phoenix stuff with Hope to be resolved first.  After all the build up with Hope Summers, what she's actually doing now feels pretty anti-climatic and not really "worth" all the Messiah grief, war, and death.  The Phoenix seems like a red herring, but it'd be nice for it to be resolved so that Jean's return isn't muddied by the presence of multiple Phoenix Force users. 
 
Finalize why Hope is actually going to be a game-changing messiah, that way, all the momentum of Jean coming back can actually have weight and meaning. 
 
If you bring Jean back amidst other major action or suddenly Hope's story starts to climax, then you'll get a similar effect to Barry Allen's return, which should have been historic but instead got lost in the pages of Final Crisis with other momentous shifts like Darkseid and Batman dying... or even Bucky's potential Fear Itself death which feels rather overshadowed by how busy Fear Itself is- with city-wide carnage, etc. 
 
Clear the slate.  Then bring Jean back as a proper X-event.

Personally I think if Jean Grey came back one more time then she would just be a joke, the only way that she'll retain some dignity as a character is to just stay dead in my opinion.

Personally I think Jean should remain away. I say away cause with the Phoenix Force she is not really dead just on another plain of existence dealing with things of cosmic(or greater) importance. I mean Jean is THE personification of the cliche that dead comic book characters eventually come back to life. 
 
Now, if no one listens to me and she does come back then I hope there writers will not be more lazy than usual and have her and Scott back together. Yes they both may have unresolved issues with each other but their relationship was over before she died and Scott has moved on. Also if she does come back can we just have 616 Jean as a regular mutant and not the host for a cosmic level being.

When I read the new X force I thought the same thing! just bring her back from that universe... this way you're not resurrecting her again and you are bringing back a big name in non cheesy way. (plus AOA jean had a relationship with that universes Wolverine right? )

Plus I agree lots of good drama waiting to happen with Wolverine, Cyclops and Emma! DO IT!!!

p.s G-MAN you have been so spot on with your predictions recently, I think you're gonna be right about this too!

Oh so this isn't gonna be a Dark Willow article...

Jean should stay dead, she has no place in the Marvel universe anymore she has been replaced by Emma, Rachel and Hope, but having AoA Jean come in the 616 universe and hook up with Wolvie would be cool.

@Chane said:

Two words:  Stay. Dead.

yes let's support the trite notion of character deaths not meaning anything.
 
no, she shouldn't return. no "dead" hero should.

yes let's support the trite notion of character deaths not meaning anything.  no, she shouldn't return. no "dead" hero should.

 
K my last What Could happen: Jean/Phoenix comes back and decides to recruit others in doing so imprinting its own powers on other selected individuals (candidates: like Rogue temporary absorbing and possessing the Phoenix power, Marvel Girl, of course, Legion, and Hope) (No Not Emma or the Cuckoos, been there done that haha we get it already their hot characters) using them as a means of a team against the next Apocalypse or a mission to fix some of the deep space issues happening.   
 
I will say there is one main thing about Jean/Phoenix return thats got'in annoying... and thats the whole Dark Phoenix thing... mean I think its time we moved on from that.

 
Man! So many Awesome things can come of her Return!

Defiantly Jean’s return will change things in the X-World in one way or another.

Hey! whatever happened to “MAKE MINE MARVEL!” haha  

although i really hate characters dying and returning from the dead, i feel jean should return.
beside's it's what a phoenix does right? always rises from the ashes.
 
So yes she should return in phoenix form, but maybe she could be different.
I would not necessarily have her return to the x-men at all.
She kind of said goodbye to scott and the x-men before she died and therefore i would love to see her join the FF or avengers (take the scarlet witch's place although she herself will probably soon return to the avengers) 
Or maybe she should return as a cosmic entity and feature in the guardians of the galaxy or such.
 
So yes, have her return, stay with the x-men for a few days and let her decide that the x-men is not her home anymore and let her go someplace else. 

Interesting points you got there, Mr G. I'd go with AOA Jean if I had to choose. But other than that, I could do without Jean for another 10 years. Thank you.

never really liked jean, then emma came along. if the x-men ritually sacrificed emma  or simply throw her in hell , so jean can come back im all for it . red heads are sexier than blondes anyways :p

I whole heartedly agree. Remember that Rachel is returning in the coming months, and remember that she lost her fragment of the Phoenix Force, and remember that she was trying to tell Cyclops about something. Also we have Schism, the Five Lights and Hope, and the promise that something MASSIVE is happening next year in X-Men that will affect the overall Marvel universe. I know that's said every other day, but the fact that it's X-Men related is very interesting, maybe they'll finally be integrated with the rest of the MU?  
My guess: something will happen with Hope and the Five Lights in a big storyline next year, ending with the sacrifice of Hope and the return of Jean who will reverse what Wanda did on M Day (or at least reboot the X-Gene again). 
She should then leave the X-Men (she's far beyond them now IMO), be independent of all the Cyclops and Wolverine crap, and join something else (I would say the Avengers but everyone does that nowadays).

maybe Jean's return, or Hope's "evolution" where she finally realizes she is Jean, will unite both X-men teams some time after Schizm

I don't miss her at all. But the Phoenix is one character that it actually makes sense to kill and resurect over and over again. That's the myth of the Phoenix after all.
 
What I really hate is when they bring back people who have had meaningful or really epic deaths. Like when they brought back Osborne. His death was a huge moment in the Spider-man comic. Or Bucky for that matter. Those event helped shape the heroes.

She was dead?

I've had to reject power sets for Jean Grey because people insist that she IS the Phoenix, that it isn't even funny any more. 
 
I'm already 100% convinced that the erstwhile Ms Grey-Summers will be returning very soon & that she'll be a polarising factor during the up-coming Schism.  After all: 

- Who is slap bang in the centre of the cover to the final issue of Uncanny X-Men (volume 1)? 
- Why have we only seen a cover for Wolverine & The X-Men, but not Uncanny X-Men (volume 2) #1? 
 
It would be interesting to see Jean's reaction to events such as the Decimation & the birth of Hope.  It would be more interesting to see if the Phoenix Force rejects Jean... or Hope.   
 
But more than anything, I'm just sick & tired of all the teasing.  During the Sisterhood story they hinted that they were going to resurrect Jean (again), but it's not as if they'd do something so landmark in the middle of an average run-of-the-mill story.  However, Schism is being built up (to be an anti-climax) to be a great game changing event.  We already know from Previews that Kid Omega is returning... who's to say that another powerful psi isn't returning too?

Interesting article, I'll counter with this; 
 
No. For the love of God, no.

SHE DOES NOT COME BACK UNLESS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE REBOOTS!!!!!!!! 
 
I am more than half done with marvel in general.  Status quo for toys, bed sheets, and backpacks. 
 
But here's a free idea marvel.  Jean rises in a universal event (Hey a chance to revive the once awesome and probably least dated stuff (Cosmic that is)  from the 1970's), and phoenix force reboots the Marvel U.  It's basically what the Cosmic players have feared from the start.  The Phoenix remaking the entire universe.   
 
BAM, One More Day, Early Ninties X foolery, the whole sentry thing = SOLVED

Redheads in mini-skirts always get my attention... especially back in the '60s and I was around 11 years old. Over the years I have watched in horror as she was treated like a day old biscuit by one writer after another... after another... after another!
Bring back the original Jean Grey, but not if she's just gonna be abused some more.
Weren't Jean and Scott supposed to live happily ever after? Or, don't happy husband and wife super-mutant couples sell comics these days? It doesn't always have to be death, doom, and gloom ALL the time!
Cut us a little slice of "nice" now and then!!!

Sadly, Jean Grey was defined as just being 'the woman who hosts Phoenix' and the character went for a decade (1990s) without any advance in characterization. Should she come back? Probably not considering that Hope is currently host to the phoenix force....i don't see how she'd fit in

I have never liked Jean and I especially hated her with Scott. She needs to stay dead, and if they decide for some reason that they want to bring her back once again and make her one of the cheapest characters when it comes to actually dying, she needs to go with Wolverine or something instead of Scott.

If she comes back, she should stay away from Scott.  He's made his decision with Emma.  More importantly, this frees her up to start seeing Logan. ^_^  

She doesn't need the Phoenix Force, and if it left her for good that might be for the best.  Most of us are tired of it giving her such a potential for resurrection.

Two words:  Stay. Dead.

Shell have to come back to get me back on this book because at the moment ive lost all interest in X-men.

When... Jean comes back she will do the unthinkable... she will undo Scarlet Witch's curse... that would be something.

Jean Grey=plot device nothing more

What if the Jean Grey in Uncanny X-Force #11 is actually the 616 Jean?
 
Now THAT would be a nice twist.

All of her character roles/props/gimmicks have been passed out to other characters. To Emma and her clones, to Rachael Summers, to Hope...there's less reason than ever to bring her back.