The X-Men’s debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has long been a topic of discussion. Sadie Sink’s mystery role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day sparked months of fan speculation, with many correctly assuming she would play Jean Grey. Her appearance in the film ushers in the next era of the live-action X-Men, which is an incredibly daunting task for both actors and creators.
Fans have seen many animated and live-action versions of the X-Men, though few have captured what makes the team’s most popular characters work so well in the comics. Sadie Sink has big shoes to fill as Jean Grey, but she also has the freedom to make the character her own in the MCU. Brand New Day already introduced a new origin for Jean, but some important foundational comics could still serve as inspirational source material for Sadie Sink’s upcoming role in X-Men.
Jean’s Discovery of Her Mutant Powers Was Traumatic
X-Men Origins: Jean Grey #1 (2008)
Brand New Day took a slightly different approach to Jean’s origins, as she discovered and explored her powers alongside her sister Sara, who had developed similar psionic abilities. However, it still captured a similar traumatic explosion of her abilities once she discovered the death of her sister in the film. This reworked a similar moment that equally traumatized young Jean in the comics.
Sean McKeever and Mike Mayhew (with Nate Piekos) re-explored a pivotal moment in the young mutant’s past in X-Men Origins: Jean Grey #1. The one-shot explored the manifestation of Jean Grey’s mutant abilities, which were triggered when she telepathically accessed her best friend’s mind as she was hit and killed in a motor accident. It also dives into unexplored territory in the days leading up to her debut with the X-Men, all of which helps flesh out the character even more for an actor like Sadie Sink.
Jean Grey Takes The Focus in the Team’s Early Years
X-Men: Season One #1 (2012)
Jean was the last mutant to join the X-Men, and as such, isn’t always at the forefront of stories that reimagine their earliest days. However, Dennis Hopeless and Jamie McKelvie (with Mike Norton, Matthew Wilson, and Clayton Cowles) showed everyone that Jean Grey was a great point-of-view character for this era in X-Men: Season One #1.
The one-shot follows Jean Grey and the other original members of the X-Men in their earliest days as they deal with Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. However, it focuses more on their lives as young mutants in a frankly wild situation as they train to hone their abilities and fight other mutants. Jean is the perfect narrator for these teenagers as they form a lasting bond through difficult relationships, and it’s a great look at a modernized team from her perspective that expands on the original comic debut perfectly.
The Dark Phoenix Saga is Jean Grey’s Most Well-Known Story
The Uncanny X-Men #129–138 (1979-1980)
One of the most iconic and well-known X-Men storylines isn’t always the easiest to explain, and it isn’t as quick a read as some other options. Still, in all things Jean Grey, it remains an incredibly important chapter in her history, no matter how convoluted it became over the years. Chris Claremont and John Byrne (with Terry Austin, Tom Orzechowski, Glynis Wein and others) kicked off the story when Jean Grey nearly gave her life while trying to save the other X-Men on an all-fated mission in space.
She unknowingly bonded with the cosmic Phoenix Force (check out Classic X-Men #8 for a back-up story that dives further into this moment), which gave her access to incredible but also corrupting power. The Dark Phoenix Saga follows Jean Grey’s struggle with the cosmic force inside her, the dark forces outside trying to twist her power for their own gain, and the ultimate sacrifice Jean Grey must make to save everything she loves. A must-read, even if the storyline has been severely overadapted.
Jean Grey’s Return Caused Serious Waves During Inferno
Uncanny X-Men #239-243, X-Factor #35-39 (1988-1989)
To be fair, the first “Inferno” event could be considered even more confusing than the Dark Phoenix Saga. The original Saga is fairly succinct and only gets confusing because of later developments. Chris Claremont, Marc Silvestri, and numerous others brought fans the “Inferno” event in 1988. It features a demonically influenced clone of Jean Grey named Madelyne Pryor, a supervillain master manipulator in Mister Sinister, and a multi-team crossover that introduces a few other storylines.
However, Inferno is an excellent display of not just Jean Grey’s omega-level power, but also her incredible character. The day is saved, as it often is with Jean Grey, by her ability to reach out and connect with someone in their darkest moments. Inferno also wraps up a few loose ends from the Dark Phoenix Saga, so it’s an important read for anyone who wants the full story. Thankfully, the first season of X-Men ’97 adapted elements from the Inferno event into a much-easier to digest storyline that captures the important points.
Jean Grey Showed Her Mettle Before Her Marriage to Cyclops
X-Men #28-30 (1993-1994)
Scott Summers and Jean Grey’s relationship grew over the years as the X-Men did. The romance developed in other series like X-Factor and helped lay the foundation for the incredibly popular adjectiveless X-Men series in the ’90s. And while Scott and Jean were on separate X-Men rosters during this time, their love grew stronger, leading to their eventual marriage in X-Men #30 by Fabian Nicieza and Andy Kubert (with Matt Ryan, Joe Rosas, and Bill Oakley).
While the issue features landmark moments from iconic members, as well as romantic bits from the wedded couple that rewarded fans, diving back just a couple of issues offers another great look at Jean Grey. In X-Men #28, the X-Men all struggle with the recent decision to hold Sabretooth on the grounds for treatment. After he toys with other team members, Jean Grey strolls into his cell and puts him in his place with both her powers and her words. It’s an incredible moment that showcases Jean Grey’s best strengths and shouldn’t be missed.
Jean and Scott Were Sent to Apocalypse’s Future to Raise Cable
The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix #1-4 (1994)
Scott Lobdell and Gene Ha (with Al Vey, Kevin Somers and Richard Starkings) followed up on the wedding by taking the titular duo on their honeymoon in The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix. Of course, Scott and Jean’s honeymoon was anything but typical, but that’s nothing new for the X-Men. One minute the founding X-Men were enjoying wedded bliss in a tropical paradise; the next, they woke up in cloned bodies of their descendants in a far future ruled by one of the X-Men’s greatest enemies.
Pulled to the future by their time-lost alternate reality daughter Rachel Summers (another long story, but check out Excalibur #71 for some bonus content to flesh out Jean and Rachel’s relationship a bit more), Scott and Jean are tasked with helping to save and raise young Nathan Summers, the son they were forced to send to the future in order to save his life. This story is the first in a series that further embeds Scott and Jean in the past and future of mutantkind, making it a great read that truly highlights their importance to the X-Men. It was also loosely adapted in the second season of X-Men ’97, so fans can enjoy the storyline in multiple ways.
Jean Grey Reached New Heights Before She Ultimately Fell
New X-Men #114-154 (2001-2004)
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (with Ethan van Sciver, Igor Kordey, Phil Jimenez, John Paul Leon, and others) revolutionized the X-Men and brought them into the modern world with the New X-Men rebranding. The team adopted dark leather suits to match their live-action counterparts, and they started tackling new threats as they rebuilt the mutant school and accepted more new students than ever.
This came at a time when Cyclops was compromised by past battles with Apocalypse, so Jean Grey stepped up in a big way. She took charge as the school’s Headmistress and the X-Men’s leader. Her connection to the Phoenix Force grew even more and she displayed incredible new levels of power. Unfortunately, this storyline also saw her killed in action fighting Magneto, resulting in the character’s longest-lasting death in publication. It’s an important read to see how far she can climb, but it’s still hard to see her fall in the end.
A Time-Displaced Jean Grey Dived Into Her Future Past
Jean Grey #1-11 (2017-2018)
A young Jean was forcibly injected into the X-Men’s modern lives when the present-day Beast traveled to the past and brought the five original founding members forward in time. He hoped that seeing how they ended up in the future, at a decidedly dark time for mutantkind, would help them avoid the same difficulties and potentially change things for the better. Of course, things didn’t go as planned, and the original five X-Men were trapped in the present instead, potentially threatening the entire timeline.
The displaced O5 also had to deal with the heavy ramifications of their future. In Jean’s case, she was forced to confront her relationship with the Phoenix Force, and her eventual deaths and rebirths. Dennis Hopeless and Victor Ibanez (with Jay David Ramos and Travis Lanham) followed young Jean as she explored the looming threat of the Phoenix Force’s return. This led her to seek counsel and confront other telepaths, or characters connected to the Phoenix Force, who could help her delve into her future and past.
Jean Grey Formed Her Own X-Men To Fight Back Against Hate
X-Men Red #1-11 (2018-2019)
The divisive but still powerful Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey brought the iconic character back a decade after her death in Morrison’s New X-Men. However, while still an important chapter in her story, it felt mostly like a setup for X-Men Red by Tom Taylor and Mahmud Asrar (with Ive Svorcina, Cory Petit and others). Jean Grey returns to find a world more dangerous than ever for mutantkind.
With the X-Men already stretched to the limit and divided, Jean Grey recruits and forms her own team. The roster features old friends, loyal X-Men, and a few powerful new additions who unite to fight back against Cassandra Nova and other anti-mutant threats. It’s a great take on Jean Grey that explores her strengths as a leader and her status as one of the X-Men’s core forces that others always gather around. X-Men Red was short-lived, as it was soon followed by the House of X relaunch, but it still lands as Jean’s first big story back.
Jean Grey Embraced the Phoenix Force and Became a Cosmic Hero
Phoenix #1-15 (2024-2025)
The MCU’s X-Men film focuses on a younger class of mutants, as shown by the casting of Sadie Sink and other founding members like Kit Connor’s Scott Summers. And given the oversaturation of Dark Phoenix adaptations, the MCU’s Jean might not even go down that route. However, Jean Grey’s relationship with the Phoenix Force has grown quite a bit over the years, and it’s still important to see how it constantly changes her. Jean finally re-embraced the cosmic force after the Fall of X storyline in the Krakoan Era in the Phoenix series by Stephanie Phillips and Alessandro Miracolo (with David Curiel and VC’s Cory Petit).
With full access to her new cosmic abilities, Jean headed to the stars and carried out the Phoenix’s mission of destruction and rebirth, albeit in her own unique way. This put her on an entirely new heroic level, and she started rubbing shoulders with other cosmic heroes like Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy. It might not be as important for Sink to explore, given her role as a young Jean Grey in X-Men. However, the looming presence of the Phoenix Force is hard to ignore, even if it isn’t always a bad thing.
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X-Men
- Release Date
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May 5, 2028
- Director
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Jake Schreier
- Writers
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Joanna Calo, Lee Sung Jin, Michael Lesslie
- Producers
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Kevin Feige
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Inde Navarrette
Rogue / Anna Marie
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Kit Connor
Scott Summers / Cyclops
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Samara Weaving
Emma Frost
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- Created by
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Jack Kirby, Stan Lee
- First Film
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X-Men
- Latest Film
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The New Mutants
- Upcoming Films
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Deadpool & Wolverine
- First TV Show
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X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men
- Latest TV Show
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X-Men ’97
Since their debut in 1963, Marvel’s X-Men have been more than just another superhero team. While the team really hit its stride as the All New, All Different X-Men in 1975, Marvel’s heroic mutants have always operated as super-outcasts, protecting a world that hates and fears them for their powers.
Key members of the X-Men include Professor X, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Wolverine, Iceman, Beast, Rogue, and Storm. Often framed as the world’s second strongest superheroes, after the Avengers, they are nonetheless one of Marvel’s most popular and important franchises.
