Jean Grey is one of the strongest Marvel characters. Her getting killed by Moira X during the 2023 Hellfire Gala was a massive blow for the X-Men, who were already hurting from all their other losses during the gala event. Unlike previous deaths Marvel did not wait around for when Jean would be returning. Right after the Hellfire Gala Marvel started publishing a Jean Grey mini-series tied to the Fall of X by the legendary Louise Simonson and Bernard Chang. The four-issue mini-series turned out to set up what Jean’s role in the Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X.
WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON IN JEAN GREY
Following her death at the hands of Moira X, Jean Grey has found herself in a dimension where she has been able to manipulate the Marvel Multiverse. Through this Jean has been going through her own version of “The Many Lives of Moira X” storyline that ran in Jonathan Hickman’s House of X and Powers of X. Using her knowledge of what happened to her Jean has been exploring if there was an a way if certain events in her life as an X-Men went different it would lead to a better future.
Jean manipulating the timeline to create new realities came down to how things could go differently with the events revolving around the Phoenix. This led to Jean trying to see if Wolverine, Cyclops, and Madelyne Pryor became the host of the Phoenix Force things would’ve been better. What Jean found out is that they were as bad, if not worse than what we saw her go through as Phoenix and Dark Phoenix.
Which led to the Phoenix Force itself giving Jean tough love by showing that no matter how much Jean changed or wished things went differently all paths would’ve led to the same endgame. This would then lead the Phoenix Force revealing that it was Jean’s love is her greatest power. It was the love for her family and friends that balanced out the Phoenix Force’s overwhelming power.
HOW JEAN GREY TIES TO IMMORTAL X-MEN
In Immortal X-Men #16 Hope Summers found out that Jean Grey has been doing all of her time manipulation within the White Hot Room. Which was further confirmed by Jean Grey #4 where Jean heard Hope talking with Exodus from where she was located within the White Hot Room.
The White Hot Room is a cosmic realm that acts as an afterlife of sorts for hosts of the Phoenix Force that exists beyond the Multiverse. It is also where Krakoa was able to gain the materials need to create the Mysterium is a unique metallic meta-material that has anti-magic properties.
From what we’ve seen in Immortal X-Men during the Fall of X somehow Mother Righteous used her powers to send the over 200,000 mutants Orchis forced Charles Xavier to send to their deaths to instead be transported to a desert-like location. Putting the events of Immortal X-Men and Jean Grey together this unknown location Hope and the other “dead” mutants is the Phoenix’s White Hot Room.
JEAN GREY IN FUTURE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF X & RISE OF THE POWERS OF X
Based on how Jean Grey #4 and Immortal X-Men #16 ended it appears as though Jean will be returning before 2024 comes to a close. That will likely be confirmed in Immortal X-Men #17 where Jean will be helping out Hope Summers and Exodus, who are battling in the White Hot Room. This would give the X-Men a much needed member to help them out in the war against Orchis.
Jean Grey #4 ended with it appearing that Jean could be returning to being the host of the Phoenix Force. She is at least helping the Phoenix Force repair itself and the White Hot Room after Echo used all of the Phoenix’s power to save the Marvel Multiverse.
Jean by becoming the host of the Phoenix Force again can help the Phoenix regain its former power level. Jean would in turn get a power that Orchis is not prepared for. Given how Jean has grown even more powerful as an Omega Level mutant we could see a Phoenix at a power level we haven’t seen before.
No matter what, Jean’s return can’t come soon enough for the X-Men. The Fall of the House of X and Rise of the Powers of X will be massive events. Jean will likely be a key character in how these two events will end.