Ah, Jean Grey. I could probably spend several sections talking about all the times shes died and revived throughout X-Men history, much like her alter-egos namesake. For this list, however, Ill focus on her most famous death that gave us the iconic cover you saw at the beginning of this article. The problem is that this death is a bit of a cheat. You see, technically it wasnt Jean Grey who died. It was a Phoenix Force clone. During one of the X-Mens adventures in the 70s, they were trapped on a shuttle that was on a collision course for Earth. Jean tried piloting the shuttle to safety but was exposed to high levels of radiation. This plus her determination to save her friends boosted her telekinetic and telepathic powers to unimaginable levels. The shuttle safely landed, and Jean, who was previously one of the weakest members of the team, emerged as the Phoenix, one of the most powerful mutants on Earth. Jean stayed with the X-Men and used her enhanced powers on multiple missions, most notably when she healed the MKraan Crystal and saved the universe. However, after the failed attempt by Mastermind and the Hellfire club to control her, Jeans became overwhelmed by her powers and turned into the Dark Phoenix. Corrupted by her power, Dark Phoenix travelled across the universe and consumed a star, which killed over five billion of that systems inhabitants. Although she was eventually brought back into coherence by her teammates, the damage was done. Sentenced to death by the Shiar Empire, the X-Men were forced to fight for her life, and when her powers started to get out of control, she committed suicide to prevent more people from getting hurt. It was later revealed that this woman was not Jean, but actually the Phoenix Force posing as her while the real Jean had been placed in a medical cocoon by the Phoenix to heal from her radiation. Still, Im keeping this under the Jean Grey list. I mean, it died believing it was her, and it died to make sure it didnt hurt others. I cant imagine that: having so much power that it corrupts you into massacring a star system, and then having to kill yourself because you dont know what will happen if the power takes over again. Not only was it one of the most iconic moments in comic book history, it was also one of the saddest. Which X-Men deaths left the biggest scars on you? Share your own picks in the comments thread below.
Adam Holmes is a writer who loves a good story whether it's fact or fiction. When he's not day-dreaming about time travel, he's usually immersing himself in all things film, television and comic books. He hopes to one day break into the entertainment journalism industry. Yes, he is aware of his resemblance to Clark Kent and McLovin. Keep up on the latest geek news by following his articles at Unleash The Fanboy: http://www.unleashthefanboy.com/author/adam-holmes
