If Shawn Wrote comics: Marvel
Comics’ Phoenix
Jean
Grey was one of the most powerful female characters in the Marvel Universe.
Chris Claremont and John Byrne gave her powers equal to Thor and the Silver
Surfer. In comics she was a human being with the power of a god. A great
concept with a lot of potential for a lot of stories. If written well, I feel
Jean could have finally been Marvel’s answer to Wonder Woman.
But
thanks to the misogynists in the comic book industry, Jeans’ basically been a
doormat for close to forty years. Stepped on by Scott Summers. The secret
sexual fantasy of Wolverine. Stepped on and pissed on by Emma Frost.
A
plot device for writers who need a Deus Ex Machina to get out of a corner they
paint themselves into. A character who sacrifices her life whenever it’s
convenient. A literal joke instead of the gateway into Marvel Comics for a
generation of female readers.
If
I could write Jean Grey in a Phoenix ongoing, I’d redefine her as a woman
taking what she learned at the Xavier school and establishing her own life in
the entire Marvel Universe. She wouldn’t be a doormat. She’d learn how to fight
back and stand up on her own two feet as a solo superheroine.
At
the start of my Phoenix run she’d be rising from the ashes. Again. This time
she’d back from the dead with a portion of the Phoenix power. But this time she
wouldn’t tell anyone she’s back. She’d be alone. Depressed. Drinking. Wasting
her days in a dead-end job and her nights in front of the TV with a bottle of
wine. She doesn’t want to be a superhero. She just wants to be left alone. Why?
Hey, her husband cheated on her.
Any
woman who has had a man cheat on her is going to feel like shit. Asking
themselves why they cheated on them, what did the other woman have to offer
that she didn’t? What they could have done differently? These are questions
without answers. Questions most superheroines can’t answer with a Deus ex
Machina or a simple plot device. The stuff of great storytelling.
And
drinking is what women do when they want to medicate themselves. And wine is
the Tylenol most American women use to ease their pain on nights and weekends.
Then they go out to work the next Monday morning hoping to survive another five
days of Hell. It’s a private ritual practiced in homes throughout the country.
Most
people don’t know the wife next door or the girl next door has a drinking
problem. Most don’t understand what drives them to drink.
Until
something happens to show the world what they do behind closed doors. And that
something is usually what makes them wake up and take charge of their lives.
In
the first issue of my Phoenix run, it’s another lonely Saturday night for Jean.
After moping about the past and her failed marriage through a four-page montage,
she heads to a bar. The Grapplers, a fifth-rate group of female mercenaries
come in celebrating their latest job. She starts a fight with them. And after
she beats them (showing off her new power set against these formidable foes)
she gets arrested. Why? Because a room full of people saw her throw the first
punch!
As
the Grapplers walk away scott free, Jean is sent to the Raft. Sure she could call
up Charles Xavier. But she wants to cut her ties with the X-men. Too many
memories. Too much pain. Too much continuity baggage for Shawn to deal with.
I’m starting FRESH. I want new readers to access the character.
Plus,
Jean doesn’t like Scott’s current approaches to ethics (Cyclops is a real
douche these days). Her being idealistic and ethical she decides to follow the
law and take responsibility for her actions. She decides to tough it out and
have her day in court on her own.
While
she bides her time in a cell, Jean gets a visitor. One of the Grapplers. They
rub salt in the wound. She mocks her. Tells her that she’s a wimp. That she
read about her. As she sees it Jean had the power of a god and got her ass
whupped by a bunch of hired goons. That she’s a doormat. That’s she’s too
afraid to fight back. And that for all of her super powers, she doesn’t take
any power to control her own life. Jean loses it and fights. She gets a few
licks in but eventually is taken down by the guards and sent to solitary.
There
she really thinks about things. Her former relationship with Cyclops. How she
time and time again gave up for others but never got anything in life for
herself. How she never really fought back or stood up for herself. How she spent
time working for Xavier’s dream and Scott’s dreams but never achieved any
dreams of her own.
At
the end of her time in solitary Jean realizes the Grappler was right about her.
Moreover, she realizes she’s spoiled. Being on a team for so long has led her
to become dependent. While she knows how to use the powers of the mind she still
doesn’t know how to use her head, which is why the Grapplers continue to get
the drop on her. She realizes she has to start thinking for herself and by
herself so she can survive in the Danger Room known as the Raft general population.
Only the strong survive in jail, and Jean has to build up her resolve to
survive in a jail filled with the most dangerous super-criminals.
As
she does her time, she’ll form relationships with some of the more obscure
super villainesses in the marvel Universe. Some of these will turn into
friendships, others into arch-enemies. All of it will relate to the larger
storyline and the theme of fighting back, standing up for oneself and achieving
one’s dreams.
The
subplot of this first three issue arc would climax with a breakout in the
female wing of the Raft. At the climax, Supervillianesses everywhere making a
run for it. But Jean doesn’t plan her own escape. Instead she helps capture
some bad guys, some friends, others enemies. These relationships will
eventually turn into rivalries/feuds in future issues. Relationships are
paramount to a comic featuring a superheroine. And I’d have several friendships
and rivalries planned as Jean begins establishing relationships with characters
throughout the entire marvel universe.
At
the conclusion of the arc, Jean gets her day in court. For her help at
containing the breakout in the female wing of The Raft, She’s sentenced to
probation for a year. She’s told to stay a hundred feet away from The
Grapplers.
But
the Grapplers aren’t done messing with her yet.
And
as part of a joint venture between New York State and SHIELD her probation
officer is SHIELD Agent Maria Hill. Maria Hill is a ball-busting by-the book
hardass who doesn’t like superheroes. Reading up on the Phoenix, she’s taken
the case personally. She sees Jean and sees her as a threat that needs to be
managed. She’ll be riding Jean hard and that’ll put Jean in a jam as she tries
to establish herself as a solo heroine. There’d be a great love/hate
relationship between both women as they try to navigate the laws and ethics
behind probation and crimefighting. (Plus her relationship/rivalry with Hill
sets it up for Jean to do some jobs for SHIELD on the side. Jean gets to visit
the Helicarrier in future stories!)
At
the end of this three issue story arc, Jean realizes how much she’s taken her
life for granted. How much she’s wasted her life. How she’s been a doormat. She
starts focusing on staying alive and establishing her own life. Moving past the
X-men. Making her own way as a superheroine. Applying some of the lessons she
learned at Xavier’s school and learning new things on her own.
In
my Phoenix series, she’d be moving on from Scott Summers. And She’d put Logan
in his place. He’d get checked on his objectification and worship of her once
and for all. I’d probably introduce a new love interest for Jean. Maybe I’d
have her pursued by Michael Korvac, the man who was once a god; they have that
in common. Scott has moved on with Emma. Jean should move on too.
After
I tie up the loose ends regarding the X-men during my Phoenix run, there’d be
no mutant Angst. No connection to the X-men. No visits to the Xavier school.
She’s moving on from that small corner of the Marvel Universe and becoming part
of the larger Marvel Universe. I’d be focusing on Jean interacting with more
characters from the larger Marvel Universe and her relationships with heroes
outside of the mutant community. Personally, I feel Jean outgrew the X-men
years ago. Like Hank McCoy, she should have branched out and done other things.
During
my Phoenix run, I’d explore her powers. Jean wouldn’t be just a telepath/telekinetic.
I’d add to her power set to show her using super-strength, limited
invulnerability, the ability to breathe in space and underwater, along with the
ability to alter the molecular structure of the clothes she’s wearing and her
hair and face (convenient for changing into costume/ disguising her face/hair
when working undercover) Claremont and Byrne originally had her on the level of
Silver Surfer and Thor, and I’d like to explore a broader powerset.
Even
with that incredible amount of power, there’d be limits because she has a human
mind. For example she can only alter the molecular structure of the clothes
she’s wearing. And she’d be vulnerable to broken concentration, and
distractions. She’d also be struggling with her own fears and doubts. One of
Jean’s greatest fears would be going too far or crossing her own ethical lines.
Power
wise, Jean would be on the level of heavy hitters like Ms. Marvel, Rogue, and
She-Hulk. And she’d throw down with two of these ladies at one point in the
series just to show how powerful she is.
Ethics
would be a major theme in my Phoenix series. When I wrote Isis I often pondered
What if a human being had the power of a god? Would they do whatever they
wanted? Or would they follow the laws of the land? Would they take a job? Or
would they literally make their own money with a thought? Who would be their
check and balance? What would a check or balance look like or operate like?
These are the kinds of questions Jean would have to answer on her journeys
throughout the Marvel universe as she establishes herself as an independent
hero.
As
a crime fighter, Jean would have to ask questions and examine herself? How far
is too far? Is it ever right to use her telepathy to change someone’s mind? And
when she interacts with villains does she defeat them or go the extra mile and
take away their powers?
What
if she heard the thoughts of someone planning to commit a crime? How would she
get involved? Would she stop the perpetrator before they acted? Or would she
wait for something more concrete before going into action? Would her testimony
even be considered evidence? Or would it be hearsay? Fascinating stuff.
How
would other heroes like Spider-Man or Captain America perceive a human being
with the power of a god? How would they relate to them? Would they want to work
with them? Would they respect them? Or would they fear them? Would they
collaborate against her the same way the illuminati conspired against the Hulk
in World War Hulk? Phoenix as a solo hero is a gold mine for story potential.
Do the other heroes work with her, or do they raise up arms to take her out
like they did Korvac back in the 1970’s?
As
for villains, I’d love to build Jean a nice rogues gallery from the most
underrated female characters in the marvel Universe. I’d love to have the first
storyline where she feuds with the Grapplers a group of fifth-rate female
mercenaries. And they’d outsmart her. But she’d learn lessons from that battle
that would make her change her whole perspective on life.
I’d
also have her throw down with Quicksand. Another underrated Marvel
supervillian, this Asian villainess has some fun and formidable powers.
I’d
also have her battle people like the Purple man and Mesmero. These
mind-controllers would really make her think about ethics and what is going too
far.
She’d
have a feud with Graviton, one of the most underrated villains in the Marvel
universe. Graviton is such an underrated character, he controls a force of
nature. He’d be a serious threat to someone like Jean. I can think of a hundred
ways he would use the force of gravity to challenge her.
I’d
also have her team up with Captain America, Spider-man and Thor so she could
see how other heroes perceive her. I no longer see Jean as an X-man, but as a
hero standing on her own two feet like those top tier characters.
I’d
also explore the cosmic stuff too. A woman who can toss around heralds like
Firelord needs to have a battle with Thanos. Phoenix/Thanos would be a very
intriguing place to explore the ethics involved in taking/protecting life and
death and how much force is excessive force.
Michael
Korvac would also be an interesting rogue/ I’d like to add to Jean’s gallery.
Here is a man who had the power of a god as well. He only wanted to bring peace
to the universe. An order to the chaos. And he wound up having everyone turn on
him. I’d love to write a story with him challenging Jean on ethics and her new
mission as a superheroine.
Mephisto
would pop in to tempt Jean during my run. In this storyline where she attends
anger management classes, she’d finally put the Dark Phoenix to bed. As Jean
fights back and stands up for herself, I’d establish that the Dark Phoenix is a
manifestation of all those emotions she suppressed in her attempt to maintain
control and not harm others by going too far. This would all lead up to a
Phoenix/Dark Phoenix battle where the Dark Phoenix is defeated once and for all
and Jean becomes a more balanced person who allows herself to express all of her
emotions.
A
Shawn James run on Phoenix would be a mix of superhero adventure and politics,
with a little fun thrown in. My vision for the series is a female-friendly read
filled with action and adventure that makes the whole Marvel Universe
accessible to new readers while entertaining longtime fans by exploring and
expanding on old concepts long established in the Marvel’s long history. Jean Grey
is a great character with a lot of potential that’s been untapped. I’d love to work
towards taking her character to the next level.
No comments:
Post a Comment