X-MEN ORIGINS: JEAN GREY #1

[wolframbane]

X-MEN ORIGINS: JEAN GREY #1 (XO:JG 1)
October 2008
30 Pages
No title given

Characters: Charles Xavier (Professor X), Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Angel (also as Avenging Angel, on television, behind the scenes), Professor John Grey, Elaine Grey, Sara Grey (later Sara Bailey), Annie Richardson (in memory), Magneto (on television, behind the scenes), Carina

Synopsis:
(1-2) Charles Xavier visits the Grey household (in Annandale-on-Hudson). John and Elaine Grey show him their daughter Jean, catatonic since the death of Annie Richardson. She responds to his telepathic greeting. Daytime, snow on ground and snowing, barren trees, frosted windows (probably winter). Note that Charles' Rolls Royce (seen in many early UX issues) is in driveway.
(3) Charles discusses helping Jean to recover with John, Elaine and Sara Grey. Darkened room with a lit fireplace, probably same evening as (1-2). Elaine mentions that Jean has been catatonic "for the last two years," which is erroneous, as is the reference to "three years" from UX 308. From BIZADV 27, Jean was "ten years old" in "late summer," and was an "eleven-year old" when brought out of her catatonia, so she was catatonic for only a year. Note that John wears a 'Bard' sweater, where he attended college with Charles and currently is a professor there.
(4-6) Charles reaches into Jean's mind, where she is reliving the death of her friend Annie after a car accident. Charles tells Jean that when Annie died, the trauma triggered Jean's telepathy and she experienced the death of Annie with her. Charles telepathically draws Jean out of her catatonia and offers to train her in her powers. Daytime, frosted windows (still winter), possibly the day after (1-2). XO:JG 1 (4:2)-FB depicts a young Jean on her knees in front of a dying Annie shouting "Noo! Annie!", which probably occurs between BIZADV 27 (12:1) and (12:2).
(7:1) Charles teaches Jean to use her telepathy.
(7:2) Charles teaches Jean to use her telekinesis, including practicing levitating herself.
(7:3) Charles and Jean visit Annie's grave. Daytime, snow on ground and barren trees (probably still winter).
(7:4-8) Jean and Sarah are reunited after her recovery.
(9-11) Charles takes Jean to a mall to test her ability to block out the thoughts of others, but she loses control and knocks over several people telekinetically. Daytime.
(12) Jean withdraws again. Charles tells John and Elaine he will have to temporarily block her telepathy until she is able to learn to cope with everything else. Daytime, snowing, frosted windows (probably still winter).
(13-16) Jean makes peace with her own demons within her mind and says goodbye to Annie, as Charles erects a psychic wall to halt her telepathy. NOTE: The events of XO:JG 1 (1-16) all appear to occur during the winter during which Jean was eleven years old, several years before UX 1.
(17) Charles discusses with John and Elaine about Jean coming to his school. Daytime, green bushes outside. The report of an "Angel Sighting" on the news refers to the activities of the Avenging Angel, which places this during UX 55/2-56/2, during Autumn of YEAR 2 according to the OMITTX 3 and Paul Bourcier's Marvel Calendar.
(18) Jean says goodbye to her parents as she takes a cab to the school. She wears the same black and blue clothing in XO:JG 1 (18), UX 322 (12:1-12:2)-FB
and UX 1. This is during late October of YEAR 3 according to the OMITTX 1 and Paul Bourcier's Marvel Calendar.
(19-22) Jean, now as Marvel Girl, trains in the Danger Room with the X-Men (Cyclops, Angel, Iceman, Beast). Jean buckles when attempting to deflect a missile.
(23) Prof X and Jean discuss her progress in his office after the Danger Roon, when Beast warns them of danger on television. Daytime.
(24:1-24:3) Prof X and the X-Men fly to battle Magneto, but Jean had apparently left school grounds beforehand and is not with them. Note they are flying in Charles' Lear jet (seen in many X:FC and early UX issues). Daytime.
(24:5-25:1)-BTS The X-Men (minus Marvel Girl) battle Magneto (as seen on television).
(24:4-29) Jean walks through town (probably nearby Salem Center) during a sidewalk sale, and sees the X-Men battle Magneto on television. After she meets a girl named Carina, an EMS truck flips and slides towards a crowd. Jean uses her telekinesis to stop the truck and save people. Carina is shocked that she is a mutant as Jean levitates away. Daytime, green trees.
(30) Jean and Charles are at the school, where Charles gives her a detention for leaving school grounds. Daytime, green trees, blossoming flowers. NOTE: The events of XO:JG 1 (19-30) all occur during one day. Note Charles is in a wheelchair resembling the hover chair he would not use until much later, this is probably an error.

Placement Notes regarding the events of XO:JG 1 (19-30):
After UX 8, as Iceman is in his 'icy' form.
Before UX 25, which is the last time Jean wears her cowl-style mask (although she briefly wore her domino-style mask style in UX 6).
During a time when Magneto was not a prisoner of the Stranger, so not between UX 11 and UX 16, nor UX 18 and A 47. He briefly escaped during UX 16-18, but was recaptured by the Stranger only hours after the X-Men learned of his escape.
Possibly after UX 14, as Jean is able to levitate, although Jean has been training at levitation since she was at least eleven (XO:JG 1 (7:2)), and this may have been an isolated incident given her briefly renewed confidence after stopping the EMS truck.
During a period when Prof X is present.

I would place this story sometime between UX 9 (after Iceman becomes 'icy' and Prof X returns after battling Lucifer) and UX 11 (before Magneto abducted by Stranger), and treat Jean's levitation of herself as a fluke.

NOTE that this story partly retells the flashback from BIZADV 27 (6:2-8:1). I do not have access to the complete issue, but here are online scans I have found and worked with.
http://www.geocities.com/marvelindex/bizadv-27-1-5.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/marvelindex/bizadv-27-1-6.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/marvelindex/bizadv-27-1-7.jpg

[wolframbane]

For placement, I figure the events of XO:JG 1 (19-30) occur between UX 10 and UX 11 (narrowed down from UX 9-11). Perhaps after her abduction by the Swamp Men in the Savage Land in UX 10, her confidence was affected by the incident, but after she stopped the EMS truck, her confidence was restored enough for her to levitate away afterwards, a feat she was unable to accomplish again until UX 14.

ANGEL III/WARREN KENNETH WORTHINGTON III
...
*UX 55/2 (4:1-4:3)-FB
*XO:JG 1 (17)-BTS (on television)
UX 55/2
...
UX 10
*XO:JG 1 (19-30)
UX 11
...

BAILEY, SARA GREY
*BIZADV 27 (6:2-7:6)-FB-FB-BTS ("Sara was away at Girl Scout Camp")
*XO:JG 1 (3)
*XO:JG 1 (7:4-8)
*UX 322 (12:1-12:2)-FB
UX 22-BTS
BIZADV 27-FB
{UX 136}
...

BEAST/HENRY "HANK" P. MCCOY
...
UX 10
*XO:JG 1 (19-30)
UX 11
...

CYCLOPS II/SCOTT SUMMERS
...
UX 10
*XO:JG 1 (19-30)
UX 11
...

GREY, DR. JOHN
*BIZADV 27 (6:2-8:1)-FB-FB
*XO:JG 1 (1-16)
UX -1
*XO:JG 1 (17)
*XO:JG 1 (18)
{UX 5}
...

GREY, ELAINE
*BIZADV 27 (6:2-8:1)-FB-FB
*XO:JG 1 (1-16)
*XO:JG 1 (17)
*XO:JG 1 (18)
{UX 5}
...

ICEMAN/ROBERT "BOBBY" DRAKE
...
UX 10
*XO:JG 1 (19-30)
UX 11
...

MAGNETO/MAGNUS/"ERIC LENSHERR"
...
UX 8-BTS
*XO:JG 1 (19-30)-BTS (on television)
UX 11
...

MARVEL GIRL/JEAN GREY SUMMERS
*BIZADV 27-FB-FB
X:WA-FB
X:WA-FB
*BIZADV 27-FB-FB
*XO:JG 1 (1-16)
*UX 273 (19:5-19:7)-FB
CX 42/2
...
XMF 4
*XO:JG 1 (17)
*UX 322 (12:1-12:2)-FB
*XO:JG 1 (18)
{UX 1}
...
UX 10
*XO:JG 1 (19-30)
UX 11
...

PROFESSOR X/CHARLES FRANCIS XAVIER
...
UX 309 (13-14)-FB
X:WA-FB
*BIZADV 27 (8:1)-FB-FB
*XO:JG 1 (1-16)
XCAL3 5-FB
CX 19/2-FB
*UX 273 (19:5-19:7)-FB
CX 42/2
...
UX 46/2
*XO:JG 1 (17)
UX 55/2
...
UX 10
*XO:JG 1 (19-30)
UX 11
...

[JephYork]

Using my amazing mod powers to unlock this topic...

Looking at this issue, I don't think Bobby's in his icy form. He only appears in four panels, but to me it looks more like he's in his lumpy snowy form. Especially in the fourth panel, on the jet, where his head and arm are visibly lumpy. Yes, he's MORE icy than Kirby's art showed him, but he's not nice and smooth and polished yet by any means.

More to the point -- I'd like to tie this issue's X-Men/Magneto battle to the off-panel X-Men/Magneto battle seen in JIM #109, which occurs between UX #6-7. In that issue the X-Men track the Brotherhood back to Magneto -- Magneto flees his submarine -- and the X-Men give chase in an undersea capsule of some kind. We never see how that battle ends.

And, here's the thing: JEAN ISN'T THERE. She's the only X-Man not accounted for during JIM #109 -- which matches with this issue, where she plays hooky from a Magneto battle.

I propose that this issue IS the JIM #109 battle -- the X-Men respond in this issue to the threat of the Brotherhood, then JIM #109 happens, then the battle spills onto land while Jean watches on TV in this issue.

Does this work for everyone? All we have to do is re-interpret Iceman's 4-panel appearance as "snowy, not icy", and I think we're home free. (And in fairness, Iceman says in #8 that he's *been practicing* to get more icy. Maybe this was a midpoint practice stage for him.)

Is there anything I'm missing?

-Jeph!

[JephYork]

Other good things about placing this issue around JIM #109:

Jean's headpiece -- in UX #6 she was wearing a pointy mask, in UX #7 she was wearing a mask under her bangs. But in ASM@ 1, which occurs between the two, she's wearing her full head-cowl again. D'oh. However, JIM #109 occurs just after ASM@ 1 -- and since Jean's wearing her full-head cowl in XO:JG, placing it around JIM #109 would create two instances in a row of the same headgear -- which makes it less of a fluke and more of a back-and-forth style choice on Jean's part.

Jean's UX #308 fb -- in which Prof. X helps her realize that she has a crush on Scott. That FB is currently placed right after JIM #109. In XO:JG, Jean complains of an empty feeling inside her that she can't place, to which Prof. X responds happily that she's a perfectly healthy teenager. This works really well BEFORE she realizes her attraction to Scott -- and luckily, placing it around JIM #109 does that!

This is working out better than I'd thought.

-Jeph!

[metaldragon]

Well, Jean's levitation is a bit anachronistic at that point (any point before UX 14, really) but I totally agree that it matches up with the JIM battle otherwise. That's what I thought when I first read it too.