Jean vs. Sabretooth (or "My Issues Can Beat Up Your Issues")

[jetwolf]

By request from auggie18, I present this rather awesome fight between Jean Grey and Sabretooth from (Adjectiveless) X-Men #28.

Some context. In order to stave off his bloodlust and maintain some semblance of humanity, Sabretooth has been using a telepath named Birdy to give him "the glow", a mental blast which functions basically as mutant prozac. When she's killed he decides the only logical conclusion is to go let Wolverine "do what needs to be done". Problem is, just a few issues ago Magneto went and ripped out all of Wolverine's adamantium and Logan's not in much of a position to do anything to anybody.

With Sabretooth on his doorstep, Xavier enters Creed's mind and discovers that he perfectly remembers all of his past victims, which is driving him even further into psychosis. Xavier decides that Sabretooth can be redeemed and thus they cage him up in the mansion and therapy begins.

This goes over about as well with the X-Men as you'd expect, but one member in particular is having serious reservations. After comforting Jubilee in the wake of a major Sabretooth-themed nightmare, Jean gathers Scott, Hank and Ororo at Harry's to talk about it. With all the questionable actions Xavier's taken lately (from having Storm steal for him up to the assault on Magneto), is this what they should be doing, or just another example of Charles losing it? The discussion goes from "well we took in Wolverine and Rogue and worked out okay" to "Sabretooth's powers aren't out of control he's just an evil guy who likes to use them to torture and kill people".

Things seem to keep getting worse with Sabretooth going out of his way to deeply freak out each and every person he encounters. Jean finally snaps and confronts Xavier directly. That's when Scott figures it out.

 


Well maybe a little.

 


 
Scott, Moira and Banshee watch as Jean pays Sabretooth a long overdue visit.

 


 


 


 


 


 
And because I have page space left, here's the end to the issue which - while not specifically about Jean - is nice coda.

 

Comments

[inthefuturethereisnofuture.blogspot.com]

Well, Sabertooth is bringing some creepy shit to the table in that last page.

Great scans, btw. I actually really like this era.

[jetwolf]

I have a real love/hate relationship with this time period. The things that don't work so don't work. But there are flashes of real brilliance in there that I'm especially coming to appreciate, especially this far removed from it.

The ones around this issue were really great though. I loved the X-Cutioner's Song wind-down issue to pieces. Perhaps I'll post that one next.

[shadowpsykie]

damn... i forgot how good these old issues were.

and i remembered why i loved Jean Grey so much, and why i love the Phoenix... she is without a doubt, the most Badass female character has ever made. Oh Emma is no sloch, i love her too. Her and Scott work well together.

But Jean... jean is a goddess. she can take you apart and rearrange you mind and body so easily... the fact she doesn't is a testament to her character.

in a way, she reminds more of superman in that one episodeof JLU, where he talks about living in a world made of cardboard.

i mean the very fact that I am comparing Jean Grey to one of the most epic superman moments ever should say something

[chocochuy]

It's always a pleasure to see Sabretooth been defeated. He might have similar powers to Wolverine but, in the end, he is just a wild fighter on a world of Demi-Gods/Godesses.

I loved the way Sabretooth was handled by Liev Schreiber but I think he was too powerful.

[starwolf_oakley]

Those wondering, "that night in the garden" was in CLASSIC X-MEN #1, which doesn't feature much from GIANT-SIZED X-MEN #1.

http://www.oocities.org/jeanxlogan/im.html

Logan flirted with Jean, and Warren got really angry about it. Mostly because pretty much ALL of the original X-Men were in love with Jean, but stepped aside for Scott's sake.

[ogrebear]

Jean is probably one of the Xmen who has grown, changed and got stronger as a character over the years. Definatly one of the most powerful female characters. I wonder if its that sear feminine power that scares off some writers from tackling her?

[sherkahn]

I've written enough fan stories through the 90's with the X-men and you get to a point where you realize where else can you take Jean, make her grow as a person and still retain all of her best (and worst) qualities?

Omega Level+ mutant, wife to the leader of the X-men, mother (to young Nathan), host of the Phoenix, siren-like corrupting sense of attraction.... she had reached a LOT of peaks.

When she became a school headmaster in the 00's I realized there was this whole other venue she could explore that I had forgotten about. but the 90's where hard because there was onl so much you could do with Jean.

[sevarem]

Yeah, I think strong female characters scare the writers. Which is why Emma went from tough, clever HBIC to Scott's hot arm baggage.

[magus_69]

It's probably also why Ororo has been somewhat sidelined of late.

[sevarem]

You mean Mrs. T'challa?

[jetwolf]

For all of Claremont's criticism, shying away from strong women was definitely not something of which he could be accused.

That's part of why I love Mike Carey so much. But then I'm of the opinion that of all the current X-writers he's the only one that actually gets these characters.

[kagero]

Thank you for posting this. I had forgotten what a great character Jean could be. I am inspired to dig out my books from this era and relive some more of it.

[jetwolf]

You're very welcome. I adore Jean. I would dearly love for her to come back, take one look at Scott, say, "Yeah that's okay, you can have him Emma" and then just go around being awesome forever.

[kagero]

that would be awesome :)

[halloweenjack]

I like this. After seeing the movies, which basically say that Jean was the Phoenix all along and just hadn't really tapped into the power until Alkali Lake, and that was in part because she didn't have the degree of control necessary to focus it (also the reason why she had trouble using Cerebro), I thought of the reason why she went with Scott instead of Logan: Scott's all about control, and that's what she craves, even though she responds to Logan as a kindred spirit.

Also nice to see Creed slapped down. He's always struck me as essentially just a big bully.

[shadowpsykie]

yeah, i both liked and didn't like what they did with X-Men 3: Last Stand. That was not the Phoenix, that was Jean having a mental break down. She was more like the Phoenix in the 2nd movie. You could really see that it was written/direct by a different person, SInger was going to do the Phoneix story, but he was going to make it truer to the comics (not cosmic entity i think, they did take the idea from him that, or Morrison not sure which, that the phoenix was jean at her fullest potential.)

Jean as Phoenix in part 3 was a Robot Doll Magneto was using. The real Phoenix is Jean full on ID. no restrictions, no control, passion and satisfaction. Famke (whom i loved as Jean) had what... two whole actual lines in the movie? ugh.... really wish SInger had done that one...i really would have loved his take on the Phoenix..... *hasAsad*

[icon_uk]

And also killed Scott... OFFSCREEN! Bleccch!

[ogrebear]

I read an interview somewhere where Singer was asked what he thought of XMen 3 and where he would take the universe next and I seem to recall he said something like 'recton' or 'dream sequence/danger room' write off... a movie 'What If?'.

Given First Class chucks out some of Orgins and Last Stand perhaps those movies are now being dropped from 'Movieverse canon'?

[greenmask]

This era was so good.

[sevarem]

I miss Jean. I miss when the X-Men felt like a family. Thanks for sharing this. That was a good bit of reading.

[jetwolf]

The family aspect is probably the part that I miss the most. I suppose I get why arcs have to be written with trades in mind these days, but I hate how downtime and character togetherness had to be sacrificed to do it.

[awakendeepblue]

thanks for the scans. God I love Jean

[fifthie]

Every time Sabertooth says "frail" I wish Jean would just really casually pop out one of his teeth.

[auggie18]

Thank you so much! I've been requesting this for about forever and a half and its great to finally see it!

[jetwolf]

You're welcome! After so many years of mostly-lurking in S_D, I finally get around to a post. I might have to make it A Thing now. ;)

[selke]

Aw, man. Before they had to devote half of the year to the giant omg mega storyline. I miss this stuff.

[tsunamiwombat]

And then Scott banged a tramp behind her back, the end.

Cheating on god, not a good idea. Somehow he got away with it though.

[eyz]

Oh man...I forgot how must I loved Jean's classic 90s costume :D
"EXTREEEEEME!!!" art or not.

[auggie18]

My favorite costume was always her other 90s one, which only existed for about ten seconds.

This one:


http://marvel.wikia.com/index.php?title=Jean_Grey_(Earth-616)/Gallery&image=Jean_Grey_-2823-29-jpg

[eyz]

Very nice!
Looks like a variation of her other red phoenix costume.