Jean Grey and Scott Summers are one of Marvel’s best and longest running romances. Many even consider the two of them as Marvel’s premier couple, and with Spider-Man and MJ near constantly on opposite sides of an argument, it’s hard to argue with that claim. However, just because they are popular and long lasting does not mean they are the best. In fact, there are very strong claims that Cyclops was better with Emma Frost, which is very hard to argue with how good they were together. Personally, I’ve always been more of a Madelyne Pryor fan for him, and will never forgive how Marvel forced him to leave her and their son the second Jean came back.
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But Jean has had her own share of strong romantic contenders too. She had a thing with Ted Roberts back in college, and her, Cyclops, and Angel are the original Marvel love triangle. A fan favorite pairing is Jean getting with Wolverine, which has some basis. After all, Wolverine has pined after the psychic since he first joined the X-Men, and Logan’s room on Krakoa did have direct access to Jean and Scott’s bedroom. However, he’s not the best either, as his arc of growing past his one-sided affection for Jean way back in Claremont’s run on X-Men was a very strong show of his character that the two getting together always makes a moot point. Frankly, their romances always feel somewhat shoehorned.
No, I stand by the fact that the best love interest for Jean Grey in the modern day is none other than her teammate Henry McCoy, the Beast. Now, this opinion is rather controversial, but the X-Men are no strangers to questionable romances. The basis of this opinion comes from the pages of X-Men Forever and All-New X-Men. Granted, the latter of which is not well received, but displays a great dive into why Jean Grey and Beast work so well as a couple in the context of today.
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Jean and Beast Have A Lot In Common
The two are members of the original X-Men team, and have been friends ever since X-Men #1 first released in the 60s. However, even back then Scott and Jean’s romance was teased, with the two of them developing into the classic will-they-won’t-they dynamic. Beast and Jean never interacted in any way that would indicate they wanted to be anything more than friends. In fact, Beast spent most of this time period infatuated with Jennifer Nyles, so there was no romance between the Beast and the Phoenix at all.
If we were going by their original characterization, then Scott and Jean would be the best relationship of the original five, but importantly it is not the 60s anymore, and these characters have evolved. Jean is most famous for her actions as the Dark Phoenix, where she lost control of her powers and ended countless lives. Beast, meanwhile, is actually dead, a clone having replaced the original after he went completely off the deep end. Beast became the embodiment of the ends justify the means, killing, plotting, and betraying everyone to ensure the forward march of his goals. His goals were noble in protecting mutants and Krakoa, but his actions led to an actual genocide in the country of Terra Verde, and nothing can justify that.
A Relationship Explored in an Alternate Reality
Both Jean and the newest Beast share something, that being the knowledge that a version of themselves that they had no control over did horrible things they could never forgive. And yet, both must admit that these actions came from a part of themselves, a piece that they may wish they never had, but cannot ignore. Jean has long since come to terms with her actions as the Dark Phoenix, while Beast is still struggling to understand what his other self had done. The two can connect and grow together with this shared experience, which builds upon their already established potential for romance. Potential established in X-Men Forever, an alternate reality where Beast and Jean were married before Beast’s tragic death, and All-New X-Men, where time displaced, younger versions of Jean and Beast dated for a time.
Back in the day these two would have made a bad couple. However, in today’s comic landscape they could be a great one. We’ve seen they have the potential to want to be together, and while Scott and Jean are a phenomenal romance, breaking away from that could help their characters grow to new heights. We’ve Scott do it with Emma and Madelyne, and we’ve seen the surface of that potential with Beast before. Jean is a woman that has seen her innermost darkness and overcome it, and Beast is a man who is now in the depths of facing his own darkness.
Together, the two of them could break past all of their mistakes and become a couple that can build each other up, and keep each other in check. Best case scenario, the two help each other grow past their mistakes and encourage the other to choose light in their darkest moments if they start to slip. Worst case, they become an unstoppable duo of unmatched power and brains and raze the world to fit their desires. Either way, it would be so much fun to see how it all goes down. And besides, the popular one dating the nerdy one is always an adorable trope.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
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