DARK PHOENIX
Real Identity: Jean Grey
X-Men 3: The Last Stand (2006)
Famke Janssen plays a good character. Unfortunately, the writing wasn’t there to carry her over the threshold. We spend WAY more time with Wolverine, Xavier, and Magneto. Which, of course, means her arc is meaningless. You’ve had two movies to tell us who Jean Grey is, you failed, and you’re going make her the antagonist? The producers’ message was probably to stuff as many mutants in there as possible, forget the personal stories.
Characteristics and Powers: She basically becomes Dr. Manhattan. Like a “super-telepath/telekinetic”, whatever that means. I imagine that psychic powers must take a lot of control because the mind wanders. I know mine does. If I got telekinesis, I’d lift a fire truck, then get distracted by something and drop that fire engine like a rock on a kindergarten full of kids.
She also gets the power to suck the life out of mutants. Didn’t know that was part of the parcel. Kind of copying Rogue’s vibes, but more akin to Poison Ivy or a vampire. Bad costume too.
Personally, I think it was shitty of the filmmakers to bring her back to life just so they could claim the Dark Phoenix. There was no reason to resurrect her. She also HAS no reason to come back to life. She’s just there–no explanation. I think someone says something about her being “wrapped in a cocoon of telekinetic energy”, which is just a lampshade. So I’d add the power of immortality to her.
Relationship to the Hero(es): Strong, because she was their friend. What they didn’t know is that long ago, Jean Grey was a huge bitch. So Xavier blocked that part of her personality into a little box. And I guess it “woke back up” when she did. Probably the excess amount of power used in X-Men 2 unlocked it. The conflict comes from the fact that all the X-Men see is their friend. Of course, Magneto only sees power.
Goals/Motivation: I don’t know. I “guess” she wants revenge on Xavier for suppressing her (a trope that will be repeated in Captain Marvel). But as soon as she gets that, Magneto recruits her and becomes nothing more than a weapon. And here’s the kicker — he doesn’t even use her. She stands there for 99% of the final fight, just trying to look badass. She has no machinations in this, no master plan, no dog in this fight. Did she ever care about mutant rights or mutant liberation?
Relatability: There’s an element of the “we all have a little darkness inside us”. The beast unleashed, the Mr. Hyde, the woman screaming to get out and not conform to what society wants her to be. But it’s not really demonstrated in this movie because she’s always under Magneto’s control. There’s no reason for her to go along with him–he’s always been their main antagonist. It would be like Captain America getting out of the ice and thinking Hitler was right.
Fun Factor: I can’t deny that the powers would be cool to have. The best psychic powers that money can buy, including some maybe no one knows about. Plus flight, and maybe vampirism. But Jean doesn’t demonstrate their extent until the end, when she’s bringing in extra-dimensional hell.
Fatal Flaw: Jean thought she could control herself. This new fresh ability that she had no idea where it came from or how it works or what it can do. But Superpower Meltdown is a common trope in comic books, which are a century old by now. It’s a great way to get rid of a problematic being who’s become too powerful for anyone to defeat. That or get an Ultimate Nullifier.
Method of Defeat: Pushed against the wall, Magneto presses his Big Red “Only In Emergency” Button. Jean unleashes her power on everyone in front of her–X-Men, military, innocent children. They all disintegrate (in a way that looks suspiciously like getting Thanos-snapped), girders fall, water rises, everything’s chaos. Wolverine approaches her. He’s the only one who can–his healing factor can outrace her psychic power that’s dissolving everything. He stabs her. She dies in his arms, ending the greatest love story ever told.
Final Rating: ★★
