Classic X-Men #44

Issue Details

Synopsis

"Elegy" At the funeral of Jean Grey, Scott Summers listens over the eulogy and thinks back over the years of his relationship with Jean Grey: He recalls the early day of the X-Men and how when Jean first joined the team they were all in love. He recalls the teams first battles with Magneto, Vanisher and the Blob; the formation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and their subsequent clashes against them. Scott remembers how distant he felt with his teammates when Professor X briefly put him in charge of the school and how Warren began pursuing a relationship with Jean. He also remembers their encounter with Ka-Zar in the Savage Land, the Stranger that saw the defeat of their old enemies Magneto and Toad, their battle against the Juggernaut and Mastermold and the Sentinels. He recalls a succession of battles against the likes of Mimic, Count Nefaria, the Locust, Chulculcan, Banshee, the Super-Adaptoid, Warlock, and Cobalt Man. He remembers how Warrens eventual relationship with Candy Southern would give way for Scott and Jean to pursue their own relationship. The threats would continue to come however, with the return of Juggernaut who they defeated with the aid of Dr. Strange, their battle with Tyrannus and the Mole Man, their first encounter with Spider-Man, Mekkano and their battle against Factor Three which ended with a graduation and the group getting unique costumes. He next remembers the day they battle Grotesk a battle that saw the seeming demise of Professor X. The menaces never stopped, like when they saved Lorna Dane from Mesmero and a Magneto robot, and when they rescued his brother Alex from the Living Monolith, and later stopped Larry Trask's Sentinels, and battled Sauron, Magneto and his Savage Land Mutates, the Japanese mutant Sunfire and how Professor X resurfaced to prevent an invasion from the alien Z'Nox and how Hank was mutated into a more furry form. His mind then focuses on the formation of the new X-Men to save the old team from the mutant island Krakoa, and their first mission against Count Nefaria that ended in Thunderbird's death. He then recalls the capture of Jean and the X-Men by Stephen Lang's Sentinels that would lead to the rebirth of Jean as Phoenix. Battling the threats of Black Tom and Juggernaut, the return of Magneto, the arrival of Empress Lilandra and how Phoenix saved the universe from destruction by stabilizing the M'Kraan Crystal and after their battle with Weapon Alpha. He recalls how their clash with Mesmero and Magneto would leave Scott and Jean to believe each other dead. Scott would go on to help save the Savage Land from Sauron and Garok, Japan from Moses Magnum and their clash with Alpha Flight in Canada. While Cyclops and the X-Men were battling Arcade, Scott recalls how Jean was being secretly seduced by their old foe Mastermind. He remembers their clash with Proteus. Howe the reunited team would learn of Kitty Pryde and attempt to recruit her into the X-Men only to be ambushed by the Hellfire Club and how they manipulated Jean into becoming their Black Queen ultimately unleashing her Dark Phoenix persona until she sacrificed her life. With Scott's recollection complete, he offers his sympathies for Jean's parents. Lilandra offers them as well and gives the Grey's a gift, a holomatrix globe that would fill them with Jean's essence whenever they touched it. Meeting up with the Professor, Scott would tell him that he is quitting the X-Men. The Professor understands and wishes Scott the best of luck. With one X-Men leaving the ranks, a new one comes: A cab pulls up in front of Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and out comes Kitty Pride who sits on the steps waiting for the X-Men to come home from the funeral.