Fantastic Four #286: Like a Phoenix!

The Fantastic Four return from their mission in space and are greeted by Captain America and Hercules. Captain America seeks the help of Mr Fantastic to uncover the mystery behind the cocoon retrieved from the Jamaica Bay. With the help of Invisible Woman’s powers, she is able to reveal the form of a human woman (Jean Grey) within the cocoon.

The next day, Jean awakens within the cocoon, her telekinesis sending everyone in the room floating as she “hatch[es]” from the cocoon, unaware of the time that had elapsed since her imprisonment. She had last fought Stephen Lang who made “duplicates of the X-Men” and had a hard time being convinced that they were the real Avengers and Mr Fantastic. Invisible Woman intervenes and manages to contain Jean. They finally convince her that years had past since she was last conscious.






Jean is in disbelief when Mr Fantastic mentions the X-Men teaming up with Magneto in the Secret War. On the verge of a nervous breakdown, Jean requests that she be able to visit her parents’ house. In the house, they find a “holempathic matrix crystal” containing Jean’s “essence”, given to her parents by the Shi’ar after her supposed death.

Back at the Avengers Mansion, Captain America finds a data log input by the Beast (a one time member of the Avengers) regarding Jean as well as the incident of the Dark Phoenix.






At Jean’s parents’ house, Jean takes the crystal and Mr Fantastic, Invisible Woman and Hercules witness a replay of the events leading to Jean’s imprisonment in the cocoon. Captain America arrives to watch the last seconds of the “psychic moviola”. For a moment, Jean feels guilty that her “humanity...turned the force bad”, but they reassure her that that same “human spirit” was able to in turn defeat the Dark Phoenix.

Later in the day, Mr Fantastic contacts a former member of the X-Men who might be able to help Jean.


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