WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X-Force #19 by Benjamin Percy, Garry Brown, Guru-eFX, & VC’s Joe Caramagna, on sale now
Jean Grey has been in a well-deserved position of prominence in Krakoa, briefly serving as a co-head of X-Force before the actions of her compatriot Beast pushed her away. She was also briefly a member of the Quiet Council, before stepping down to serve in battle at the climax of X of Swords.
But as of X-Force #19, she might be taking a more important responsibility: becoming a possible mentor figure to Quinten Quire as he continues to grow into a better hero, and potentially helping shape the Omega-Level mutant into one of Krakoa’s greatest assets.
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In recent months, Quinten Quire — who spent years as a petulant and confrontational young man who reveled in his innate power and potential — has been trying to grow as a person. Thanks in part to his work as a part of X-Force (and largely due to his surprisingly healthy relationship with Phoebe Cuckoo), Quire has been trying to become a better person. This includes confronting the psychic terror that Krakoa’s enemies in XEON created and have been using to frame mutants for murder. But when the fight becomes too risky, Phoebe psychically calls on Jean Grey for assistance. Jean helps rescue Quire from a psychic trap, and accompanies him and Phoebe back to the X-Force base.
Jean points out that despite being “bossy and rude,” Quire is refraining from his typical slew of insults — and when she learns from Phoebe that Quire is “trying something new,” she agrees to embrace it and work with it. To prepare for the danger of their upcoming mission, Quire and Phoebe are introduced to a mental tide pool hidden within the depths of the X-Force base, allowing them to more easily disassociate and join Jean on the Dreamscape. Pointing out that she wouldn’t have taught the old Quinten Quire these techniques, Jean demonstrates how to fully access the arsenal of psionic power at his disposal, making him powerful enough to defeat his corrupted copy.
Jean’s experience as an Omega-Level telepath makes her a natural fit to be a mentor to Quire. Her patience and willingness to work with a mature Quire suggest they could work well together. They even share an element of destiny, as Quire has been shown to eventually become a host to the Phoenix Force, the same powerful cosmic entity that Jean Grey has a wealth of experience dealing with. But on top of their similar power structure, Jean and Quinten have another thing in common, something he brings up to her in private. During a telepathic conversation, Quentin asks Jean how she keeps going while being aware of the dark side within her — the part of her that loses control and lashes out at the world.
More than almost anyone on Krakoa, Jean can understand Quire’s fears, because she’s lived them. While Jean is quietly talking about her darker moments when connected to the Phoenix Force, Quire is clearly referring to his impulsive nature from when he was younger, which prompted him to start a riot at Xavier’s Institute and even help set off the events of X-Men: Schism. But Jean is able to give him fantastic advice, telling him that he’s the “author of [his] future” and convincing him that it’s up to him to choose the kind of person he wants to be. It’s a small but powerful moment of bonding for Jean and Quire, giving further proof of why Jean could be the perfect person to assist Quire in completing his transformation from chaotic teen to capable adult.
With all this knowledge and growth, Quire is even able to defeat his doppelganger on his own — something Jean didn’t expect him to be able to do. Quire has a lot more growing to do, and Jean might be the perfect person to help him complete his transformation into a genuine hero.