Warning! Spoilers ahead for Binary #2!
Jean Grey is dead, again, as Marvel reveals how the original X-Men hero passed the torch of the Phoenix Force to Carol Danvers in the Age of Revelation timeline. Jean is known for dying tragically more than her share of times in Marvel canon, and though this latest death isn’t expected to last, many fans aren’t thrilled with the move.
Binary #2 is written by Stephanie Phillips, with art by Giada Belviso. Preview pages for the issue feature a flashback to Jean’s death scene.
In a familiar move, Jean’s final act is one of self-sacrifice, though first, she transfers a spark of the Phoenix powers to Captain Marvel, giving birth to the latest incarnation of Binary.
Jean Grey Sacrificed Herself To Save The Marvel Universe Before Passing The Phoenix Powers To Captain Marvel
Binary #2, Written By Stephanie Phillips; Art By Giada Belviso; Available November 5, 2025 From Marvel Comics
The conceit of Marvel’s three-issue Binary miniseries is, essentially, “What if Carol Danvers became the Phoenix?” Binary #1 already established that Jean Grey was “dead,” though with Jean, things are never so simple. The preview for Binary #2 fills in the details: Jean, as the Phoenix, sacrificed herself to prevent the mutant “X-virus” from spreading beyond Earth.
While this serves its purpose as backstory for Binary, the move also has its share of X-Men fans scratching their heads, asking a more unfortunate question: “Why bother?” That is, Marvel could have come up with any number of pretexts for Carol to gain Phoenix powers, but it chose to “kill” Jean off for the sake of this storyline.
In the X-franchise’s current status quo, Jean Grey is off planet Earth having her own adventures in the Phoenix solo title. When the Age of Revelation crossover was announced, one of readers’ first questions was how Jean might get involved. Her role in Binary is not at all what fans expected.
Jean Grey Isn’t Going To Be Dead For Long, As She Appears Set To Return As An Enemy Of Binary
Binary #2, Variant Cover By Jacopo Camagni
Binary #1 already suggested that Jean Grey might not be as dead as Carol Danvers thinks. The synopsis for Binary #2 teases “a face from the past, determined to bring chaos and destruction.” The biggest giveaway, though, appears to be artist Jacopo Camagni’s variant cover for the issue, which depicts Dark Phoenix with Binary in a chokehold.
So, it seems like this time Jean Grey’s latest death won’t even last the span of an entire issue. It feels like a curious choice on Marvel’s part, a creative choice made in order to neutralize the X-Men franchise’s most powerful hero, while instead putting the spotlight on a nonmutant hero, Carol Danvers.
Age of Revelation has flipped many X-Men heroes into villains, but the question on readers’ minds is why Marvel potentially pulled a fake-out death with Jean only to quickly turn around and reintroduce her as an antagonist. X-Men readers can only hope it makes sense in the context of Binary’s story once it is complete.
Binary #2 will be available November 5, 2025 from Marvel Comics.
- Movie(s)
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X-Men (2000), X2, X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), The Wolverine (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Deadpool (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Logan (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dark Phoenix (2019), The New Mutants, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
- First Film
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X-Men (2000)
- TV Show(s)
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X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men (1992), X-Men: Evolution (2000), Wolverine and the X-Men (2008), Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: X-Men, Legion (2017), The Gifted (2017), X-Men ’97 (2024)
- Video Game(s)
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X-Men: Children of the Atom (1994), Marvel Super Heroes (1995), X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997), Marvel vs. Capcom (1998), X-Men: Mutant Academy (2000), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (2001), X-Men: Next Dimension (2002), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011), Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2011), X-Men Legends (2005), X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse (2005), X2: Wolverine’s Revenge (2003), X-Men (1993), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (1995), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)
- Character(s)
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Professor X, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Phoenix, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Morph, Nightcrawler, Havok, Banshee, Colossus, Magneto, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Cable, X-23
- Comic Release Date
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213035,212968