SupermanHawaii.com

by Napua Ahina

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WARNING: Spoilers ahead!

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X-Men: The Last Stand is the first live action representation of one of comicbook history's greatest stories... The Dark Phoenix Saga. Things in the movie were changed but it was still a milestone. In my opinion, X3 was no more mixed-up than the other two X-Men movies or any other Marvel superhero movie for that matter (like the horrid Gwen Stacy/Mary Jane Watson hybrid). Like any other movie adaptation, X3 had hits and misses.

Phoenix Rising

What happened in X3 seems to be an amalgamation of various things that actually happened in the comics that were altered to fit the plot started by Brian Singer. In comics (Uncanny X-Men), Jean Grey and the other X-Men crash landed into Jamaica Bay. Unknown to her teammates, Jean was placed in a suspended state (similar to a coma) and wrapped in a psychic cocoon in the ocean. What resurfaced as Phoenix was really an alien entity impersonating Jean. After Dark Phoenix died, the real Jean was discovered and rescued by the Avengers. Some people complained that the movie's explanation of the Phoenix being a dormant alternate personality in Jean since she was a child was lackluster. It made sense to me. In Uncanny X-Men, Xavier actually did place psychic inhibiters in Dark Phoenix to temporarily keep her powers "under control." I also loved it when Xavier explained how Jean had survived the icy flood by being kept in a cocoon at the bottom of the lake.

I've read and heard a lot of people not being happy with the Phoenix costume. In X3 it was nice to see the other X-Men's costumes a little more accurate (albiet New X-Men style more than anything else). Although it would have been a "chicken skin moment" to see either the green/red/white costume on the big screen...I still liked what I saw. The corset-style outfit and long jacket were reminiscent of her costume as the

Black Queen (a pivotal time which caused the Phoenix to transform into the Dark Phoenix). And instead of making her costume black (as the Black Queen's costume should be) they made it maroon for that extra Phoenix flare. They also gave the character a dark and evil face (kudos to John Byrne!) and distinctively longer hair than in the previous two movies. Overall, the mix between comicbook history and movie interpretation throughout X3 was very interesting. On top of all that Famke Janssen did a fabulous acting job.

Absolute Power

When people think of the Phoenix/Dark Phoenix they immediately think of the firebird. The huge and iconic symbol that actually has no real function. When Dark Phoenix first appeared in comics (Uncanny X-Men) she was frequently seen surrounded by the bird-shaped inferno. However, she never used fire to burn her opponents. It seems the fire was only used aesthetically for theatrical effect. The Phoenix's real power was in telekinetically manipulating molecules to deconstruct/reconstruct matter at will. Understandably, this is something difficult to translate visually into comics and was often represented by a flash of light. (One of my favorite comicbook moments is when Phoenix changes the street clothes for herself and Cyclops into their X-Men costumes in an instant.) As a fan, it was amazing to see Phoenix finally using her powers. When Phoenix later evolved into the Dark Phoenix, she retained the same powers but they became amplified beyond belief. Sure, we didn't get to see the firebird on the screen but we did get to see a lot of the telekinesis. It also kept in-line with the plot developed from the previous movies (in X2 Cyclops commented to Jean about her telepathy fading and telekinesis increasing, and Xavier mentioned that Jean had always felt like her powers were insufficient to help the team).

Murderess/Martyr

If you were patient (and waited until the very end of the credits for X3) you would have seen a very surprising ending in which we discover that Professor X is still alive. Aside from the obvious implication that this leaves the door open for resurrecting him in a future movie, it also justifies something many fans have been criticizing...Phoenix "killing" Xavier and Cyclops. It makes perfect sense to me that Cyclops and Xavier would be the first to "die" at the hands of Jean Grey. In comics it was the humanity of Jean Grey which was the only weakness for the Phoenix. And in the end it was her love for her teammates which lead to the ultimate sacrifice. In X3, the Phoenix within Jean had finally broken free and (like any other creature) its primary objective was to survive. Perhaps instinctively Phoenix recognized the threat that Cyclops and Xavier would pose...their unconditional love for her would have been her undoing. What Phoenix did not gamble on was the strength of Wolverine's feelings for her...more than just an attraction or mere infatuation, it was once again love that proved her undoing. This love mirrors the storyline currently in comics (Astonishing X-Men) where it was revealed that Wolverine was Jean's true great love and not Cyclops. It is also from the pages of recent comics (Phoenix Endsong) where Wolverine finally had the guts to do something he was never able to do before...kill Jean to save the world...perhaps even the universe. With her death in X3 we are once again reminded that "Jean Grey could have lived to become a god, but it was more important to her that she died as a human."

Even though X3 could not be considered a faithful adaptation...it still managed to retain important elements from the comics to weave an entertaining story. All together, I think the moviemakers did an excellent job in their translation of my favorite period of X-Men history.

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