From: bgrubb@dante.nmsu.edu (GRUBB)
Subject: Re: FAQ: X-Men Characters
Organization: New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 14:26:12 GMT

CXMP@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CXMP000) writes:
>Rachel Summers: FA: UX #141 (in the present) NM #18
>                Rachel is "Jean Grey"'s daughter from an alternate
>      future in which "Jean Grey" didn't die.  See also Phoenix.
No No NO.  Martin Phipps you are failing to "1) To bring new readers up to 
date" as this origin WAS valid in Exalibur #25 but was RETCONED in Excalubur
#52. "Jean Grey" (in quotes) has become a 'de facto' way of saying 'Phoenix
is pretending to be Jean Grey'.  Here is the LATEST on Rachel Summers past
as I posted about 2 weeks ago:
Version 3:  This version, to date, has been told in only Excalubur #52. It is 
now established that it was Mastermind blowing up Pittsburgh with a nuclear 
device that triggered the Anti-Mutant movement (pg 18) that lead to Rachel's 
world.  It was also stated that the timeline that Rachel came from NEVER had a 
Phoenix and Jean Grey was killed trying to stop Mastermind. Charles Xavier is 
killed by the US army as in Version 2 and that Rachel's memory had been 
scambled or altered by the Phoenix Force which had joined with her right 
before she entered the past.  The alteration of Rachel's memory by the Phoenix 
Force throws out everything Rachel remembered about her world as 'tainted' and 
so unreliable. {Yep, it is a retcon of Rachel.  It still does not explain the 
discrepency between Rachel's world and what Kate Pryde told us about their 
world in UX# 141-142 which is stated to be the world Rachel came from in 
Excalubur #26.}
So as of Excalubur #52 things changed (again); your summery should read
Rachel Summers: FA: UX #141 (in the present) NM #18
                Rachel is Jean Grey's daughter from an alternate
      future in which never knew Phoenix.  See also Phoenix.

You also write:
>Anti-Phoenix: FA: Excalibur #48
>              LA: Excalibur #50
>              The Anti-Phoenix is an entity identical to Pheonix but
>      male.  Speculation: as the Phoenix exists only in one timeline
>      (this despite seven What If ... stories to the contrary), it
>      is natural to assume that the same is true of the Anti-Phoenix.
>      The name "Anti"-Phoenix suggests that their existance is
>      co-dependent (i.e. if your reality has the Phoenix then it has
>      the Anti-Phoenix as well and vice-versa).
Your seculation is in error on two points.  First, the Guardians of the Galaxy
timeline has been cleary stated as diverging between Dark Phoenix and
Rachel Phoenix and has a MALE Phoenix.  This timeline just finished a trip
back into the main Marvel timeline so it DOES count.  Second, mind explaining
how Phoenix is disapearing from alternate timelines whose ONLY difference
is the possion of an atomic or subatomic partical?
for accuracy your summery should read:
Anti-Phoenix: FA: Excalibur #48           
              LA: Excalibur #50          
       The Anti-Phoenix is a portion of the Phoenix 'torn out' by Necrom
       and placed in a clone of his body. Speculation:  as this portion
       of the Phoenix force was 'torn out' (and therefore identical to
       the Phoenix Force) very early in Earth 616's history it is natural
       to assume that for each Earth 616 timeline that Phoenix manifests it
       self in there is an Anti-Phoenix in that timeline as well.
       {You may need a reference to Necrom.}
Keep up the good work.
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