frequently asked questions

Why does Rachel call herself Rachel Grey now instead of Rachel Summers?

Officially, Rachel took last name Grey to honour and pay tribute to her mother.

Unofficially, it's also do the fact that she is upset Scott and his relationship with Emma Frost. That reason hasn't been explicitly stated in a comic, but Rachel had been very clear about her dislike of her father's relationship (especially in X-Men Unlimited #11)

The usage of Grey vs Summers tends to vary. In Uncanny X-Men 472, Colonel Reyes calls her Rachel Summers, but in Uncanny 475, she's back to Grey.

Marvel isn't consistent either. On Marvel.com, Rachel is still listed as Rachel Summers with Rachel Grey as an alias, in Marvel Spotlight: Ed Brubaker/ Billy Tan, she's called Rachel Summers, and in the 198 Files, her name is listed as Rachel Summers.


Why does Rachel call Jean her mom and Scott her dad? They aren't really her parents.

Rachel's actual parents are the Jean & Scott of her alternate future (designated Marvel 811). Rachel had previously acknowledged that they were not her parents and did not owe her anything, and that they merely reminded her of her deceased parents.

That all changed in Excalibur 71 when Jean and Rachel finally made peace and Jean invited Rachel to her wedding. Jean accepted her as her daughter and allowed Ray to call her mom.

So, from that point forward, Jean and Scott saw her as their daughter. This was especially evident in the Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix when Rachel (as Mother Askani) brought Scott & Jean 2000 years into the future to raise Nathan.


What is the Phoenix Limited Series?

The Phoenix Limited Series was originally scheduled to be released in 1987, and was to have explained what happened to Rachel while she was imprisoned in Mojoworld between Uncanny X-Men 209 and the Excalibur special, and about Rachel's past. Chris Claremont had written the script, Rick Leonardi was penciling and Dan Green inking. It was mentioned in the letter pages of Uncanny X-Men 208 and 215, and also was the topic of an article in Marvel Age 43.

Unfortunately, the series was never published, but some of the pages from the first issue have leaked onto the web. They are available online here. (Note: The Phoenix Limited Series and True Friends are not the same. True Friends was shelved when Claremont left Marvel in 1991 and later resurrected when Claremont returned several years later.)

Learn more about the Unpublished Phoenix Limited Series.


Why does Rachel have the Phoenix symbol over her eye when she uses her powers?



It's never been explained. There's been plenty of speculation about why, and any explanation now will probably be different from what Claremont was originally planning to do before Ed Brubaker took over writing Uncanny.

Ray was first shown with the Phoenix symbol energy signature after she was rescued from being imprisoned by Elias Bogan in X-Treme X-Men 44. Some of theorized that something Bogan did to Ray caused in the Phoenix energy signature. It is also similar to the Phoenix energy signature that Jean had during Uncanny X-Men 381 - 387, and Psylocke's Crimson Dawn mark. The later has led to speculation that it's due to some sort of power link between Psylocke and Rachel, which may have been something Claremont was wanting to further explore but never had the chance.

In Uncanny 479, the Phoenix energy signature began to glow blue when Ray absorbed the Phoenix Force from the Blade of the Phoenix. That suggests that it is tied to the Phoenix Force and probably was entirely the result of residual Phoenix energy.


Age Questions

Rachel is currently in her early 20s

She was approximately 17 (and still a minor) during Uncanny X-Men 141-142 and when she arrived in Earth-616.

In the Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix 4, Rachel appears to Nate as her 14 year old self, which she says is before she was captured and turned into a Hound.


Why doesn't Rachel have the Houndmarks anymore?



When Rachel was turned into a Hound by Ahab, she was branded with facial tattoos that couldn't be removed. She hid these, but they became visible when she became upset and eventually they became part of her Phoenix persona.

In Excalibur 52, Rachel was healed by the Phoenix Force and her Houndmarks were removed.


Waitasecond, if Rachel's Houndmarks were removed, then why did Mother Askani have them?

Beats me. It hasn't been explained. Maybe Rachel grew to accept them as part of her past and wanted them back as a tribute or as a remembrance? It's a continuity error that waiting for a No-Prize winning explanation.