BIOGRAPHY - Page 4
Jean's powers were regressed back to their previous levels by her memory spell, removing her telepathy and new psycho-conductive abilities. Indeed, it would be some weeks before Jean was even able to fly with her powers again, and it was only for short distances at first. [X-Men (1st series) #14] After Jean officially graduated at Xavier’s school, her parents decided that she needed to get a college education, and they arranged for her to attend classes at Metro College in New York. Fortunately, that wasn’t too far a distance and Jean visited her friends at Xavier’s school on the weekends. Occasionally, she also helped out fighting some of the X-Men’s villains, whenever her time allowed it. [X-Men (1st series) #24]
In college, Jean befriended a fellow student named Ted Roberts and, spending her time with him, Jean got over how much she missed being a part of the team. She even pondered if she could really live a life among normal humans as one of them, and leave the world of mutants and their seemingly constant battles behind. At some point, Ted confided in Jean that he was worried about his brother, Ralph, a scientist who seemed rather obsessed. Indeed, Ralph Roberts‘ latest invention, a battle suit made of cobalt similar to Iron Man’s armor, was malfunctioning and affected his mind. As the Cobalt Man, he caused massive destruction until the X-Men managed to shut the suit off.
Obviously, during the incident, Ted figured out that Jean and Marvel Girl were one and the same. When the recovered Ralph was kidnapped by a villain who wanted to use the scientist’s inventions for himself, Ted called Jean and asked her to alert the X-Men. Although she did contact her teammates and they saved Ted’s brother a second time, Jean neither confirmed nor denied her secret identity. [X-Men (1st series) #31, 34]
Around the same time, Warren got together with Candy Southern, an old childhood friend, and he stopped flirting with Jean. Not willing to lose Jean to any other man again, Scott opened up to Jean about his difficulties with expressing emotions. Jean understood that he was trying to say that he loved her and Scott realized that she was feeling the same way without them actually talking about it. Their behavior towards each other grew more relaxed and they officially started dating each other some time after that. [X-Men (1st series) #32]
When Professor Xavier was kidnapped by the mysterious group called Factor Three, Jean apparently returned to the X-Men on a full-time basis. At least she did not seem to be attending classes at Metro College anymore, after the X-Men had tracked their mentor down and rescued him. Xavier was so proud of his students‘ performance that, in the aftermath of that adventure, he allowed the X-Men to wear individual costumes, each of which Jean had personally designed. [X-Men (1st series) #35-39]
Learning of an upcoming alien invasion, Professor Xavier knew that he would have to prepare against this attack in isolation. Not wanting to leave the X-Men on their own, he had the former villain known as the Changeling take his place. He also re-opened Jean‘s mental blocks to restore her access to her telepathic powers, and taught her how to use them in a series of excessive training sessions. Naturally, the other X-Men were suspicious, especially when Marvel Girl refused to accompany the X-Men on some of their missions just to participate in Xavier’s “important experiments.“ Jean was not happy with this arrangement either but, as she was the only X-Man who knew of the exchange, she was forced to keep Xavier’s plan secret, even after the Changeling was killed in action. [X-Men (1st series) #41-42, 65]
In the wake of “Xavier’s“ death, the X-Men‘s governmental liaison, federal agent Fred Duncan, ordered the team to disband and spread their work across the country. Whereas some of the X-Men were 
assigned to operate in California, Jean stayed in New York, where she started a modeling career. This served as a cover for whatever superhero missions she would go on, as well as a reason for her family why she didn’t move back in with them. Scott also remained on the East Coast as a radio moderator, and occasionally acted as Jean’s overjealous boyfriend, to give her cover more credibility. [X-Men (1st series) #46, 48]
Before long, though, the X-Men reunited and they wouldn’t let themselves be bothered by Duncan’s order anymore. It soon became a moot point anyway, as when the fleet of the alien Z’Nox reached Earth, Professor Xavier came out of hiding and revealed himself to be alive. Jean was rather relieved that she could stop pretending now. [X-Men (1st series) #65] Together with their mentor, the X-Men succeeded in driving the aliens away from Earth and later they teamed up with the Fantastic Four to end the Z’Nox threat once and for all. For the X-Men, it was the first 
time they were in space and, during this flight in the Fantastic Four’s ship, Jean couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. Indeed, she was scanned by a universal Force. [X-Men: The Hidden Years #8-9]
This Force, which later came to be known as the Phoenix Force, is as old as the universe itself and represents the sum and substance of all that lives. All lifeforce in the universe flows through the Phoenix Force before and after being distributed to individual beings. Thus, the Phoenix Force was the incarnation of evolution and resurrection. Psi-talents of the highest order are capable of tapping into this Force and drawing from its power. On occasion, dating back over a million years, the Force chooses an avatar through which to act. Apparently, it first became aware of Jean when she risked her own life while holding on to the dying Annie’s mind, and it sensed a kindred spirit in her as they both shared a devoted passion for life and creation. [Classic X-Men #43] Still, Jean was far from having reached her full potential yet, and so the Force let her be.
After their safe return to Earth, Marvel Girl continued to have many adventures with the X-Men and, along the way, she and Scott deepened their relationship. Several months later, though, the X-Men were captured by the mutant island Krakoa, and Xavier recruited a new team who 
managed to rescue them. In the aftermath of that crisis, with there now being new members to carry on the dream, Marvel Girl and most of the other senior X-Men decided to leave and pursue some other interests of theirs. One of Jean‘s reasons was that she involuntarily found herself attracted to new member, Wolverine, and she feared that she would yield if she stayed near him much longer. Even though she hoped that Scott would leave together with her, he opted to stay and train the new group. [Giant-Size X-Men #1, Classic X-Men #1, X-Men (1st series) #94]