The mutant love triangle of Jean Grey, Scott Summers, and Emma Frost is both infuriating and also addictive to behold. Variations of the "throuple" have broken up and reformed countless times, even with other characters like Logan interjecting in various affairs. The most recent incarnation sees Jean, Scott, and Logan engaging it what could only be described as a polyamorous relationship.
Though Jean and Scott are childhood sweethearts, their lives were shaken as the White Queen stepped onto the scene in 1980. Cyclops and his wandering eye would later engage in a relationship with Emma, and for the most part, he was still very much involved with Jean. But, beside the fact that both women should find someone better, which of them settling for Cyclops would benefit him the most?
10 Emma Frost: Unbreakable Bond
Her less than reputable side has allowed Cyclops to do some questionable things during their relationship as leaders of the X-Men. She assisted in leading multiple iterations of the team, which although successful, was something of an extreme narrative compared to that of Xavier's reign.
Her checkered past allowed Scott to act according to his own whims, rather than the morals his tutor had instilled in him since childhood. Because of this, and arguably because of Emma's influence, Scott has made some pretty terrible decisions as a leader. In a matter of years the X-Men went to war with both the Inhumans and the Avengers, the latter resulting in the death of Xavier himself.
9 Jean Grey: She Saw Him First
A long history isn't necessarily the makings of a perfect relationship— if anything, Scott and Jean's relationship proves the opposite. Nonetheless, as founding members of the X-Men, they have an understanding of one another that is incomparable to anything else.
Of course, Scott isn't an object, but Jean did technically see him first. Since their initial introduction in 1963, Jean and Scott have conquered just about every relationship hurdle imaginable, including death. They don't tend to argue about the mundane quarrels of typical relationships, but instead, when Jean destroys entire planets.
8 Emma Frost: A More Mature Relationship
Emma and Scott met well into adulthood in The New X-Men. Scott was with Jean at the time, though that didn't stop the White Queen from working her wicked spell on that would-be crush of hers. After a psychic affair, which unearths questions about what really counts as cheating, Jean meets her end for what seems like the hundredth time.
After an obligatory moment of grief, Scott gives things with Emma a real shot. Their love, though toxic in its own right, seemed to burn hotter and longer than that of his previous relationships. They dealt with adult problems, and so, it is a given that the feelings themselves were also significantly more mature. Often the relationships in one's childhood do not last as they grow into adulthood as people mature into their real (often different) selves. Scott already knew who he was by the time he met Emma, and so he wanted to give it all to the White Queen.
7 Jean Grey: The Power Of Young Love
There is nothing more pure than a childhood crush, void of adult worries and imposed responsibilities. Jean and Scott met at a time where they were not plagued by outside influence and the need to lead an entire race of people. Sure, they were engaging enemies on missions, but that was child's play compared to the future issues the team conquered.
The start of their relationship was a quintessential teen romance, and although childish, was relatable to an audience of a similar age. They might not have gone to war together, but it's guaranteed their teenage diaries would be full of juicy secrets and loving anecdotes.
6 Emma Frost: No Third Wheels
For most of Jean and Scott's relationship they had a third entity involved. This third wheel was long before the polyamorous relationship on Krakoa, and was definitely not nearly as attractive as Wolverine. The Phoenix Force was such an immense part of their relationship, it was hard to think of them without it.
With Emma and Scott it is just them, and though the ghosts of their past frequently haunt them, they don't have to worry as much about a cosmic force ripping them apart on date night. Jean was constantly at odds with her fiery alter-ego, but Emma has made peace with that darker side of herself. Sure, Emma's darker self isn't quite as homicidal as Jean's, but she still has skeletons she would rather keep buried.
5 Jean Grey: Always Willing To Work At It
Despite her numerous deaths, and her apparent addiction to adamantium, Jean doesn't remain distanced from Scott for long. Jean and Scott always find each other, as apparent by their perfect family setup on the Blue Side of the Moon. Their family— nay, dynasty— illustrates a love that is beyond conventional boundaries.
Death doesn't keep them from one another, so why would the White Queen? There is nothing more compelling than an on again, off again relationship, and Marvel knows how to keep readers holding on to possibilities. It is clear nothing can keep them from one another, even if they would probably better separately.
4 Emma Frost: Keeps Scott Faithful
No one content in their relationship has wandering eyes, and Jean & Scott may just have the most wandering eyes of all. Despite their very clear love, which might be nothing more than secure comfortability, they have both been unfaithful in the past. Scott has engaged in an affair with Frost, as well as Madelyn Pryor which is a whole different kind of mess.
Jean's relationship with Wolverine is a cult classic, with even the live action movies drawing upon it for inspiration. If Jean & Scott were ever truly content with their relationship, they would never have looked elsewhere for satisfaction. Enter Emma Frost, who Scott would never dream of cheating on.
3 Jean Grey: Family Values
Despite the multiple changes of the years, 2020 puts Jean and Scott firmly together and living rather successfully in a polyamorous relationship. Their extended family not only possesses startling power, but carries a demonstration of what their love can produce.
They have bonded their family together, acting as the parents and guides to all who live in the Summers house. There isn't really greater proof of compatibility. Fingers crossed that Emma moves in as well, because who wouldn't watch that reality TV show?
2 Emma Frost: Scott's True Self, Revealed?
The best love changes everyone for the better, growing as a unit rather than as individuals. Emma and Scott's bond is proof of this, as both of them changed to become heightened versions of themselves. Emma was once an adversary of the X-Men, and yet, she became one of their greatest assets after falling for Scott.
Scott, despite his rather extremist tendencies, began to see the world for what it truly is. He was no longer the idealistic and hopeful mutant Xavier had groomed him to be. Instead, he became hardened like Magneto, willing to do anything he could to protect his people. This ability to change with each other is something that Jean and Scott never possessed.
1 Jean Grey: Inherently Good
The ideas of good and evil are largely subjective, though there are some things that are very obviously one or the other. Jean has always been a champion for justice, and even when possessed by the Phoenix, was conflicted by her horrific actions.
In contrast, Emma still walks the line between good and evil. Though her motivations are always centered around Mutant preservation, her methods often operate in a grey area. Though they have both done their fair share of misdeeds, Jean certainly trumps Emma in the moral superiority area. Of course, everyone loves a bad girl, but Jean is the type you can rely on day or night.