Ryan Smith is located just south of Boston and is a lifelong fan of movies, comics, music and all things pop culture... and pro wrestling, but don't hold that against him.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been crushing all kinds of records since its release in theaters — suggesting that if one wanted to see the movie, they likely already have. And with that, the cat's out of the bag: an original member of the classic X-Men, Jean Grey, has officially been introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a misguided antagonist for most of the movie.

Jean Grey is involved in many of the movie's best sequences, but one that stands out above the rest is the scene where she reveals that The Hulk is under her telepathy. A horrifying concept for any hero tasked with going up against her, this moment may have been directly inspired by one of Jean Grey's most impressive moments in the X-Men's Onslaught saga.

Jean Grey Has A History Of Using The Hulk As A Weapon

In one of the most action-packed sequences from Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Spider-Man and The Punisher need to team up to take on Bruce Banner's worst nightmare, The Hulk. Of course, The Hulk wasn't acting on his own volition, as Sadie Sink's Jean Grey was in his mind, controlling his every action. This helped audiences truly understand the extent of Jean's powers — not only can she jump from mind to make a confusing battle for Spider-Man, but she can also take over the most unstable minds and mold their actions to her will.

Jean didn't directly unlock The Hulk's savage side in Spider-Man: Brand New Day — that came later, after he expelled Jean from his mind and failed to regain control, but it bubbled to the surface as a direct result of Jean's actions. However, the comics presented a very different scenario. In their battle against the evil Onslaught, the X-Men are faced with a nearly unstoppable brute of a villain subconsciously created by both Professor Xavier and Magneto. During a moment that the writers of Spider-Man: Brand New Day may have pulled directly from, Jean Grey steps in to unlock Hulk's savage side in order to give the X-Men a fighting chance after their initial attack failed.

Of course, in this scene — which came in 1996's Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1 — it's actually The Hulk who approaches Jean Grey to unlock Savage Hulk. At this point in the comics, The Hulk is closer to his Avengers: Endgame "Professor" Hulk personality than his original monstrous savage self, with Bruce Banner able to fully articulate his thoughts whether he's in Hulk-form or not. Knowing that the best chance at taking out Onslaught would be to turn Bruce Banner off entirely, The Hulk asks Jean to use her powerful telepathy and release his savage side once again. The strategy paid off, thankfully, as The Hulk is actually able to crack Onslaught's armor, earning the heroes their first true point in the battle.

Jean Grey And The Hulk Haven't Crossed Over As Much As You'd Think

Despite Jean Grey and The Hulk having a practical combination of powers when together, as proven in Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1, the two characters actually haven't crossed over directly with each other too often. Sure, the X-Men themselves are no stranger to The Hulk, but there's not a huge relationship between the former Marvel Girl or the Green Goliath in the comics.

Still, they have a few memorable sequences sprinkled throughout their history. One such moment came in X-Men: First Class (Vol. 2) #5, where the X-Men were tasked with tracking down The Hulk in Colorado as a favor to Professor Xavier's friend, Fred Duncan. While a bit of a thin premise, the issue is great fun, with a chaotic clash between him and the X-Men. The standout moment, however, comes when The Hulk foolishly undermines Jean Grey's abilities, only to be lifted directly into the air — once again proving that when it really comes down to it, The Hulk stands no chance against Marvel Girl.

Regardless of their lack of true relationship from the comics, it was a great decision for Spider-Man: Brand New Day to include both Jean Grey and The Hulk in the same movie, and especially in a scene pivotal to the story. It's scenes like this that prove why the MCU is worth paying attention to. While, yes, the MCU films pay homage to several well-established team-ups and crossovers from the comics — like Spider-Man and The Punisher, for example — they also present the opportunity to explore character dynamics that are vastly underplayed in the source material.