In Classic X-Men #6, simply titled “A Love Story,” Claremont uses a near-wordless sequence to create an intimate portrayal of Jean Grey’s world as she plans and anticipates her date with Scott, unaware of the cruel fate that awaits her. 1/7 #xmen 
Importantly, the story reveals that Jean had been planning on seducing Cyclops. A note from roommate Misty Knight, and the (maybe) subtle action of hiding a photo of her parents from her nightstand make this abundantly clear. 2/7
Canonically, Jean only consummated the relationship in the Dark Phoenix Saga, which places her sexual agency in the hands of the cosmic entity, not her own, especially after the resurrection retcon that the Phoenix was entirely foreign – not Jean at all. 3/7
Thus the story shows Jean’s interior existence and sexual agency along with her anxiety/anticipation in the build-up to a date. The tragedy of interruption is represented in the final panels, showing an empty bed as the Sentinels attack and the Phoenix saga begins. 4/7
The story invokes dramatic irony (where the reader knows something that the character does not) in order to create a pointed sense of sympathy and an anxiety over the cruelty of fate itself. The reader knows all along how doomed Jean is. 5/7
A relevant comparison might be to Juliet’s monologue in 3.II of Romeo and Juliet, where the bard allows her to rave about how wonderful her love for Romeo is and how much she anticipates his arrival in her bed, while the reader knows that Tybalt is dead and all is lost. 6/7
Overall, the vignette adds character depth and weight between the gutters of iconic story events that transpired a decade prior to its publication, thus elevating the original story (in hindsight) whilst showcasing new sides of previously established characters and stories. 7/7
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