Warning: contains spoilers for Magneto #2!
Jean Grey have fought a number of times over the years, but even he feels her original “Marvel Girl” name was an insult. Jean Grey is one of Marvel’s most powerful mutants, and has had several different code names throughout her career – starting with Marvel Girl in her earliest appearances. Now, in Magneto #2, the Master of Magnetism lets slip his thoughts on Jean Grey’s earliest codename.
Magneto #2 – written by JM DeMatteis, drawn by Todd Nauck, colored by Rochelle Rosenberg and lettered by Travis Lanham – is set during Magneto’s tenure as heaster of Xavier’s, with the book exploring how he reconciles his evil past with his newfound heroic status.
Reflecting on his past conflicts with the X-Men, Magneto ruminates on how "inadequate" the name Marvel Girl is for "a creature so powerful" as Jean.
Jean Grey is One of the Most Powerful X-Men
Magneto #2 opens with Magneto having a fever dream in which he fights the original X-Men. After dispatching Beast and Iceman, he is confronted by Jean Grey. Magneto notes her psychokinetic abilities, but feels the name Marvel Girl undersells her; he calls the name “insipid” and “inadequate” for someone so strong. Magneto acknowledges that, at this time, neither Jean nor the rest of the X-Men knew just how powerful she was. It is ironic that one of the X-Men’s worst enemies would see the true potential in one of their before they did – yet Magneto knew early on Jean Grey was heading for greatness.
Magneto Was Right About Jean Grey
One of the founding of the X-Men, Jean Grey has held different identities throughout time. When she was first introduced sixty years ago, in Uncanny X-Men #1, she went by the name Marvel Girl. When Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum took over X-Men in the mid-1970s, Jean shed the sexist and outdated Marvel Girl name. While it was at first a Jean Grey clone that received the Phoenix powers, it demonstrated that the real Jean had abilities beyond what she could imagine. Jean’s psychic powers are immense, and she has few rivals in this area, save Professor X or Legion.
Magneto is correct: the name Marvel Girl does not do Jean justice. When Jean Grey ed the X-Men, she was still a teenager, which may have made the name “Marvel Girl” more understandable. Yet as the character grew in age and progressed in developing her powers, the name needed to go. Calling a grown woman a “girl” is condescending, and fails to acknowledge her power. Magneto, on the other hand, saw Jean’s potential early on, and knew the name “Marvel Girl” drastically under-represented her. He acknowledges in the vision that he can see her whole future open up, including her time as the Phoenix.
Magneto #2 finds the Master of Magnetism having ed the X-Men, his former foes, but it is interesting to consider how he perceived the team during his time as an antagonist. Magneto may have thought at one point he could recruit Jean to the Brotherhood; if he had been able to convince her to , then there may have been no stopping them. The current Jean Grey book touches on this, and is another excellent display of her powers. Jean Grey has been one of Marvel’s most powerful mutants from the start, and even Magneto felt the name “Marvel Girl” was silly.
Magneto #2 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!
