The X-Men member has now sured them all. Jean Grey has undergone an unprecedented power upgrade, and with her permanent fusion to the cosmic Phoenix Force, she now holds god-like power. However, despite her seemingly limitless power, one weakness still holds her back.

In the preview pages of Phoenix #10, written by Stephanie Phillips, with art by Alessandro, Jean Grey has split the Phoenix Force in two, with the other half going to a girl named Adani, who has been manipulated by the Dark God Perrikus to reshape reality.

With Jean Grey forced to choose between saving Adani or stopping the Shadow Realm, Perrikus tells the hero that she has limitless power and the only thing stopping her is her “pathetic empathy.” While Jean Grey’s empathy makes her a hero, it’s true that her human emotions have also been the source of her downfalls.

Jean Gray Is Marvel's Most Powerful Hero, But Her Humanity Is Holding Her Back

Phoenix #10; Story By Stephanie Phillips; Art By Alessandro Miracolo; Color By David Curiel; Letters By Cory Petit

Marvel has some of the most incredibly powerful beings, but Jean Grey stands above all heroes with her god-like abilities to wield cosmic energy, the power of rebirth, and to reform the very fabric of reality. Within her short time protecting the galaxy, Jean Grey was able to absorb the excess power of an exploding sun, reverse a black hole, and turn Gorr the God Butcher into a star. Both Captain Marvel of the Avengers and the cosmic entity known as Eternity have stated she is the most powerful person in all existence.

Both Captain Marvel and Eternity note that, though Jean Grey has access to unfettered power, her fear of losing her humanity, especially after the events of the Dark Phoenix, is holding her back from god-status. Several times, Jean Grey has been forced into a moral dilemma, which has allowed her enemies to sidestep her power. When Jean Grey chooses to save a galactic prison over stopping the Dark God Perrikus, Perrikus, in turn, escapes to kill Adani’s father, making Adani misplace her blame onto the Phoenix and seek revenge.

Jean Grey: Struggling Between the Phoenix Force and Her Humanity

The Phoenix Gives Jean Unlimited Power, But Her Ties to the X-Men Hinder Her Ultimate Power

Jean Grey has unlimited potential brought on by the Phoenix Force’s connection to the universe, and her omega-level psychic abilities amplify this incredible power. However, her unlimited power doesn’t mean unlimited wisdom. Though the galaxy understandably fears the might of the Phoenix, many villains know Jean Grey holds deeply rooted human emotions that they can exploit. In X-Men #12 by Jed MacKay and Netho Diaz, a group of Skrull bandits attempt to kidnap Jean’s husband, Cyclops, knowing that exploiting her love for him would be an easy way to blackmail her.

As the universe’s embodiment of rebirth, Jean Grey has risen above nearly every single one of her superpowered peers to become Marvel's new most powerful hero. Still, her limitless power has, unfortunately for her, not gifted her complete invulnerability. While Jean Grey’s moral com indeed makes her an irable hero, dark forces have used her emotions to gain the upper hand, such as threatening the innocent or taking her loved ones, like Cyclops, hostage. Jean Grey is the Marvel Universe’s strongest superhero, but her ties to the X-Men and, more specifically, her empathy have prevented her from ascending to absolute godhood.

Phoenix #10 will be available April 9, 2025, from Marvel Comics!