10 Best Female Characters In The X-Men Universe

2. Jean Grey

The woman who would one day be Phoenix began as Marvel Girl, the only woman in the First Class of X-Men that featured Cyclops and Angel, among others. She had an ongoing relationship with Cyclops, perhaps one of the great comic book romances of all time. Her time during the classic Dark Phoenix Saga cemented her place in the history of the Marvel universe, and the shocking conclusion that killed the character off left a void in the heart of X-Men fans that was difficult to fill.

Though she eventually returned, it never quite felt the same. Not only that, but Jean also discovered Emma Frost was having some sort of kinky psychic affair with Cyclops, ending their marriage. Her character never seemed to recover from the Phoenix, as the writers at Marvel didn't quite have a clear direction they wanted her to go in.

Jean has appeared in the X-Men film series, played by Famke Janssen, where the character was integral to the loosely adapted The Dark Phoenix saga, even if it removed numerous elements. She's one of the most well known and beloved women in all of X-Men, and for good reason. Jean is immensely powerful, and someone who you can perhaps understand on a more primal level than someone like Rogue or Storm.

Jean Grey returned to the big screen for more than just a cameo in X-Men: Apocalypse, her younger self portrayed by Sophie Turner.