There are certainly more powerful mutants out there than Jean Grey, but she has what others don't: the power of the Phoenix Force.
Jean is already an Omega-Level mutant with the ability to read minds and use telekinesis, but when you factor in the cosmic potential of the Phoenix you get an X-Man incomparable in terms of ability. Yes, people will automatically go back to all the times she's died and returned from the grave, but there's no underestimating Jean Grey; whether in or out of control of the Phoenix, she is a real force to be reckoned with.
When the Phoenix was retconned to be an alien entity, Jean became Marvel's preeminent cosmic heroine. Her powers while in that form are also unparalleled, with the former Marvel-Girl able to obliterate powers and even manipulate matter on a molecular level.
Consider her influence as a key figurehead in the battle for mutant liberty, as well as the fact she just keeps coming back, you really do have to wonder if any other X-Man could reach her level.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
