The Many Looks of Jean Grey Part Fifteen ..... A dilemma for the Writers at Marvel ?

   Scott had been married to Maddie for some time, they even had a new born Child Nathan.... but Scott missed the adventure of being a Full Time X-Man. What was he to do.

Now this is where the Guys and Writers from Marvel came into their own.

The back room guys at Marvel had decided to put the band back together. They wanted to have a new title that would feature the Original Members of the X-Men. That would include Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast and Marvel Girl. 

The fly in the ointment was Marvel Girl aka Jean Grey was dead.

 Originally it was suggested that the Fifth Member of the Group needed to be female, and the first suggestion was Maddie, Scott's Wife. Could it be relieved that SHE WAS really Jean after all, or a Reborn Jean a result of the Phoenix force ?. That would be a tough ask for all the readers.  Over  the past number of years Marvel had played games and toyed with both the X-Men , and the readers. Telling them that  Maddie one minute was Jean, and the next she wasn't. 

Although Maddie on the surface looked like Jean, she did not act like Jean. She had a complete different personality.  It had been suggested and considered that this new "Jean" could be called Marvel Woman. Better than the old Marvel Girl and a new costume was designed.   Could Maddie be seen as an evolved version of the original Jean Grey. Could Maddie become Jean ? , could both identities become one ?. This way both characters could exist in the same body, borrowing elements from both characters ?

The All New, All Different Marvel Woman. 

However, after much time, and a lot of effort by the writers at Marvel, It had finally been settled that Maddie Pryor was NOT Jean Grey. She had never been Jean Grey. She was not even a Mutant..... and she had no powers.  Ok she had been granted powers as a healer by Loki whilst she and the X-Men and The New Mutants had had an adventure in Asgard. But those were now long gone.  So NO, Maddie could not be considered as a Team Mate. So the concept of a "New" Marvel Woman was not developed any further.

 Some names where  then explored and suggested.

Unlike today when there are many Female Mutants featured in Marvel Comics,  back in the mid 90's there were much fewer. A person who was suggested, but quickly dropped was The Scarlet Witch. She had history with the X-Men.  In another life, she and her Twin brother Quicksilver could have been X-Men.

Wanda had once been a criminal, a member of Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. She was well known as being a Mutant, who did not try to hide what she was , and who she really was. Publicly her identity was known. It was also known she  had married the  artificial being  called The Vison.  She was accepted as such and as one of the members of the premiere team of heroes, The  Avengers. A team of individuals who banded together for no other reason than being the right thing to do. No Team Uniform, or shared Logo. Just individual Heroes working together. She was a Hero, who just happened to be a Mutant.

Not like most of the X teams of the time.  They had a much different agenda. Where being a Mutant was first and foremost in their lives.  Fighting to protect people who disliked and distrusted them because they were Mutants. Usually from other Mutants that wanted to enforce their superiority over the masses. The X Family were proud to be Mutants and dressing to reflect their unitality.  

Wanda was proud to be a Mutant, but at that time of her life, being a Mutant was not how she wanted to be labelled.  So The Scarlet Witch was rejected as a replacement for Jean Grey. Years previously  Charles Xavier had offered The Scarlet Witch and her brother Quick Silver a place with the X-Men on more than one occasion, but both siblings had rejected his offer. They were sick of fighting a war based on Good Mutants Battling  Evil Mutants. They had been manipulated by Magneto for years, why would they agree to be manipulated by Professor X now ?

When first asked to join the Professor and his team, the X-Men  were still dressing in their Blue and Yellow Uniforms. I am not sure that Wanda and Pietro could have rocked that look !  Magneto had been a fanatical and cruel leader, but he did design them both  great costumes. Costumes that gave them an identity. 

Where on the other hand, being on Professor X's team, would come with its advantages.  Although you would still been seen with some indifference by most of the non mutants on the planet, you would be under the care and tutorage of Charles Xavier, who would train you to develop and become the best version of yourself.  All you would need to do is allow him complete control over how you went about developing yourself. Charles was a strict teacher, who demanded his charges to do their best at all times. But being a X-Men would never be an easy choice for anyone. Here is how Wanda and her brother may have looked if they had of said yes to joining The X-Men. !

The Scarlet Witch and Quick Silver as they looked under Magneto

How Wanda and Pietro would have looked like as Students of Charles Xavier.

The X-Men a Team, a  Family....which a classic costume..... and a lack of individuality at times.

No Marvel would need for a more suitable replacement for Jean.

Next time two more contenders..... and a solution.

Until then ENJOY !