Who is the X-Men’s most powerful mutant?

There are a lot of X-Men, but the strongest, hands down, is the former Marvel Girl, Jean Grey. Here’s why. 

It’s a big time for the X-Men. Marvel’s iconic mutants getting big events in comics, returning to television in X-Men ‘97, and looming in the distance of the MCU with Deadpool & Wolverine. 

But for comic fans, this is a long overdue return to the form. X-Men has been one of Marvel’s most popular franchises dating back to its earliest days, but really kicked off with Giant Size X-Men #1 and its accompanying 1970s run. 

The cast of mutants now seems infinite, all with a host of exciting and unique powers that set them apart from other characters. Marvel has spent years detailing the various power levels and skills of the various mutants, but one character stands above them all in terms of sheer power. 

Jean Grey is the most powerful X-Men character

Hands down, Jean Grey is the strongest X-Men character. The former Marvel Girl is a powerful, Omega-level telepath. While there are other Omega-level mutants, including Storm, Iceman, and Magneto, how Jean uses and applies mental powers sets her apart. 

In her first appearance, Jean only had telekinetic powers. A later retcon established she was a fiercely powerful telepath as well, with Professor Xavier having created mental barriers to prevent her from accessing the powers for fear she would harm herself or others.

Over the years, she’s grown strong enough to accomplish feats like hiding pieces of Xavier’s mind in others for safeguarding and engaging in one-on-one psychic battles with beings like Knull or even Celestials. 

Jean’s telekinetic abilities are impressive, though whether they’re also Omega-level can vary from story to story. They still allow her an incredible range of powers, including lifting seemingly immovable objects or being able to fly. 

With the Phoenix, Jean Grey is a cosmic deity

Jean, on her own, is already the most powerful mutant in the X-Men, but once you factor in the powers of the Phoenix Force, she becomes powerful on a cosmic scale. 

The Phoenix Force is a primal cosmic entity that seeks physical hosts, but it has a particular affinity for Jean Grey. That relationship has proven to be good and bad, with Jean’s darker inhibitions, known as Dark Phoenix, proving to be a galactic terror. 

Empowered by the Phoenix, Jean has accomplished feats as horrifying as destroying entire planets. It can also bolster her natural abilities for truly remarkable feats, such as reconstructing and reviving Emma Frost after she was shattered while in her diamond form.

While the Phoenix and Jean have had a long-strained relationship, the two have also become linked at a level no other host was able to attain, to the point that Jean is functionally immortal thanks to the Phoenix’s blessings. Later versions of Phoenix with hosts, including one far-flung future version of Wolverine, are powerful, but their bond is implied to be nowhere near as strong as the one shared with Jean. 

With the upcoming X-Men ‘97 and the Krakoa Era ending for From the Ashes, it’s only a matter of time before fans see the more powerful sides of Jean and the Phoenix on display yet again.