Jean Grey is multiple things: an omega level mutant, a leader, the Phoenix, and constantly in the middle of being in a love triangle. Nevertheless, she is special to the fans of the X-Men series.
Jean has been with the X-Men since the beginning. This means she has had a lot of costume changes since the '60s. From a teenage-superhero to being taken over by a demonic bird, she is always serving looks and defeating anybody that gets in her way. Jean is an important character on both the page and screen. Here are Jean Grey's top 5 best and 5 worst costumes.
10 Worst: Marvel Girl
Marvel Girl is the codename Jean Grey used when the X-Men first assembled as a team. This is back when it was crucial for their identity to be a secret because it could cause great harm to them and their family. With everyone hating mutants, it was a dangerous time to be one. During this era of the X-Men, the costumes looked more like private-school uniforms. Everyone on the team wore the same costume with just a few exceptions for different body types and hairstyles.
Bottom line: this costume is not great. The black and yellow costume makes Jean look like a bumblebee and a mask like that never looks good, especially with long hair like hers. Unfortunately, Marvel Girl looks more like a robber than a superhero in this costume.
9 Best: X-Men Evolution
X-Men Evolution is an American television series that first aired in November of 2000. The series follows the X-Men in their younger days. These teens had to control their powers, navigate their love life, and go to high school. That is a lot for a person especially if you have to save the world and get your homework done. This tv adaption is known as one of the best of The X-Men shows.
Jean's costume in the show is a black and green jumpsuit with a headpiece (similar to gambit's) that does not cover her face like a lot of her other costumes do. This costume is feminine with "utilitarian" qualities perfect for a teenage superhero.
8 Worst: First Class
This was an eight-issue series staring the original X-men. It was published in September of 2006 and ended in April of 2007. Jean Grey took up the mantle of Marvel Girl once again as they tell multiple different stories from the original X-Men.
This costume is very reminiscent of the classic Marvel Girl suit she wore when the X-Men first began as a team. They're back to the yellow and black, but somehow worse than ever before. With the "X" insignia now where her belly button should be, it divides her costume up in an awkward way where it seems a belt would look much better. This costume does bring the headpiece back, but now it covers her eyes, making her look like a wild west bandit.
7 Best: X-Men Age of Apocalypse
Age of Apocalypse is a storyline that took place as a crossover event in 1995. With Professor X being killed by his own son Leigon, the timeline was altered, making the apocalypse 10 years sooner then it should have been. Jean Grey and Weapon X (Logan) are lovers and allies in this fight for mutant kind.
When you are constantly fighting for your life, you need a great costume to do it in, and this is the one. It is totally 90s with Jean sporting short spikey red hair and a face tattoo. This is a post-apocalyptic Jean that has never been on the pages before. She dons her classic one-piece suit. This time it's red and black and has a stylish half jacket in case only her arms get cold.
6 Worst: X-Men Last Stand
This is the third movie in the original X-Men trilogy. All the X-Men are trying to get over Jean's death, but little do they know, she has come back to life as the Phoenix, marking its first cinematic appearance on the big screen.
There have been plenty of different iconic outfits of the Phoenix, but the movie adaptation was lackluster. Jean looks more like she is about to go to her day job as a banker than the most powerful force on the planet. To top it off, the red corset over a trench coat looks awful and awkward. The whole outfit looks cheap and not as cinematic as one would hope.
5 Best: New X-Men
The iconic series New X-Men written by Grant Morrison in 2001 brought a lot of new changes for the team, especially Jean. In this series, Jean has let the Phoenix take control of her permanently. With her newfound power and her impending divorce with Scott Summers, this is one of the biggest arcs for Jean Grey.
With the X-Men back to matching costumes, this is one of their best. With the black shirt and pants and slight accents of yellow, it is completely utilitarian and makes sense to wear in a fight. They even have matching jackets, which look great.
4 Worst: X-Factor
In X-Factor, published in February of 1986, Jean Grey is back from the dead. She wants to get the original X-Man back together, but they have disbanded and are doing their own thing. Scott is now married with a child, but is still hung up on Jean who he thinks is dead.
With Jean coming back from the dead, you would think she would wake up with some fashion sense, but you would be wrong. Jean comes back in a green and yellow spandex suit with a mask that fits like a balloon stretched over her entire head. She's trying to get the original team back together but it looks like she needs to add a stylist to the team as well.
3 Best: X-Men Red
Coming back from the dead again after a decade, Jean assembles her own team of mutants in X-Men Red, a series from 2018. She tries to make a mutant nation, but there are multiple things in her way like the English congresswoman's murder being pinned on her.
With all of Jean's shenanigans, she needs a good outfit and this one is a winner. With a red jumpsuit under a protective blue breastplate and knee-high boots, this is one of the best outfits she has ever had and looks great on the comic's pages.
2 Worst: Black Queen
Part of the iconic comic series What If? puts Marvel characters into different scenarios. In this issue, Wolverine is now the leader of the Alpha Fight team. Jean's backstory is the same as her normal counterpart, but in this story, she is under the control of the Hellfire Club and made into the Black Queen.
This is one of the worst outfits Jean has even been in. With a cape, underwear, fishnet tights, thigh-high boots, and a corset with nothing underneath, this is any woman's nightmare of an outfit. Jean may be a telepath and not need to be mobile in a fight, but this outfit is not practical for any type of activity, especially if everything is leather like it looks to be. Imagine sweating in that.
1 Best: All Iterations Of The Phoenix
Jean and the Phoenix are one and the same. While she is her own person in some comics, it not long until the firebird sinks its talons into her. Jean will never get rid of this pesky bird, but there is one great thing about it: it gives Jean some fashion sense.
Be it the red, green or white costume, there is never a Phoenix outfit that disappoints. Readers of the X-Men comics know that when the red, green or white suit, with the gold details and the giant Phoenix symbol on her chest, come onto the comic pages they are in for a wild ride.