Warning, Spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man #36, Jean Grey #3, and Dark X-Men #3!
It would be safe to assume Marvel is in a rebranding phase, as it continues to pluck surprising faces out of obscurity, pushing them to the forefront of its brand. Wiccan and Hulkling are two of the more recent new major players for Marvel, and the latest may be even more surprising: Madelyn Pryor.
Madelyn Pryor has solidified her newfound status among Marvel’s upper echelon with appearances in three different recently released titles. First, she asserts a surprising amount of political power over Mayor Luke Cage in Amazing Spider-Man #36. Elsewhere, in Dark X-Men #3, readers are seen how “predictable” she finds her nightmares to be.
Finally, Jean Grey #3 shows Pryor how to access the Phoenix powers in ways never before seen.
Madelyn Pryor Has A New Central Role In Marvel Comics
Madelyne Pryor married Cyclops years ago, as Mr. Sinister was certain that a holy union between Jean and Scott was essential to preserving the mutant race. Madelyn kept her profile as Jean Grey up long enough for her and Scott to have a child, but things obviously went haywire, when the real Jean Grey was brought back to life. Since then, Madelyn has served as an occasional X-Men antagonist. However, the latest era of Marvel Comics has seen her emerge in a new, critical role – in the process giving her a major upgrade to her power, both in terms of her mutant abilities and the influence she wields.
Each of Madelyne’s recent appearances highlight a key quality that has helped her remain as an enduring supporting player within the Marvel Universe for all these years. Dark X-Men highlights the unnerving fearlessness she wields on a regular basis. Amazing Spider-Man showcases the bolstering authority and political power she holds over even the strongest – in Luke Cage’s case, physically and mentally – of men. Finally, Jean Grey reminds readers of the actual power that Pryor holds, potentially a power that rivals that of the real Jean Grey; something which is especially apropos, as Jean is currently suffering her latest death.
Madelyn Pryor Could Hold Mutantkind’s Survival In Her Hands
Putting such specific spotlights on Madelyn Pryor cannot be a coincidence on Marvel’s behalf. It is safe to assume Marvel wants readers to remember these qualities about Pryor for a specific reason. They are most certainly elevating Pryor in a bigger way than ever before, but the reason remains ambiguous for the time being. It might be safe to speculate that a character who has teetered the line between good and evil for so long may be ready to become more of a protagonist, hence the elevation. Or perhaps, in Jean’s absence, alternatively, Pryor may be on her way to becoming an even bigger villain than ever before in her history with Marvel.
