Marvel Just Gave Jubilee Her Star Turn (and It’s About Time)

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The Uncanny X-Men series highlights that there’s still hope in the X-Men universe. Featuring fan favorites like Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Jubilee, this group departed from joining Cyclops in Alaska and instead established a home at Haven House in Louisiana. This place holds significance for Gambit due to his past. They took under their wing a new mutant team called the Outliers, faced challenges against Graymalkin’s mutant prison, dealt with Xavier’s unexpected escape from Earth, and uncovered secrets about their base, Haven House. Their actions in New Orleans have elevated them to local fame, positively portraying mutants for a long time. Writer Gail Simone and artist David Marquez skillfully employ a soap opera-like narrative approach, focusing on character development and weaving intricate storylines. Except for Jubilee, each character has had their moment in the spotlight.

After the Uncanny X-Men comic book issue released for Free Comic Book Day in 2024, Jubilee hadn’t made a significant impact in the storyline. However, that changed with the impressive Uncanny X-Men #19. This issue references back to the FCBD issue, portraying Jubilee as the heroine we’ve always known she could be. So far, Uncanny X-Men has been a standout series; Simone, Marquez, and the guest artists have been delivering top-notch X-Men comics for several years now. The book has skillfully explored the new generation of mutants while also highlighting the established team favorites. With Jubilee finally getting her moment to shine, this development has been a long time coming for the character.

Jubilee Shows That She’s Through Playing Around

In the ’90s, Jubilee rose to fame as a character created by Chris Claremont, who paired her with Wolverine as his sidekick. She quickly gained massive popularity, embodying the cool and popular mall girl persona that many aspired to befriend. Marvel capitalized on her success well. Her association with Wolverine made her tougher, and her time with Generation X, a training team of young mutants, further established her as a promising hero. However, her popularity waned over time, especially when she was apart from Wolverine, and she was depowered in the “House of M” comic series.

In a twist, Jubilee was turned into a vampire and became even tougher than before, adopting a child and regaining her human form with her mutant powers back in 2017’s “Generation X.” During the Krakoa Era, she appeared in various books like “Excalibur,” but never quite reached the heights of her ’90s popularity. A Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) issue of “Uncanny X-Men” served as a refreshing reintroduction to the character. In this story, Rogue sent Jubilee to Westchester, New York, where she stood up for a mutant waitress being bullied by wealthy human bigots, even destroying their car to make her point. This was appreciated by Jubilee’s fans, but “Uncanny X-Men” didn’t focus much on her after this incident, though she remained present in the series. That is, until issue #19 of “Uncanny X-Men,” where things changed significantly for Jubilee.

In this story, Simone’s characters Deadpool and Outlaw, who are regulars at Haven House, encounter trouble when they arrive. The Outliers attempt to fight them, but the X-Men, returning from New Orleans, step in. Deadpool and Outlaw inform the X-Men that they were hired by bigots from a FCBD issue to distract the X-Men while they dealt with a mutant waitress. Jubilee decides to handle this herself, turning down any help from her team. Gambit uses the enchanted Left Eye of Agamotto to transport her to the location. She learns that the bigots’ leader is seeking revenge because Jubilee destroyed his car, which led to him being disinherited by his wealthy father. Jubilee calls him foolish, pours herself a coffee, and then takes on him and his hired mercenaries, using her more powerful powers and martial arts skills, honed from battling alongside Wolverine and Kitty Pryde. In the end, Jubilee resolves the issue, demonstrating that she’s no one to trifle with, and that anyone harming mutants will have to face her wrath. This version of Jubilee is exactly what fans have been waiting for, and it’s fantastic!

Jubilee Has Finally Lived Up to Her Potential

Since the ’90s, supporters of Jubilee have faced some challenging years. After Wolverine shed his adamantium and departed from the X-Men, Jubilee seemed to lose some of her sparkle associated with the Wolverine era. The comic series Generation X initially showed promise, but after key creators such as Scott Lobdell, James Robinson, Chris Bachalo, and Tom Grummet parted ways with the publication, it began to falter. Consequently, Jubilee’s popularity waned significantly. Marvel made attempts to revive her appeal, yet they often failed to effectively handle her character development.

Issue #19 of the Uncanny X-Men series showcases the immense potential in Jubilee’s character. Recognizing that she had caused trouble for someone else, she stepped up to rectify the situation on her own. This is the kind of Jubilee fans have been eagerly waiting for – a character who has learned from her past mistakes and risen to become an exceptional mutant hero. Through and through, Jubilee possesses the ability to shine, and this issue serves as undeniable proof.

Uncanny X-Men #19 is on sale now.

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2025-08-10 01:11