PURE SPECULATION
Comic websites across the internet have hypothesized how and when the X-Men will be introduced into the MCU. Not only that, but there are plenty of theories surrounding what the lineup could be.
Given Marvel Studios' propensity to pull away from characters that have appeared in other franchises, logically that eliminates Jean Grey from competition. After all, she has been used in every X-Men movie (minus X-Men: First Class) and the Dark Phoenix Saga has been told twice, and that’s not counting the cartoon adaptation. How could Marvel introduce her without rehashing what has already been onscreen?
Enter: Mister Sinister’s unwitting puppet, Madelyne Pryor.
INFERNO
In the comics, Madelyne was Jean Grey’s clone, created by the oft-MCU-rumored Sinister and given life in the wake of Jean’s original death. She married Scott Summers, and the two had a child together, Nathan, who would go on to become Cable. When Jean returned, Cyclops abandoned Madelyne and Nathan to co-found X-Factor with Jean. This would eventually lead to Madelyne turning full heel and taking on the guise of the Goblin Queen.
Granted, the story of Madelyne and the Goblin Queen would need heavy retooling to fit into the MCU spectrum, but it could work. In fact, Marvel Studios could possibly leave Jean in a Phoenix-less backstory and go straight to her clone with Mister Sinister pulling the strings behind the scenes to set up Inferno.
THE LIST
Willing to take a gamble on Madelyne? Aside from her first appearance as a child, her key issues are relatively cost-effective, even at higher grades. Plus, they come from the Chris Claremont X-Men era, so they are worth owning for the story alone. Here is your shopping list.
AVENGERS ANNUAL #10
This is the only truly expensive key on today’s list, and it isn’t due to Madelyne. She made her debut as a little girl alongside Captain Marvel’s bane, Rogue. Those Captain Marvel 2 rumors of Rogue being the villain has caused prices for this issue to spike.
At the moment, a 9.8 Avengers Annual #10 is nearly a $1k comic, but if you opt for a mid-grade 7.0, the price drops to about $80.
UNCANNY X-MEN #168
With Avengers Annual #10 on the pricey side for the higher grades, the better option is Uncanny X-Men #168. This is her first appearance as an adult as well as her debut in the X-Men franchise.
A 9.8 UXM #168 has a 90-day average of $168, which is up about $60 from the past two years. If you are looking for a cheaper option, the 9.6 drops to about $60.
UNCANNY X-MEN #201
UXM #201 may be Madelyne’s most important key issue. The bigger picture is that she gives birth to Nathan Summers, aka Cable, which was part of Mister Sinister’s grand design. Also, it is the first cover drawn by famed X-Men artist Whilce Portacio.
Because this is technically the first appearance of Cable as a baby, the price is slightly higher than you might expect. Still, you can have a 9.8 for $120 and a 9.6 for $50.
UNCANNY X-MEN #239
Madelyne stepped out of Jean’s shadow in Uncanny X-Men #239 to become the villainous Goblin Queen, and the Queen is still missed by many fans of the Claremont era.
Having Madelyne take on the guise of the Goblin Queen not only would give the MCU a villain never seen onscreen, but it could start the events of Inferno, one of the X-Men’s more underrated story arcs.
Looking for that near-mint-plus 9.8? It has a 90-day fair market value of $95 at the moment while the 9.6 last sold for $55 earlier this year.
X-FACTOR #38
Not that death means much in the world of comics, but we can’t leave Madelyne’s demise off the list. Another selling point to X-Factor #38 is the beautiful artwork from Walt Simonson.
A 9.8 last sold for $60 in April, and a 9.6 brought $33 in January.
THE POWER OF THE MCU SPECULATION
It is not likely that Madelyn will be included in the MCU, but it is in the realm of possibility. There is ample speculation surrounding Mister Sinister being a prime target for Marvel Studios. If that pans out, who is to say that Inferno couldn’t make it to movie screens (if we even have movie screens anymore by that point) and bring Madelyn Pryor along for the ride?
