X-Men Messiah Complex, New X-Men - and Mutant Zero

Wow, Messiah Complex has blown me away so far. Madrox and Layla investigating the future, the mutant 'messiah' getting handed around more than a hot potato, and betrayals galore.

I am really pleased with the pace of the story too - a new chapter every week has really made me look forward to Wednesdays (almost as much as Virtual Console Mondays!).

The only thing I am disappointed with is character usage. I'm glad to see Bishop in a main role, as well as Cyclops's development as a better leader. But it seems like recently every issue is X-Force, of which I'm just not that interested in. I really enjoyed Storm's team and their assault on the Marauders in X-Men 205, as well as Wolvie slicing Gambit up real good.

It seems like the only X-title that actually uses their own team during this story is New X-Men, who are sort of bleh in my opinion. Cyclops and Emma really need to keep a tighter leash on them. Even though their book is coming to an apparent end after Messiah Complex, I always thought they should have had an elder X-Men on their team, like Banshee and Emma were to Generation X. For New X-Men though, I would have loved to see Forge or Storm as their mentor. Maybe the "Young X-Men" (so lame, sounds so DC) will see this implementation.

Now, onto Mutant Zero... I was browsing the Marvel Comics forums the other day and came across a thread that was titled to the effect - Mutant Zero is Jean Grey. I sort of thought it was a joke, but no, the guy was serious. Dan Slott, writer of Avengers: The Initiative, has stated that Mutant Zero is someone that people who don't follow comics will recognize, and who has been cover-worthy many times, and when she unmasks, fans will say "whoa."

Who in their right mind would think that Jean Grey would be resurrected outside an X-title? Hands please? I can't see any... that's right, because the thought of that is ludicrous...

So who could it be then? Well browsing further into that post, some speculated it could be Revanche - but I don't think non-followers will know who that is...

Also, it would have to be someone who is NOT on the 198 list, since she's referred to as #199...

I had originally thought it would be Firestar, since she's been cover worthy, and TV worthy (Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends), and she and Vance Astro have a connection, and since she was a New Warrior, but she's on the 198 list.

Well I don't have an answer, but I will say that I doubt with all the doubt I can muster that it is NOT Jean Grey. I'll also be pretty irritated if it's the Scarlet Witch...

-Zon