I often find myself thinking about what makes the X-Women (Jean, Storm, etc) so iconic through time, and not simply just "another female that appears in a comic book." Is it their individual personalities, or the manifestation and how they use their individual powers throughout the various storylines? Or is it a combination of some of these factors that make these characters so prominent and still wildly influential after all these years?
Sure, we have the Cosmic Hero fact in the argument for why Jean Grey is powerful, but what is it that makes her (and the other women) iconic not only in the stories, but amongst fans as well? I'm interested in hearing peoples thoughts / comments.