Claremont is on record as being opposed to gendered superheroine codenames. As such, none of his female character creations have the word “girl” or “woman” in their superhero names, a choice that bucks a longstanding trend in Superhero comics. #xmen 1/4

By explicitly labeling superheroines “girl” or “woman,” they can become overdetermined by gender, while “girl” in particular suggests a condescension that runs contrary to the fantasies of empowerment that superheroes provide. 2/4

Furthermore, as part of his immediate attempts to reform Jean Grey, Claremont gives the character a new costume, a new power set (and scale), and changes her name from the diminutive “Marvel Girl” to the non-gendered and mythical title of “Phoenix.” 3/4

In the particular instance of Jean, having an infantilizing name like Marvel Girl (despite being an adult woman) was especially condescending, considering she shared a home and superhero team with a younger, less mature male mutant who went by “Iceman” rather than “Iceboy.” 4/4