Rachel Summers is the daughter of the mutant heroes Cyclops and Jean Grey from a dystopian alternative future. Having inherited her mother's psychic abilities, she has high-level telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Thanks to the power of the cosmic entity known as the Phoenix, Rachel was brought to the past, where she was granted a second chance in life alongside the X-Men. Despite initially having problems adapting to a different version of the world she knew, Rachel was eventually integrated into the X-Men, whom she regards as family.
Sharing an intimate connection with the Phoenix, Rachel has become a powerful player in the mutant crisis dealt by the X-Men. She was also a crucial influence in the creation of the mutant team called Excalibur. After having many adventures in her past, Rachel was thrown into another version of the future. In a world ruled by Apocalypse, she became Mother Askani and founded a rebellious community to resist the tyrant and guide the destined messiah to end his rule, her brother Cable. With this dystopian future being prevented from happening, Rachel resurfaced in the present and went on to honor Jean Grey's legacy in the X-Men by adopting her identity as Marvel Girl. However, even in the relatively peaceful past, Rachel was a victim of a horrible tragedy when the Shi'ar Empire ordered the execution of all members of her mother's family.