In some ways I see Iceman as suffering the same problem as Johnny Storm; the Perennial Status Quo requires that they remain jokey idiots and can rarely evolve for long as characters. A founder is a founder.
Jubilee was an active X-Men from 1989 (she debuted in the 80's, folks!) to the mid 90's and at that time Wolverine was becoming the central focus of the X-Men. In some ways she was there to rekindle the dynamic that Kitty Pryde represented with the team, since Shadowcat had by then left for Excaliber. Youngster, very inexperienced with powere from the beginning, cosying up to Wolverine, and finally, eventually becoming very annoying at times. I wanted to shoot her in the face for every "Wolveroonie" once upon a time. By "Wolverine sidekick" standards, Kitty was Dick Grayson and Jubilee was Tim Drake. Some people hated her but I don't. But she's not one of my favorites, either. I like her a billion times more than Cable, though.
Least she had that long period with Generation X as top dog there to prove her own in some ways, much like Robin's usually have the Teen Titans.
Twice in recent years when she showed up, she got brutalized (being cruxified, then Omega Red puts a spike through her chest), so this return in NW's is a step above that. I just have rarely met a Jubilee fanboy before.