diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/_mathtext_data.py b/lib/matplotlib/_mathtext_data.py
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@
     r'\Psi'                      : ('cmr10',  15),
     r'\Omega'                    : ('cmr10',  12),
 
+    r'\prime'                    : ('cmsy10',  73),
+
     # these are mathml names, I think.  I'm just using them for the
     # tex methods noted
     r'\circumflexaccent'         : ('cmr10',   124), # for \hat
@@ -245,7 +247,7 @@
     r'\spadesuit'                : ('cmsy10',   7),
     r'?'                         : ('cmr10',   50),
     r'!'                         : ('cmr10',   29),
-    r'&'                         : ('cmr10',  109) 
+    r'&'                         : ('cmr10',  109)
 }
 
 latex_to_cmex = {

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py b/lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py
@@ -2179,13 +2179,15 @@ def __init__(self):
                      ).setParseAction(self.customspace).setName('customspace')
 
         unicode_range = u"\U00000080-\U0001ffff"
-        symbol       =(Regex(UR"([a-zA-Z0-9 +\-*/<>=:,.;!\?&'@()\[\]|%s])|(\\[%%${}\[\]_|])" % unicode_range)
+        symbol       =(Regex(UR"([a-zA-Z0-9 +\-*/<>=:,.;!\?&@()\[\]|%s])|(\\[%%${}\[\]_|])" % unicode_range)
                      | (Combine(
                          bslash
                        + oneOf(tex2uni.keys())
                        ) + FollowedBy(Regex("[^a-zA-Z]")))
                      ).setParseAction(self.symbol).leaveWhitespace()
 
+        apostrophe   = Regex(r"'+")
+
         c_over_c     =(Suppress(bslash)
                      + oneOf(self._char_over_chars.keys())
                      ).setParseAction(self.char_over_chars)
@@ -2296,8 +2298,10 @@ def __init__(self):
                              subsuperop
                            - placeable
                            )
+                           + Optional(apostrophe)
                          )
-                       | placeable
+                       | (placeable + Optional(apostrophe))
+                       | apostrophe
                      )
 
         autoDelim   <<(Suppress(Literal(r"\left"))
@@ -2464,8 +2468,6 @@ def customspace(self, s, loc, toks):
     def symbol(self, s, loc, toks):
         # print "symbol", toks
         c = toks[0]
-        if c == "'":
-            c = '\prime'
         try:
             char = Char(c, self.get_state())
         except ValueError:
@@ -2625,23 +2627,39 @@ def subsuperscript(self, s, loc, toks):
         sub = None
         super = None
 
-        if len(toks[0]) == 1:
-            return toks[0].asList()
-        elif len(toks[0]) == 2:
-            op, next = toks[0]
+        # Pick all of the apostrophe's out
+        napostrophes = 0
+        new_toks = []
+        for tok in toks[0]:
+            if isinstance(tok, str) and tok not in ('^', '_'):
+                napostrophes += len(tok)
+            else:
+                new_toks.append(tok)
+        toks = new_toks
+
+        if len(toks) == 0:
+            assert napostrophes
+            nucleus = Hbox(0.0)
+        elif len(toks) == 1:
+            if not napostrophes:
+                return toks[0] # .asList()
+            else:
+                nucleus = toks[0]
+        elif len(toks) == 2:
+            op, next = toks
             nucleus = Hbox(0.0)
             if op == '_':
                 sub = next
             else:
                 super = next
-        elif len(toks[0]) == 3:
-            nucleus, op, next = toks[0]
+        elif len(toks) == 3:
+            nucleus, op, next = toks
             if op == '_':
                 sub = next
             else:
                 super = next
-        elif len(toks[0]) == 5:
-            nucleus, op1, next1, op2, next2 = toks[0]
+        elif len(toks) == 5:
+            nucleus, op1, next1, op2, next2 = toks
             if op1 == op2:
                 if op1 == '_':
                     raise ParseFatalException("Double subscript")
@@ -2664,6 +2682,12 @@ def subsuperscript(self, s, loc, toks):
         xHeight = state.font_output.get_xheight(
             state.font, state.fontsize, state.dpi)
 
+        if napostrophes:
+            if super is None:
+                super = Hlist([])
+            for i in range(napostrophes):
+                super.children.extend(self.symbol(s, loc, ['\prime']))
+
         # Handle over/under symbols, such as sum or integral
         if self.is_overunder(nucleus):
             vlist = []

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_mathtext/mathtext_cm_37.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_mathtext/mathtext_cm_37.pdf
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_mathtext/mathtext_cm_37.png b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_mathtext/mathtext_cm_37.png
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_mathtext/mathtext_cm_37.svg b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_mathtext/mathtext_cm_37.svg
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_mathtext/mathtext_stix_37.pdf b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_mathtext/mathtext_stix_37.pdf