Uncanny X-Men #135 cover courtesy Marvel.com. Art by John Byrne
Marvel’s live press event tomorrow may reveal details about the return of the Phoenix Force after months of teasers.
A friend and fellow comic reader gave me something to think about. In Uncanny X-Men #137 Dark Phoenix flies into Shiar space and consumes the D’Bari star to satisfy her ‘hunger” and kills five billion peaceful aliens living on the fourth planet of that system. Empress Lilandra and the Shiar Empire sought justice and revenge on Jean Grey and the X-Men for their connections to the Phoenix Force on behalf of those aliens.
“What if some aliens from that world destroyed by the Phoenix were off planet during the annihilation? Wouldn’t they seek revenge?” Mitch Cook said.
An interesting thought full of good story potential. It was the motivation driving the Romulan Nero in Star Trek. It’s been decades since the Dark Phoenix Saga and the whole Jean ‘sacrifice’ became a moot point due to a retconning of the storyline. Always fun to speculate with a fellow fan.
It's coming Live Event this Wednesday. Image courtesy Marvel.com
It’s payoff time this Wednesday. After months of teasers, today Marvel announced a live event Wednesday at 3pm eastern, high noon pacific.
The teasers with the fiery image have been promoting that Marvel’s top creators are attached to the project meaning this will not be just an X-Men storyline.
In the Point One issue Nova was seen speeding away from the Phoenix image as it appeared to be consuming a planet like it did in Uncanny X-Men #135 during the Dark Phoenix Saga.
Uncanny X-Men #135 cover courtesy Marvel.com. Art by John Byrne
The Watcher was a central figure in Point One. Marvel teased that Ed Brubaker may be working on a Watcher project in 2012. The alien has always been tied to the Phoenix. If Ed Brubaker is involved, I hope this means the return of Vulcan, Scott and Alex’s revenge crazed brother who took over the Shiar Empire. The entity is tied to Shiar legends, a Shiar warrior once wield the Phoenix Force via a giant blade. If Vulcan is able to host or manipulate the entity the universe should be quaking with fear.
‘The Phoenix is about destruction and rebirth,” Marvel Editor in Chief Axel Alonso told Comic Book Resources. Could that signal a huge shakeup of the Marvel Universe titles and perhaps this might explain why so many titles were cancelled.
If the Phoenix is coming who will be the host? Will this mean we go back inside the ‘white hot room’ and revisit Grant Morrison’s Here Comes Tomorrow storyline?
The image of the Phoenix appeared to Emma Frost twice recently around the young mutant Hope. With titles like Messiah Complex and Second Coming, the X-events featuring the young mutant fanned of flames that Hope might be Jean reborn or the future host of the Phoenix.
Phoenix: Endsong #1 Cover by Greg Land. Marvel.com
As I have posted before I hope the return of the Phoenix does means the resurrection of Jean Grey Summers. Jean has suffered enough rebirths. I know a lot of fans love Jean and want her back with Cyclops but I want her to stay dead. Thanks for the information Robot 6.
I love you Jean Grey. I hope you stay dead. Two X-Men books arrived this week with perhaps two different signs. Uncanny X-Men #1 featured an image of the Phoenix and Hope in a preview double spread titled Things to Come. Since before Hope’s birth, the clues have been dropping of a possible return. This week’s image was the latest in the line of hints that the Phoenix Force could be rising again.
In Wolverine and the X-Men #1 Logan rebuilds the Westchester school in Jean’s honor. The Jean Grey School for Higher Learning is the new academy for young mutants. This is a fitting tribute to one of Xavier’s most gifted and most tragic students. I hope it’s a sign that Jean will continue to rest in peace.
Jean has been killed and resurrected too many times. Scott and Logan have both moved on. A reunion with the Phoenix Force can only end in destruction again. During Here Comes Tomorrow Jean demonstrated her ability to put Scott, Logan and all humanity first. Jean is the greatest heroine not only because of her tremendous power but of her heart.
