Phoenix Force (Marvel)
The Phoenix Force is a cosmic force that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
Origin
The Phoenix Force was a cosmic force that resided within the Multiverse.
It also gained a dark predator known as the Starhawk Ratha'kon. (Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk v1 #2) Long ago, on a distant supernatural world the Demon Lords of Stasis who feared progress enact a great rite to grind evolution to a halt for a time. This was until a Phoenix Messiah emerged among their slaves where she came to gather five acolytes who called out for deliverance. The Phoenix Force then arrived on the world despite the best efforts of the Demons. The power unleashed by the great firebird shattered the demon princelings unbreakable incantation allowing for change to be restarted and the demon lords to be swept away. (Uncanny X-Men v2 #13)
Over a million years ago, the Phoenix Force was noted to had come to a number of worlds and set lures on them for itself. Those grounds nested by the Phoenix were burnt to the point that no life could grow on them again. The cosmic being was noted to had come to Earth in that time where the place it had reached was known as the 'burning place' that was used as a sacrificial ground by primitive humans. An early female Mutant later named Firehair came to be possessed by the Phoenix Force at this site which nearly caused her to destroy the planet. However, she managed to control the power and used it to become one of the planet's first protectors. As the Phoenix, she went about gathering other beings that formed a team with defending the planet against great threats with her first recruit being the All-Father Odin. (Avengers v8 #39)
Long ago, it was known that a renegade Shi'ar known as Rook'Shir became possessed by the Phoenix and went on a rampage against the Shi'ar empire. In response, the Imperium formed the Shi'ar Imperial Guard who succeeded in stopping him. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #479) Hundreds of years ago, the Phoenix Force headed to the planet Earth where its arrival was seen in a dream by the Yu-Ti of the city of K'un-Lun. He came to see a warrior to oppose it and set about finding this person who turned out to be Fongji. She was trained to be the new Iron Fist in order to challenge the Phoenix who took possession of her as a host vessel. Fongji managed to keep control of her senses but the danger of losing herself to the Phoenix led to her departing into the stars with her fate being unknown. Knowledge of this encounter came to be recorded in K'Un-Lun where it was passed down the line of Iron Fists. (New Avengers v2 #27)
Phoenix
Dark Phoenix
After an encounter with the Hellfire Club and manipulation by Mastermind and the White Queen, the Phoenix is transformed into their Black Queen. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #132) To sate its hunger, the Dark Phoenix flew to a distant galaxy and devoured the star of the D'bari system. (X-Men v1 #135) The resulting nova killed billions of innocent people and a Shi'ar vessel attacked it. The Shi'ar Empress, Lilandra Neramani, was alerted before the vessel was destroyed and called a council of her intergalactic counterparts, including the Kree and Skrull Empires. They concluded that, for the rest of the universe to live, Dark Phoenix must die. (X-Men v1 #136) Meanwhile, the Beast had found a way to neutralize Phoenix's immense power, temporarily. When Dark Phoenix returned to Earth, the X-Men held it at bay, while Professor X rebuilt the mental blocks in Phoenix's mind, that Mastermind had broken down. Scott, then, proposed to the Phoenix. At that moment, the Shi'ar arrived and teleported everyone aboard their flagship. Lilandra announced that Phoenix, who everyone believed to be Jean, would have to die. Professor X, unwilling to give up on one of his pupils, but romantically involved with Lilandra, challenged her to Arin'n Haelar, a Shi'ar duel of honor that cannot be refused. Professor X named the X-Men as his champions in the duel, while Lilandra chose her Imperial Guard. The duel took place the next day, in the Blue Area of the Moon. The Imperial Guard made short work of the X-Men, leaving Cyclops and Phoenix to make a final stand. A stray bolt hit Cyclops and Jean's control broke and Phoenix became the Dark Phoenix again. Lilandra ordered Plan Omega, which would destroy the whole solar system, in hopes of eliminating Dark Phoenix as well. Professor X ordered the X-Men to subdue Phoenix, so that Plan Omega would not be necessary, and they managed to subdue the Phoenix, for a brief time. In that moment of lucidity, Phoenix fled into a back alley, with Cyclops in pursuit. Phoenix subdued him, with her telekinesis, and told him that she was losing control of herself and that there was only one way to prevent the Dark Phoenix from taking dominance over her again. Unbeknownst to Cyclops, as Phoenix was talking to him, she was using her powers to activate an ancient Kree energy weapon behind her. Phoenix then bade Cyclops an emotional farewell and triggered the weapon, which atomized her on the spot. (X-Men v1 #137)
AvX
Thane had tricked his compatriots in order to break into Terrax's stronghold in order to steal the Phoenix Egg he had in his possession. For his betrayal, Nebula killed him but his death led to his resurrection by the egg where he was empowered by it. With its power, he confronted his father Thanos and badly wounded him whereupon he declared himself as King Thane. (Thanos v2 #6) The Phoenix later came to Earth where it targeted the time displaced young Jean Grey where it sought to bond and eliminate her with it killing her in the process. (Jean Grey v1 #10)
It resurrected Jean Grey where it re-created her home town and made her lead a simple life within it until the X-Men had her remember her past. The Phoenix sought to bond with Jean once more but she rejected it and it departed peacefully with it giving its former host a new lease on life. (Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey v1 #5)
Namor later was responsible for making a call for the Phoenix to return to Earth in order to attain its power and wipe out the people of the surface world. It came to nest at a site near Avengers Mountain where the Avengers looked to find solutions to get it to leave the planet. However, in the midst of this, Namor and his Defenders of the Deep attacked where they kept the Avengers distract whilst the Sub-Mariner went to claim the power. Despite his intentions, the Phoenix was searching for a host and started a tournament among the attendees to see who would become its new bearer. This saw a Phoenix empowered Captain America fight a similarly powered Doctor Doom with the latter yielding after seeing that he lacked the qualities that the great firebird had wanted from a host. Thus, the tournament for the next host continued among all those present at the site. (Avengers v8 #40)
Overview
The Phoenix Force was said to be unique as it was born in the void between states of being. It was noted that it was an expression of universal life force but that it was not a wellspring of such power. The power drawn by the Phoenix was in fact the sea of life that was yet born in the future. (Excalibur v1 #61) Such was its power that it was classed as being an extinction-level threat. (Avengers Academy v1 #29) The Phoenix was also classed as being among the Omega-Level Threats. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #692)
Upon death, the cosmic force was able to revert into a small container called the Phoenix Egg. (New X-Men v1 #152)
The White Hot Room was a nexus between all Phoenix hosts and the eternal flame. It was considered a place of rest and contemplation which was home to the very beings that had merged with the Phoenix Force. Every host left a piece of themselves within the room. (Jean Grey v1 #11) Those that became a host were at times referred to as the Phoenix Messiah and had attendants in five individuals with them. (Uncanny X-Men v2 #13)
A predator and dark counterpart to the Phoenix was the Ratha'kon. (Infinity Countdown: Darkhawk v1 #2)
Hosts
- Firehair : a red haired female human Mutant born on Earth over a million years ago where her parents had left her abandoned at the 'burning place' to be killed by the buzzards but the child was saved by a pack of wolves who adopted her as one of them. The child grew among them and came to meet other Mutants under the Highwalker but they were killed by other humans who persecuted their kind with the manifestation of her uncontrolled telepathy leading to their deaths. She later tried to die at the hands of scavenger birds but was possessed by the Phoenix Force where she decided to use its power to become a protector of the planet and assembled a team of superheroes in that era. (Avengers v8 #39)
- Rook'shir :
- Fongji : a red haired woman from K'Un-Lun born long ago whose appearance led to her being treated as an outsider by the hidden city but she was prophecised to be a Phoenix host where she was taught to be the Iron Fist in order to attain the discipline to become a vessel for the cosmic force. After it bonded with her, she managed to maintain enough of her senses allowing her to go back into the depth of space to prevent anyone from being hurt by her power. (New Avengers v2 #27)
- Jean Grey :
- Rachel Grey :
- Hope Summers :
- Quentin Quire :
- Scott Summers :
- Emma Frost :
- Namor McKenzie :
- Piotr Rasputin :
- Illyana Rasputin :
- James Howlett :
- Echo :
Notes
- The Phoenix Force was created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum where it made its first appearance in Uncanny X-Men v1 #101 (October, 1976).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In X-Men, the Phoenix appeared in the 1990s animated television series that adapted the Phoenix Saga with it being said to be the Guardian of the M'Kraan Crystal with Shi'ar legend speaking of the entity.
Films
Video games
- In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, the Phoenix Force appeared in the ending cinematics of the video game.
- In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the Phoenix was referenced numerous times in the Facebook video game. During the story, the Phoenix Force arrived on Earth where it splintered and selected five hosts that became the Phoenix Five.
- In Marvel: War of Heroes, the Phoenix Force appeared as multiple playable cards in the video game.
Appearances
- Uncanny X-Men v1: (1976)
- Thanos v2:
- New Avengers v2:
- Secret Avengers v1:
- Uncanny X-Men v2:
- Jean Grey v1:
- Avengers v8:
- History of the Marvel Universe v2:
External Links
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