Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers Assemble: Omega #1Marvel Comics apparently gets rid of the Phoenix Force at the conclusion of the Avengers' long multiversal saga. To stop Mephisto's plan to destroy the Multiverse, several hosts of the Phoenix Force have to expend all their energy, which results in their complete depowering at the end of the story, hinting that the Marvel Universe no longer has a Phoenix.

In Avengers Assemble: Omega #1, by Jason Aaron, Aaron Kuder, Dexter Vines, Ivan Fiorelli, Javier Garròn, Jim Towe, and Alex Sinclair, Mephisto's destructive plan for the Multiverse unleashes the remnants of the First Firmament buried underneath the God Quarry, causing a massive flood that will destroy literally everything and everyone. To give the rest of the team enough time to seal the breach, Old Man Phoenix, Echo, and Firehair have to use all the Phoenix Force at their disposal. In the aftermath of the battle, both Echo and Logan seem to have lost their powers, and with Firehair dead the main hosts of the Phoenix Force are all gone.

The Phoenix Force Is Gone From The Marvel Universe

Echo has lost the Phoenix Force

The original host of the Phoenix in Marvel Comics was the X-Men's Jean Grey, and the Grey's bloodline still holds a special connection to the mysterious cosmic force. However, in recent years, Marvel has made the Phoenix a stable part of the Avengers' lore and franchise, making its new host Maya Lopez, aka Echo. During the Avenger's long journey to save the Multiverse, they met many other Phoenixes, including the first human host, Firehair, who is Thor's 'mother' after breathing the Phoenix fire in him as a newborn. Old Man Phoenix is a version of Wolverine from Earth-14412, who becomes the Phoenix host at the end of the universe and joins Thor's daughters in the battle at the God Quarry.

While Firehair dies to restore the Earths devastated by the Masters of Evil, the conclusion of the issue shows that both Echo and Logan have lost their Phoenix powers. According to Thor, this has been burned out during the battle, as the Phoenixes tried to stall the devastating flood that threatened to destroy the Multiverse. This is an unexpected twist, as Marvel is now without a Phoenix host. However, this could actually be a boon, as the characters felt significantly out of place in the Avengers franchise. Jason Aaron's Avengers saga is not without its flaws, and one of them is surely stripping the Phoenix Force from its cosmic mystique and making it some sort of cheap commodity shared by a host of (mostly forgettable) characters. Another positive outcome is that Thor should have also exhausted the Phoenix power that he was recently revealed to possess, another controversial retcon that displeased many fans.

The Phoenix's Inevitable Return Is A Chance To Bring It Back To Its Origins

Old Man Phoenix loses the power of the Phoenix

The revelation that Echo has lost the Phoenix Force (being from another universe, Old Man Phoenix is less significant for Marvel's core continuity) could possibly herald a return of the Phoenix to the X-Men franchise where it was born. The recent Defenders: Beyond series did a great work of highlighting the cosmic significance of the Phoenix, and that could be a great starting point for the future return of the Phoenix Force in the Marvel Universe.

Avengers Assemble: Omega #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.