This article contains spoilers for Avengers 1,000,000 BC #1
As a staple of Marvel Comics’ X-Men franchise, the Phoenix Force has been a fan-favorite concept well known to both heroes and readers alike for decades. But as long-lived and mysterious as the Phoenix is, it’s hard for anybody to ever truly know its full story. A new revelation in the pages of Avengers 1,000,000 BC #1 changes the way that everyone understands the Phoenix Force – and its repetitive history of corruption.
The Phoenix Force has a long history of turning its hosts to the dark side. Dating back to its initial – and still most famous — storyline, The Dark Phoenix Saga, this cosmic entity has an extensive pattern of corrupting those who wield it, spurring them to go mad with power and turn on their allies. But based on the words of the original Phoenix, that’s not entirely the Force’s fault.
Avengers 1,000,000 BC #1 by Jason Aaron and Kev Walker sheds new light on the Marvel Universe not only by delving into the history of Earth’s titular Mighty Heroes, but by examining the very nature of the Phoenix itself. In discussing her nature with the goddess Gaea, the Phoenix says to the Earth-Mother, “The Phoenix must fly free or risk…being bound by darkness…I have stayed about as long as I dare.” Gaea attempts to comfort her by reminding her how much she loves this Earth, and the Phoenix agrees by saying, “With all the embers in my heart. I love it so much…that I must leave it. Before I burn it to ash.” While these may initially seem like ominous warnings hinting at the power of the cosmic entity, they reveal far more about the Phoenix’s true restless nature as an engine of creation and rebirth than readers might initially realize.
As a cosmic manifestation of fire and life incarnate, the Phoenix’s transitory nature should come as no surprise as it ultimately makes sense within the larger context of the franchise. In Uncanny X-Men #17 by Kieron Gillen, Daniel Acuña, and Mike del Mundo, it is said by the Phoenix Five that, “The Phoenix is the new. It is novelty in its rawest state. The Unprecedented.” To back this up, there have been multiple instances in the past in which the Earth-bound vessels for the Phoenix Force have found themselves corrupted by its incalculable cosmic power – clearly due to their attempts at caging the new.
The Dark Phoenix Saga ended with the Dark Phoenix’s murder of an entire alien race while Avengers vs. X-Men featured a Phoenix-empowered Namor flooding Wakanda and a similarly possessed Cyclops killing Professor Xavier himself. While the Dark Phoenix that appeared in The Dark Phoenix Saga was in reality a manifestation of the Force itself as opposed to the actual Jean Grey, it still drove itself mad by remaining on Earth under the belief that it was the real Jean. Ultimately, it’s the Phoenix’s flighty nature that explains these occurrences.
As one of Marvel's cosmic engines of creation, the Phoenix is constantly yearning for new opportunities to spread its fiery wings across the cosmos and spark growth and change. Denying it that opportunity is the same as denying its true nature, which only ever backfires for its hosts. The longer the Phoenix Force finds itself shackled to one location, the more likely it is to essentially go stir-crazy, ultimately corrupting its host and driving them to madness.
The Phoenix Force may be one of the X-Men’s most iconic concepts, but with such a storied history, it’s no surprise that there’s still more for fans to learn about it. Although it is currently be tied to a member of the Avengers, it’s clear that status quo is living on borrowed time. When all is said and done, neither Marvel Comics’ X-Men, the Avengers, or even the fans will ever know all there is to know about the Phoenix Force.