In Avengers # 44, Jean Gray finally says goodbye to the Pheonix Force for the time being, while cosmic unity is passed on to a new host, Maya Lopez.
Warning! This article contains spoilers for Avengers # 44.
avenger # 44 from the creative team of Jason Aaron and Javier Garrón sees the tournament for the Phoenix Force Finally lock up and former Phoenix host Jean Gray had something to say about the outcome of the competition. For most of its publishing history, the Phoenix Force has been close to Jean and the X-Men on the loose. Now that the new host of the ultra-powerful cosmic entity is neither a member of the Gray family nor a mutant, his future in the Marvel Universe remains unknown.
The Phoenix Tournament ended with the coronation of Maya Lopez, aka Echo, as the new host of the Cosmic Firebird. The result is a surprising twist given the relative darkness of Echo in the larger Marvel Universe and the lack of superpowers. While Echo appears to take on her new role towards the end of the issue, Jean Grey’s psychological message to her successor doesn’t come out as congratulatory.
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After watching the result of the Phoenix Tournament from her new home on the Moon, Jean tries to reach Maya with the following message regarding the Phoenix: “Maya … if you can hear me … don’t try.” that alone. You are a loner. It likes loners. But you cannot let yourself be isolated from the things that make you human. Not if you want to keep your soul … I hope you can make it your own. “Jean’s words are a mixture of hope and fear as she would know better than almost anyone how much the Phoenix Force can corrupt the souls of their hosts.
Jean says the troop “like loners,” which, given their personal history with the Force, is an odd addition to their message. The Phoenix Force first appeared at the very end of X-Men # 100 in 1976 and was drawn to Jean Gray for a year at the moment of personal sacrifice. Since its debut, the Phoenix Force has been constantly re-connected and redefined by writers and artists. And depending on the story in which it appears, the phoenix has been portrayed either as a separate cosmic entity or as a manifestation of Jean Grey’s omega-level mutant power.
Presently, the Phoenix Force has been rejoined as an ancient force that helped bring down the Avengers from 1,000,000 BC. And gathering the true mother of Thor. Despite their inconsistent portrayal over the years, the Phoenix Force is expected to play a huge role in Jason Aaron’s Avengers run and likely give Maya Lopez, a disabled and indigenous superhero, a well-deserved spotlight.
Jean Gray, on the other hand, was seldom the center of a great story without at least partially making reference to her connection with the phoenix. With the X-Men titles breaking new ground, Jean is given the opportunity for her character to evolve without relying on her most famous and influential act as a crutch. During the Enter the Phoenix arc has received a mixed reception from readers, the outcome of the tournament may give fans of both avenger and the X-Men lots of story potential to look forward to.
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