It’s not coming anymore! With today’s release of #0, it’s here (Well, kind of, I guess? Does a #0 mean that something had actually started, or not?), and I have just one question about Avengers vs. X-Men: Is the fact that I remember reading earlier Phoenix stories going to be a problem?
Here’s Jason Aaron, talking to CBR about the importance of previous Phoenixes to the event:
The Phoenix Force obviously has a very long and complicated history, and in order to make “AvX” new-reader friendly, we wanted to distill as much of that down as we could. So we focus in on Hope, and the recent history of the Phoenix. That means someone like Rachel Summers won’t play a big role in the main series, but she most definitely will have her moments in the “Wolverine & the X-Men” tie-ins.
Here’s the thing: Unless I am missing something, isn’t Rachel Summers the first human (mutant) to become Phoenix post-retconning the original Jean-as-Phoenix story? Doesn’t that make her pretty important if the Phoenix Force is returning to Earth? I can understand that Quentin Quire gets a pass considering the nature of his relationship to the Phoenix, but… shouldn’t Rachel be central to this story as one of the few people who has an actual relationship to the thing it’s ostensibly all about?
This is one of those times when you’ve read too many comics for your own good, isn’t it? Don’t ask — Just buy it, as the saying goes.
March 28th, 2012 at 9:24 am
They have gone out of their way to make it very clear that they are paying little or no attention to the history of the Phoenix other than the basics of the original DARK PHOENIX SAGA. Brevoort’s Formspring has been filled with questions regarding the history of the Phoenix, and to all of them he’s replied that none of it matters at all, and it won’t be referenced in any way shape or form.
March 28th, 2012 at 9:24 am
The Phoenix rejected Rachel Grey in a previous issue, so reading too many comics is not an issue. Think it was the Kingbreaker mini-series, at least it happened during her recent space vacation.
Which makes her a has-been in this context and largely irrelevant for the event.
March 28th, 2012 at 9:51 am
If I recall correctly the the timing of the Kingbreaker mini was supposed to be simultaneous with Messiah Complex, with the implication being that the Phoenix left Rachel the moment Hope was born.
March 28th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
I believe Tim is right. I remember the a simmilar incident during The Kingbreaker series. Her alien boyfriend with the sword was involved too losing his splinter of the Phoenix force in his swordzzz.
March 29th, 2012 at 1:58 am
This is why, tho I’m a huge fan of superheroes, esp the Big Two’s superheroes, I stopped reading them: Why should I care about the characters more than TPTB do, so much they can’t even care about the (even recent) history of them? nor have any qualms about changing them 180 degrees on the arbitrary drop of a hat?
– Ken from Chicago
P.S. It’s worse for writers whose works I loved because TPTB could come along and change it despite a long successful history (I’m looking at you Marvel dumping Peter David’s phenomenal dozen-year run on INCREDIBLE HULK from a minor repetitive “Hulk smash” to an incredible narrative with a great ensemble cast–but nooooooooo, you wanted to toss that to go back to “Hulk smash”.)
March 29th, 2012 at 7:03 am
It’s not just that they don’t care. They are trying to make this series as accessible as possible to folks who aren’t reading either franchise or comics in general. So not dealing with Rachel in the main series and leaving that for Wolverine and the X-Men makes sense. Why bog down the main series with trying to explain how Rachel is from another dimension, daughter of Jean Grey etc. etc.
March 29th, 2012 at 8:17 am
The less Rachel Grey, the better.
That’s a character whose purpose for existing ended sometime way back in Claremont’s first run.
March 29th, 2012 at 11:44 am
@Jane A – I loved the character of Rachel (Summers) Grey during the 80s and 90s. However, I do agree the character’s purpose in recent years has been questionable. Though I have been enjoying what Jason Aaron is doing with Rachel in WatX. It is too bad Sara Grey (Jean’s sister) did not end up gaining powers; Sara could have been a Jean Grey stand-in without the continuity baggage. I think Rachel is Marvel’s equivalent of Donna Troy.
To address Graeme’s question, I think the main AvX title should treat Rachel’s history just like Remender does with X-continuity in Uncanny X-Force. I am looking forward to seeing Aaron spin on Rachel and the Phoenix Force during the crossover.
April 3rd, 2012 at 6:54 am
Rachel is fine now . She dealt with her shiar vendetta during the “havok and starjamming superfriends” story arcs , and kingbreaker .
So why not just be happy her existence is no longer contigent on her being a lesser phoenix ?
Now she can safely get stories without being banished to space , and be useful as one of the very few available competent telepaths .
You can’t ask to constantly have her back to the confusing phoenix host status