(Almost) All You Ever Wanted To Know About Phoenix...

If you were one of those Marvel readers who went as far as you could in trying to make some sort of sense of all the subsequent appearances of Phoenix after the "death" of Jean Grey, let me just say that I'm awed by your tenacity--you've actually tried to bring order to chaos, and unfortunately may have come up empty like the rest of us. If Dark Phoenix were here right now, she would likely be amused at our effrontery and chide us for our hopelessness; nevertheless, we've likely at one time or another been part of a loose-knit circle of ardent and dogged "Phoenix-chasers" who occasionally attempt to connect the dots in the hope of justifying the many, many appearances of Phoenix though the decades that tried to build on what came before.

As your humble host at the PPC, I believe I threw in the towel on the subject at some point, though it's still enjoyable to come across a Phoenix story from the past and pull on its thread a bit to see how well it adds to--or how much it detracts from--the character's mystique (though referring to the Phoenix force as a "character" feels a little like reaching the point of no return). One such story involves Rachel Summers, herself one of those threads which was woven into the story of Phoenix simply by virtue of the fact that she is the daughter of Scott Summers and Jean Grey from another timeline. Rachel has the dubious distinction of being the character who started the ball rolling again on Phoenix following the end of the original storyline; and after she made a number of appearances in X-Men adventures, she was plugged in as a charter member of Excalibur, a new super-group based in Great Britain, as a sort of "Phoenix-lite" whose own connection to the Phoenix force unfolded as the book progressed.

In terms of becoming a full-blown Phoenix in her own right, however, we'll discover that Rachel finally gets to have her cake and eat it too following the events of a battle which leaves her fate uncertain--until the Phoenix itself intervenes with its own solution.

The scene where Phoenix returns to the stars (with Rachel "in tow," as it were) takes place in a story written by Alan Davis bearing a title which Phoenix-chasers no doubt applauded for its audacity, if not its accuracy: "All You Ever Wanted To Know About Phoenix... But Were Afraid To Ask," a truly laudable attempt to tie together the many appearances of Phoenix to date (in this case, July of 1992), though the story narrows its focus to those instances leading up to and involving the power's manifestation in Rachel (i.e., "All You Ever Wanted To Know About Excalibur's Phoenix..."). Davis would have probably needed an Omnibus, along with a few gallons of espresso, to tackle and bring coherence to the entire saga of Phoenix--even Mark Gruenwald would likely have balked at the task, and that's saying something.

At any rate, it's the Phoenix itself that now takes center stage in its ongoing story, sharing Rachel's body but suppressing her consciousness as Rachel continues to heal. The question is: What does it plan to do, while still tied to the mortal plane?

Simon Says: Dance!

It wasn't often that we saw the Scarlet Witch let her hair down; perhaps the earliest indication that she knew how to go out and have a good time was when she went mod and stepped out for a little fun on her own. And though writers such as John Byrne and, of all people, Roger Stern decided to turn the clock back on her a little and put the stiffness back in her demeanor, Wanda began to lighten up considerably when Steve Englehart and other writers took their turns with her. For instance, Englehart and artist Don Heck gave us her first dance moves:

Technically, this really doesn't count as Wanda strutting her stuff, since she's being mentally controlled by Magneto--so it becomes a bit creepy that, in hindsight, we know she's really strutting her stuff at the command of her old man. Yecch.

But in the late '90s Avengers run, Wanda flourished under writer Kurt Busiek, who gave her a generous amount of attention and introduced the formative years of her young adulthood to create almost a new character in front of our eyes--a character who, thanks to artist George Perez, felt it was time to look the part.

Busiek at the time was exploring the relationship between Wanda and her ex-husband, the Vision, which up until now writers were tip-toeing around as much as the couple seem to be doing in this awkward conversation--though in terms of the word "awkward," having your ex pop up next to you as a hologram almost takes the word to a new level.

Awkwardness aside, with new duds and a virtually new character came a brand new set of dance moves--this time, of her own volition.  (With a little push from Simon Williams.)

Of course, Wanda still is in the habit of dating... ah, unusual men. For instance, in this case, she owes her lack of inhibition to a man she raised from the dead, someone she's grown much closer to. And how many ex-corpses can you point to who not only become your boyfriend but encourage you to be part of a floor show?

Later, new artist Alan Davis seemed to be dead set against having the Scarlet Witch showing so much leg and, egad!, a navel--so he compromised and returned her old look while keeping the neck band, earrings, chain belt, and bracelets.

Or, to put it in dance lingo:  Two steps forward, one step back for Wanda.

The Velocirator and the Sitting Duck

Have a look at an utterly splendid bit of horseplay with Ben Grimm (the Thing) and Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) that soon reels in the whole family, choreographed by Scott Lobdell and Alan Davis for the reboot of Fantastic Four in 1998. Did they get it right?

Standoff!

Dissension In The Ranks

When resentments and disagreements boil over,

even allies can turn against each other in fierce battle that can bring the house down.

(And often does!)

FEATURING:

The "Big 3" Avengers

We're so used to seeing the founding members of the Avengers settle the internal differences of the team with deliberation from the perspective of their experience that sometimes it's easy to forget that these three men are also individuals--seasoned individuals, who forged their identities and their status separately, well before deciding to join ranks in common cause. So it's appropriate to acknowledge that, since their lives are often spent beyond the walls of Avengers Mansion, they're at times disposed to handle their affairs as they see fit, without feeling the need or obligation to confer with their teammates. None of these men are perfect, of course--so at those times when one of them has crossed the line in their dealings with their respective foes, their comrades will either decide to stay on the sidelines and see how the situation plays out, or feel the need to step in.

And when Thor decides to overthrow the despotic government of the eastern European country of Slokovia, Iron Man is asked by the U.S. government to definitely step in.

Mom Would Be So Proud

Just before Uncanny X-Men #200 hit the racks, a new manifestation of the Phoenix force made its debut in the form of Rachel Summers, daughter of Scott Summers and Jean Grey from an alternate future. And this is the look that artist John Romita Jr. came up with for her:

While later, in Excalibur, Alan Davis pitched that look in favor of a new design for Rachel:

Yet did either of these artists get it right?
Or was this "mainstream" Phoenix exactly what the Marvel doctor ordered?

Cast your up or down vote in a no doubt thoughtful comment.