The Phoenix Force Has Arrived in the Ultimate Universe (And That Could Be a Big Problem)

Ultimate Wolverine is helping Ultimate X-Men flesh out the mutant side of the new Ultimate Universe. While Ultimate X-Men is going its own way, introducing new mutants based on old ones and being a horror manga instead of a superhero yarn, Ultimate Wolverine is going in a more traditional direction, introducing the Ultimate versions of several X-Men. Ultimate Wolverine #4 is a “Weapon X” pastiche, with Wolverine breaking free from the control of the Russians. However, the Eurasian Republic has another method of trying to control Wolverine, two of the most powerful telepaths ever — Charles Xavier’s disembodied mind and Jean Grey, who is classified as “Phoenix” by the Eurasians. This opens up a whole can of worms for the heroes of the new Ultimate Universe, as their enemies have the ultimate form of Jean Grey in their clutches.

Anyone who knows anything about the X-Men knows how important and powerful the Phoenix Force is. “Dark Phoenix Saga” is Marvel’s greatest story, and the Phoenix has played a major role in the X-Men’s history. Jean Grey with the Phoenix Force can often go either way, so it’s important to look at the history of the Phoenix Force to figure out what could happen next with the Phoenix Force in the Ultimate Universe.

The Phoenix Force Is Fire and Rebirth Personified

The Phoenix Force was first introduced in Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1) #101. The X-Men were escaping the Sentinels’ space base, and someone had to volunteer to fly the shuttle down in the unshielded cockpit. Jean Grey made the choice to sacrifice herself, but the Phoenix Force helped her survive. Jean was connected to the Phoenix Force her entire life, something that was established years alter, and the Phoenix Force replaced her with itself. The combination of the Phoenix Force combined with the stress of the life of a superhero drove it to evil, creating the Dark Phoenix. Over the years, the connection between Jean Grey has changed a lot. At first, it was that she was actually the Phoenix, but Marvel decided to resurrect her and figured that since she had committed genocide as the Phoenix, they had to absolve her of that crime. So, suddenly Jean was never actually the Phoenix. This has been retconned several times, all to develop the rapport between Jean and the Phoenix Force, to the point where even this longtime X-Men fan has no actual idea of their status in the years leading up to “Dark Phoenix Saga”.

RELATED: Ultimate Wolverine Reveals the Fate of an MCU Avenger (Exclusive)

Marvel has had several other Phoenix hosts over the years. There was Rachel Summers, the alternate reality child of Jean Grey and Cyclops, Quentin Quire, the Avenger Echo, the Phoenix Five — Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Colossus, and Magik, Hope Summers, and many more. Marvel teased that the Phoenix Force could have been Thor’s mother, but they went in another direction. The Phoenix Force is one of the universal forces of the cosmos, representing death, fire, and rebirth. Its hosts gain godlike powers but also become enamored of the power and their role in the universe, which drives them to evil. Jean has proven to be a special host of the Phoenix, as she has been able to overcome its temptations and use its power for good, with the Phoenix Force playing a key role in defeating Essex, the genetic father of Mister Sinister who had become a godlike Dominion. Since then, Jean has taken to space, using her power to fight the most dangerous threats in the cosmos.

The Phoenix Force Could Spell Doom for the Mutant Rebels

Ultimate Wolverine #4 is basically a “Weapon X” pastiche until it gets to the end of the story. The Xavier/Jean Grey reveal is a major development, one that kind of changes everything for the Ultimate Universe. The Eurasians have created failsafes to keep control of both of them, removing Xavier’s brain from his frail body and keeping it alive with machinery. With Jean, they keep her comatose and weak, barely feeding her to keep her pliable. This could have major repercussions.

The Phoenix Force is heavily influenced by the emotions of the host. The Eurasians keeping Jean at her weakest to use her as an object aren’t going to make her happy, and when she awakens it could be a major problem for anyone. Another factor is that the Eurasian Republic is run by Colossus and Magik, two former Phoenix hosts in the 616 universe. Will they try to take the power for themselves? Will Jean go Dark Phoenix? Introducing the Phoenix Force is a major development in the Ultimate Universe and could take things in very frightening directions.

Ultimate Wolverine #4 is on sale now.