The enemies of the Avengers have been slowly gathering their forces in the Marvel Universe, and we have now seen Mephisto acting as the catalyst in uniting a force that could take down Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. But one of the Avengers’ biggest threats at the moment lurks beneath the ocean, as Namor decides he needs allies in the fight against the surface dwellers who continue to pollute the oceans. But Namor isn’t falling to Mephisto’s manipulations and has instead set his sights higher; he’s looking for something more fiery with life-or-death stakes in the game.
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At the end of Avengers #32, Namor reveals that he’s making a plea for a major ally in his struggle against the superteam, revealing that he’s attempted to lure the Phoenix Force back to Earth.
This is a major reveal for Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness, Francesco Manna, and Jason Keith’s run on Avengers, tying back to Namor’s role in Avengers vs. X-Men when he became one of the Phoenix Five and used his powers to devastate the nation of Wakanda. Namor flooded the country and in the process made a major enemy out of Black Panther, who has become the new leader of the Avengers.
Namor’s gambit has not yet been shown to be successful, as the final page of the comic only shows him pleading out to the cosmos. As he pledges to give himself fully to the Phoenix Force, we get a shot of the cosmic entity soaring through space. Whether the flaming bird decides to return to Namor or not remains to be seen, but as with anything that has connection to the Phoenix, it will unlikely bring unintended consequences for the entire Marvel Universe.
The Phoenix Force was last shown in The Resurrection of Jean Grey, which saw the popular X-Men member sever her connection with the cosmic entity, allowing it to roam free and seek out a new host. Now that Jean is an established leader on the Quiet Council of Krakoa and that Namor has refused to join the island nation, this could put the First Mutant at odds with his former allies in the X-Men.
The Phoenix Force is an entity of great power that has the ability to bring life as well as destroy it, with Jean Grey being one of the few people who could actually control it without succumbing to its temptations. If Namor manages to become the sole wielder of that power, it will likely put him in the crosshairs of more dangerous forces than Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Avengers #32 is now available in stores and online.
