The Phoenix Rises In December’s ‘Avengers’ #40
by James Ferguson
The Phoenix Force, the legendary firebird of cosmic destruction and rebirth returns to Earth in December’s Avengers #40. Written by Jason Aaron and illustrated by Javier Garrón, the comic follows the Avengers and some of the most powerful heroes and villains in the Marvel Universe as they engage in a globe-spanning competition that will ultimately decide who will be the all-new Phoenix.
“The most iconic, primordial powers of the Marvel Universe have been central to my Avengers run. And few forces in the cosmos are more world-shaking and potentially world-destroying than the Phoenix Force. It’s legacy on Earth goes back to the Stone Age, as we’ve seen, but we haven’t seen much of the firebird in the present day. That’s about to change in a very big way,” Jason Aaron promises. “The Phoenix is back and in its spirit of fiery rebirth, it’s seeking a brand new avatar. So begins the greatest tournament the world has ever seen, as some of Marvel’s most powerful heroes and villains are called to battle for the right to become the all-new Phoenix. All will be transformed. But who will burn?”
Of course, you can’t have the Phoenix Force without some new fiery costumes. Garrón designed them this time around.
“Javier Garrón has been doing simply gorgeous work on the “Age of Khonshu,” and now he’s busy bringing to life the biggest, most powerful, more fiery group of Avengers we’ve ever seen,” Aaron said about his extraordinary collaborator. “Plus a few really wild surprises.”
One thing that’s particularly curious about this is that Jean Grey seems conspicuously absent from all this. Can you really do a Phoenix story without her?
Avengers #40 features a cover by Leinil Yu. It’s set for release in December 2020.