Marvel’s Phoenix is unreasonably powerful, and that power can only increase with its next host, Galactus’ mother. Ever since its introduction in the 1970s, the Phoenix has gone through many different hosts. Now, with the recent release of cover art for Al Ewing’s and Javier Rodriguez’s upcoming Defenders: Beyond #3 comes confirmation of the cosmic life energy’s next host, and its next host is Galactus’ own mother.
Galactus’s mother, Taaia, is a scientist of the planet Taa in the Fifth Cosmos and is met by the time-traveling Defenders in 2021’s Defenders #1, also by Ewing and Rodriguez. The following issue reveals her to be Galactus’ mother, and she goes on to join the Defenders and help them in their quest. The synopsis for the upcoming Beyond series reveals that she will be returning with the team.
An exclusive cover reveal from CBR confirms Taaia’s role as the Phoenix Force’s new host. It also comes with a synopsis for the third issue: “Loki’s Defenders manage to escape the Second Cosmos and the Beyonder, but Taaia is grievously wounded in the process and none of Loki’s or Blue Marvel’s expertise seems to be helping. Enter – the Phoenix! But what is the price of a universal constant’s aid…?” With that in mind, the direction of the story could go anywhere, especially since the Phoenix has been both friend and foe in the past. It seems that the Phoenix Force will definitely help Taaia, but will she end up becoming like her son as a major antagonist to the heroes? Or could her newfound sense of the cosmos cause her to strike out on her own, away from the Defenders and in search of new meaning? Whatever the case may be, it does mark another big rewrite for Marvel’s Phoenix.
This is not the first major change for the entity either, as its lore was rewritten to imply that the host of the Phoenix Force in Avengers: 1,000,000 BC is Thor’s true mother. This has made for some weird comic book continuity drama, as allegedly Thor once had a relationship with a different host of the Phoenix. That weirdness aside, the current host of the Phoenix Force is Maya Lopez, otherwise known as the hero Echo. She obtained the power after being killed by Namor in the Phoenix Tournament storyline, and by combining her standard abilities with her new cosmic powers, it’s believed that Echo could be even stronger than Jean Grey.
If this ends up being true, it will most likely be a short-lived power trip since fans know that Galactus’ mother, Taaia, will become the next Phoenix this summer. And as Marvel continues to write stories, it’s just as likely that she won’t be the last Phoenix either.
Look for the first issue of Defenders: Beyond when it releases on July 20th!
