The Phoenix Force is once again on the hunt for a new host and it seems anyone in the Marvel Universe is fair game. That's the basic premise of Jason Aaron and Javier Garrón's Avengers #40, which will hit comic book retailers this December. The Enter the Phoenix event will see heroes and villains from all over Earth-based Marvel fighting in a tournament-style clash, with the victor emerging as the one true host of the Phoenix.
Marvel readers may recall that this isn't the first time the Phoenix has been hosted by someone not related to Jean Grey in some form or fashion. The 2012 Avengers vs X-Men event saw the Phoenix Force splintered into five different hosts after Iron Man attempted to destroy the cosmic entity.
Check out Leinil Yu's cover for the issue which show's that Namor is once again in the mix to contain the Phoenix's powers. Marvel has also put out a press release for the event which you can read below.
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," according to Jason Aaron. "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?"
As is tradition, the Phoenix Force graces its hosts with iconic new costumes. This time around, the cosmic designs come courtesy of superstar artist, Javier Garrón.
"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."
ONLY ONE WILL RISE! The infamous firebird of cosmic destruction and rebirth known as the Phoenix Force returns to Earth in the pages of Jason Aaron's AVENGERS this December. On the hunt for its next host, the Avengers and some of the most powerful heroes and villains in the Marvel Universe will engage in a globe-spanning competition that will ultimately decide…who will be the all-new Phoenix.