Rachel Week: Should Rachel Grey be the Phoenix again?

[The Thunderbird]

For the longest time, Rachel Grey was a host to the all powerful Phoenix Force. Her history with the Phoenix was long and integral to her character. Her history with the Phoenix is possibly even more important and intertwined to her character than Jean's. However, in X-Men: Kingbreaker #4, the Phoenix has abandoned Rachel and Korvus for some reason, hinted to have something to do with the return of Jean Grey. Should the Phoenix return to Rachel once Jean gives it up, or should Rachel go in a new direction?

[subliminal]

Rachel without the Phoenix is like Lorna without electromagnetic powers... it's in her Jeans to be Phoenix.

Blue Phoenix was great... I don't know why they had to take all the fun away. Rachel as hound and Rachel as Askani is just as good, but Rachel as Phoenix is the best comic porn going.

[Mitteloss]

I liked her with the weaker Phoenix 'echo' she had until Kingbreaker #4. The blue effect looked great, and she was still very powerful, but not too powerful.

[Imraith Nimphais]

Truth to tell, I much preferred Rachel as Phoenix than Jean. Rachel welcomed the Pheonix Force with open arms whereas Jean never really fully embraced her "birthright" because of all the bad "energies" associated with the Dark Phoenix...I hated that the Phoenix left Rachel at the end of KB4...but maybe, without out it she can fully establish herself as a psi and a teke of the highest order through natural developement and application of will, without help from that bloody cosmic pigeon. (Incidentally, this was also the hope I held for Jean during the Morrison years...and look how that played out)

[jarrod]

It'll come back eventually (always does, just like with Jean) but for the foreseeable future I'd like Rachel sans Phoenix.

She'll work better in X-Force that way. :wink:

[darknessatnoon]

Why not?

Throw her a bone, Marvel.

[Agent_Torpor]

Is there any point to her otherwise? I mean, besides the leather thighboot and facemask attire that Marvel editorial has not the fortitude to bring back...

[Henry T.]

Jean and Rachel should be the only Phoenixes.

And we've seen that they can be given their own distinctive Phoenix imagery.

Its an important part of both of their stories, powers, and iconic imagery.

Who knows what will be done with the Phoenix Force and Jean Grey if Matt Fraction is going to be the one writing it though.

Fraction is a fan of the "Jean wasn't Phoenix" retcon and looks like he will ignore Claremont, Morrison, and Pak re-establishing her as having been Phoenix/Dark Phoenix (refer to this week's Dark Reign Cabal).

[jarrod]

I have it on Good Authority™ that Matt Nerd-Hott Fraction is a big Rachel Anne Summers fan....

[Alan2099]

I'm torn. Racheal works best as Phoenix, better than Jean ever did. Still, at the same time, they've messed up what the Phoenix is so badly that I'd prefer it stay gone for a long time.

[Pro]

I don't mind either way.

Rachel worked well as Phoenix for most of the time but she doesn't really need it. Telepathy, telekinesis, mutant tracking and the oft forgotten chronokinesis make her powerfull enough. Throw in powerstunts like molecular telekinesis which should allow her to alter objects and set things on fire or freeze them and she has a huge powerset without relying on the phoenix force.

[psychic_therapy]

Not that she's best with the Phoenix... however it's a part of the Grey girls' characters. Can't see her parting with it, especially if Emma and the Cuckoos have had their experiencees.

[Phoenix_Force]

I say either have her with the "echo" of the Phoenix or not at all. Why can't she just have her teke and telepathy and use the symbol of the phoenix as an energy signature? The glowing eye or a raptor of energy looks good.

[ClanAskani]

As much as it would be fun to see Rachel as the Phoenix kickin' butt, I think it's best that she leaves the Phoenix Force behind. It's gotten too convoluted.

I wish they had left Rachel with just the very small echo that gave her the cool blue Phoenix effect, but with Rachel going full Phoenix, she would have been deamed too powerful for earth and been stuck in space. Now she's back to earth-based power levels and is pretty useless in space.

[Flinkman]

i agree with everyone that she was a much better Phoenix than Jean ever was, and she was such a badass in Excalibur with it that i voted yes.

but she can go without it for awhile, and only have the "echo" of it when it comes back.

[x_goalkeeper]

Rachel has nice moments with her Phoenix experiences, but because of it she lost all her family. Perhaps because of that, she should not want the Phoenix.. and the Phoenix seems to take over a character too much in a story.

[The Sword Is Drawn]

I would say 'yes'. Without hesitation.

Rachel wielded the Phoenix force far more creatively and fully than her 'mother' ever did. It took the motif and the power-set to a new level - exploring the Phoenix without it being a corrupting force of evil, for the first time.

Rachel WAS Phoenix. It was more than just a codename. The two bonded so well. The Phoenix even took the comatose Rachel off into space to heal her to full health, after Excalibur fought Necrom.

Rachel withOUT Phoenix has often been treated very poorly by writers. I really don't have much time for her adopting the Marvel Girl persona, and adopting a variation of Jean's 60s costume. That whiny Rachel is not the character we once knew.

[Accroître]

i agree with everyone that she was a much better Phoenix than Jean ever was, and she was such a badass in Excalibur with it that i voted yes.

but she can go without it for awhile, and only have the "echo" of it when it comes back.

Completely agree with this statement!

[Rick Summers]

I would say 'yes'. Without hesitation.

Rachel wielded the Phoenix force far more creatively and fully than her 'mother' ever did. It took the motif and the power-set to a new level - exploring the Phoenix without it being a corrupting force of evil, for the first time.

Rachel WAS Phoenix. It was more than just a codename. The two bonded so well. The Phoenix even took the comatose Rachel off into space to heal her to full health, after Excalibur fought Necrom.

Rachel withOUT Phoenix has often been treated very poorly by writers. I really don't have much time for her adopting the Marvel Girl persona, and adopting a variation of Jean's 60s costume. That whiny Rachel is not the character we once knew.

Well said my good man. :)