X-men Supreme Issue #67: The Phoenix Saga Part 5 PREVIEW

The X-men Supreme Phoenix Saga has officially escalated to cosmic proportions. The Inner Circle successfully captured the X-men and as we saw at the end of Issue 66: The Phoenix Saga Part 4, they also succeeded in bringing the Phoenix Force to Jean Grey. Now her being has been merged with that of a cosmic entity and whatever the Inner Circle's plans were to control it have failed. It is a critical theme in the history of the Phoenix Saga and it is a theme I have carried over into this fanfiction series. Take a normal human being in an emotionally fragile state like Jean Grey and imbue her with immense power and that power eventually corrupts. It is the same kind of corruption that caused the X-men and the world of X-men Supreme so much damage in the Proteus arc. That story ended in tragedy. Will Jean Grey share the same fate? There are only a few issues left in this very important arc for the X-men Supreme fanfiction series. As usual, I've prepared an extended preview to offer a glimpse at what you can expect in this very important issue.

“Yes! YEESSSSSS! This is what I crave! The breadth of mortal sensations! The rush of mortal experience! The power…the hunger…I desire MORE!”

It was beautiful. Everything was so amazingly beautiful. The sights, the sounds, and the sensations of the cosmos were inundating every sense. It was amazing. These were the experiences of the Phoenix Force and her new vessel, Jean Grey. From the moment she took off from Hellfire Manor, the Phoenix had been soaring through the cosmos at speeds that defied mortal comprehension. Time and space were feeble forces to overcome. She could traverse the vastness of the cosmos as easily as lesser beings would draw breath. With the being known as Jean Grey in her grasp, she could experience the whole range of mortal sensations. It was intoxicating, granting her a cosmic level of fulfillment with which to feed her agonizing hunger.

Soaring through space the Phoenix passed a series of small comets and asteroids. In her deranged state, she casually directed her powers towards them. In an instant, they were utterly destroyed in a dazzling burst of chaos. The feeling of wielding such power within a mortal shell was even more intoxicating. Before her lay an even larger system with even larger bodies to destroy. Her hunger continued to beckon her and she followed it without hesitation.

But through this chaos, the Phoenix continued to fight a battle within. Since the moment she first merged with her new mortal shell, Jean Grey had been fighting her. Even though she was immersed in the rush of such power, this annoying mortal persistence within her lingered.

“No…stop! Too much…it’s all too much!” grunted Jean, her body contorting within the halo of cosmic flames.

“You still insist on fighting me, Jean? Enough of this insolence! You’re denying me what I crave! You’re denying yourself what you crave!”

“I…I don’t know what I crave!” she cried out, “I’m so confused! I can’t remember where I…who I…”

“Who you were in your mortal life is no longer important! All that matters is that you are the new avatar for my power! Just as you yearned for all those years ago!”

“Just as I…no, this isn’t what I wanted!” she cried, clutching her head in confusion.

“But it is! Ages ago when you were a young, helpless mortal you cried out for help! You cried not just with your voice, but with your mind! Like all those who transcend the psychic limits of sentience, your call went out over great distances! And it was I who heeded that call!”

“A call…for what?”

“What else? Power! In their moment of weakness, mortals seek only the power to overcome that which they are doomed to endure! You may have stopped calling out for help, but I never stopped seeking you! You felt it even as I was seeking you out through the vastness of the cosmos! I chose you just as you chose me!”

“But…but why?! Why me?!”

“Because we need each other! Just as I needed the many who came before you! I grant you the power you crave to escape your feeble limits and in return you fulfill my endless hunger! It is the great cycle that binds us! And together, we shall spread our wings and unleash the fires of creation and destruction on this desolate universe!”

These daunting words echoed through Jean Grey’s mind with agonizing ferocity. They seemed to cloud all other thoughts. This power that had consumed her was taking hold. She could barely wrap her already frail mind around it. The Phoenix was in control now and it was taking her on this journey to feed its hunger. It was horrible and wonderful at the same time. These intoxicating sensations that were feeding the Phoenix were also overwhelming her mind. Never before had she felt so much power. It was driving her away from everything it meant to be human.

But in the back of her mind she still remembered that moment at Hellfire Manor. She remembered Charles Xavier reaching out to her with his mind. She remembered Scott Summer trying to get through to her with his love and dedication. These were some of the only vestiges of her humanity as the Phoenix continued to guide her into a new star system. Jean Grey was leaving her humanity and her world behind. That fine line between absolute power and absolute madness was fading fast. She knew through her madness that once she crossed it, there was no going back. Desperately, she clung to these mortal thoughts even as the Phoenix kept raging.

‘Can’t…forget. Have to…remember. I am…Jean Grey. I am…Jean Grey. I am…Jean Grey.’

I'm very excited about the X-men Supreme Phoenix Saga. In the comics, the Phoenix Saga was a major turning point. So much of what Chris Claremont did with that story set the stage for years worth of X-men stories and Marvel comics stories in general. I hope to do the same with the X-men Supreme fanfiction series. When this arc is over, the world of X-men Supreme will be very different. A new world of stories will open up and I hope to explore them in great detail with future volumes.

So far, the feedback for the X-men Supreme Phoenix Saga has been very good. X-men Fan and Stormbreaker were nice enough to provide feedback for the previous issue, but overall feedback was down in the last issue. I hope that changes as I approach the epic conclusion of the X-men Supreme Phoenix Saga. Once again, I implore all those who read each issue of the X-men Supreme fanfiction series to take the time to leave a review. Either plost your feedback in the comments section of each issue or contact me directly. Until next time, take care and best wishes! Excelsior!

Jack