For decades, Jean Grey has been X-Men‘s greatest powerhouse – but now she’s ascended to literal godhood. As part of Marvel’s new ‘From the Ashes’ era, Jean is exploring space while coming to terms with her incredible power. Now, the Phoenix’s cosmic journey has brought her to the attention of the one villain who will never suffer a god to live – Gorr the God Butcher.
In a preview of Phoenix #4 by the creative team of Stephanie Phillips, Alessandra Miracolo, David Curiel, and Cory Petit, Jean Grey’s actions have drawn the attention of the Galactic Council. Specifically, Gladiator of the Shi’ar Empire, who expresses great concern that Jean will eventually lose control of her immense power.
While Gladiator doesn’t get much support from the rest of the Council, there is little doubt that the outcome of this meeting is what will put Gorr on Jean Grey’s trail. Gorr is a dedicated villain who targets and kills gods after his own deity failed to save his family. The fact that Jean is in Gorr’s firing line confirms that she’s gone beyond being merely superhuman and ascended to godhood.
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Thor Needed 2 Mjolnirs to Beat Gorr the God Butcher
In the comics, Thor defeated Gorr the God Butcher, the main villain in “Thor: Love and Thunder” by using two different Mjolnir’s.
Gorr the God-Butcher Arrives to Kill X-Men’s Phoenix
Jean Grey Reaches God-Level Status With Her Cosmic Phoenix Powers
In the finale of X-Men’s Krakoan Era, Jean was instrumental in the Phoenix’s rebirth, tapping into the power of every mutant throughout time and space. She is more closely bonded to the cosmic force than ever and yet in total control of its reality-altering power. While Jean has often struggled with being influenced by the Phoenix and tempted towards darkness, she’s finally grown beyond that relationship with the cosmic firebird.
In her short time as the reborn Phoenix, Jean Grey has already stopped a dying sun from exploding by absorbing the excess energy to extend the sun’s lifespan. She took on Thanos’ Black Order by herself and won, and she stabilized a black hole to save the prisoners of an intergalactic prison. In short, Jean has started taking on godly problems with godly solutions, upgrading her power level while simultaneously putting her on Gorr’s radar.
Jean Grey Is Facing the Problems of a God, Not a Mutant Hero
Jean Grey’s Enemies Are on a Different Level Than Fans are Used to
While stabilizing the black hole, Jean made the hard choice to allow the dark god Perrikus to escape. Sadly, Perrikus has allied with Adani – a preacher who blames Phoenix for the death of her father. Having gained the power to fight a god, Adani is uniting with Perrikus and the Black Order to chase down the Phoenix. These are the types of foe usually reserved for someone like Thor (who has tangled with both Perrikus and Gorr in the past), but at Jean’s new level of power, dark gods have become par for the course.
With Gorr the God Butcher looking to kill the Phoenix, Adani after her to kill the god who caused her father’s death, and her incredible feats of saving a dying sun, stabilizing a black hole, and beating Thanos’ Black Order single-handedly, Jean Grey has officially established the title of a god in the Marvel Universe. Sadly, in the Marvel Universe, that makes X-Men‘s Phoenix a target for a whole new kind of villain.
Phoenix #4 is coming October 9 from Marvel Comics.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
