Phoenix-Mother Askani: Rachel Summers Appreciation 2022

[Thirteen]

Is this Rachel in the Knight of X preview or another legit flame based character? Looks like real fire by the display on panel.

[Anduinel]

No argument here...

https://twitter.com/MightyBrunstad/s...9iEUvhNZHyAXgg

[loke13]

Is this Rachel in the Knight of X preview or another legit flame based character? Looks like real fire by the display on panel.

It's Rachel

[Askani's Flame]

Is this Rachel in the Knight of X preview or another legit flame based character? Looks like real fire by the display on panel.

It's Rachel

As loke13 said, it's Rachel. Noticed the flaming hair again. Bob Q is drawing from the history of Rachel being on an Excalibur-esque team by evoking styles and images associated with her when she was Phoenix. Flaming hair a la Phoenix. "Fire" attacks a la Phoenix. It's smart and nostalgic. We see what he's doing and we like it.

[Thirteen]

As loke13 said, it's Rachel. Noticed the flaming hair again. Bob Q is drawing from the history of Rachel being on an Excalibur-esque team by evoking styles and images associated with her when she was Phoenix. Flaming hair a la Phoenix. "Fire" attacks a la Phoenix. It's smart and nostalgic. We see what he's doing and we like it.

Odd to see the Phoenix accoutrements being used with Rachel with the Phoenix Force being seemingly the sole province of the Avengers titles now...or IS it? It would be great if they found a loophole for Ray since she's, in some versions, she's the "Child of the Phoenix" and arguably the most successful bearer of the mantle.

[Askani's Flame]

Odd to see the Phoenix accoutrements being used with Rachel with the Phoenix Force being seemingly the sole province of the Avengers titles now...or IS it? It would be great if they found a loophole for Ray since she's, in some versions, she's the "Child of the Phoenix" and arguably the most successful bearer of the mantle.

No longer some versions. It is now official canon per Claremont's 140.5 that Rachel is the child of the Phoenix. That Jean/Phoenix says so herself. But it does make sense to me as Rachel has often had fire images associated with her, even after she no longer was the host. Given that the Phoenix is not in the X-universe (so to speak), it's her birthright and brand to have some of those elements. Especially when being brought into an Excalibur-style book.

And according to CBR she is the host with the most control: https://www.cbr.com/xmen-phoenix-force-hosts-ranked/

[Scott402]

This waiting for her new book is starting to get to me. I was going back through some older stuff and I have to ask, does anyone know why Rachel reacted like she had been given a nuke when the Phoenix sword was close to her. Of all the hosts of the Phoenix she was the best and most level headed. If anything she should have been asking why it abandoned her. Or did I miss something?

[Gnostic]

With Deadpool 3 finally having a director, there is a chance that Cable's backstory being explored and possibly seeing Rachel in a Mother Askani-inspired role.

[Askani's Flame]

This waiting for her new book is starting to get to me. I was going back through some older stuff and I have to ask, does anyone know why Rachel reacted like she had been given a nuke when the Phoenix sword was close to her. Of all the hosts of the Phoenix she was the best and most level headed. If anything she should have been asking why it abandoned her. Or did I miss something?

You mean the Blade of the Rook'shir? So it's an interesting question. Even though Rachel was wielding Phoenix imagery (the shadow form and Gold Phoenix icon that was from Jean - somehow but never explained), she didn't have access to the PF. So it was my understanding that somehow the Shi'ar were able to weaponize the Blade so while only Korvus could wiled it, it damaged those who had been hosts or connected to the Force via the remnant power. So it was akin to when the PF was coming back to Earth right before AvX and Rachel, QQ, Emma, and the Cuckoos all got laid out by this massive psychic energy. So imagine it's that but on a much smaller scale due to the limited power that was in the Blade. It wasn't until Rachel tried to forge a connection to Korvus to understand what he was doing, that the PF in the Blade no longer saw Rachel as a threat and moved mostly into her instead.

As for why it abandoned her, the Force in the Blade was centuries old and not connected to the PF. The Echo empowered Rachel but she wasn't truly connected to the PF otherwise she would have been the host again. And then she could have discussed with the PF what happened (with her memories not being correct from her time in the future and being thrown around the time stream). But it made sense why she didn't ask as this thing recognized Rachel as kin but didn't have sentience.

[Subliminal]

This waiting for her new book is starting to get to me. I was going back through some older stuff and I have to ask, does anyone know why Rachel reacted like she had been given a nuke when the Phoenix sword was close to her. Of all the hosts of the Phoenix she was the best and most level headed. If anything she should have been asking why it abandoned her. Or did I miss something?

A small fragment of the Phoenix recognized Rachel and attached itself to Rachel, not sure it was the actual sentient PF, maybe just an echo of the Force. I don't remember if Rachel had a similar reaction to the "anti-Phoenix" fragment that Necrom stole? Maybe it would happen too with the fragment in the Cuckoo's hearts? Rachel did ask Scott during AvsX if the Phoenix remembers Rachel... which is so sad.

With Deadpool 3 finally having a director, there is a chance that Cable's backstory being explored and possibly seeing Rachel in a Mother Askani-inspired role.

Most likely it would be a story with Rachel written out and Hope being introduced instead. The 13-year old intended audience don't want to see a mother figure unless it's to make fun of it in some way. Cable: "I was abducted by time-travellers as a baby" "It was lead by a woman named Mother Askani... so named because she told everyone to clean their rooms, wash their hands and do their chores..." Deadpool: "Wow, your "mom" was hot! Cable: "Turns out she was also my sister" Deadpool: "..."

[Askani's Flame]

A small fragment of the Phoenix recognized Rachel and attached itself to Rachel, not sure it was the actual sentient PF, maybe just an echo of the Force. I don't remember if Rachel had a similar reaction to the "anti-Phoenix" fragment that Necrom stole? Maybe it would happen too with the fragment in the Cuckoo's hearts? Rachel did ask Scott during AvsX if the Phoenix remembers Rachel... which is so sad.

So with the Anti-Phoenix, she only was aware of him once he was playing mind games with her up close. As she had suppressed the PF, one could speculate that she was unaffected by it's movements and consciousness until she was with it. She did sense the Phoenix Force in it, but then Feron tried to harness it and then it flew to Necrom. And the rest is history, although it's interesting to see that Necrom was able to wield a large number of power feats while Rachel was the primary (and 95% wielder) of the PF.

And even if the Echo was sentient (which it wasn't), it still was not connected to the Force any longer so it would not have the knowledge to tell Rachel what happened.

As for the Cuckoos, yes those were fragments from the PF. And if Rachel had interacted with one of them, she could have been told how she became separated from the Force given these fragments came from after the PF had returned and before Rachel did.

[Cerridwen]

Maybe the penis tattoo is still on her back and it's the reason why the Phoenix force avoids her LOL

[Gnostic]

Most likely it would be a story with Rachel written out and Hope being introduced instead. The 13-year old intended audience don't want to see a mother figure unless it's to make fun of it in some way. Cable: "I was abducted by time-travellers as a baby" "It was lead by a woman named Mother Askani... so named because she told everyone to clean their rooms, wash their hands and do their chores..." Deadpool: "Wow, your "mom" was hot! Cable: "Turns out she was also my sister" Deadpool: "..."

Well, Hope was technically introduced in Deadpool 2. Nitpicky, I know.

I can see Marvel Cable's backstory simpler and having it based on X-Man's from Age of Apocalypse, depicting him as the genetically engineered son of Scott and Jean by Sinister. Then later he was found and raised by Rachel, a relationship similar to that of Laura and Logan's.

[Scott402]

So with the Anti-Phoenix, she only was aware of him once he was playing mind games with her up close. As she had suppressed the PF, one could speculate that she was unaffected by it's movements and consciousness until she was with it. She did sense the Phoenix Force in it, but then Feron tried to harness it and then it flew to Necrom. And the rest is history, although it's interesting to see that Necrom was able to wield a large number of power feats while Rachel was the primary (and 95% wielder) of the PF.

And even if the Echo was sentient (which it wasn't), it still was not connected to the Force any longer so it would not have the knowledge to tell Rachel what happened.

As for the Cuckoos, yes those were fragments from the PF. And if Rachel had interacted with one of them, she could have been told how she became separated from the Force given these fragments came from after the PF had returned and before Rachel did.

I guess my main question was really about why did she react negatively? I understand the whole echo thing and the sword not really knowing her but why would she associate anything to do with teh phoenix as negative at that point? I would think for her it would have been more like welcoming the thought of an old friend back into her life.

[Askani's Flame]

I guess my main question was really about why did she react negatively? I understand the whole echo thing and the sword not really knowing her but why would she associate anything to do with teh phoenix as negative at that point? I would think for her it would have been more like welcoming the thought of an old friend back into her life.

That's an interesting take. Throughout Claremont's run when he brought Rachel back in, editorial made it clear to him that Rachel couldn't be Phoenix. So he went out of his way to have her say "I'm not the Phoenix" at every opportunity, but showed she had a connection as a former host through actions and imagery. Almost to remind readers (and editors) that she wasn't the host anymore but it's an important part of her. With the introduction of "End of Greys" and the Death Commando's, Rachel's family is destroyed and she is targeted/branded for being a host. It sends her on a dark path. I saw her reluctance and animosity to the Shi'ar (and in particular Korvus for using a blade that affects hosts) as this overwhelming sense of attack. She didn't know the Blade had an essence or Echo of the PF in it, she just new that she had been attacked several times over the past few months for being the former host. And it made her angry. And it wasn't til the blade forged the connection with her did she realize that Korvus was a pawn and there was part of the Force in the Blade. And it latched onto her.