Phoenix-Mother Askani: Rachel Summers Appreciation 2022

[Drexelhand]

Angst from not being born, or having a family taken away or forced into being a hound are the building blocks of a good villain, but Rachel turns that into being a complex hero. If Rachel is brought into the MCU just being a legacy character and love interest of Franklin without the stuff that makes her interesting...

If an MCU film that introduces Rachel follows Days of Future Present, her character arc would be far more than just being Franklin's love interest. That's such a reductive way to view that story. It would make her and Franklin people marooned in the past, but while Franklin is born and anchored by his past self, Rachel isn't and has been replaced, a mother who rejects her and because of that she can't be with the father who wants her, it would show just how much the Hounds changed her, it would show her deciding to go and forge her own path with Franklin's sacrifice. Rachel's arc in Days of Future Present is a beautiful one that touches on so many elements of her character, including the scene where she, Franklin and baby Cable try to make a family so they can have a moment of normalcy they would've had if not for Ahab and the Sentinels. It is the tragic love story of two damaged people and their place in a world where they don't belong. Honestly, I personally feel it is one of the most deep yet underappreciated X-Men comic arcs.







Hell, that very last panel is probably my favourite Rachel/Franklin panel. She is Phoenix.

[Scott402]

If an MCU film that introduces Rachel follows Days of Future Present, her character arc would be far more than just being Franklin's love interest. That's such a reductive way to view that story. It would make her and Franklin people marooned in the past, but while Franklin is born and anchored by his past self, Rachel isn't and has been replaced, a mother who rejects her and because of that she can't be with the father who wants her, it would show just how much the Hounds changed her, it would show her deciding to go and forge her own path with Franklin's sacrifice. Rachel's arc in Days of Future Present is a beautiful one that touches on so many elements of her character, including the scene where she, Franklin and baby Cable try to make a family so they can have a moment of normalcy they would've had if not for Ahab and the Sentinels. It is the tragic love story of two damaged people and their place in a world where they don't belong. Honestly, I personally feel it is one of the most deep yet underappreciated X-Men comic arcs.







Hell, that very last panel is probably my favourite Rachel/Franklin panel. She is Phoenix.

The pure and utter anguish of that first meeting with Jean is just so powerful. You can see it in the way she stands and moves in the panels and the writing is spot on. I honestly think it was there in that story that I realized as much as I loved Jean as a character, here was a character just as strong as her who had undergone so much more trauma and come out of it still wanting to be a hero.

[Askani's Flame]

If an MCU film that introduces Rachel follows Days of Future Present, her character arc would be far more than just being Franklin's love interest. That's such a reductive way to view that story. It would make her and Franklin people marooned in the past, but while Franklin is born and anchored by his past self, Rachel isn't and has been replaced, a mother who rejects her and because of that she can't be with the father who wants her, it would show just how much the Hounds changed her, it would show her deciding to go and forge her own path with Franklin's sacrifice. Rachel's arc in Days of Future Present is a beautiful one that touches on so many elements of her character, including the scene where she, Franklin and baby Cable try to make a family so they can have a moment of normalcy they would've had if not for Ahab and the Sentinels. It is the tragic love story of two damaged people and their place in a world where they don't belong. Honestly, I personally feel it is one of the most deep yet underappreciated X-Men comic arcs.







Hell, that very last panel is probably my favourite Rachel/Franklin panel. She is Phoenix.

I love this, and this series/crossover event was my entry into X-Men (Uncanny X-Men Annual 14) and cemented my love for Rachel as a hero and tragic character. I would love if they did a more accurate DoFP for either the MCU or X-Men '97

[Scott402]

I love this, and this series/crossover event was my entry into X-Men (Uncanny X-Men Annual 14) and cemented my love for Rachel as a hero and tragic character. I would love if they did a more accurate DoFP for either the MCU or X-Men '97

I don't see it happening for teh MCU. Rachel is just not that popular enough to be such a central figure in such a large franchise. X-Men 97 though, I could really see them doing that and it being really good!

[Subliminal]

...it would show her deciding to go and forge her own path with Franklin's sacrifice. Rachel's arc in Days of Future Present is a beautiful one that touches on so many elements of her character, including the scene where she, Franklin and baby Cable try to make a family so they can have a moment of normalcy they would've had if not for Ahab and the Sentinels. It is the tragic love story of two damaged people and their place in a world where they don't belong. Honestly, I personally feel it is one of the most deep yet underappreciated X-Men comic arcs.

I just realized the instant family from loss in DoFPresent is like the premise of Wandavision, just swap out Phoenix Force made with chaos magic made. DoFPresent has all the iconic aspects of her character including her family/attachment drama, Ahab and the hounds, the Phoenix—For an origins story though, all that and romance might be too much. DoFPresent wasn't a fave because Rachel was acting so weird and was worse off at the end of the story. It's probably a result of multiple writers on the story or just Franklin's influence, but everyone was using Rachel against her will or outright rejected her. Meanwhile she was strong and confident along with her found family with the Excalibur team.

The introduction I'd like to see for Rachel would include her hunting or being hunted (Shadow King, Mojo/Spiral/Warwolves, Shi'ar, Nimrod/Ahab), and Rachel overcoming that obstacle with a hint of connection to the PF.

...I would love if they did a more accurate DoFP for either the MCU or X-Men '97

Yes, the DoFP movie was a missed opportunity to introduce Rachel and her unique powerset.

[Gnostic]

I love this, and this series/crossover event was my entry into X-Men (Uncanny X-Men Annual 14) and cemented my love for Rachel as a hero and tragic character. I would love if they did a more accurate DoFP for either the MCU or X-Men '97

I don't see it happening for teh MCU. Rachel is just not that popular enough to be such a central figure in such a large franchise. X-Men 97 though, I could really see them doing that and it being really good!

Yes, the DoFP movie was a missed opportunity to introduce Rachel and her unique powerset.

With Secret Wars on the way, there is a possibility that the Phase 7 projects will be set on Battle World. That will give them a chance to adapt Years of Future Past.

[Subliminal]

With Secret Wars on the way, there is a possibility that the Phase 7 projects will be set on Battle World. That will give them a chance to adapt Years of Future Past.

That would be cool. Also seeing Rachel Summers with Phoenix as the Baron of X-Topia.

[Drexelhand]

I love this, and this series/crossover event was my entry into X-Men (Uncanny X-Men Annual 14) and cemented my love for Rachel as a hero and tragic character. I would love if they did a more accurate DoFP for either the MCU or X-Men '97

An accurate Days of Future Past would be great. I love the movie we got, it's such an emotional affair, but it'd be cool to see another version of it. If James Bond can do the same movie eighty times, then X-Men can as well.

I just realized the instant family from loss in DoFPresent is like the premise of Wandavision, just swap out Phoenix Force made with chaos magic made. DoFPresent has all the iconic aspects of her character including her family/attachment drama, Ahab and the hounds, the Phoenix—For an origins story though, all that and romance might be too much. DoFPresent wasn't a fave because Rachel was acting so weird and was worse off at the end of the story. It's probably a result of multiple writers on the story or just Franklin's influence, but everyone was using Rachel against her will or outright rejected her. Meanwhile she was strong and confident along with her found family with the Excalibur team.

The introduction I'd like to see for Rachel would include her hunting or being hunted (Shadow King, Mojo/Spiral/Warwolves, Shi'ar, Nimrod/Ahab), and Rachel overcoming that obstacle with a hint of connection to the PF.

You're right, that is a lot like WandaVision. I never realized it cause of the differences, so it's probably convergent, but it is similar.

I think a story where Ahab pursues his escaped Hounds Franklin and Rachel back in time and we get something similar to what happened in Days of Future Present is fine for an origin story. It's really no more complicated than No Way Home. You don't need the Phoenix and if you do have it, you don't need to explain it until a sequel, just have it be part of Rachel's powerset or her codename.

And as for Rachel's character in Days of Future Present, you take this person who has made a life for herself in Excalibur and even though she's happy - it's not what she came back in time to have. She lost everything, her love, her parental figures and then came back in time to have her family back - except her mother was dead, her father was remarried and she was never born. But Days of Future Present thrusts her in this situation where she could at least have Franklin back, where she can reach out to Jean and have her mom back - but it doesn't happen. She's faced with the trauma of the Hounds and is judged for how she reacts by those who could never understand instead of receiving sympathy - only from Franklin, who does understand, is she reminded that she's still beautiful. Her behaviour during the story is completely rational because even though she was happy with what she had, this story gives her what she wants and snatches every little bit of it away. She gets a little bit of happiness with Franklin before he dies and then he dies once again.

Of course she's not going to be strong and confident when she's taking those emotional hits. In many ways, in Excalibur, she got to run from her pain and become that strong and confident person by being separate from it. I'm not saying Excalibur didn't confront her past, it did - in arcs like the Crosstime Saga or Mastermind posing as Franklin. But it never put her in a situation where she had to confront all of her trauma as it did in this story. In Days of Future Present, she has to face it no matter how much it hurts. In fact, I'd argue that Rachel's attitude when Excalibur goes to Earth-811 wouldn't make sense without reading this story first because it sets up why she needs to go and make that world right.

[cam18]

My faith in the MCU is lagging a bit after some poor portrayals of certain characters but if done right(big big if) I could see Rachel really breaking out the daughter of Jean and Cyclops with Phoenix connections if offers a way to do something different while alluding to certain aspects of those characters and the phoenix mythos differently and more as an ally or neutral being rather then being something evil.....one of my favorite Rachel Summers images is of her fighting Galactus in space before big G became the ultimate jobber that even Aunt May could defeat.

[Micabe]

My faith in the MCU is lagging a bit after some poor portrayals of certain characters but if done right(big big if) I could see Rachel really breaking out the daughter of Jean and Cyclops with Phoenix connections if offers a way to do something different while alluding to certain aspects of those characters and the phoenix mythos differently and more as an ally or neutral being rather then being something evil.....one of my favorite Rachel Summers images is of her fighting Galactus in space before big G became the ultimate jobber that even Aunt May could defeat.

IIRC... Wasn't that Rachel Summers image; Rachel's body being piloted by the Phoenix Force?

[Devaishwarya]

I love Rachel from inception but...her "You love him more than me!" - that entire panel, in context of what she said just prior, makes no damn sense. And I get she was overwrought with emotions but, guuurrl...

[Micabe]

I love Rachel from inception but...her "You love him more than me!" - that entire panel, in context of what she said just prior, makes no damn sense. And I get she was overwrought with emotions but, guuurrl...

Seriously, that scene was clearly over-the-top. I'm glad that Rachel's "mom" issues have long since been amicably resolved... By the way -- Where the hell is Rachel?

[Devaishwarya]

Living her best Sapphic life over in KoX...

[Subliminal]

I love Rachel from inception but...her "You love him more than me!" - that entire panel, in context of what she said just prior, makes no damn sense. And I get she was overwrought with emotions but, guuurrl...

Agreed, so weird. She worked past all this in Uncanny when she made that psychic link with baby Nathan, and in Excalibur after Inferno, she's happy that Jean, Scott and Nathan are together...then regresses to a sad abandoned child when her dead boyfriend appears. But I guess if your former abuser (Ahab) pops up in your life, that could be triggering?

...In many ways, in Excalibur, she got to run from her pain and become that strong and confident person by being separate from it. I'm not saying Excalibur didn't confront her past, it did - in arcs like the Crosstime Saga or Mastermind posing as Franklin. But it never put her in a situation where she had to confront all of her trauma as it did in this story. In Days of Future Present, she has to face it no matter how much it hurts. In fact, I'd argue that Rachel's attitude when Excalibur goes to Earth-811 wouldn't make sense without reading this story first because it sets up why she needs to go and make that world right.

I agree that DoFPresent is a pivotal moment for Rachel about confronting her past, it just seems out of place when the story arc happened, she progressed so far by that point with starting a new path. From what I understand, DoFPresent was adapted from a storyline that was supposed to be the Phoenix Limited Series. Having that story then, when she abandons the X-Men, goes to Mojoverse to reinvent herself then push towards the formation of Excalibur/Omniverse/Necrom/Merlin story...if DoFPresent was just a mojoverse production, over-the-top entertainment in between these event...it would have worked better for me.

We wouldn't have all those hilarious Jean being abusive to Rachel memes though.

[Askani's Flame]

IIRC... Wasn't that Rachel Summers image; Rachel's body being piloted by the Phoenix Force?

Yes! You are 1000% correct. Rachel's body, autopiloted by the PF as it worked to heal her mind after sacrificing herself to save the multiverse from Necrom.