Listen, you know we had to do an episode to tie-in to the X-men: Dark Phoenix movie so we got Kayleigh who plays Jean Grey on Exiled to come on and talk about What If AVX which sure was a series!
Universes and Issues Covered:
- Earth-TRN294 – What If? AVX – #1-4
Check out the notes and image gallery!
What If AVX #1-4
Writer – Jimmy Palmiotti, Pencils – Jorge Molina, Gerardo Sandoval, Inks – Norman Lee, Rick Magyar, Gerardo Sandoval and Jordi Tarragona, Carlos Cuevas, Colors – Rachelle Rosenberg, Letters – VC’s Clayton Cowles
Earth-TRN294
We start off with the Phoenix Force killing the Guardians of the Galaxy and alerting the Earth that the big fire bird is coming to Earth so the Avengers led by Captain America, Iron Man, and Black Widow who is there to do boobs and butt poses decides the need to go and get Hope Summers while Black Panther, Thor, Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers), Nova (who isn’t left in a coma) and Vision go to try and intercept the Phoenix Force in space. And Barack Obama is cool with all of this.
Hope meanwhile has been training on Utopia, the X-men’s base and specifically she’s been training with Magneto which Cyclops is just “sure whatever” and Magneto is casually evil – as opposed to normal AVX where he’s a chill Magneto. Anyway because he’s a dick, Hope flares up and the Avengers Helicarrier shows up and Wolverine is on it, siding with the Avengers because he’s mad at the Phoenix Force.
Back on Utopia, Emma warns them about the Phoenix and Magneto is like “we will trust Hope” and when Cyclops wants to go and talk Magneto, Storm, Namor and Hope go up instead and Cyclops is just fine with it.
Captain America asks them to hand over Hope, Storm says no, Wolverine is like “we can’t trust the Phoenix Force” and Magneto is like “Oh shit I hope Wolverine doesn’t kill anyone and also we won’t turn over Hope. Spider-Woman for some reason gets angry so Magneto attacks her and wraps her in metal, Captain America asks Magneto to release her, Wolverine and Namor get in a pissing contest and Storm is trying to calm them all down. Namor punches Wolverine and when he goes to claw Namor, Storm is stabbed instead and falls from the Helicarrier and Hope catches her.
Magneto calls first blood and blows up the Helicarrier. As it crashes down, Magneto, Emma and Hope go to space to try and intercept the Phoenix – for Storm’s sake, while Cyclops orders the X-men to save the Avengers, but in the end Sam Wilson, Falcon, Captain America’s friend, and Colleen Wing who has swords are killed. And then Namor gets angry and beats Wolverine unconscious in the water while Wolverine is feeling sad about Storm dying.
Cyclops and Iron Man get in a pissing match about who is wrong until Captain America breaks them up, giving the X-men a chance to leave while SHIELD arrives to sort out the damage.
Out in space the space team faces the Phoenix which destroys Mjolnir but it starts ebbing. The energy goes to possess them for a moment but they don’t even get cool costumes because the Phoenix Force senses Hope on the moon where it possesses her and she becomes the Phoenix.
The space Avengers go to check out what is going on except Thor who is unconscious and Black Panther who has a ship. They ask Magneto to hand over Hope. Hope is having issues with all of the thoughts and powers and she banishes the Avengers back to Earth and Magneto starts to sell her on the idea of ending all of humanity before she does good. Emma is on the team to not destroy all the humans but Magneto is going all evil and he’s making the easier argument.
Back at Utopia Cyclops and the X-men realize Magneto is up to no good, and the Avengers rescue Wolverine and neither side really wants a mass extinction. Back in space, Black Panther shoots a missile at Hope on the moon and Hope protects them from the blast before Magneto destroys the ship and kills Black Panther.
Emma is having major second thoughts so Hope kills her and so they start on their plan.
Back on Earth the X-men and Avengers are united and have all the governments united, while Reed Richards is working on an anti-Phoenix weapon. That’s when Magneto destroys all the satellites and Hope sends massive asteroids crashing into the Earth, killing Reed Richards and millions more, if not billions.
Magneto and Hope reappear on Earth and give the “join or die” options. The Avengers and X-men try to talk down Hope and when it fails they attack with a bunch of heroes being killed including Nova, Red Hulk, and Psylocke. Hope begins to lose control of the powers as the Phoenix moves to kill everything and she asks Magneto for help and he snaps her neck and absorbs the Phoenix Force. Cap throws his shield and Magneto throws it back bisecting him and Iron Man and Magneto gets his Phoenix costume and zaps most of the X-men. Charles starts attacking Magneto’s mind even though he has the helmet while Hulk fast ball specials Wolverine and stabs his eyes and brain. Wolverine then ascends to the White Hot Room where he meets white Phoenix Jean who tells him to move on and that this is part of the cycle of birth and destruction and they’re gonna fuck to repopulate the broken Earth like in New X-men.