Jean Grey Is Leaving the X-Men to Work with a New Partner (Who MCU Fans Have Been Begging to Meet)

Warning: contains potential spoilers for Phoenix #1!

A new era soon dawns for the X-Men, and it will see Jean Grey, one of its founding members, leave Earth to team up with the one hero MCU fans have been begging to meet. This July, as part of the From the Ashes era, Jean Grey receives a new ongoing solo book, titled Phoenix. She will also take on a most unlikely partner: Nova.

Marvel provided fans with a tantalizing first glimpse of Phoenix #1 on their website. The book, which will be written by Stephanie Phillips and drawn by Alessandra Miraclo, sees Jean Grey take on the mantle of the Phoenix once again. Marvel did not offer any clues as to what led Jean to this decision. No sooner than she returns, she receives a distress call from Nova, in deep space.

Standing at the edge of a black hole, Jean must make a fateful decision that could impact the entire Marvel Universe.

Nova Has Ties To Many of Marvel’s Greatest Cosmic Franchises

Jean’s partner for Phoenix #1, Nova, has been on MCU fans’ wishlists for many years. Created in the mid-1970s, Nova was intended to invoke the spirit of classic Silver Age comics. Richard Rider, an Earth teen, was inducted into the Nova Corps. Similar in concept to DC’s Green Lantern Corps, the Nova Corps patrol the Marvel Universe, keeping it safe from the likes of Annihilus and Thanos. Sam Alexander has also served as Earth’s representative to the Nova Corps. Nova’s armor gives him superpowers, such as flight, super strength and energy absorption abilities.

While fans continue to wait for either Richard Rider or Sam Alexander to appear on-screen, the MCU has teased them before. Guardians of the Galaxy introduced the Nova Corps to the larger MCU, but neither Rider nor Alexander was anywhere to be found. The first Guardians movie made it clear the Nova Corps were powerful. However, in a scene ultimately cut from Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos tore through the Nova Corps, leaving only a few survivors. Fans speculated this would be a springboard to bring Nova into the MCU, but he still has not materialized.

Nova’s Adventures With Jean Grey Are Perfect To Tie Fans Over Until His MCU Debut

Nova Can Help Jean Grey As Much As She Helps Him

And while Phoenix #1 does not solve the issue of Nova in the MCU, it does serve as a reminder of just how great a character he is. Marvel did not state if it was Richard Rider or Sam Alexander that Jean Grey would meet. Regardless of which it is, Jean will have found a powerful ally for the fight that lies ahead. Nova’s presence in Phoenix #1 will also go a long way to establishing Jean Grey as more than just a founding member of the X-Men, but also a dominant force in Marvel’s cosmic side as well.

Source: Marvel

Phoenix #1 is on sale July 17 from Marvel Comics!