Phoenix Endsong

• Writer - Greg Pak
• Penciler - Greg Land
• Inker - Matt Ryan
• Colorist - Justin Ponsor
• Lettering - Clem Robins
• Ass't Editor - Sean Ryan
• Associated Editor - Nick Lowe
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  Quire realizes he's flying too fast and Sophie's body is tearing apart, but he's approaching the Phoenix and says she'll give them the power they need. She won't be dead, and she'll look into his eyes and say, "Quentin, I understand, I forgive you and we'll be boyfriend and girlfriend…", but first, he puts her arm back on.

  The Shi'ar approach Quire, and the commander prepares to fire, but Ororo warns him not to. The commander insists he could host the Phoenix and destroy the galaxy, but she says they can't kill him for what he hasn't yet done, and when he give the order to fire, she brings lightning.

  Quire senses the Phoenix, stuck in the snow and dying, and people fighting her; he puts out his hand to defend her. Phoenix tries to get Scott to open his eyes, but Emma shields him from her, till she's attacked by Quire, and Scott blasts, feeding the Phoenix with energy.

  The Phoenix fuses the Shi'ar guns so they'll only destroy themselves, so the commander asks for his sword. He says his family was killed when the Phoenix destroyed D'Bari (UXM 135), "and if you want to tell me they were a genetic obsolescence, a cosmic blot, part of an unraveling that the Phoenix was designed to correct? Then you're as insane as the Phoenix herself." He leaps from the ship, and Ororo follows.

  Emma orders Quire to release her, but he needs the Phoenix to help Sophie. Scott calls to the X-Men to stop his blast, and Logan and Hank lunge into the Phoenix fire.

  Kurt ports down and punches Quire in the back of the head, saving him from the commander's sword and freeing Emma. She puts her shields around Scott's head again, so the Phoenix lashes out at her, felling her. Kitty is awed to see the Phoenix raptor, but Scott assures her he has a plan.

  Quire tosses Kurt off and flies away, but Ororo hits him with lightning, and he senses something odd with the Phoenix.

  The Phoenix talks nice to Scott, saying she's his wife, but he says his wife is dead. He has Kitty put her hand in his chest, to kill him if the Phoenix tries to take more energy from him… maybe not his best plan. The Phoenix admits it's not fair how he hurt him, but she says they'll be together their whole lives and says, "I love you, Slim." Kitty notices Scott's heart jump at that, and he admits that's what he wanted to hear Jean say, but instead their marriage fell apart, and he's moved on, so this isn't really Jean. Tears leak from under his visor.

  Warren uses his healing power on Emma, and she pushes Kitty away before she can crush Scott's heart; the Phoenix realizes he loves her. Emma asks why if it needs energy, why is it talking about love instead of using TK to tear off his eyelids. She says it's not Jean, but it remembers being her and wanting Scott, but he doesn't want Jean any more. The Phoenix can't get what she wants, by herself.

  Kitty realizes Emma is offering herself as a host, and she grabs her heart before the White Queen gets the power of the Phoenix. Emma tells her to trust her, and Logan and Scott tell her to back off; the Phoenix raptor devours Emma, and just then Scott tackles her, pushing her into the containment egg, and Hank locks them in.

  Kitty is impressed at that plan; Hank confirms no psychic energy is escaping; Kitty realizes there's no way to get Emma or Scott out.

  Inside, Scott tells Emma she should have let Kitty kill him, so the Phoenix would starve, but she says Quire was coming. She removes his visor, since it's safe inside here, and his blast feeds the Phoenix's hunger, in perfect equilibrium. Hank says they've found their purpose, but Warren says their powers did, but not them.

  A psychic scream: Emma is burning up, not able to host the Phoenix, and it takes her over. In Cerebra, the Cuckoos warn them to watch out. The ice cracks. Quire arrives with dead Sophie, asking what's in the egg.