The Phoenix is one of the most powerful cosmic beings in Marvel Comics, able to destroy stars and generate destructive power on a scale that’s hard to imagine. The X-Men barely survived their initial and classic encounter with the entity in “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” leading to the question of who else in Marvel Comics would be able to defeat the Phoenix.
Many powerful beings and forces exist within the Marvel Universe, some of which are beginning to emerge in the MCU. The Scarlet Witch’s exploration of chaos magic could potentially lead to a confrontation between chaos magic and the Phoenix Force. It’s one that’s already happened in the comics, with shocking results for readers.
Moon Knight
Moon Knight actually served as the host of the Phoenix Force for a brief time. But when he realized just how devastating the entity actually was, Moon Knight did something unthinkable: He rejected the Phoenix Force on purpose. While caught up in a fight with the Avengers, Moon Knight allows Thor to knock him out, forcing the Phoenix Force to move on and find a new host.
It’s hard to find someone capable of the sheer willpower it takes to resist the influence of the powerful force. But Marc Spector managed to do it, giving the hero a surprising advantage over the cosmic power.
Galactus
The Devourer of Worlds has actually fought against the Phoenix, in Excalibur #61 from 1993. This was the Rachel Summers version of the character, arguably at the height of her powers. Galactus was at the ebb of his, hungry and weak.
Phoenix was able to defeat him in a truly cosmic battle, but if Galactus had been at full strength, it seems the circumstances would have been very different in this titanic battle.
Molecule Man
As powerful as the Beyonder, Molecule Man has not only saved the entire Marvel universe but also recreated it, proving that he’s more powerful than the Phoenix.
If the Watcher has his eye on you, you know you’re a dangerous threat to the multiverse. Previously, Molecule Man’s powers had been strong but not omnipotent, which later changed as his limitations were lifted over the years. Considering that, after Secret Wars, Molecule Man serves as a hidden architect of the cosmos, he could definitely take on the Phoenix.
Nebula (With Infinity Gauntlet)
For a brief moment in The Infinity Gauntlet comic book series in the early 90s, Nebula wielded the power of the Infinity Stones in her hands. The combined power of the stones is truly cosmic and given what has been accomplished with them, presents a major challenge to the Phoenix.
On a pure power level, the Gauntlet and the Phoenix stack up. The difference is willpower, and at least in the comics, Nebula was very driven to get her hands on the Gauntlet. Though her time with it was brief, she proved to be very dangerous with its awesome power.
Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man managed to defeat not one, but two hosts of the Phoenix Force at once. In Avengers vs. X-Men #9, Peter is forced to confront Colossus and Magik, two members of the Phoenix Five. Spider-Man stands no chance against the powerful siblings and is at a serious disadvantage. However, he tricks Magik and Colossus into attacking one another, knocking them both out and keeping himself alive.
Peter is used to fighting above his weight class, and it seems that even a power like the Phoenix Force isn’t too much for Spider-Man to handle as long as he can think on his feet.
Thor
Thor is one of the most powerful Avengers in the comics and the MCU, but even with all his might, the God Of Thunder alone can’t defeat the Phoenix Force. But he has proven that he can best the cosmic entity with the power of Mjolnir, his mystical hammer.
In a battle between King Thor, a future version of the Son of Odin, and the Phoenix Force, Thor knocks the powerful entity out with the hammer. This isn’t enough to destroy it, but it suggests that he has the power at least to go toe to toe with it. Also, it was recently revealed that, shortly after his birth, Thor was imbued with the power of the Phoenix, and he could even command its fire for a while.
Doctor Strange
The Sorcerer Supreme is one of the most powerful magicians in the Marvel Universe, if not the most powerful. Doctor Strange has proven his power in the MCU, able to trap the interdimensional entity of Dormammu in a time loop and also perceive infinite variations of time to give the Avengers an advantage.
In many respects, the comic book version of Doctor Strange is even more powerful. With near-complete authority over the mystical arts, he has a power the Phoenix simply doesn’t have. He could theoretically exorcise the Phoenix from its host, which would change the parameters of the fight dramatically.
Iron Man
While Tony Stark was never able to completely beat the Phoenix Force, he certainly was able to stop the powerful creature when he, along with the Avengers, went up against the Phoenix and the X-Men in the Avengers Vs. X-Men crossover event. As he usually does, Tony Stark built a special armor for the occasion: the Phoenix Buster.
The Phoenix Buster is one of Iron Man’s most powerful armors. It worked, and the Phoenix Force was broken up into different segments. These segments took on hosts of their own, eventually becoming the Phoenix Five, but Tony Stark was able to beat it temporarily.
Doctor Doom
Victor Von Doom is capable of many things, and yes, he’s even canonically beaten the Phoneix Force before. In Secret Wars #4, a number of heroes attempted to stop the villain from reshaping reality to his will, including Cyclops, who was channeling the Phoenix Force. However, Doom was possessing the power of Molecule Man and the Beyonders, making him too much for the mutant to handle.
Doom is up for any challenge and isn’t afraid to fight any being, regardless of their power. While Doom’s victory against the Phoenix Force isn’t conventional, it’s a strong indication of what would happen if he faced it in a normal circumstance.
Death
The literal personification of Death in Marvel Comics was at the epicenter of Thanos’ iconic Infinity Gauntlet snap in the comics. She has power in her own right and her status as a fundamental force of the cosmos makes her effectively unassailable to the Phoenix Force.
Death possesses unlimited intelligence and power and operates from a pocket reality that is all her own. In a direct fight, it’s unlikely the Phoenix would be able to defeat Death in any way.
Beyonder
The Beyonder comes from a race of nearly-omnipotent beings who reside outside the Marvel Universe, in the remnants of the Second Cosmos. He was the villain of the iconic original Secret Wars and its less-than-successful sequel, and his brethren were the culprit behind the destruction of the Multiverse that culminated in 2015’s Secret Wars.
As the Beyonders once destroyed the entire Multiverse, that also included cosmic personifications such as the Living Tribunal and (even if it wasn’t shown) the Phoenix Force. While the Phoenix is perhaps the powerful cosmic force, it’s still constrained by the laws of the Multiverse, while the Beyonder operates outside of them.
Thanos (With The Infinity Gauntlet)
Comic fans know Thanos is an Eternal of Titan, making him extremely powerful and essentially immortal. This isn’t enough to put him in the league with the Phoenix Force, though. With the power of the Infinity Gauntlet, he at least has a shot.
He displayed not only its power but his evil nature when he snapped away half of all life in the universe. This was an act far beyond even the Phoenix’s most destructive moments and sets up the possibility that Thanos could defeat the Phoenix with a snap of his fingers.
Odin
Odin was the All-Father of Asgard, wielder of the might of the gods, of ancient and forgotten magic, and of his own cosmic power, called the Odinforce. With such a powerful arsenal at his disposal, it’s not unlikely to think that Odin could beat the Phoenix Force, under the right circumstances.
He also shares a strange connection with the Phoenix Force, revealed in the Thor Generations comic. The Odin from the Avengers 10,000 B.C. storyline actually had a romantic relationship with the Phoenix Force, perhaps giving him some insight into its weaknesses.
Living Tribunal
The Living Tribunal is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Multiverse. He sits at the top of the cosmic hierarchy and has the power and authority to judge even supreme beings such as Eternity. While the Phoenix is a “wild card” in Marvel’s cosmic pantheon, the Living Tribunal’s authority would likely extend over her too.
Jean Grey
There’s a reason Jean was chosen to be the host to the immortal entity in the first place. As an Omega-Level mutant, Jean Grey is one of the most powerful mutants alive. While she wouldn’t be able to combat the cosmic powers of the Phoenix directly, Jean perhaps wouldn’t have to.
She proved her ability to alter reality somewhat against Cassandra Nova in the X-Men Red comic book series, and in concert with other Omega-Level mutants, she recently terraformed Mars in mere hours. More importantly, Jean is the favored host of the Phoenix Force, and as such she should be able to simply control the destructive force.
The One Above All
The One Above All is the creator of the entire Marvel Multiverse in the comic books and is of such immense power their true form has never been depicted. It’s extremely likely that The One Above All could dispense with the Phoenix Force if they chose, given they are essentially responsible for the creation of the cosmic entity.
The One Above All has only made a few appearances in the comics, and at times has taken on the likeness of Jack Kirby, the legendary writer, and artist behind many of Marvel’s most iconic characters.
Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards is the son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, and one of the most powerful beings in the comics. He created an entire universe in the Heroes Reborn 90s comic book crossover event, where he placed the Avengers and Fantastic Four for safekeeping.
He has also defeated Mephisto, one of the most powerful entities in the comics, and even scattered the fragments of Mephisto’s soul. With his power to alter reality, he would be a severe threat to the Phoenix Force.
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch has enormous powers as a Nexus Being and user of Chaos Magic. She has also defeated the Phoenix Force in battle. When the Phoenix took over Scott Summers, Wanda was able to not only eject the powerful entity from him but also undo the damage it has caused and cast the being out of the world by simply uttering, “No more Phoenix.”
This act was on par with her uttering “No more mutants” in the House Of M storyline that inspired WandaVision. With a simple phrase or gesture, Wanda can alter reality on an unimaginable scale, dramatically reducing the ability of the Phoenix to even contest a user of chaos magic like the Scarlet Witch.
