I'm omnipotent, of course--technically speaking--but against the pure Phoenix Force? Actually inside the White Hot Room? We're probably going to end up like Mr. Carrot here! 
Appearing in "Tiphareth: The White Hot Room"
Featured Characters:
- Defenders
- Tigra (Greer Nelson) (Temporarily possessed by the Tiger God)
- Phoenix (Taaia) (Freed from the Phoenix Force's control)
- Blue Marvel (Dr. Adam Brashear)
- Ms. America Chavez
- The Beyonder (Joins)
- Loki
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Phoenix Force (Possesses Taaia and Ms. America Chavez)
Other Characters:
- William Nelson (Mentioned)
- Beyonders (Mentioned)
- "Loki Prime" (Mentioned)
- Eternity (Mentioned)
- Phoenix / Echo (Maya Lopez) (Referenced)
- Glorian (Thomas Gideon)
Races and Species:
- Humans
- Abstract Entities
- Taa-ans
- Beyonders
- Asgardians
- Cat People (Mentioned)
Locations:
Items:
Synopsis for "Tiphareth: The White Hot Room"
One moment, Tigra hears the voice of the White Hot Room announce itself as where the Phoenix Force is made, and she awakens in the next cave. Wanting to dismiss events since joining the Defenders as a bad dream, Tigra remembers that her son William would be wearing out his welcome at daycare around now, and she wants to escape to take him home. However, the Phoenix announces itself as mercy and terrible judgment, with darkness without end beyond itself, and asks if Tigra understands. Tigra realizes such talk is never a good sign. While Blue Marvel is in "another space," asking if the Phoenix and the figment of a construction foreman beside him are genuine or just representations of death and "god," the Phoenix answers that she is both. Ms. America Chavez then interjects from another space shaped like a desert to stop the "tutorial," demanding that the Phoenix get to the heart of the matter. The primordial firebird acknowledges America's reduced power, despite her being the "paramedic of the multiverse," and forewarns that the coming challenge will require aggressive treatment; America accepts the challenge.
In another space shaped like a snowy tundra, The Beyonder is with Loki and explains that the trickster trapping him in a "narrative arc"[1] has compelled him to be present. Beyonder forges base quarks to manifest a blender, blending various things as a stress relief because, while he is omnipotent, being in the White Hot Room with the pure Phoenix Force probably means they'll end up worse than what he is blending. The Phoenix senses the time-displaced Loki and commands he either return to his point in time or be burned a cinder. With the White Hot Room as the highest plane to reach without risking the abyss, and as the Phoenix's fire burns away trespassers, she starts with Blue Marvel. However, he has withstood it and retaliates with his anti-matter blasts, flattered that she alludes him to Adam Kadmon, but also notes that even the Phoenix cannot fight four to five battles at once as he tries to reach Taaia. As their battle rages on and is seen through the cave fire by Tigra, Beyonder splashes the blender's contents onto the Phoenix to take her undivided attention. With the enraged cosmic focused on him, he then directed her to Loki, who finished a star portal, allowing the Eternity Mask wearing America to share space with the Phoenix and match her in battle. Although she hates Loki, America knows a cosmic purpose is at play with Loki and knocks Phoenix around.
As Phoenix leaves Blue Marvel alone, he speaks to the figment of a construction foreman, telling Blue Marvel that there's an argument for letting the Defenders resume their journey, as his teammates are acting out that debate. As he's the leader who cannot call the shots, Blue Marvel thinks he can and has the best play with Tigra, postulating a balancing force against the Phoenix from which only Tigra can gain power. But as Tigra one-sidedly demands Blue Marvel tell her, Phoenix readies to kill America with her "Omni-fire" before Tigra realizes Phoenix's word towards her: being called human, Tigra corrects this by stating she is the defender of the Cat People. So Tigra jumps into and travels the fire to another space in darkness, where the darkness welcomes her and also carries the first thing to stalk the dark, prowling away from the safety of the fire: the Tiger God. The primal beast god calls Tigra a sister, and follows as Tigra regroups with the others as the Tiger God and Phoenix battle within the White Hot Room. The clash rocks reality and sends the Defenders to The Abyss, crashing into desolation, and they soon meet Glorian, who tells them that they died by the fire and are stuck with him, but boasting that he can still make people's dreams come true.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
- "The Mystery" is a term Al Ewing often used to describe the realms located on the Outside, beyond the Far Shore. He conceived a "Mystery Map" after he saw how a few of them could fit on the Tree of Life; this series is a journey up the middle pillar.[2]
- "Tiphareth: The White Hot Room" is the title of this issue.
Continuity Notes[]
_from_X-Men_Vol_1_108_001.jpg){kind=link}
Phoenix as "Tiphareth" from X-Men #108
- In X-Men #108, the Phoenix repairs the M'kraan Crystal and forms a Tree of Life with Phoenix as Tiphareth, its heart.
- The Phoenix Force's voice is described as music in Classic X-Men #8.
- Phoenix hosts often call themselves "fire" and "life incarnate," notably X-Men #101 and X-Men #134. Additionally, the Phoenix using the terms "glory" as well as "mercy" and "terrible judgment" is similar to how the Phoenix describes itself in Classic X-Men #8.
- Phoenix calls Adam Brashear "Adam Kadmon."
- Phoenix quotes Jean Grey from Uncanny X-Men #242 (also House of X #5): "The only 'me' that ever was."
From Classic X-Men #43
- In Classic X-Men #43, White Phoenix meets a construction worker who she assumes is Death. In this issue, it is far more ambiguous on who or what this construction worker is. The Blue Marvel suggests Death as well, but also considers that it may be a creation or aspect of the Phoenix.
- The construction worker says to Adam something similar to what he says to Phoenix in Classic X-Men #43: "I am that I am." It could also be a reference to Dark Phoenix's words from X-Men #136: "I am what I am."
_from_Immortal_X-Men_Vol_1_5_002.jpg){kind=link}
From Immortal X-Men #5
- The desert may or may not be a reference to the scene from Immortal X-Men #5, where Exodus encounters the Phoenix. It should be noted that Immortal X-Men #5 came out less than two months before this issue, but Kieron Gillen and Al Ewing did collaborate on A.X.E.: Judgment Day.
- America Chavez is called "paramedic for the multiverse" by her date Lisa Halloran in Avengers (Vol. 6) #0.
- America's powers are waning, which is explained in America Chavez: Made in the USA.
- Phoenix (specifically, White Phoenix of the Crown) heals an entire universe in New X-Men #154.
From X-Men Phoenix Endsong #3
- The snowy location is a reference to X-Men Phoenix Endsong #3–5. (NOTE: In the original issues, the snowy place is just the Arctic, not the White Hot Room, although the White Hot Room does appear in issue #5.)
- The Loki here is revealed to be time-displaced in Thor (Vol. 6) #24 and is reiterated in Defenders: Beyond #1. There is already an Earth-616 Loki in the Eighth Cosmos, meaning this Loki is destined to become him.
- The Phoenix is depicted as an entity that burns away "what doesn't work" in New X-Men #148–154 and in X-Men Phoenix Endsong.
_and_Jean_Grey_(Earth-616)_from_New_X-Men_Vol_1_128_001.jpg){kind=link}
From New X-Men #128
- The Phoenix calls Taaia its "house" like Jean Grey in New X-Men #128: "Jean is only the house where I live, Charles."
- As it is noted in the "additional reading" section of this issue, the Tiger God is first shown in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19 but does not truly appear until Avengers Academy #36.
- Clarification: Regarding the claim that the Tiger God plays opposite to a "bird of fire" in the former issue, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19 has two stories. The first is an Iron Fist story titled "Shall I Love the Bird of Fire?" The "bird of fire" is referring to the woman Jade and the "Firebird" which is explored in issues #22 and #24. (NOTE: This "Firebird" predates the Phoenix Force's first appearance in X-Men #101 and is drawn differently.) The second is a Sons of the Tiger story titled "An Ending!" which also serves as the debut for Hector Ayala as the White Tiger. These two stories are not related. Therefore, even if assuming that the "Firebird" from Jade's story (issues #19–24) is retroactively the Phoenix, there is no direct connection between the Tiger God and the "bird of fire" in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu.
_from_Avengers_No_Road_Home_Vol_1_4_001.jpg){kind=link}
The Tiger God from Avengers No Road Home #4
- The Tiger God is greatly expanded upon in Mighty Avengers (Vol. 2) #3 and #8, proclaiming itself to be the first thing humanity feared. The scene with the cave and fire is mentioned in issue #8 and is illustrated in Avengers No Road Home #4.
Glorian in the Land of Couldn't-Be-Shouldn't-Be from Silver Surfer (Vol. 7) #3
- Glorian greets the Defenders in the Land of Couldn't-Be-Shouldn't-Be like he does to Incredulous Zed in Silver Surfer (Vol. 7) #3, although he does not reveal himself until issue #13.
- Glorian is known for making people's dreams come true, like in Incredible Hulk #267.
- This issue confirms that Glorian is still alive after his "death" in the Land of Couldn't-Be-Shouldn't-Be from Silver Surfer (Vol. 7) #15.
- Glorian's body is full of holes similar to the Shaper of Worlds in Silver Surfer (Vol. 7) #15.
See Also
Links and References
References
- ↑ Defenders: Beyond #2
- ↑ Morse, Ben (16 June 2022) 'Defenders: Beyond' Kicks Off a New Lineup of the Super-Team This July Marvel. Retrieved on 1 October 2022.