WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Avengers #41 by Jason Aaron, Javier Garron, David Curiel & VC's Cory Petit, on sale now
The roster of potential new Phoenix hosts from "Enter the Phoenix" has been surprising, to say the least, with a mix of heroes, villains and odd-ball characters all being potential candidates. But while some of the battles have proven incredibly difficult, one relatively new villain just had a good showing by bringing down a bizarre hero with ease.
During the tournament to decide who will become the next host of the Phoenix Force in Avengers #41, the Red Widow proved how efficient she really is, by easily bringing down a cosmically-empowered Howard the Duck.
The Red Widow is the leader of the current Winter Guard, Russia's chief superpowered team. The mysterious and skilled warrior is, like the heroic Black Widow, a graduate of the Russian assassin training program known as the Red Room. Despite not technically being the leader of the team, she does operate with a certain amount of authority over her allies and has been shown to be both a skilled warrior and a masterful tactician -- as well as particularly ruthless, with a willingness to sacrifice her own teammates if it means gaining an advantage. It makes a certain sense that she'd be one of the beings the Phoenix Force would consider for a new host, with her keen awareness and ruthless demeanor making her potentially unstoppable if she gained the Phoenix's power.
But first, Red Widow will have to defeat a number of other heroes and villains, all of whom also hoping to become the next Phoenix. The Red Widow's first battle of the tournament sees her thrown against one of her most unlikely opponents possible -- Howard the Duck. The comedy character has been a mainstay of the Marvel Universe for decades, often poking fun at the conventions of the universe. He's even shown up in small moments over the course of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. As their fight begins within Doctor Strange's kitchen, Howard is initially overtaken with the sheer power now in his wings.
His first thoughts are that this could be the perfect chance to elevate himself in the eyes of the Marvel Universe. He claims that it could be more important than even his infamous campaign for President of the United States. But Howard is so lost in thought that he doesn't realize the Red Widow -- now empowered with the Phoenix Force -- is a quick and ruthless warrior. She attacks Howard while he's not looking and takes advantage of the opening -- driving her spear through Howard. The attack is likely not lethal -- largely thanks to the Phoenix Force restoring the injured heroes and villains to full health. There's little chance Marvel will kill off Howard in this manner. It does count as a victory in the tournament, however, and Red Widow is returned to the White Hot Room.
It's a quick and efficient victory for Red Widow and a reminder of just how deadly and dangerous the Red Widow is. Even if she hasn't been too active in any battle against the Avengers yet, this is a good indicator that she's someone capable of spotting an opening and using it to the best of her ability. If the heroes want any chance of keeping the Phoenix Force out of her capable hands, the Avengers engaged in the tournament might have to make some hard choices -- including one of them potentially taking on the Phoenix Force and losing themselves in the process. Otherwise, one of Marvel's most dangerous new villains might do to the rest of the world what she just effortlessly did to Howard the Duck.