WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Avengers #44, by Jason Aaron, Javier Garrón, David Curiel and VC's Cory Petit, on sale now.

After being turned away by Jean Grey years ago, the Phoenix Force has recently become unmoored and began searching for a new host to channel its awesome, cosmic powers. Upon returning to Earth, the fiery entity splot up its power between various heroes and villains, dividing Earth's Mightiest Heroes with the temptation of blazing omnipotence. Over the last few months, the potential Phoenix hosts have proved their potential worth through trials by combat.

And amidst all the duels around the world in Avengers #44, the Phoenix Force has finally crowned a new host worthy enough to wield its full, fiery might: Maya Lopez, the superhero Echo.

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Marvel's Echo Maya Lopez with the Phoenix Force

As Shanna the She-Devil battles Red Widow over New York Harbor, Captain America duels Black Panther on top of Avengers Mountain at the North Pole and Namor fights She-Hulk in Moscow's Red Square; all six combatants are fighting to become the new Phoenix Force host with their own motives for the cosmic upgrade. Namor had previously defeated the former Avenger Echo and left her at the bottom of the ocean before continuing his rampage to reclaim the Phoenix Force for himself. But as the remaining fighters battled furiously around the world, the Sub-Mariner's victory over Echo appears to be premature as she rose from the ocean to claim her true, cosmic destiny.

Quietly rising from the waters, Echo seizes Red Widow's portion of the Phoenix Force before more peacefully claiming the portions of cosmic energy from Shanna, T'Challa and Steve Rogers. Now stronger than ever, Echo confronts Namor for an epic rematch through the Russian capital for the final fate of the Phoenix. Stripping the Phoenix Force from Namor and laying the Atlantean monarch out, Echo bonds with the Phoenix Force completely and comforts the Force's newly revealed son, Thor, before settling into her omnipotent role as the rest of the Avengers watch in awe.

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Echo Maya Lopez Phoenix Force 1

Since she debuted in David Mack and Joe Quesada's Daredevil #9 in 1999, Maya has helped multiple superhero monikers, ranging from Echo to introducing the mantle of Ronin as a co-founding member of the New Avengers under a recommendation from Daredevil. As if becoming the Phoenix wasn't enough, Echo's profile in the Marvel Universe is about to get even bigger, thanks to her role in the upcoming Dinsey+ series Hawkeye, where she'll be portrayed by Alaqua Cox, before stepping into her own spinoff series.

Maya sees her ascendant role as the new Phoenix as one befitting her Cheyenne heritage as the embodiment of seasonal change, culminating in a nurturing summer before the fire that sustains humanity during the long, cold winter. And as Maya embraces her new potential, an observant Jean Grey telepathically warns her that the Phoenix Force inherently loves to bond with loners making it especially important that she maintains her connection to humanity while tacitly congratulating her on her fiery ascension.

The fight for control of the Phoenix Force was a violent one that temporarily split the Avengers and had them choosing sides which candidates to host the cosmic entity to support and which to oppose as battles blazed around the planet. The sheer destructive potential of the Phoenix Force made the superhero community drop what it was doing to ensure the entity did not fall into the wrong hands and, with Echo now at the helm, the heroes can breathe a little easier knowing that a surprise Avenger is in control. The return of the Phoenix Force shook some characters right to their core, with Thor particularly rocked by revelations involving his true parentage. And while Maya Lopez will hopefully have a stronger grasp on the Phoenix than some of her predecessors, the fiery force has always been fickle in its relationship to its host.

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