When it comes to the Phoenix, it's considered one of the most powerful cosmic entities in the Marvel Universe. Comic book fans have seen how formidable (and scary) it is when it bonded with Jean Grey to become the Dark Phoenix in the early '80s. On the big and small screen, The Dark Phoenix Saga has become a cornerstone of the X-Men's storyline, as the heroes struggled to fight this unstoppable force.
While it possesses immense power, it's still capable of being defeated by more than a few Marvel heroes. Indeed, there are 10 characters that'd clip the Phoenix's wings before it even soars.
10 FRANKLIN RICHARDS
It should come as no surprise that Reed and Sue Richards' son, Franklin, would be gifted with superpowers. In fact, he's a mutant beyond Omega-Level classification, being able to warp reality and other aspects of the universe. Even the Celestials believe his abilities match their own.
With the potential to pretty much do anything, Franklin is arguably one of the strongest heroes in the Marvel Universe. If the Phoenix ever showed up, he'd only have to snap his fingers (without an Infinity Gauntlet) and put the hurt on the firebird. He's scarily strong, so imagine what would happen if the Phoenix bonded with him.
9 PROFESSOR X
It depends on which medium you look at. In the movies, Professor Xavier struggled to contain the Phoenix from unleashing its full force. He actually met his demise in X-Men: The Last Stand when he tried to reason with it and appeal to Jean Grey. So, yes, Xavier isn't a match for the Phoenix in the films.
In other storylines, he's been able to put a halt to the being by using his connection to Jean, as well as utilizing his superpowers to engage in a game of psychic ping-pong. He's averted the danger several times, so he certainly knows how to battle this pesky cosmic creature.
8 SCARLET WITCH
It's strange how Scarlet Witch is still one of the most underrated heroes around. Especially since she has taken out the Phoenix on two notable occasions. When Cyclops fell victim to the cosmic being's influence, Wanda Maximoff cast it out of him in a super-cool way. Heck, it was one of the best moments in the famous House of M storyline.
Then, in Avengers Vs. X-Men, Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers worked together to put the brakes on the Phoenix's destruction. Considering how she has halted it a few times now, you'd bet on her doing it every single time she's asked so.
7 ODIN
Technically, Odin is meant to be immortal and the toughest of all Asgardians. While the MCU tweaked this origin of his a little bit, he's still no slouch in the power department. In fact, if the Phoenix ever swooped in, it's likely that Thor's daddy would backhand it back into the cosmos.
It's an anticipated battle that would make many fans lick their lips, because how do these two forces of nature stop each other? A tie is certainly a possibility, but the word "quit" isn't in the Asgardian vocabulary, so you know that Odin would go until the Phoenix is down for the count.
6 THOR
If Odin can take down the Phoenix, you know that Thor will be able to as well. The God of Thunder could swing Stormbreaker or Mjolnir and send the being packing, or he could face it unarmed and use all his godly power to rain lightning down on it.
In the comic books, Thor defeated the Phoenix in combat already. With the X-Men heading to the MCU in the near future, perhaps there's still a possibility of witnessing the Asgardian battle the Dark Phoenix on the big screen. It would make for an interesting and CGI-heavy battle, that's for sure.
5 COSMIC GHOST RIDER
Let's be honest here, Ghost Rider or Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, by themselves would probably put up a massive fight with the Phoenix. Now, combine them into Cosmic Ghost Rider and you have a true madcap champion to send the Phoenix flapping back to where it came from.
As the herald of first Galactus and then Thanos, Cosmic Ghost Rider is no slouch and cannot be destroyed. He's powered by the Spirit of Vengeance, while he still has Castle's ruthlessness and tactical awareness. There would be no stopping him as he came for the Phoenix, obviously making wisecracks along the way.
4 DOCTOR STRANGE
Sometimes, it's easy to forget how powerful Doctor Strange actually is in the Marvel Universe. After all, he's the Sorcerer Supreme tasked with protecting Earth from magical and mystical threats. If that isn't a perfect description of what the Phoenix is, then we don't know what is.
While he'd certainly need to be at his strongest to battle the cosmic force, there's no doubt that he would come out victorious at the end of it. Remember, Strange's strength is also in his ability to think and conjure up another possible plan. In other words, there's always a Plan B in his arsenal.
3 HERCULES
Sure, while Marvel's Hercules isn't as recognized as other versions of the character, it's important to put a few things into context here. For one, he's the son of Zeus, so he's been blessed with immense power and the physical strength of the gods. He's pulled an island on his own, while he's stronger than Marvel heavyweights, such as Hulk and Juggernaut.
Two, he can take a cosmic blast or two, swatting it away as if it's nothing more than an annoying mosquito bite. If the Phoenix struck him, he wouldn't even feel it. He'd react with one uppercut and it would be a case of see you later.
2 THE ONE-ABOVE-ALL
Created by Mike Wieringo and Mark Waid, the One-Above-All is considered as the creator of everything in the Marvel's multiverse, as well as the overseer of the Living Tribunal. First appearing in Fantastic Four #511, he is an omnipotent, god-level character in the Marvel Universe and there's no stopping his wrath if he ever decided to strike.
As s tribute, he took the likeness of Jack Kirby in several of his appearances. It's impossible to imagine the Phoenix even being able to stand up to the One-Above-All if the opportunity ever arose. He wouldn't just crush the being; he'd obliterate it out of existence.
1 JEAN GREY
True power seeks absolute power. That's the main reason the Phoenix bonded with Jean Grey in the first place. As one of the most powerful mutants alive, it's no surprise that a cosmic force chose the original Marvel Girl as a host.
The Phoenix took over Jean when she was at her most vulnerable and corrupted her to do some ghastly things. However, that didn't stop Jean from taking back control when it mattered most. As seen in Dark Phoenix, Jean sacrificed her life -- becoming one with the Phoenix -- to ensure that no one else was hurt and tamed the proverbial beast.