Over the past few years, Marvel has introduced an increasing number of new and young heroes to bear the superhero mantles held by long-established characters. X-23 became the new Wolverine after Logan's death; Kamala Khan became the new Ms. Marvel; Jane Foster became the new female version of Thor after the Odinson found himself unworthy; and Amadeus Cho became the new (and Totally Awesome) Hulk.

But now, to satiate fan demand, Marvel is looking to bring the focus back on its old characters, but without having to sacrifice the growing popularity of its newer, younger generation of superheroes.

RELATED: Marvel Releases First Story Details for Generations One-Shots

To bridge this gap between the old, the new, and the return of the old, Marvel is currently in the midst of releasing a series of one-shots fittingly titled Generations. Each of the ten issues teams one of these young heroes up with their original counterpart, with the twist that these meetings take place thanks to some form of time travel. For the most part, the young heroes don't meet their namesakes in the present, but in the past – a simpler time, some would say, when these battle-hardened heroes were at their prime, a window into a bygone era of Marvel history. It's a way to embrace the past, all while setting up the future, and nowhere is this more true than when it comes to the Phoenix.

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Through its long history in the Marvel Universe, the Phoenix has more often than not been portrayed as a force of destruction, a cosmic entity hellbent on destroying life. It is a power feared as much as it is revered. In storylines like the classic Dark Phoenix Saga and the much more recent event Avengers vs. X-Men, the Phoenix was a danger to all, the ultimate force of annihilation in the universe. But in the recent pages of The Mighty Thor #19, the fifth and final chapter of the “Asgard/Shi'ar War” storyline, we were reminded that as one of the Shi'ar Empire's gods, the Phoenix is believed to be a remnant of the fire of creation; it is not just a bringer of death, but of life as well.

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Is The Phoenix's Current Role That Of A Lifebringer?

It seems like this characterization is part of a larger plan at Marvel. In the second Generations one-shot, written by Cullen Bunn and illutrated by R.B. Silva, a teenaged and time-displaced Jean Grey -- currently living in the present of the Marvel Universe -- was mysteriously sent back in time to meet her older self, at a time when the Phoenix was bonded with the adult Jean Grey.

As much as she was running from her destiny, Jean comes face-to-face with herself, fully-powered by the Phoenix; face-to-face with what the future held for her. But what she witnessed wasn't death and destruction. Far from it, in fact. Instead, the Phoenix took Jean along with her as they traveled into the far reaches of space. There, they landed on a planet that was currently under the all-consuming threat of Galactus, the planet-devouring giant known for his insatiable hunger. And yet, this time, the Phoenix used her awesome power not to destroy, but to protect. She declared that the planet and this race were under her protection, and combining their powers, Jean Grey and the Phoenix defeated Galactus and his herald Terrax.

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While the one-shot mainly focused on the young Jean running from a power she knows she is destined to possess, one she knows is a force that can ultimately corrupt, it seems like the creative team really wanted to remind readers that the Phoenix isn't just what we think it is. It isn't just a force of fire and destruction, an unrelenting emissary of death. It can also be on the side of life. It can fight for good.

RELATED: Marvel Assembles Entire 1,000,000 BC Avengers Team

There might even have been a clue to this left for us in Secret Empire #10. While this final issue of the event offered up the final showdown between the evil Hydra version of Steve Rogers and the original Captain America, we also got the answer to how the heroes of the present were sent through time to visit their predecessors. This moment, dubbed the Vanishing Point, was caused by Kobik, the sentient Cosmic Cube. But, in the very scene where all of these Generations heroes are sent through time, there's actually someone conspicuously missing: Jean Grey.

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Was this an artist error missed by editorial, or is there more to Jean Grey's absence? While all other heroes were sent off to visit their predecessors, Jean Grey was the only one sent back to visit herself. When the Phoenix takes her to fight Galactus, even Jean informs us that it seems like the Phoenix is talking directly to her and her ongoing struggle, that it's almost like it's telling her that their union is inevitable, and that good can come out of it. Could it then be that, contrary to the other heroes who were sent back thanks to Kobik, Jean Grey was sent back in time not by the Cosmic Cube, but by the Phoenix herself? After all, the Phoenix is a poweful cosmic entity that would probably be aware of a rift in space and time opening on Earth. Maybe she simply piggybacked on said rift to send Jean Grey back, to inspire her, and to make her realize the Phoenix is also a force for good.

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The Phoenix as an Avenger... From 1,000,000 B.C.

Now, things get a little weird, as we look at the Thor-themed Generations one-shot by writer Jason Aaron and penciller Mahmud Asrar. This story saw Jane Foster meet a much younger version of Thor Odinson, one who wasn't yet worthy to fully lift his mighty hammer Mjolnir. The issue also starred Odin, and it planted the seeds for a romantic relationship between Asgard's leader and the Phoenix.

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The revelation came as quite a surprise, one that also further reinforces the idea of good inside the cosmic force. The relationship between Odin and the Phoenix is one that we now know will be explored in Aaron's script for Marvel Legacy #1, slated for release in late-September. Drawn by superstar artist Esad Ribic, the issue will be the gateway to Marvel's latest relaunch, and will delve into the secret history of the Marvel Universe by introducing the Avengers of the year 1,000,000 B.C., a team of prehistoric superheroes that have ties to the Avengers of the present.

This new and ancient iteration of the Avengers counts among its members a Mjolnir-wielding Odin, the Phoenix, the sorcerer Agamotto and early bearers of famous heroic mantles like the Black Panther, the Iron Fist, the Starbrand and the Ghost Rider. Although we do not yet know under which circumstances these seven heroes will unite, it's a safe bet that it will be against a common foe, but the inclusion of the Phoenix on the roster is particularly noteworthy. Once again, this points to the fact that the Phoenix can be a force for good. Whatever threat these Avengers will face, it is one that even she will fight. If she so chooses to side with these superheroes, it must be because she fights on the side of good, of life.

RELATED: Marvel Legacy: How the Hel Is Odin Wielding Mjolnir?

As recently as Jean Grey #6, by Dennis Hopeless and Paul Davidson, we were reminded of the duality of the Phoenix, when young Jean sought the help of Doctor Strange to face the spirit of the older Jean Grey. This spirit went to great lengths to make the young Jean admit that they were one and the same. As she did so, she reiterated that the Phoenix was both good and evil, and that it would consumer her very darkness if she chose to ignore it. It's therefore possible that the spirit of the older Jean Grey is trying to make young Jean into a better version of herself; it's possible she's trying to teach her how best to tame the Phoenix, and how to use it in a way she never could.

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The Phoenix is equal parts destruction and creation. It can protect life, that it can fall in love, and that it can take part in a union that could save the Earth. Starting in Generations and heading into Marvel Legacy, it seems that there is a renewed focus on bringing the Phoenix back to the other half of what it was supposed to be. As we head into this new era of Marvel Comics, we could be looking at a whole new Phoenix, reborn from its ashes into something else. Something, ultimately, good.