First Look at New Avengers #25

This issue of the New Avengers #25 focuses on Iron Fist and actually, not really the current Iron Fist. Rather, we go back in time and space to K’un Lun where the master Yu Ti receives a prophecy about the dragon and the bird of fire. Could the Phoenix and Iron Fist be related to each other somehow or are they destined to fight each other? I sure don’t know but the issue got better on my second reading.

Issue: New Avengers #25

Name: Dragon vs. Phoenix
Published: 2012 by Marvel Comics

Blurb:

Creators:

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Mike Deodato Jr.
Inker: Will Conrad
Colorist: Joe Caramagna
Letterer: Rain Beredo

Characters:

The Good: Yu Ti, Thunderer, Lei Kung
The Undecided: Phoenix Force

My Reading:

While the New Avengers include 11 different heroes, this title doesn’t seem to include any of them. Instead, we look back hundreds of years to K’un Lun and the Master, Yu Ti. Apparently Yu Ti is connected to Iron Fist and his membership in the New Avengers is what spurs this tale.

We begin the issue with Yu Ti receiving visions of a crimson haired woman and a flaming bird. Clearly this is the Phoenix and Yu Ti is haunted by a what looks like a battle between the dragon and the bird of fire. While I’m not too up on Iron Fist, I believe the Dragon is a symbol of this hero.

Seeking some sign of the meaning of the prophecy he dreamt, Yu Ti walks through the city, through the training grounds and even asks Lei Kung if he’s heard anything about a crimson haired girl. None have heard of this girl with red hair.

So he looks to the scrying vessel of Bo-Ling and asks for guidance. And he learns the prophecy is real…the bird of fire is a force of the cosmos and it is coming. When he asks for further knowledge of the girl with the red hair, he is greeted with silence…the vessel does not grant him wisdom.

Instead, when he next goes into the town, he spots a girl with crimson hair. She is the result of a dalliance between a woman of K’un Lun and an Earthman and Yu Ti declares her to be the next Iron Fist.

Of course that happened a long time ago and there’s no indication of what’s happened to the girl, Fongji (which means Bird of Fire). But we do see that today’s Lei Kung is just learning the secrets of the Phoenix that were kept by the Guardians of K’un Lun. And this Lei Kung is supposed to instruct the current Iron Fist in what the prophecy says.

What did I learn:

• The prophecy of the Phoenix has been around for quite a while – long before the X-Men and Jean Grey encountered it.
• Yu Ti mentioned a pilgrimage to Earth so it seems that K’un Lun is either another planet, dimension, or universe from the one the X-Men are in.
• If Earth falls to the Phoenix, K’un Lun will fall as well.
• Is it possible that Hope Summers who’s destined to take in the power of the Phoenix has also been trained as an Iron Fist?

My Thoughts:

Once again, like the previous issue, this title requires some prior knowledge of the characters and situations in order to fully understand what is going on. I’m not sure who the people in the story are but it seems Ku Ti is the master and Lei Kung is the trainer for Iron Fist. Personally, I have not encountered Iron Fist at all. I suppose it’s time I sit down and watch some of the Netflix Marvel shows since the previous issue in this title covered Jessica Jones and Luke Cage and I didn’t know about them either.

After reading this issue a few times it kinda grew on me but I still have way too many questions that require either prior knowldedge or continued reading. Hopefully things will be explained in the next issue.

My Rating: B-

This comic can be found on Marvel Unlimited, Comixology or at your local comic book shop.

Daily Ramble 245.2 | Comics – Modern Marvel – New Avengers #25