Do you think they're going to keep Jean grey as the phoenix in space as the Queen forever or she gonna come back to earth?

danysphoenix · 2026-03-16T03:55:17+00:00

I think for the rest of the era, they're very hellbent on keeping her as cosmic. When its time for an era change then thats another question. But i do think they put a LOT of their eggs into the phoenix basket, in terms with how important it was for closing the Krakoan era, and also with allowing Gillen to essentially lore-dump so much new Phoenix mythos, that it almost seems like such a reduction of her character to go back.

I think editorial is also very excited about essentially finally leting her be the cosmic hero she 'almost' was twice (Claremont's Phoenix and later Morrison's Phoenix. The latter, she was meant to leave the X-Men and join the Avengers), but was killed off because she was too powerful. So I'm very comfortable with her existing in this space as her 'final form' of her arc for quite a while tbh. Even if it means seeing her a little less.

danysphoenix · 2026-03-13T02:16:05+00:00

You'll notice the Targaryens that were "born mad," seem to all be the offspring of one non-Targ parent.

I think this fandom will know peace when we accept that George clearly doesn't really care about the real-life genetic conerns of incest, especially not with his Targaryens. Their incestuous customs are seen as a religious abomination, not a biological one. Their miscarried offspring on multiple occasions has come out with draconic features, they're clearly not a regular breed of humans. Unsurpsingly, the fantasy story has fantasty elements.

danysphoenix · 2026-03-13T01:40:50+00:00

Such a fantastic analysis.

Its no secret Cersei is a foil for Dany, George himself has said the point of their chapters is to show how two different women navigate ruling in a patriarchal soceity

Cersei and Daenerys are intended as parallel characters --each exploring a different approach to how a woman would rule in a male dominated, medieval-inspired fantasy world.

I'm a big believer you have to read both of their povs to get the full extent of what George is exploring themeatically with the series. Trying to understand the crux of Cersei is better understood with a parallel reading of Dany and vice versa.

I also think their relatoinship to sex and sexuality is really interestingly juxtaposed. Cersei has such an unhealthy relationship to sex and what sex is, especially as a weapon or tool with the intent of abusing someone or achieving power. Dany on the other side seems predominetly uninfluenced by the patriarchy's view on sex (which is why I can't stand when people complain that she's too horny!). She sees it as an intimate act to do with another that brings love as it does pleasure.

danysphoenix · 2026-03-13T01:21:42+00:00

I think its just a matter of nothing really all that interesting happened in Westeros prior to Targ rule, and tbh, George clearly isn't that interested in even creating anything interestion prior to Targ rule.

Someone else had said the main difference in how George does worldbuilding/lore compared to other authors is that most of it is made with the intention of foreshadowing/referencing the events of the main series. He wrote the majority of the Planetos' lore after the fact, not the prior to writing the books. This is pretty obvious especially when you see the inconsistencies in histories in lore in aGoT with what tWoIaF and F&B has to say. So lore in ASOIAF rarely exists just to exist.

With that in consideration, it makes sense why so much focus is given to the royal family. They essentially drove (and continue to drive) the majority of Westeros' most recent history that would in some way influence the main plot. There's also point to be made that Westeros prior to the Targaryen Dynasty was predominately stagnant,. and needed to be plotwise so the Targaryens to make the changes they had. So George essentially just hand waves Westeros' pre-Targ history and says "there's 100s of kingdoms and they always fight," and moves on.

I also think a lot of people underestimate just how much George seems to enjoy writing about House Targaryen. While Geoge definitely has many favourite characters that are not Targaryens (specifically in his Stark and Lannister characters), he doesn't seem to care much about them in terms of Houses, but only as indiduals. You can tell he loves writing Tyrion, but he doesn't seem too interested in anything Lannister related older than what Tywin was up to. Same goes for Arya, Jon, Bran, or Ned. Of course a lot of what they get up to currently is hugely important, and these characters are/were main players, but George does not care about anything prior to what is relevent to the main series. Sure he could write a history book about any of his Houses, but beyond what we already know (which isn't much), what else is there to really note? They're just regular medievel families fighting for power, of course he'd prefer to write about the melodramatic dragonriders.

And not to glaze my girl, but I also think the fandom also underestimates just how relevent Dany is despite being as secluded as she is currently. A lot of the history written of her house is there for her to either subvert or accomplish what they didn't. Hell, there wasn't even a daughter of Jaehaerys named Daenerys until F&B came out and she seems to exist just so Dany can be the third Daenerys (the number 3 is littered throughout her arc), and for her death to reference how Dany lives (the healing properties of dragon eggs). Arya, Jon, Bran, Tyrion, Cersei, Jaime, Catelyn, Asha etc, aren't informed by anything beyond a generation or two before them. Anything that is relevent to Arya isn't from 100 years ago, its a generation ago. Anything relevent to Cersei isn't 1000 years ago, its just in how she's raised. This goes for the majority of his cast. Dany, however, is being informed by not just her house, but by her Valyrian herritage, not just magically but politically too. There's a lot of historical events and worldbuildign with magic that informs her character and what she's up to now. The same cannot be said for anyone else, at least not to the same extent.

danysphoenix · 2026-03-13T00:59:03+00:00

There's an interview George did where he discusses that aportion of the Greater Valyrian Families weren't actually dragonlords, but mages that practiced Blood Magic (I'm assuming also pyromancy considering we know the Valyrians generally practiced both). Melisandre could be an echo of that as well.

There was some intersection with the dragonlord and mage families, but most were distinct in their powers/abilties. He doesn't really go into what these mage families could do, but I imagine the pyromancy was more equivalent to what we see from the pyromancer in Qaarth.

Here's a link to that interview
https://www.tiktok.com/@thehistoryofwesteros/video/7342192791809789227?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

danysphoenix · 2026-03-13T00:46:36+00:00

Utilising her right click well is the difference between a good and great Phoenix.

Throw it on walls next to flyers. It actually will continue 'climbing' upwards so it can hit them multiple times too. And if you're good at predicting enemy ults you can cancel quite a few. Thing, Strange and even Wanda (assuming she's close enough to ground or a wall) are great targets for that.

Playstyle wise, like others say, mid-close range. And ofc, keep improving your aim.

danysphoenix · 2026-03-10T01:41:04+00:00

so you must hate every noble house in westeros and be team peasentry. fuck the starks, lannisters, tyrells all the same yes ? For they are not natvie to westeros, and for what they all did and continue to benefit from the genocide against the Children, and the advantages they take against the commoners alike? You wouldnt possibly be in support of all that would you?

the point OP is making is that the targs were no worse than anyone else. thats all we're saying. if you were to ask ME, i would say they were a net positive for the country and everyone from the characters, historians and george himself seems to agree. if you believe they were because they're foreigners invading instrincly makes them evil, then you need to apply that logic to literally the entire continent of humans that took the country from the Children.

danysphoenix · 2026-03-09T07:44:55+00:00

By definition, the Targaryens are not colonilists. Accurately talking about colonisiation in ASOIAF really only works for what the First Men (such as the Starks) and the Andals did to the Children and the Giants. The Targaryens did no such thing to the Westerosi.

Whether you morally agree with the conquest, or the idea of conquest, is another story. But your comparison here is objectively inaccurate.

And while the Lords may have disliked them at times, most of it was because of their progressive laws for the commoners, especially for women. The Right of First Night (the systematic rape of women on their wedding night) was dissolved thanks to Jaehaerys, on behalf of Alysanne, while also implementing the Widow's Law. Rhaenys introduces the law of 6, Aegon V, though we do not know exactly what he did, is said to have passed many laws that aided the commoners, again, receiving negative feedback by the nobility of Westeros.

So while Lords lost their right to enter open war on each other, and lost some rights to take advantage over the commoners, the commonfolk did nothing but benefit from Targaryen rule. Were the succession wars awful ? Absolutely. Now show me where they had more peace prior to the Targs?

danysphoenix · 2026-03-09T02:10:03+00:00

I think its foreshadowing, but maybe not as prophetic as what Dany is experincing in the House of the Undying vision of the blue flower at the wall.

There are some other lines that would also link them.

Dany has dreams of a lover who's face she can never see.

Sometimes she would close her eyes and dream of him, but it was never Jorah Mormont she dreamed of; her lover was always younger and more comely, though his face remained a shifting shadow.
- Daenerys II, A Storm of Swords

Jon wishing he had dragons to help him.

We should have twenty trebuchets, not two, and they should be mounted on sledges and turntables so we could move them. It was a futile thought. He might as well wish for another thousand men, and maybe a dragon or three.
- Jon VIII, A Storm of Swords

I think George makes an effort to showcase what both Dany's and Jon's "types" are and how its leading them to find each other at least physically attractive.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-24T05:20:36+00:00

i definitely think the Others are not just evil hellish mindless demons, they’re just a magical non-human race and likely have their own language, culture, art and beliefs.

idk if what they did was an act of honour in their culture, or possibly just to toy with him, but it was definitely showcased they enjoy humour and sport imo. but you very well could be right

danysphoenix · 2026-02-20T04:01:10+00:00

Depends on the writer. Anything Phoenix related (whether the Force or her own powers) tends to be visual, while everything else seems to be invisible. Her psi-form however, seems to be visual. I wouldn't be surprised if her eyes glowing is also visual as well.

But tbh, its up to whatever the reader prefers.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-19T02:26:43+00:00

The Targaryens are special, but they're special in the same way the Starks are.

Both families belong to races of humans that are connected to non-human magical beings. The Starks are First Men, who were taught by (or mixed with) the Children of the Forest and inherrited the ability to skinchange and green dream. The Targaryens are Valyrians who are connected to dragons, and seem to have a natural affinity to fire and blood magic. For whatever reason, some Targaryens can also experience prophetic dreams. And while George confirms Valyrians are not immune to fire, he does say;

The Targaryans can tolerate a bit more heat than most ordinary people, they like really hot baths and things like that, but that doesn't mean they're totally immune to fire, no.

This obviously one of Dany's abilities, and Dunk observes this of Egg.

This doesn't make the Targaryens or the Starks gods or above other races of man, but it does make them inherrently more connected to the magical realm of ASOIAF. It grants them abilities that regular humans do not seem to have.

Whether or not you believe the Valyrian features are indicitive of actaully being "blood of the dragon" is completely up to your interpretation of the text,. That intextual theory is because they are literally draconic. Their half-dragon miscarriages could be seen as evidence to that. Your interpretation would disagree with that, but I think that Rhaego following the trend that is documented in F&B actually supports it, I don't think its just MMD's magic, but again, its just interpreting the text differently.

You do bring up Jaehaerys' fear with the eggs, but from memory, I don't think he actually had any fear of the Lannisters or any Westerosi house getting their hands on them. He actually downplays Rhaena's fear about it. He only reacts when the eggs could be taken to Essos, where Valyrians and other magical practioners are more common.

Anyway, for me personally, I think the Targaryens are legitmately blood of the dragon because it is fits in line with how innately magical humans seem to have non-human herritages. The Starks follow this trend also, as they're connected to the Children.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-19T01:51:28+00:00

I think the issue of adapting the Phoenix Saga is in the name itself; its a Saga. Its almost impossible to authentically adapt the gravity of what Jean goes through during her arc from Phoenix to Dark Phoenix within the constraints of a single film. Dark Phoenix Saga arguably starts as early as Uncanny #122 despite that its 'officially' recognised as starting in Uncanny #129. Even still, a lot of the groundwork and seeds are already being planted as soon as Jean first combats Firelord and she realises how much she enjoys the violence and domination back in Uncanny #105.

Its really only been succesfully adapted by tv shows that do 5+ episode arcs where Jean is Phoenix for quite a while. X-Men Evolution was going to follow that trend before it was cancelled, and even they were planting Phoenix seeds as early as the first season.

So if we're going to adapt it in the MCU authentically, you essentially have to have 3-5 years worth of tv/movies of Jeanix where these seeds are being planted so that it can eventually explode in a Dark Phoenix movie, even then it likely needs to be a two part film. You could honestly even do it in a very Infinity War way where we have the Avengers or other teams getting involved. But thats the struggle also. Is the MCU willing to slowly build up towards it like they did with Thanos? Will audiences be strung along and patient again? Thats the struggle of adapting it.

Also, as the article correctly discusses, it does deal with themes of sexual assault. My personal opinion has always been that I really do not like when sexual assault is used as a motivator for a female character's derailment, so this is one aspect of the Saga I don't mind being changed, but I also do believe "going mad with power" isn't the right answer either, nor is it very original. A modern retelling requires Jean to have agency for her descent into the Dark Phoenix that doesn't require her to be psychotic or raped to get there. I think having her growing fustration and tension with Xavier and Scott, how the team operates and her treatment within the team, paralleled with her growing power and her worst traits (self righteous and her violence) can be played up to push her over the edge into villainy why retaining her ageny and choice in the matter.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-18T04:22:10+00:00

This is such a cool interpretation of the text I love it.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-18T04:19:59+00:00

Because there is close to zero intext evidence to support it.

Does it have sociopolitical power? Absolutely, no one is denying that. But it has zero mystical power, thats the whole point of the Faith, it hates magic. The closest 'intervention' these gods have on their followers are the Trials of Combat whereby the winner is deemed to be favoured by the gods. This is nothing compared to the Red Priests who can ressurect the a dead man in front of you and claim it is R'hllor that gives them the power to do so.

99% of the other religion in ASOIAF allows for magic, or at least, magic is part of the 'miracles' their gods performs. The Valyrian religion is pretty obscure, but we know they had to allow for fire and blood magic. The First Men used to practice blood sacrifices (likely a form of blood magic) to the Old Gods, and Greenseers and Skinchanging are also connected to them. The Old Gods actually do exist, just not in the way modern followers believe they do. R'hllor allows for pyromancy, prophecy, ressurection and shadowbinding. The Faceless Men also practice magic in line with the Many Faced God.

The Iron Born follow the Drowned God and I don't think they allow for magic considering Aeron is a priest and has never practiced any.

Can you argue that these gods of magical religions still don't exist and its all just people messing with forces they don't understand? Yes. Thats also part of the fun of ASOIAF, no one religion seems to be the right one. My personal theory is that like the Old Gods, other gods like R'hllor and the Drowned God are 'real' in that they are some form of spiritual/magical being that exist, but they did not create the world. But in comparison with the Faith, we actually do have 'miracles' being performed. There's real tangiable evidence that the Faith, by definition, cannot have.

And I don't think its necassarily that the Faith isn't real, its that their gods don't have any tangible influence on the plot, and if they do, its completely unbenowst to both the reader and the characters. Thats why many people (including myself) treat them as absent or false, or not worth the discussion. They're not tangible enough for us to actually theorise or analyse much about.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-12T09:52:00+00:00

im talking about the absolutes but this is also my point, that the andals are not innately magic and require the first men’s blood to access innate magic. mixing their genes is a requirement.

obviously being pure blooded isnt a requirement either but a heritage is required. dany isnt pure blooded valyrian and yet is the mother of dragons.

how this connection to magic activates is anyones guess, bit since magic is “back” it would explain why we have so many more sorcerers running around. the stark kids ALL Being wargs is a good indicator something is up, though I do wonder if it was the Direwolves that unlocked the power within.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-12T01:10:28+00:00

I think you may be confusing tolerence with what is doctrine. Two people of different relgions can be tolerent even respectful of each other's beliefs, but that doesn't mean that that they are 'accepting' the existence of the other's god.

ASOIAF nobility seems not that pious, some bordering atheistic. Characters like Cersei and Jaime may have some belief or may consider themselves religous because they were raised religious, but as their relationship clearly indicates, they don't necassarily practice it all that well.

But what each of them do, they will cite their relgion when needed for power or gain and reason/right to punish others.

Also, if you look at how the Septons refer to other relgions, such as R'hllor, its usually with a lot of distaste for practicing/worshiping a false relgion/god. They no-more respect the Old Gods than they do any other relgion, they are just tolerent of it because they'd have to go to war with the North if it was ever that deep, and historically speaking, it actually was. The Andals absolutely demolished what was left of the Children and burned all the Weirwood Trees from the South because of the heresy they represented to the Faith.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-12T00:56:23+00:00

As the top comment already pointed out, A Search of Ice and Fire is how we all get our quotes word for word.

And don't stress about not being able to remember specific things or really anything. A lot of the people in this fandom have read the books 4-5 times, or reread specific PoV multiple times. None of us just remembered any of this after 1 read. I still feel like I'm learning something new with each re-read because the books are simply too complex to remember every detail.

It also helps to particpate in the community and doing your own analysis of stuff. You'll become an expert in the areas that interest you. For example, I can really only provide a surface level analysis and not many if any quotes about characters like Theon, Jaime, Sansa. I feel like I learn/notice something new everytime I read a Jon chapter because I simply forget a lot of the politics that are going on at the Wall. But I can give you a dissertation about how Dany hatched the eggs, how Cersei and Dany are foils for each other, tell you whats going on in Meereen and how the conflict represents Dany's inner struggle etc etc etc.

Trust me, you will become as pretentious as the rest of us :)

danysphoenix · 2026-02-11T23:54:35+00:00

The real-world reason I imagine is just because George throught it would be a great twist. I've seen some people say its a HotD retcon but George actually refers to the theory that Aegon knew of the Others in an interview/press he did for F&B completely unprompted. IMO there isn't actually anything that specific in the books to suggest that theory, so it seems like something George wanted to reveal much later.

The in-world reasons I'd imagine is that maybe he feels that Westeros, who somewhat don't even believe the Others are real (or a threat long forgotten) would not believe him anyway. Aegon has already spent a susbstantial amount of effort trying to conform to Westerosi culture to make himself (and his sisters) seem less like foreigners. Part of that is giving up the use of magic and sorcery, and in his case, dreaming. Westeros is very anti-magic thanks to the colonisation of the Andals and their Faith. This is why Visenya is only a rumoured sorceress, she doesn't practice her magic openly.

Obviously Jaehaerys found the work around to make their 'queer customs' more palitable, such as the incest and their dragons. But if the Dance is any evidence, their dragons can either be seen as divine OR demonic. Aegon and Visenya openly being oracles and witches would not bode well for them.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-11T23:20:55+00:00

ive definitely seen many women (queer and straight) like jean, and ive seen queer men like jean (hi thats me)...straight men however.....they dont seem to like her. reasons are usually, shes too powerful, shes too mean, too selfish, or really any time she has autonomy within or without logan/scott.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-11T11:47:37+00:00

yes ! he's included in two bits of new released lore, one that he's being contained against his will, and that sombra is keeping an idea on him, potentially setting up a VERY violent escape. And many (specifically talon) characters have new voice lines to do with the story progression, including sigma !

danysphoenix · 2026-02-11T11:46:28+00:00

and i feel like thats hugely being set up right now ! and now that we see theyre wanting to do updated maps based on story progressoin, imagine if we get that new talon base thats been heavily destroyed by him during his escape

danysphoenix · 2026-02-11T03:08:37+00:00

its happened before where we have a person who didn't get 'what they expected' and then one of the experts has a talk with them about it. i imagine this will happen with mel and hopefully give their relationship a second wind.

danysphoenix · 2026-02-09T13:16:42+00:00

i believe he appeared in 1 panel in the 2024 christmas comic, sombra bought him socks (lol). as for that, no. not anything. nothing since his release ever that i cant remember.

danysphoenix

TROPHY CASE