The entire process of seizing the phoenix force went as smoothly as flowing water.
Clearly, the plan had been prepared long ago and rehearsed countless times.
In the end, they succeeded in a single strike, seizing the fragments of the phoenix force.
Scarlet Witch claimed a full three of the phoenix force's five largest fragments.
The Trialist Thor took one.
The three-headed, eight-armed Stephen took one.
The remaining fragments were gathered up by the others.
Scarlet Witch withdrew with the mutants.
After they returned to a mutant base.
Quicksilver said with some regret, "The phoenix force was shattered that easily?"
They had attacked the phoenix force together to weaken it, not destroy it.
The phoenix force had been one of their last trump cards against the Sentinels!
Without that trump card, who knew how many more of their people they would lose before they could fulfill their ultimate mission of uniting the world under mutant rule!
"No, that's not right." Shadowcat closed her eyes, seemingly watching something.
"The phoenix force needed to be broken! An intact phoenix force would bring disaster!"
"What?"
"An intact phoenix force would give rise to another Dark Phoenix! We simply can't control the phoenix force in its entirety!"
Quicksilver refused to accept that. "Even Wanda, with all her power, can't subdue the phoenix force? I don't believe it!"
"She really can't." Shadowcat shook her head. "The power within Wanda seems to suppress the phoenix force. Forcing them together could put her life in danger!"
The mutants' hearts tightened at her words.
In that case, they could not let Wanda take that risk.
Jean Grey, a mutant with the potential to surpass Professor X and Magneto, was already dead.
Now that another powerful mutant had finally emerged, they could not let her risk her life too!