Marvel is fully committing to a new host for the Phoenix Force in an upcoming X-Men book, and it’s a mutant fans know and love. Since the Phoenix Force is one of the most powerful cosmic entities in Marvel and has long been tied to Jean Grey, this marks a bold chapter in Marvel history that fans won’t want to miss.
Marvel and Random House are releasing What If… Kitty Pryde Stole the Phoenix Force? (An X-Men and America Chavez Story) by Rebecca Podos on October 14, 2025.
The novel explores an alternate X-Men timeline in which Kitty Pryde absorbs the Phoenix Force instead of Jean Grey, creating a major deviation from typical Marvel lore and opening the door to countless new narrative possibilities. At 336 pages, this isn’t just a typical Marvel one-shot “What If…” story, it’s a deep dive into a reality where Kitty becomes the Phoenix’s host.
What Is Marvel’s New What If… Kitty Pryde Stole the Phoenix Force? (& Why You Should Read It)
Time Travel, Multiverse Chaos, and Kitty Pryde as the Phoenix Host: Here’s What Fans Can Expect from Marvel’s Bold “What If…” Expansion
What If… Kitty Pryde Stole the Phoenix Force? is set in an alternate 1990, where the X-Men are dead and Kitty Pryde was raised by Emma Frost. The official description teases that Kitty, along with “Betsy Braddock and America Chavez race against time itself to save Jean Grey and the X-Men in this epic Multiversal adventure reimagining Marvel origin stories.”
The time-traveling adventure begins when Kitty starts seeing glimpses of a reality where the X-Men still exist. She teams up with Betsy Braddock to travel back to the 1970s to uncover when history diverged. Along the way, they discover connections to Jean Grey, the Phoenix Force, and a mysterious figure called the Whisperer, who threatens the fate of this alternate reality.
This novel represents a major Marvel “What If…?” expansion, offering fans a new timeline, deeper multiverse exploration, and a fresh take on the Phoenix Force. It’s an opportunity to see Kitty Pryde in a world-changing role, showing just how different the Marvel Universe could have been, and reminding fans why the “What If…” concept is so exciting.
Kitty Pryde Becomes the Phoenix: A Bold New Chapter for X-Men
The Phoenix Force’s Cosmic Powers Will Transform Kitty Pryde into the Most Powerful Version of Her Character Yet
While X-Men fans are familiar with Jean Grey as the iconic host of the Phoenix Force, giving Kitty Pryde this cosmic entity guarantees an entirely new perspective on both the Phoenix Force and Kitty’s character. This bold change promises to explore how Kitty handles such immense power, reshaping her role in the Marvel Universe in ways fans have never seen before.
It will be fascinating to see how the Phoenix Force’s vast abilities (immortality, cosmic energy manipulation, control over life and death, matter transmutation, and more) interact with Kitty’s intangibility and chronoskimming. This novel is set to deliver the most powerful version of Kitty Pryde in X-Men history, pushing the character to unprecedented cosmic heights.
Marvel: What If…Kitty Pryde Stole the Phoenix Force? (An X-Men and America Chavez Story) is available October 14, 2025, from Penguin Random House!