Thor: Love and Thunder could set the stage for the Avengers 1,000,000 BC if the story of the Thunder God’s parentage follows the comics.

Who knew the Avengers had been around since prehistory? Jason Aaron established just that five years ago. More importantly, he also made a startling connection between Thor and the Phoenix Force that could play out in Thor: Love and Thunder

Although the Phoenix had been synonymous with the X-Men from 1976 and well into the 1990s, Marvel Legacy #1 in 2017 established that Jean Grey was not the first human host. In 1,000,000 BC, the Phoenix Force inhabited a Jean Grey lookalike named Firehair. She and Odin fought together as the prehistoric Avengers took on a Celestial. 

Last year, Aaron went back to that story. It was revealed that Odin and Firehair had a romantic relationship. That led to the bombshell news that his mother was neither Frigga nor Gaia as previously thought. Actually, the Phoenix Force is his mom, thanks to that campfire cuddle in the Stone Age.

Thor: Ragnarok first established that Odin had an unsavory past that he wanted to keep hidden, but the truth was unearthed when Hela marched on Asgard. Love and Thunder could further expand on Odin’s secret past with a flashback to 1,000,000 BC when he met the Stone Age Phoenix host. There's also an Avengers 1,000,000 BC comic shipping in August, and you can't ignore the timing of that title. Add the pieces together, and it should have you taking a closer look at these prehistoric keys.

MARVEL LEGACY #1

Jason Aaron has been retconning the Phoenix history for the past couple of years, most famously with his Avengers storylines. It all began in 2017’s Marvel Legacy #1 when he introduced the Avengers of 1,000,000 BC. The story goes that a Celestial is on a rampage. The All Father joins Agamotto, Stone Age Ghost Rider, Iron Fist Fan Fei, and a Stone Age Starbrand as well as a Stone Age mutant with untapped psychic abilities who happens to be the Phoenix’s chosen host.

With time travel and interdimensional adventures par for the course at the MCU, there are many plot-convenient ways to showcase this team. Besides an Odin flashback, they could be the stars of a future episode of What If…?. Maybe we’ll see them when Kang arrives to document his eternal struggle against the Avengers.

Looking to buy a graded copy? These are overlooked at the moment, and the 9.8 hasn’t sold for more than $90 this year. The most recent sale was for $37 on June 13.

AVENGERS #39

This could be the true sleeper pick of the Avengers 1,000,000 BC collection. With the possibility of Thor being connected to the Phoenix Force, there could be room for the Stone Age Jean Grey, Firehair. Although she was originally unnamed in the Marvel Legacy #1, we learned her name and backstory in 2020’s Avengers #39.

She could be the first mutant introduced to the Earth-616 MCU timeline. In fact, out of all the Stone Age Avengers, she has the most potential to be a future MCU star. This could give Marvel Studios the chance to reinvent the X-Men and their legacy by tying their history to her.

Again, this issue is mostly ignored. There have only been four graded 9.8s sold since last year, and it’s twice reached a high of $60.

THE FUTURE LIES IN THE PAST

You’ve got to admit, the Avengers 1,000,000 BC would be awesome on the big screen. Odds are, if we see anything about them, it will happen in a flashback. As Thor discovers more about Odin’s past, it would be the perfect moment for an Easter egg with Ghost Rider riding a mammoth. Who wouldn’t want to see that?

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.