Phoenix, Dark Phoenix, and Moral Ambiguity (2025)

Martin, J. F. (2025). The Phoenix and Dark Phoenix Sagas: Moral ambiguity, disagreement, and the 

superhero mission. In Lorna Piatti-Farnell and Carl Wilson (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Superhero Studies (pp. 474-484). Routledge.

• Explores how the Phoenix and Dark Phoenix sagas portray the relationship between beliefs and the (im)moral treatment of others.

• In particular, the sagas explore this relationship by centering on ambiguity and disagreement.

“Given the myriad disagreements superheroes and supervillains have concerning the nature of the Phoenix Force and how to respond to it, the sagas provide many opportunities for viewers to engage in similar processes of abstraction and reflection.”