Marvel’s New ‘What If…’ Novel Makes Kitty Pryde the Phoenix — Time Travel, Doctor Doom, and America Chavez Shake Up the X-Men
Marvel and Random House Worlds are releasing a new “What If…” novel that rewrites a core X-Men moment: in this alternate continuity, Kitty Pryde absorbs the Phoenix Force instead of Jean Grey. The book is written by Rebecca Podos, it’s set in an alternate 1990 where the X-Men are gone, and it also features Betsy Braddock, America Chavez, and Doctor Doom among other players. You can find the book page on Random House Worlds for more details.
Overview
This novel is titled What If… Kitty Pryde Stole the Phoenix Force?. It’s part of Marvel’s “What If…?” approach, which imagines alternate takes on established comic events. In this story, the Phoenix selects Kitty Pryde rather than Jean Grey, and that divergence creates a new continuity to explore.
Plot details and setting
The novel opens in an alternate 1990 where the X-Men have been dead for years. Kitty Pryde lives a guarded life after being raised by Emma Frost. Then, strange flashes of a different reality begin to surface, and Betsy Braddock appears with a theory that the world has gone wrong.
Consequently, Kitty and Betsy travel back to the 1970s to find the point where history diverged. At Xavier’s School they investigate Jean Grey’s role in the coming of the Phoenix, while a mysterious figure called the Whisperer appears to be working toward the destruction of this reality.
Main characters mentioned
Concrete facts about who appears in the story:
- Kitty Pryde — the protagonist who, in this timeline, absorbs the Phoenix Force.
- Jean Grey — central to the investigation of how the Phoenix arrived in this timeline.
- Betsy Braddock — shows up with a theory and helps Kitty trace the divergence back in time.
- Emma Frost — raised Kitty in this continuity.
- America Chavez and Doctor Doom — teased as major players in the book.
- The Whisperer — described as a mysterious figure working to ensure the reality’s destruction.
Author and quotes
The novel is written by Rebecca Podos. She commented on the project in an email, and her words are quoted directly in materials shared about the book:
“When Marvel and Random House came to me with a pitch for a time travel story, it was pretty intimidating,” she says.
She also said: “I got to revisit and remix some of my favorite eras and events (and costumes. The legendary Claremont-era fits were wild to describe!).”
Release information and links
The book is published by Random House Worlds, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It has an official book page where you can find purchasing and publication details, including the Oct. 14 release date for the novel. For more information, see the publisher’s listing:
What If… Kitty Pryde Stole the Phoenix Force? on Penguin Random House
