The entity ended up at some point in Shi'ar space where it bonded with a citizen of the Empire, named Rook'shir, who controlled the power of the Phoenix Force in conjunction with his blade. He was ultimately overwhelmed by the Phoenix's power and became the first known host to succumb to the Phoenix Force's destructive impulses and go insane from the power it embodied, becoming the malevolent force of destruction known as the Dark Phoenix. Rook'shir went on a destructive rampage through the Empire, destroying many planets in the process. He was eventually defeated and killed by the Imperial Guard, a team formed for the purpose of stopping Rook'shir, which later became the first line of defense of the Shi'ar Empire. The Phoenix fled, leaving a small remnant of itself in the blade, which could only be lifted by Rook'shir's descendants. Fearing the power of the Phoenix, the Shi'ar ordered all Rook'Shir's descendants to be killed or sterilized.