setup: when placing characters in your starting area, for each distinct character assigned to the phoenix force, remove 1 fragment and assign it to that character. That fragment is a relic assigned to the character at no cost

just to double check, the character using the phoenix force (yellow) side of the card as opposed to the relic (white) side?

i'm 99% sure it's the yellow, but the wording has me looking at the white, as the effects portion specifies that the character uses the phoenix force side

You use the relic (white) side for the fragments that are assigned to each character (and are thus on their character cards).

The resource (yellow) side is used for any fragments still on the resource where you get to choose one at the beginning of your turn for all assigned characters to be able to use.

To sum up: yellow when the fragments are on the dial, white when they are on a character.

a secondary point with the phoenix force, if a figure assigned to the force (for instance emma) mind controls another (for instance cylops), and that figure (cyclops) KO's an opposing character, does the phoenix force click once? or is the KO credited to cyclops?

The Phoenix Force dial is not clicked as it was cyclops, Not Emma, that did the KO.

Even if Emma was using the Compel feat to Mind Control a friendly Cyclops that was assigned the Phoenix Force resource, it still wouldn't click the resource.

To elaborate some on this...

When you MC a figure...even if it is your own...the MCed figure cannot use the feats or resources assigned to it.


EDIT: Reread the stuff above and realized that's not what is happening.
What I said is true, just not relevant here.

Yeah, unfortunately, the example had to get a little weird, because I had to mind control a friendly figure to add the clarification, but I didn't want to change the scenario too much.