Captain Marvel, and taking part in some of the biggest and most recent major Marvel events.
Comic book fans know Ms. Marvel shares deep connections to the Inhumans, ties that appear to have been severed in the MCU. Nevertheless, she fits right into the established live-action universe with a grounded take on the character and her life while still reaching for the stars. The show reflects the enthusiasm and spirit that have made Ms. Marvel comics so endearing to fans since her debut.
Updated on June 11th, 2022 by Darby Harn: Ms. Marvel proves a faithful and infectious adaptation of the original comics, borrowing heavily from the initial 2014 comic from writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Sara Pichelli. While some key differences emerge in Kamala Khan's origin regarding her connection to the Terrigen Mists, the series showcases all the qualities that make Ms. Marvel comics so great. With the show following the comics so closely, her comic book history likely foreshadows her MCU future.
Not The First Ms. Marvel
Though Kamala Khan serves as Ms. Marvel in the comics today, she wasn't the first superhero to bear the name. In fact, she's the fourth. The first is by far the most familiar to comics fans. Carol Danvers first appeared as Ms. Marvel, the protege of the original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell.
Sharon Ventura succeeded Carol, who then ed the Fantastic Four and became the She-Thing. The third was the supervillain Moonstone, who impersonated Carol for years until Carol took her title back during Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers reign.
The First Muslim Superhero To Star In Her Own Marvel Comic
Kamala Khan distinguishes herself not just from former Ms. Marvels, but also from all other Marvel superheroes. Co-created by Sana Amanat, G. Willow Wilson, and Adrian Alphona, she is the first Muslim superhero to headline her own book in the Marvel comics.
In an interview, Amanat said that she wanted Kamala's costume to "represent a bit of her cultural identity," with some "parts influenced by Indian salwar as well." In the recent Marvel Avengers video game, Amanat also helped to design Kamala's outfit and made sure that her culture and heritage were a part of this design, too.
She Idolizes Captain Marvel
Kamala Khan initially appears as a very normal teenager and in that way, she idolizes one of the most famous superheroes in her world - Captain Marvel. Kamala meets Carol in the first issue of her ongoing series in 2014, among the best Ms. Marvel comics to read before the MCU series.
Carol inspires her to take up the mantle of Ms. Marvel after Kamala discovers her strange new powers. That dynamic between the two women, of mentor or mentee, likely plays out in the show as well.
"Embiggen" Powers
Though Carol and Kamala share a history in their superhero names, their powers are very different. Kamala 'embiggens' herself with incredible elasticity that allows her to shapeshift and manipulate matter on a molecular level.
Kamala discovers she has Inhuman genetics after the Terrigen Mists are released throughout the world and activate dormant Inhuman cells. This initiative was part of a drive to have the Inhumans effectively replace the X-Men in the comics but has since been abandoned.
Connection To The Kree
Though the MCU series appears to divest the Terrigen Mist origin, Ms. Marvel may still share a connection to the Kree. The Kree play a key role in Carol Danvers' origin in both the comic books and in live-action and may be behind Kamala's unique bracelet in the MCU.
The Kree Empire's experiments on ancient humans resulted in the Inhumans in Marvel Comics. This detail remains unexplored in the MCU but could emerge in some way with both Ms. Marvel and the Inhumans appearing, the latter in the form of Earth-838 Black Bolt.
Friends With Lockjaw
Comic book fans know the Inhumans play a major role in Ms. Marvel's life, but that doesn't seem to be the case in the MCU. If no Inhumans connection translates to live-action, it will be a shame as Ms. Marvel forms a great friendship with Lockjaw.
Lockjaw, the giant bulldog who teleports vast distances, comes to Earth to watch over Ms. Marvel. He helps her fight The Inventor, one of her earliest villains, and the two make a funny pair that would be great to see on screen at some point.
All-New, All-Different Avenger
Ms. Marvel debuted as a solo hero but it wasn't too long before she ed the Avengers. She ed the team in the aftermath of the 2015 Secret Wars event, as part of the All-New, All-Different era of Marvel in 2016.
She ed a new squad that featured Sam Wilson, the Falcon, (who is now Captain America), Miles Morales as Spider-Man, and Jane Foster as Thor. This squad easily ranks among the best Avengers team rosters in Marvel Comics and may form in the MCU.
Becoming A Champion
Ms. Marvel later ed another superhero team, alongside Nova and Miles Morales. She helped form the Champions after her two friends quit the Avengers in the fallout of Civil War II.
The team fractured during the controversial Secret Empire storyline, in which Hydra successfully conquered the United States, but reformed after the squad helped overthrow the evil organization and liberate America.
Fracture With Captain Marvel
Civil War II complicated the relationship between Kamala and Carol Danvers a great deal. Kamala was stunned that the Avengers would sanction the murder of one of their own, the Hulk, over the prospect of him becoming a huge threat.
This eventually led to Kamala withdrawing her from Carol in her battle against Iron Man over the future of the team. The basic plot of the story involved using a precog to forecast crimes (not unlike the tech-noir classic Minority Report), which Carol wanted to prevent, but it was at a price that Ms. Marvel couldn't accept.
Secret Warriors
Comic fans know Ms. Marvel s other teams as well, including the Secret Warriors. This team includes several heavy hitters like Daisy Johnson, Moon Girl, Devil Dinosaur, and Magik, among the most powerful magic s in the Marvel Universe.
The team forms from several Inhumans who don't necessarily make sense within traditional Inhuman society or culture, reflecting a younger and more diverse roster composed mostly of characters who received their powers from the Terrigen Bomb.
