Warning: Spoilers for Giant-Size X-Men #1 (2025)!Ms. Marvel's journey changes X-Men lore forever, then so must her powers.

In Giant-Size X-Men #1, Ms. Marvel displays new powers that provide her with a definite sparkle. However, the new change alters how Ms. Marvel's creators originally conceptualized the character. A decade ago, Ms. Marvel's co-creator G. Willow Wilson made a point to say that the character was not supposed to sparkle or float. In an interview first conducted with Wired, Wilson said the following:

At the very early stages, I [said] I did not want her to have stereotypical girl powers. Nothing’s going to sparkle; she’s not going to float. I wanted her to have something kinetic and physical that would look fun on the page. There was a lot of back and forth about what her power set should be, and we settled on making her a polymorph.

There are pros and cons to this alteration, as it does evolve Kamala Khan into something new and fresh, but simultaneously betrays Wilson's vision.

Ms. Marvel's Powers Evolve, But Contradict the Vision of Kamala Khan's Creator

"The Mutant That Walks Like a Man" by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Adam Kubert, and Laura Martin for Giant-Size X-Men #1

Giant-Size X-Men #1 reveals Ms. Marvel's new mutant superpowers, which were long dormant due to Kamala Khan's Inhuman powers having manifested first. When sent back several years into the past and forced to combat Professor X's evil son Legion, her mutant powers finally show themselves. At first glance, these new powers don't seem immediately different from her usual embiggen abilities, but upon further analysis, her hands are glowing out of seemingly a diamond-coated skin. As her punch connects with Legion, her fists omit a fireworks-lite sparkling tint.

The title is a reference to and celebrates the 50th anniversary of 1975's Giant-Size X-Men #1,

There's still much to learn about this new power, but it would appear that it seems to give Kamala a stronger, heftier punch. After all, she's able to knock around an Omega-level mutant in Legion by activating them. Prior to activating these powers, it's unlikely she'd be able to leave a dent on Legion quite as easily. This isn't to say that Kamala has become an Omega-level mutant, but whatever newfound strength she's garnered from this ability allows her to have a better chance at holding her own in a fight against one, which is a strong benefit.

Kamala Khan's New Mutant Powers Mirror Her Abilities on Ms. Marvel

Marvel Produces Serendipity Between Ms. Marvel's Comic and TV Show Powers

The road to the comics version of Ms. Marvel's mutanthood first began when the MCU version of the character was revealed to be a mutant in the first season cliffhanger of her self-titled television show. It has been alleged that Marvel actively tries to have their comic stories match what happens in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, namely for Kamala Khan. When Ms. Marvel revealed the title character to be a mutant. Marvel subsequently killed her off in the comics only to resurrect her as a mutant therein after.

Writer Cody Ziglar claimed that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige asked Zeb Wells to kill off Ms. Marvel in The Amazing Spider-Man #26, a claim that Marvel has swiftly denied. Nonetheless, whether Kamala's mutant heritage was influenced by the movie universe or not, Ms. Marvel's new superpowers display a glow similar to that which she carries in the TV show. Be it intentional or not, the course of Ms. Marvel's entire lore has been changed seemingly in an effort to parallel the MCU, and, by proxy, that attempt has sacrificed G. Willow Wilson's original vision for the character.

Ms. Marvel's New Superpowers Have Highs and Lows

Kamala Khan's Powers Evolve Her Character, But Sacrifice What She Was Intended to Be

There are ittedly pros and cons to Ms. Marvel's new change, the biggest con being how it comes at the cost of everything that G. Willow Wilson first envisioned for the character. Her comments about Kamala Khan being anti-sparkle may have just been made in jest, but she probably never expected them to come true. Wilson's decision was largely based in gender, hoping for Ms. Marvel and her powers to be viewed with respect in a way that appoints her shoulder-to-shoulder with the best heroes, rather than positioning her as a teenager with "stereotypical girl powers."

That being said, an argument can be made that no superhero or supervillain is exactly as they were when they were first created. The most beloved characters from decades ago are large departures from their debut, but in some cases, become bigger and better than the scope of the creator's vision. It's all a part of the growth process in building characters, and for Kamala Khan's star power and character to grow, Marvel has needed to make drastic changes. This is one such change that could positively progress Ms. Marvel in the long run.

Giant-Size X-Men #1 is available now from Marvel.

Source: Wired