In a few weeks, we’ll see the the newest Marvel superhero don her cape and mask in her television debut. Played by newcomer, Iman Vellani, she is also the latest character to assume the mantle of Ms. Marvel, after Carol Danvers.
But just who is the girl under the mask?
1. So, Who Is the New Kid on the Block?
Meet the witty and vivacious Kamala Khan, your average 16-year-old Pakistani-American superhero from Jersey City. And just like you and me, she loves gaming, writing Avengers fan fiction, and practicing her daily devotions to Captain Marvel. No prizes for guessing the rationale behind her superhero name.
Kamala also became the first ever Muslim character to headline a Marvel series in 2014, with praise for its authentic outlook on culture, values, familial obligations, and dual-identity crisis. Kamala’s struggle to find balance between being a superhero, surviving high school, and not disappointing her family, are largely what makes her character so compelling.
2. How Does Kamala Become Ms. Marvel?
Now, Kamala’s origin story isn’t far off from Captain Marvel’s. Before she had her geek-turned-superhero break, she faced all the woes of a typical teenager: strict parental control, unrequited high-school love, and growing rebellious nature. Not to mention also having to deflect tone-deaf and racist remarks from nasty classmates. Fed up with feeling so different, Kamala sneaks out one night for a party, but finds herself in a sticky situation. Caught up in a swirl of Terrigen Mist (a mutagenic gas that taps into latent Inhuman abilities), Kamala makes a wish to become a superhero like Captain Marvel. And whaddya know? She does become a superhero!
If only it were that easy for all of us, huh?
Terrigen Mist, however, hasn’t quite been explored in-depth in the MCU – besides appearing in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Inhumans, and a brief mention in Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness. So it’s very likely that the show may not address it, or take a different route entirely for her origin story.
3. What Can She Do?
Although modelled after Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel’s powers and abilities are quite different. Kamala is a polymorph, possessing shape-shifting abilities that allow her to alter or elongate her limbs and change her appearance. Think Reed Richards from Fantastic Four or Elastigirl from The Incredibles. She also has superhuman healing abilities when shifting back into true form.
This is where the Ms. Marvel series will probably take a deviation. Based on the trailer, Kamala seems to sport cosmic powers that emanate through her bracelets, rather than having them be triggered by a mutagenic gas. The change in her powers was an intentional decision by Marvel, probably to avoid the connection to the Inhumans mythos (we don’t exactly blame them for that), or even keep her abilities separate from Reed Richards’ (who is now canon in the MCU). Kevin Feige also stated in an article with Empire that the show was not a direct translation of the comics, and that her change in powers are specific to the MCU.
4. When There’s Good, There’s Always the Bad
Kamala has taken on her fair share of villains despite her short tenure as a hero, including battling Hydra and the mad scientist, The Inventor. The series, however, may feature a more low-profile foe for Kamala.
Now if you caught a glimpse of her hunky beau, Kamran, in the trailer, you should probably pay attention because he’s got a few skeletons in his closet. In the comics, Kamran was also exposed to Terrigen Mist like Kamala, activating bioluminescent powers that allowed him to shift biokinetic energy onto objects. Bonding over their mutual inhuman abilities and romantic feelings for one another, Kamala is blissfully unaware of Kamran’s duplicity. That is until Kamran kidnaps Kamala and hands her over to the leader of an Inhuman terrorist organization called Lineage. While it’s unclear whether Lineage will appear, Kamran certainly seems up to no good.
Potential in the MCU – Where Does Ms. Marvel Fit in the Puzzle?
Outside of her television debut, Ms. Marvel is also set to appear alongside her role model, Captain Marvel, in the upcoming 2023 film, The Marvels (yes, there are way too many “Marvels” in that sentence). This makes Kamala a pivotal character in Phase 4 of the MCU, possibly hinting at a future position with the Avengers.
The reality isn’t that far off as Kamala was invited by Iron Man himself to join the Avengers in the comics. She also had close friendships with Spider-Man and Nova, and was mentored by Carol Danvers while in the Avengers. While still a relatively new hero, Ms. Marvel has found herself in league with the big guns, working alongside them during Civil War II and stopping Hydra from taking over the city. So it’ll be no surprise to see Ms. Marvel standing alongside her icons in the near future.
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