Who is Ms. Marvel in the comics?
Created by Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie Mckelvie, Ms. Marvel became Marvel’s first Muslim character to headline her own series in 2014. Like so many great Marvel characters, Ms. Marvel explores the difficulties of being a teenager with superpowers. In Kamala’s case, she finds out she’s an Inhuman (think cosmic mutants) after a Terrigen bomb is set off in her home state of New Jersey. In the process of saving her classmates, she discovers she has morphogenetic powers that also her to “embiggen” parts of her body, shapeshift, and change mass. These powers have been altered for the Disney+ series in which Kamala displays an ability to create energy constructs seemingly by way of Kree technology.
Why older kids will love Ms. Marvel
What makes Kamala unique is that she is a Gen Z superhero who has grown up adoring superheroes, especially Captain Marvel, all her life. She’s a fangirl at heart, which adds a layer of charm and relatability to her encounters with the more famous faces of the Marvel Universe. Along with the fangirling comes Kamala’s emotional journey in which she must learn to accept herself, and her abilities, without being defined by her idols or society’s expectations of her in a post 9/11 world. Kamala’s Muslim faith plays a central part in her story, as do her family and friends, some of who share her faith and heritage, while others don’t. Kamala navigates some of the more conservative expectations of her parents and brother while also seeking to come to terms with what being Muslim means to her as a young woman and as a hero. As a comic series, Ms. Marvel has been celebrated for bringing a fresh and authentic perspective to superhero storytelling with a teenage superhero who is just as compelling as Peter Parker in his formative years. Ultimately, Disney+’s Ms. Marvel, executive produced by co-creator Sana Amanat and Bisha K. Ali (Loki) as head writer, looks to honor the character’s emotional journey and bring further inclusivity to the MCU. As a coming-of-age story, Ms. Marvel looks to be one of the MCU series most primed to be a breakout among families who not only have a chance to learn about her culture but about what it means to be a hero in this modern world where there are no easy answers but goodness is still much needed. Here’s the awesome trailer. Ms. Marvel streams on Disney+ beginning on June, 8th.
