#ms marvel series
June is worth the wait.
Salutations, random people on the internet who certainly won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.
WithMs. Marvel coming this Wednesday onto Disney+, and with me most likely stating my quick thoughts each week, I figured that I should discuss the cosmic elephant in the room that is Ms. Marvel’s powers. If you’ve been paying attention to how Marveland especially Ms. Marvel fans have reacted, you can tell that the overall consensus is that they do not like this change. In the comics, Ms. Marvel is a shapeshifter who’s able to grow her fists into massive proportions, grow and shrink her body into whatever size she wants, stretch her limbs like Mr. Fantastic, and even change her appearance to look like whoever she wants. In her very first comic title, Kamala Khan actually turns herself into Carol Danvers, the original Ms. Marvel. She couldn’t copy the powers (why would she?), but she did copy the look down to the minute detail.
From what we can tell with trailers, it looks like the show is making her less like a shapeshifter and more like Green Lantern. She can summon these cosmic projectiles that can make fists, platforms to run on in the air, and forcefields to protect herself and others. Now, to be fair, it does look kind of cool…but it doesn’t look like the Ms. Marvel fans know.
As far as I can tell, that’s the only issue fans have so far with the show. In terms of the character’s spirit and significance to the expansive universe, it seems pretty spot-on to what fans adore. So, if they got everything else right, you might be asking, “Why are fans complaining? Couldn’t they just let go this one thing that was done wrong in favor for everything else that’s done right?”
I can see why you think that. After all, changes from the comics to the screen happens more times than you think, especially in Marvelmedia.
Sam Rammi’s Spider-Man trilogy gave Peter Parker biological webs instead of having him build web-shooters. Fans called shenanigans at this change, but to this day, there are people who still claim that these movies are the best live-action adaptation for Spider-Man. Why? Because they kept to the same ideas and themes of the character. They just changed one aspect of him.
And sometimes, a change can be more than just minor. Take James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, for example. In terms of personality, they’re nothing like what their characters originally were in the comics. And yet, people love them. To the point where these characters went from non-recognizable characters to the ones that almost everybody knows about, Marvelfan or not, you at least now know who Rocket Racoon is.
So, if changes to comics doesn’t stop people from liking the overall product, that means change is good, right? Well…it depends on what’s being changed.
If we’re talking about personalities or how a character got their powers, change can be good. It just depends on whether it makes sense for the story.
However, when it comes to superheroes, there is one key-aspect of the character that should never change.
“Their costumes?”
…There are two key aspects that should never change.
“Their sexuality, race, and gender?”
…Depending on how straight, white, and male they are, there are THREE aspects of the character that should never change.
And that is the superpowers. Because, above everything else, the powers define the hero. Don’t believe me?
How many times are you reminded of Mr. Fantastic whenever you see a new superhero stretch?
How many times are you reminded of the Hulk whenever you see a new superhero get stronger the angrier that they get?
And how many times are you reminded of Spider-Man when you see a new superhero swing through the city?
That happens because those powers are what makes these heroes unique, and without them, they might as well be a different superhero. Sam Rammi’s Peter Parker may have biological webs, but he still swings through New York, sticks to walls, and has the proportional strength of a spider. James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy may have different personalities, but they still, relatively, have the same powers they do in the comics. That’s because the powers are what made them unique. Not what a director altered for the sake of a story. And that’s why fans are in an outrage over Kamala Khan’s powers in the show. Because, as I’ve said, it doesn’t make her Ms. Marvel. It makes her Green Lantern.
“Well, if fans don’t like the change, they can just read the comics. Those will stay the same.”
Yeah, here’s the thing: They don’t.
Comics change all the time and, more often than not, it’s because of how popular a movie/TV show adaptation is. Because of how popular Sam Rammi’s Spider-Man is, Marvel went through this bizarre way to give Peter Parker biological webbing instead of web-shooters. And with how identifiable James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy are, the comics actually started ret-conning them to be more like the movies. And it’s not just the comics either. Every animated series and even video game that features the Guardians of the Galaxy all try their hardest to copy James Gunn’s vision rather than make their own.
This leads to another reason why fans are so upset over how Kamala Khan’s powers are different in the show. If the show ends up being popular, the comics will change the character to line up with the series. And fans who loved Ms. Marvels original powers, the one thing that made her unique in the first place, are going to be upset that she’ll be changed so drastically for…whatever the MCU decided to change it for.
IsMs. Marvel going to be a good show? Maybe. Will it stick to the spirit of the character? Possibly. But while it looks like Ms. Marvel and sounds like Ms. Marvel, if she’s not a shapeshifter, then she’s not Ms. Marvel. She’s practically a different superhero.
A good superhero, maybe. But not the one that won people over.
I really loved Ms. Marvel today.
I love that Kamala is weird, she’s like us. And I love it. It’s so fun to see younger people in the Marvel universe growing up. That’s why I think Spiderman movies and shows are always so popular.
And I can’t wait to see what happens. Like everything that has been set up for the series is so exciting!
What did y’all like?
⚠ MS MARVEL 101 SPOILERS ⚠
Alright…
- Yes, I didn’t watch it today at 2am bc I fell asleep. I’m old, leave me alone.
- Anyway, dID YOU SEE MOONKNIGHT IN THE M OF MARVEL IN THE OPENING?!???!? AAHSSÑSKLS.
- Got excited. Sorry.
- I love that they added Blinding Lights and not only for the trailer.
- Kamala being a hard core fangirl is such a mood. Like, I can totally see myself doing that (I’m not good at drawing but ykwim).
- Also, i know for a fact that my driving test would go the same way. I wouldn’t make it to the next block without hitting something.
- This dude called her “Camelia” and, he was there for half a second but I already hate him.
- Now, Bruno is a bay and i love him. Something happens to him and I go riot. K?
- Uuugh. I relate to Kamala in this. I know what is like to have strict parents and growing up like that. I feel ya, girl.
- I. Just. Love. How the text messages and Kamala’s plan shows with this changing art and neon lights on the streets. They’re dope!!
- Now, nOW!! Did you see the belt? She was about to add it when her parents entered her room. Añdkdkñd.
- And talking about her parents, ngl, I did feel bad for them. Like, they were going to let her go with their conditions and i know it was a wrong way to express her thoughts but we get it.
- And the fact that she said that she made her dad cry just gives me this unsettling feeling. Idk, I’ve mentioned this in the past. I hate the idea of grown ass men crying. It makes me wanna join them.
- But well, her plan with the bus didn’t go as planned, obviously. And even though I felt bad for her bike, it was a funny touch.
- I’m gonna mention just a few of the references I catched from the AvengersCon:
- The Star Spangled Man song, the girls from the Stark Expo, that card? with America’s ass, the iconic “I can do this all day”.
- And I’m sure there are more but I’ll check them later.
- Okay but, ✨ Zoe’s costume ✨ The original (sort of) Ms Marvel costume.
- I got scared for a moment with the giant Ant-Man’s head started moving, then I was like “okay, they’re cheering, it’s all cool”, then it moved a vain and it fell and caused the giant Mjölnir to play a wrecking ball and drag Zoe with it and i was scared again.
- Luckily (and obviously) Kamala saved her.
- And i don’t know why people complained about her powers and why they were changed. They look so f-ing cool. They look cOSMIC!
- Did you see the art in those credits? The Kamala from the comics? I mean *chef kiss*.
- And last but not least… *clears throat* WTF was that post-credit scene? Who are these people and why do they want to bring her in? Mind your own business, floks and leave my girl alone.
- Or don’t. I wanna see what happens next.
Hot take: I’m perfectly fine with Kamala Khan’s stretchy powers being switched for energy construct powers. One, she still uses the energy construct powers to enlarge her limbs, so it’s not like they completely erased that aspect of Kamala’s character. Two, body modification powers look really weird in live-action. I’ve seen all the Fantastic Four movies and all of them failed to make Reed’s stretching look cool to watch. So if this is the compromise to make Kamala’s stretching powers look good in live-action, then fine.
My only criticism about about Ms. Marvel is that nobody has a thick jersey accent.
Evil organization woman from Ms. Marvel might have put the final nail in the coffin of ‘Latinx’ by saying it like a slur
