Heroic Identity of Wilson's "Ms. Marvel" Continues To Take Shape

[CBR News]

"Ms. Marvel" writer G. Willow Wilson discusses what lies ahead for young Kamala Khan, including a team-up with the de-powered Wolverine and the Inhumans.


Full article here.

[MarioHerald]

She is going to start looking for her tribe, and that's going to have consequences. We'll definitely start to see that unfold.

Tribes, eh? I wonder if Kamala will have to face a visit of Lash or his lackeys too, as Haechi of New Warriors is doing right now. However, it seems Medusa will get to meet her first by the look of those covers.

[Xalfrea]

Man, October's gonna be a busy month for Kamala with her being with Spider-Man as well as meeting Medusa and the inhumans. Hoping these next issues will be good, and kind, to her.

[pad]

Has there been an explanation on why she has powers, but no one else in her family does? Didn't the bomb awaken all dormant Inhumans?

[Myetche]

Has there been an explanation on why she has powers, but no one else in her family does? Didn't the bomb awaken all dormant Inhumans?

Not yet. I suspect that the circumstances behind Kamala's Terrigenesis were especially unique among Inhumans, made moreso by how she wasn't even supposed to be born (her mother supposedly couldn't have any more kids after her son Aamir). Also, her cocoon in #1 looked nothing like the usual ones.

We'll likely have to wait for #8 and #9 when Lockjaw and Medusa get introduced into her life.

[snark^]

Has there been an explanation on why she has powers, but no one else in her family does? Didn't the bomb awaken all dormant Inhumans?

If the terrigen mist affects certain genes there's a chance it might only crop up every so often in families, and skip entire generations. Kamala's family does have the genetic trait inherited from some Inhuman ancestor, but it only (rarely) expresses itself strongly enough to be affected by the mists in a few individuals; and you can bet that up until now no one in her family has encountered terrigenesis for many generations anyway.

[pad]

Thanks for the responses. We'll see what happens in future issues. It is a good read!

[MarvelMaster616]

I like that G. Willow Wilson is taking her time in bringing Kamala Khan into the larger Marvel universe. It's something I wish Marvel had done with Sam Alexander. It's different for Kamala in that she's a major comic geek and proud of it. The way she nerded out with Wolverine was just too cute. But she still hasn't figured out that she's now part of the Inhumans, not a mutant. It looks like she'll learn soon enough. I don't see how she could become anymore lovable in the process, but she seems to keep finding ways and I'm perfectly fine with that.

[cheesebiggins]

Kamala is by far my favourite and most likeable character in the MU. I love how Wilson is taking it slow with her and still making this a must-read every month. Can't wait for her to meet Medusa and the Inhumans!

[BenBefore]

I'm excited to see Kamala team up with Spidey. I loved Superior Spider-Man, but was a little disappointed that the real Peter wasn't in his head to mentor Nova when he came around. Hopefully he can make up for it and be a good influence this time around for her.

[Superkreep]

I like that G. Willow Wilson is taking her time in bringing Kamala Khan into the larger Marvel universe. It's something I wish Marvel had done with Sam Alexander. It's different for Kamala in that she's a major comic geek and proud of it. The way she nerded out with Wolverine was just too cute. But she still hasn't figured out that she's now part of the Inhumans, not a mutant. It looks like she'll learn soon enough. I don't see how she could become anymore lovable in the process, but she seems to keep finding ways and I'm perfectly fine with that.

I agree with you completely. The approach Marvel has taken with Kamala just seems so much more genuine. In comparison the way they handled Sam/Nova feels very manufactured and created by committee of old men. Whereas Kamala embraces the legacy of the Super Hero in whose footsteps she is following, Sam's series acted as if the previous Nova never existed and the few times they did mention his predecessor he didn't care to learn about him at all. It's an interesting parallel actually seeing how right G. Willow Wilson's approach is in comparison to how wrong Jeph Loeb's take was.

G. Willow Wilson presents a genuine kind-hearted, well meaning person with a healthy but not overbearing cultural background and hopes that readers will connect with her and like her. Loeb presented the generic "Hollywood Loser", the bullied kid who is supposedly Latino (as a Latino I must laugh at that) and expected everyone to jump on-board simply because he's being plastered everywhere and Marvel says he's "New and Fresh" yet nothing is new about him it all, every time Marvel talks about Sam he's always described as "very Peter Parker-like". Those statements are very revealing, it shows that unlike with Kamala there was no actual story in mind for Sam and it shows with the drastic flip flop of creative and overall tone of his series. He's just there to fill the slot of generic teen hero wannabee #889869595 complete with backwards hat and skateboard in tow, yikes! >_<

There's a reason teen heroes in general have a crappy mortality rate in comics. They have a shelf life of MAYBE 5-6 years, after that the age group they were meant to appeal to is grown up and can no longer relate to their angsty virtual surrogate into the super hero world. Eventually these characters have to grow up too, and if they are a generic teen like Sam is then who the heck is gonna care who he is when he grows up? Why invest time in yet another forgotten cookie cutter hero amongst a legion of FAR greater heroes? If he isn't outright killed by whatever creative teams come in the future he's still destined to become a foot note in the MU no matter how much Marvel tries to push him as a star, he'll always just be the dull corporate mascot meant for teens that never actually connected with him. Kamala on the other hand is genuinely unique. She will actually bring something NEW to the table if she makes it to the Adult years of super heroism and to whatever super team she eventually joins. If her voice remains her own and is kept in tact by future creative teams she can go very far in the industry. I for one am hooked! Well done, G. Willow Wilson way to show those old dogs a new trick!

[Mooper Films]

Well said! You hit everything with what's right with Kamala and what is wrong with Sam Alexander. I also hate that even now, we are getting to how Sam as a Nova could existed but yet it still doesn't even tie into anything with Rich. To the Nova Corps themselves but what happened with Richard Rider is being shown in Guardians of the Galaxy and they even stated the truth won't affect Sam at all. Nice to know why we are still supposed to look at Sam as Nova his ties with Rider are in name only not with anything else.
While with Kamala she might use her favorite hero's former name. She has become her own character and is doing everything in a very organic and natural way. This is how you do a new hero that is going by a former identity. Wish this would have been the approach with Sam but it wasn't.

[sifighter]

Getting this topic off Sam, I think this series has been absolutely amazing and has been a character I find very relatable and really enjoyable as a fellow comic fan trying to be a hero. It's honestly one of the best series Marvel has out at this time.

[Superkreep]

Getting this topic off Sam, I think this series has been absolutely amazing and has been a character I find very relatable and really enjoyable as a fellow comic fan trying to be a hero. It's honestly one of the best series Marvel has out at this time.

The bolded is important to note. GWW clearly puts a lot of herself into this character so as a fan that made it to the big leagues we can relate to her in a FAR more significant way than we ever could with Loeb. I really think Marvel editorial in general has been forced to cater to creative a bit too much in recent years and they have allowed big name talent on books that they really are not the best fit for.

Sorry to harp on this but as many awards and accolades as Loeb has rightfully earned over the years I STILL wouldn't think he (a 56 year old man) is the voice of a NEW generation of hero. His age was showing BIG TIME when he described the character he created, the character Marvel expects several kids Sam's age to relate to as "an idiot". Teens don't think of themselves as idiots. The minute Marvel marketed Sam as a bumbling self centered fool they lost any chance at gaining that audience of readers, and as the past several months worth of sales on his title have show they won't be coming back.

A good lesson to take away from all this (and it's particularly relevant these day's) something as simple as enthusiasm and authenticity can indeed trump even the most accomplished of corporate know-it all's.